Brrr! A smoothie might be a healthy way to start the day, but on a chilly winter morning, it can also set your teeth chattering. That's when we like to warm things up with a pinch of spice. More

Q: I need some online inspiration for "burning calories"! I don't need Fitocracy or a goal-making program — I want a website that will help me geek out on fitness the way The Kitchn makes me geek out on food. Any suggestions?

Sent by Carolyn More

Parties to attend, gifts to wrap, flights to catch ... with all the busyness of the holidays, finding the time and energy to cook a proper, nourishing meal can be a challenge. But unless you intend to eat cookies for dinner (it's okay, we won't tell!), it can make all the difference to plan for a few simple and healthy dishes. Here's one of our go-tos: savory stuffed sweet potatoes with beans and greens. It can be a complete meal by itself, and is adaptable to what you have on hand. More

We're rounding up our favorite posts from the past year — and today we're looking all the way back to January. We started January with a seriously fresh start: We launched an all-new site design! This was a great way to start the year, and we jumped right into fresh cooking and lighter eating. Here's a look back at 15 of our best posts on eating lighter, packing more vegetables into meals, and making the kitchen a more refreshing place to cook. More

Q: My parents have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I want to encourage them in their new healthy diet, but I still want to make them yummy homemade gifts. Any ideas for treats I can make them? I am open to low-glycemic desserts as well as savory options like crackers and dips.

Sent by Roxanne More

Have you ever wished there was a more attractive, less plastic version of the Brita water filter? One that didn't use a lot of chemicals or make you cringe every time you tossed the used plastic filter into the garbage? Have you ever lost track of when to change the filter, or keep forgetting to buy new ones? The people at Soma hear you and they've come up with a water filter that's beautiful, made of glass, and comes with a filter subscription service that delivers your new filter to your door every two months. Oh, and that old filter? You can compost it. More

Pine nuts aren't cheap, but for a special holiday gift, or personal indulgence, we love the idea of a little jar of roasted pine nut butter. More

This year my husband and I are spending time with both our families over the holidays, which means traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle to Boston and back again. Needless to say, we'll be spending a lot of time on airplanes, and not one of the flights includes a meal. Instead of relying on sad bags of mini pretzels or soggy airport sandwiches, I'll be packing a few of these whole wheat pockets. Stuffed with spiced lentils, kale and mashed roasted sweet potato, these sturdy vegan pastries freeze well and taste great hot or at room temperature, so whether you're sitting in your cubicle or cruising at 30,000 feet, you can have a wholesome meal ready whenever you are. More

Whether you're making them as gifts or for yourself, homemade condiments are tastier and less processed than their store-bought counterparts, but their shelf life is often alarmingly short. Eating Rules has an intriguing culturing method that extends the shelf life of homemade condiments by weeks or even months, while also making them more nutritious — all you need is a little yogurt. More

It happens every year at this time and you know it. Whatever your normal — and hopefully healthy — eating pattern is, you lose it.

Normally I have a very balanced diet, which not only means it's balanced nutritionally, but it's balanced emotionally: I manage to try everything I want while rarely over-indulging. Then the holidays hit and gatherings fill up the calendar. On one hand I can't complain; I've managed to make a career out of encouraging people to cook and eat together, and it doesn't happen more than at the end of each calendar year. However, these gatherings rarely showcase light, healthy foods. Don't get me wrong: I like a good boozy cup of eggnog and a slice of roast beef as much as the next guy, but everybody needs a break.

Take Tuesday night for example: I went into a dinner party situation wanting to eat light and not drink alcohol. Two blinks of the eye later I found a margarita in one hand and a goat cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped date in the other. Pretty soon there were pork loin sandwiches and chile rellenos. There was simply no escape. More