Five Easy Recipes for a Better Diet

1. Instead of buying sugary yogurts, purchase plain yogurt and mix in an unrefined sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup (Aunt Jemima is not maple syrup) or agave nectar.

2. Make your own salad dressings, avoiding the overpriced and over processed bottled versions. I’ll post a video tomorrow demonstrating how quick and easy it is to make a vinaigrette.

3. Replace candy bars with dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content). In addition to other health benefits, dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which protect our bodies' cells from damage.

4. Bake croutons for use in soups, chilies and salads. How? Preheat oven to 350. Cut day-old bread into cubed bite-size pieces. Lightly coat bread with olive oil, kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Place on baking sheet. Put in oven and bake until lightly browned. Store in plastic container.

5. Buy peanut butter that’s just peanuts. Sugars and hydrogenated oils do not belong in peanut butter. If you can’t find fresh pressed peanut butter, a commercial alternative is Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter with No Salt Added.