

Dear Hungry Girl,


I love salads topped with fruits, nuts and crumbly cheeses, however those things usually add a lot of calories. What are some healthy options to make my salads more exciting?



Dear Stumped,


You are definitely right to be concerned. There are plenty of salad-toppers that people overuse, adding hundreds and hundreds of calories to otherwise healthy and innocent meals. Chinese noodles, greasy croutons, bleu cheese, and even too many nuts and raisins are all salad bar offenders. Your best bet is to load up on many different types of veggies. Don't count on the bad stuff to add zazzle to your bowl; go for colored peppers -- like yellow, orange, red and green. Add zucchini, squash, cabbage, onions, carrots, broccoli, etc. to your salad to make it more exciting (and beautiful!). Don't get me wrong; nothing can take the place of fun and decadent things to throw into your salads, so I have plenty of those that are guilt-free, too. Sunflower seeds or soy nuts add some nuttiness and crunch without packing in as many calories as nuts. A few grapes or pineapple chunks are a nice touch, as well (fresh fruit contains fewer calories than dried). Instead of croutons, you can bake up some low-cal, high-fiber tortillas and make healthy tortilla strips for your salad (or, if you're lazy, just toss in some soy crisps or low-fat chips).  And a handful of garbanzos are always a nice touch. As for cheese, you don't need to give it up completely. A sprinkle of reduced-fat parmesan or shredded fat-free cheese on top won't add too many calories. Remember to use a low-fat, low-cal dressing, too.  But read labels carefully, 'cuz those "light" dressings can be deceiving.  Happy chewing!

Dear HG,


Do flavored lip balms have real sugar in them? They taste like they have hidden calories...


Bummed 'Bout Balm

Dear Bummed,


No worries. I have never seen a lip balm that contained actual sugar. Most are sweetened with a sugar substitute like saccharin and are calorie-free. And it's not like you're whipping out your cupcake-flavored lip balm and taking a huge bite out of it, anyway (at least I hope you aren't!). When it comes to delicious-flavored lip stuff, feel free to use 'em liberally. No need to go overboard stressing over things like that... trust me. And if flavored lip stuff helps curb your cravings for sweet stuff, check this out NOW.  Good luck!


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