The word nutrition definitely needs a makeover,” says Ellie Krieger. As an Ivy-League-educated nutritionist and registered dietitian—and a former model—Krieger is the right woman for the job. "Healthy Appetite," her show on Food Network (it airs Saturdays at 1 P.M. Eastern and Pacific), proves that healthy meals can be both easy to prepare and full of flavor. “Eating should be about satisfaction, not deprivation,” she says. “Food should be appeal to your senses, and meals should be social. But you can’t break bread on a no-carb diet.”

Krieger shows us how to make healthier versions of the foods we actually crave—no rice cakes or melba toast sprinkled with flax seed for dinner. Her steak fajitas, parmesan mashed potatoes, and pasta puttanesca are fan favorites. (“A bold sauce like a puttanesca stands up nicely to whole wheat pasta,” she adds.) Krieger also shares strategies for eating well at the office, in restaurants, and on vacation, the places we often find healthy eating more challenging.

An instructor in the NYU nutrition department, Krieger has the knowledge to cut through the conflicting diet advice that women are bombarded with. Her book Small Changes, Big Results, translates the latest nutritional research into simple tips that can make a big difference in your health. In her years in private practice, Krieger counseled everyone from homemakers and CEOs to celebrities and models. “For some of the models, their idea of a diet was to eat half a salad and put their cigarette out on the rest of it,” she half-jokes.

Fortunately, Krieger’s education kept her grounded in the face of the enormous pressure on a model to stay thin. Is it possible to eat healthy without sacrificing your love of food? You bet. And if eating well looks this good, we might even have seconds.

Green Bean Salad
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 teaspoons walnut or olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, add beans and steam for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant, (about 2 minutes), then transfer to a small bowl to cool. Add the parsley and onion to the walnuts and stir to combine.
In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Toss the dressing with the green beans, top with the walnut mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

PREP TIME:
10 minutes
COOK TIME:
6 minutes
4 (1/2 CUP) SERVINGS
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories 66; Total Fat 5 grams; Saturated
Fat 1 gram; Protein 2 grams; Carbohydrates
5 grams; Fiber 2 grams

Lemon Mint Tzatziki
1 cup nonfat yogurt
1 cucumber
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Line a strainer with paper towel and put the strainer over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 3 hours. Peel, seed, and coarsely grate the cucumber. Drain it well. In a medium bowl, stir together the thickened yogurt and olive oil. Stir in the cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, zest, and mint.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Poached Salmon
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 lemons, unpeeled, sliced
1 salmon fillet (2-pound) with the skin
1 scallion, top only, thinly sliced
1 cup Lemon Mint Tzatziki (see recipe above)

Put the wine, water, bay leaves, parsley, and one of the sliced lemons into a large, deep skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon, skin side down. Add more water, if necessary, to cover the salmon. Cover the skillet and simmer over a low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate, cover, and chill it completely in the refrigerator, about 3 hours. To serve, peel the skin from the fillet and scrape away any brown flesh. Put the fish on a serving plate, garnish with scallion and the remaining lemon slices. Serve with Lemon Mint Tzatziki.

PREP TIME:
10 minutes
COOK TIME:
8 minutes
6 SERVINGS
Poached Salmon
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories 307; Total Fat 17 grams; Saturated
Fat 3 grams; Protein 32 grams;
Carbohydrates 4 grams; Fiber 0 grams

Be mindful at meals:
Stop shoveling your food and start really tasting it. Experience your meal fully. Pay attention to its taste, texture, aroma, and appearance. To do this you have to eat more slowly and chew well. And that usually means you will eat less, digest better, and enjoy more.

Fill your plate with color:
The most nutritious foods have the richest colors. Red and orange indicates the presence of powerful antioxidants. Dark green vegetables are loaded with calcium, folate, and iron.

Drink less soda and more water:
One can of regular soda has up to 10 teaspoons of sugar—160 empty calories’ worth. Instead of sugary drinks, go for 100% fruit juice, which has just as many calories but is chock full of vitamins. Remember water is the best, calorie-free way to quench your thirst.

Have a cup of tea:
Tea contains powerful antioxidants that protect you from disease. And while tea does contain caffeine, it has half as much as coffee does. So skip the coffee break and try a spot of tea.

Eat for Energy:
Never go more than 4–5 hours without eating, include some protein at each meal or snack, and avoid high-fat meals and sugary foods. Keep your cupboards stocked with healthy foods you can grab and eat on the go.