It's nearly the new year, and with the new year comes New Year resolutions. What are yours? If one of your New Year resolutions is to cut sugar from your life, we're here to help! And if you haven't considered a sugar-free lifestyle might we suggest it?

Why dump refined sugar? You already know sugar isn't the healthiest item around but you may not be aware of just how much sugar you're eating. Did you know we average 130 pounds of sugar per person in the United States? All those sugar-y drinks and sweets add up, right? So does all the sugar in things like sauces, condiments, crackers, and more – refined sugars that you may not even be noticing.

Did you survive Thanksgiving with your healthy eating habits intact? If you did, congratulations, we applaud you! If not, don't worry, we can totally commiserate - holidays are a hard time to keep up the healthy eating. How are you supposed to resist all the cookies and cakes and deliciously cheesy & buttery items and loading your plate up with just a taste of EVERY single thing?? Now till January 2nd will be full of delicious and oh-so-bad-for-you foods galore, so arm yourself with these tips to stay on track till the holidays are over.

Look around and you'll see smoothies everywhere – from smoothie bars to frozen mixes in the freezer section of the grocery store that you just add milk to. There's a reason for that! Turns out, not only are smoothies extremely yum but they're pretty powerful as well. Developing the habit of drinking healthy smoothies on a daily basis is an excellent investment of your time and money!

It can be difficult sometimes to keep your kids fed with not only meals they'll eat but meals that are nutritious that they'll love. Add in a busy schedule with serious time-crunch and it gets even more difficult. We're excited to introduce you to our newest line, Top Chef Meals Kids! That's right – all the Top Chef Meal taste and quality YOU love will now be available in kid-friendly foods and smaller portions for your children! Let's take a look...

You've all heard it, right? Eggs are TERRIBLE for your cholesterol and should be avoided at ALL costs. See an egg? RUN AWAY!!! We're here to tell you that the great cholesterol myth is, well, just that – a myth. It's not true. Eggs are pretty much the perfect food. Don't believe us? A 2011 study in the journal, “Food Chemistry”, found that regular egg consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease AND cancer because of eggs high levels of antioxidants. Several studies have shown that eggs help lower blood pressure. And in addition to the antioxidants, eggs pack a wallop of protein and nutrients in one low-calorie, low-carb, cheap, and easy to eat package!

Life is busy, too busy sometimes. Busy enough that you don't have time to cook, but more than that busy enough that you don't really even have time to go to the grocery store. Time has become a precious commodity. So, you've been considering turning to a prepared meal delivery service for assistance but you have to wonder – just HOW MUCH time would going this route actually save you? The answer is quite a bit.

What's summer without the heat? And what's summer without taking advantage of all the fabulous local farmers' markets that pop up throughout the season? While there are SO many ways to use the fresh fruits and veggies you can find during the summer, one of our favorites is homemade salsa. Not only are there a ton of ways to make it – spicy, smoky, sweet – but it's much simpler to create than you might imagine. Plus it's the perfect topping for a plethora of items and an incredible side dish all it's own (not to mention a wonderful ingredient to mix into a few more decadent appetizers!). Have a look at these recipes we've gathered and explore the possibilities!

Ah, summer...the time of vacations, swimsuits, bbqs and grilling, rushing from one family activity to the next, bussing the kids around, delightfully fresh produce...there's so much to do and so much to see during the summer, you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed trying to fit in healthy eating on top of it all. But not only is it a necessity, it's fun! With so many farmers' markets and produce stands popping up, fresh fruit & veggies abound, and you get to reap the bounty. There are plenty of ways to make eating healthier on the run easy in the summer, promise. Check out our tips below!

Let's face it, sometimes it really is just more convenient to go to the market and buy what you need – like roasted garlic spread. But when you have a few minutes to spare, making this spread yourself means you have full control of what goes in, how much goes in, and you get to enjoy the “joy of cooking”. We've found a few simple roasted garlic spread recipes that you can whip up in NO time that will taste delicious and have your family and friends saying, “WOW!”.

Recipe #1 – 10 servings

Ingredients
4 heads garlic
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
½ tsp fresh rosemary, minced

Meet your taste buds. You have about 10,000, mostly concentrated on the top of your tongue. They can detect five basic tastes: sweet, sour and salty, bitter plus the more recently recognised umami. Your taste buds play a key role in helping you enjoy or stay away from certain foods which can be a problem when it comes to very fatty, sugary or salty foods. We've all heard of the “sweet tooth”, but some people have a “salty tooth” tooth as well. In fact, studies show that people with high blood pressure tend to have a preference for saltier foods, which is concerning as high salt intake is a known risk factor for high blood pressure and stroke. You don't have to follow your tastebuds though! You can train them to help you eat more healthily. Here's how.