Body Sense

Making breakfast a daily habit helps you ward off weight gain by reducing hunger later in the day, jump-starting your day with healthy choices, and giving you a boost of energy. Start your morning off with these seven low-cal and nutritious breakfast recipes. View the slideshow.

These recipes combine low-fat dairy products and fruit for drinks that have less than 300 calories but plenty of energy-boosting nutrients. View slideshow

Island countries are experts at using what they’ve got—fresh fish and fruit. They go heavy on the spices and light on processed foods to make healthy, hearty dishes that won’t have you hesitating to throw on your bikini. Let these easy recipes take you to a tropical locale, if only in your imagination. View the slideshow.

You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the delicious foods of Passover. Try these five matzo-based recipes to celebrate the season. View the slideshow.

Easter wouldn’t be the same without a few treats on the table. We chose seven desserts that will help you celebrate without putting on the pounds before bathing suit season. View the slideshow.

Spring has (finally!) sprung, so this weekend I will be celebrating with an outdoor barbecue. If the temperatures drop at sundown, I will feed my guests inside, but nothing welcomes the warm weather better than the smell of charcoal. These recipes are all easy and kid-friendly—even the sangria! You might want to add a big bowl of sliced fruit to the spread (I like to use apples, pears, melon, and grapes, but often I pick whatever is on sale). This is a great way to serve a healthy dessert with minimal effort. I also tend to stock up on ground turkey meat when it’s on sale, for occasions like this when I’m serving a crowd.

Grocery list
1 bottle Fre nonalcoholic red wine (You should be able to find this at your local wine store)
1 can Sprite Zero
1 apple
1 orange
1 lb. lean ground turkey
6 small red potatoes
1 red onion
3 stalks celery
1 jar Miracle Whip or reduced-fat mayonnaise
Eggs
1 red bell pepper
Old Bay seasoning
1 package whole-wheat buns (I like Pepperidge Farm brand)
1 bag frozen waffle fries

Next page: Let’s get cooking!

I was recently faced with a dinner dilemma. After spending a fun-filled girls’ weekend in D.C., I was trying to reestablish kitchen order in my postage stamp–size Brooklyn kitchen. I was tired. Willa, our 12-month old, still isn’t sleeping through the night, and I had gone out in Manhattan the previous night and had too many “artisanal” cocktails. My mind was foggy, but I was trying to hew to the New Year’s resolution I had made to cook more, buy less this year.

I dug through the fridge and rescued a Romanesco cauliflower (an amazingly sci-fi looking vegetable in both the broccoli and cauliflower families) that had been gorgeous when I bought it at the farmers’ market two weeks ago.

Then I spied a butternut and a spaghetti squash that we’d done a very good job of ignoring for at least a month. I didn’t want to cook, but I figured I’d rescue these vegetables in the nick of time, and make some baby food while I was at it.

I preheated the oven to 375° and got to chopping. I baked the Romanesco cauliflower with some olive oil and sea salt (the pink Himalayan stuff is off-the-charts good) for 25 minutes. Then I cut a large turnip into batons and threw that together with the butternut squash wedges (vegetables that are the same texture and hardness can be paired up easily), olive oil, and salt and pepper, and baked it for about 40 minutes.

At the same time, I halved the very old spaghetti squash and threw it on an oiled baking sheet for the same amount of time. I ended up with absolutely nothing for dinner last night, but everything for dinner all week long.

Here are my favorite ways to use roasted veggies.

(Getty Images)

Pasta
Cook up some whole-wheat penne and toss with any roasted vegetable, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (no I won’t call it EVOO), salt, pepper, and some good grated Parmesan. Some chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or basil, are a bonus. Here’s a great recipe for lasagna using leftover roasted veggies.

Soup
Since your vegetables are already cooked, putting a soup together becomes ridiculously easy. If you like it chunky, you can just simmer some low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, and add in diced roasted veggies. If you like a smooth soup, blend the roasted vegetables in a food processor with chicken broth and a bit of low-fat milk. Season to taste before serving. Try this Apple–Butternut Squash Soup.

Pizza
Get refrigerated dough from your local pizzeria or grocery store. Preheat your oven to 425°. Roll your dough out on a floured surface and fold over the edge to create a 1-inch border. Sauce it up with jarred sauce, sprinkle with shredded part skim mozzarella, and top with the roasted vegetables.

Salad
Serve your roasted veggies on their own, simply tossed with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice, or you can serve them over a bed of greens. I like arugula, and here’s a good recipe for Roasted Squash Salad With Maple Vinaigrette.

Whatever you do with them, you’ll be happy you didn’t let those winter veggies languish one more day. After all, it is nearly time for spring cleaning.

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