Happy Friday, everyone! Here’s a roundup of my most popular pins this week.

This Pina Colada fruit salad recipe would be a great addition to a summer brunch:

Source: tasteofhome.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

Avocado & lime & cantaloupe salad? YES!

 

Source: theppk.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

I have 5,000 lbs. of CSA tomatoes on my counter – this Southeast Asian tomato salad would be a tasty & creative way to showcase them:

 

Source: yumsugar.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 What about carrots? I have a ton of those, too, from my CSA. This duo of shredded carrot salads (one sweet, one savory) is a treat for the eyes, as well as for the palate!

 

Source: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 The addition of corn is an interesting twist on the classic Caprese salad:

 

Source: simplyrecipes.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

 I’d add a can of rinsed & drained pinto beans to this Mexicali raw corn salad with beans & lime to create a light, vegetarian lunchbox item:

 

Source: care2.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

And my most popular workout pin? This rockin’ 5-superset Arms & Abs workout . . . summer’s not over yet, my friends!

 

Source: theleangreenbean.com via Sarah @ on Pinterest

Enjoy!

P.S. Not following me on Pinterest? That’s just wrong. Find me here!

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Hello, sweeties! So much has been going on – good and not-so-great. My daughter’s had all sorts of health issues this summer – nothing too serious, but serious enough to suspend plans and abort vacations and visit emergency departments in two different countries. So needless to say, that’s where I’ve been. And not here. She’s getting sorted out, and now, so am I! [Read more →]

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Studies show that people who eat more vegetables tend to be thinner – that’s probably because the veg is crowding out less-nutritious, more calorie-dense food. But let’s be real. How often do you try something new? Challenge yourself to one new-to-you veggie per week for a month. Use my search box on the blog here for recipe ideas!

{Big wet smooches and good veggie karma to whoever can name the veggie pictured at the top of this post.}

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Yes, it’s more expensive than buying whole fruit, but you’ll be more likely to eat it ’cause it’s cleaned and cut for you, and you’ll STILL pay less than if you ordered fruit salad in a restaurant!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Cooking your own food is one of the surest ways to eat healthily. But what to do if you’re on the road? Try the Healthy Dining Finder – plug in an address or a zip code and up pops a list of area-restaurants along with recommendations for healthier fare (complete with nutrition info – hooooray!).

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Lettuce in your salad is good. Spinach in your salad is GREAT. A 3-cup serving of the stuff has 10% of a day’s potassium (listen up, you ‘nana haters!), 510% of the day’s vitamin K, 160% of a day’s vitamin A, 40% of your daily vitamin C and folate, 15% of your RDA of magnesium and iron, and 8% of a day’s calcium and fiber. All for . . .

20 tiny calories.

Did you know that my Baby Spinach Salad, 7 Ways is one of the all-time most popular posts on Semi-Sweet? Check it out. Feed yourself spinach, today!

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Summertime is a great time for pesto – you can make up a big batch, use it lots of different ways, even freeze it for a treat come wintertime. [Read more →]

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Really, the best way to get your carbs is from vegetables, fruit and beans. The OmniHeart study found that diets rich in veggies, fruits and low-fat dairy foods and low in sat fat, salt and sugar lowered blood pressure and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). But each person in this study had only 4-5 servings of grains for a 2,000 calorie/day diet. That’s NOT much bread, my friends. And sometimes, you just want to sandwich something.

Try thin, whole grain rolls like Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats or Arnold or Oroweat Sandwich Thins – they have 100 calories per bun and will let you stretch your whole grains budget further every day.

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