I am afraid to prepare seafood. I normally leave savory seafood appetizers, shrimp and pasta recipes and crab salad sandwich recipes to the professionals. But I want healthy shrimp recipes for lazy weekend appetizers or for quick and healthy weekday dinners! After recently visiting friends in South Carolina, I have come to the realization that making seafood dishes are not as intimidating as I thought, even for a Midwest girl.

FaveDiets.com has a wonderful assortment of health food recipes for shrimp and crab meat recipes. This is the first time I’ve ever taken a look, and I’m beyond flabbergasted! I have fallen in love with several healthy shrimp recipes and more than enough crab recipes. My crab-aholic brother and shrimp obsessed sisters are more than thrilled with my new cooking knowledge. And believe me, I’m as happy as a clam!

It’s time to get your crab meat and shrimp on (the barbie). Shrimp are rich in B12 Vitamins to strengthen hair, nails and skin. Significant iron levels boost energy levels; phosphorous helps build strong bones; and Vitamin B12 assists processing carbohydrates, fats and protein. Healthy recipes with shrimp are protein rich and carbohydrate-free. Shrimps also support healthy prostates, thyroids and blood sugar levels. Easy crab cake recipes and other dishes carry powerful levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which–among many things–fight depression and high blood pressure and improve immune system functioning. Selenium intake from crabs improve antioxidant activity in the body. Crab dishes are high in protein and natural sodium, and low in calories and mercury. Moral of the story: stick with shrimp and crabs and you’ll be a healthier you.

Featured Recipe: Crabby Shrimp and Potato Salad

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low fat mayonnaise
• 1 egg or equivalent egg substitute, slightly beaten
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of celery soup
• pepper, to taste
• ¹/4 cup onion, chopped
• 8 water chestnuts, chopped
• 1 cup crab meat, flaked
• 1 cup cooked shrimp, chopped
• 1 pound potatoes with skin, cooked and diced
• ¹/2 cup whole wheat bread or cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter substitute, melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together low fat mayonnaise, egg or egg substitute, soup, pepper, onions, and water chestnuts.
3. Gently mix in crab, shrimp, and potatoes with skin; pour into 8 x 8-inch baking pan.
4. Combine bread crumbs and butter substitute in separate bowl, sprinkle over seafood mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes; serve hot.

Hints

• Mix all ingredients together, then gently mix in crab meat.
• When crab shells are involved, make sure they are properly cleaned.
• Thaw frozen shrimp and crab in the refrigerator overnight. Thawing in the microwave can lead to overcooking. Thawing at room temperature can raise food contamination issues.

Healthy food recipes for shrimp are not too difficult to run into, because shrimp are so very healthy. Some of my favorite shrimp recipes are 10 Minute Romantic Shrimp for a quick and thoughtful dinner, Easy Shrimp Pasta Shells when I don’t want to stress about dinner, and Grilled Shrimp with Mango Habanero when I’m craving spicy.

When crab is on the menu, I stick to dishes I know my family prefers. Can crab meat recipes I like include Unique Maryland Seafood Pizza when I crave more than just cheese pizza, Low Fat Baked Crab and Pears with fresh pears, and Crabmeat Egg White Frittata with Tomatoes and Herbs for a crabby breakfast!

Here a a few more healthy crab or shrimp recipes if you just can’t get enough healthy crustaceans in your diet:

• Italian Shrimp with Orzo
• 15 Minute Shrimp Stir Fry
• Cajun Shrimp Gumbo
• Tequila Glazed Shrimp
• Low Fat Crab Salad Canapes

Check out recipes I’ve dug up from an ocean of recipes, the blogosphere:

Kasey for Turntable Kitchen cooks a wonderful Crab Pasta, when the season is right.

Rachael from La Fuji Mama shows us how to prepare a professional looking Avocado Crab Roll with Soy Sauce “Caviar”.

Katie on Eat This makes a tempting Greek Shrimp and Tomatoes topped with Feta.

Shaina for Food For My Family has a compelling recipe for Thai Red Curry Shrimp that you have to try.

Diana from Dianasaur Dishes has traveled the world and discovered a great recipe for Chili Garlic Grilled Shrimp.

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Trying to eat healthy or changing your diet in any way can be difficult, especially when you’re first starting out. I know when I first became a vegetarian I ate nothing but garbage. Ho-ho’s and microwavable mac-n-cheese was all I ate for months. I’m sure my stomach was not happy with me for a while. Now, of course, my diet has stabilized significantly, but I’m still trying to eat healthier. This means that my sweet tooth has taken a hit, which I’m okay with (now anyway), and I’ve been trying to cut back on dairy, which I am not okay with. You see, I love cheese. Yup. I adore it. I can’t live without it. So, cutting back on cheese has been kind of difficult. I may have found my solution.

Now, I love grilled cheese. Grilled cheese with soup, grilled cheese as an appetizer, and grilled cheese just as a main dish. I’ll eat it anytime. Really. So, when I stumbled upon this healthier version of a grilled cheese recipe I was ecstatic. Why have I never thought of this before? Well, in all honesty, I have. Of course, I’ve made grilled cheese with bell peppers or with tomatoes, but I’m really not much more creative than that. So here goes:

Be warned: This is not a picture of this sandwich, I just got really excited looking at pictures and thought this one was a good motivator.

The Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 8 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 8 (1-ounce) slices whole wheat bread
• 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup drained canned artichoke hearts, sliced
• 1 1/3 cups bottled roasted red bell peppers, sliced
• cooking spray, to grease

Instructions

1. Spread 2 teaspoons mustard on 1 bread slice.

2. Top with 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons artichokes, and 1/3 cup bell peppers.

3. Top it with another bread slice.

4. Repeat procedure with remaining mustard, bread, cheese, artichokes, and bell peppers.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot.

6. Add sandwiches to the hot skillet; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

7. To flatten the sandwiches as they cook, place another skillet on top of them.

If your mouth isn’t watering yet, just wait. I didn’t stop at this one. I found some more awesome grilled cheese recipes on other bloggers’ sites. Here are my highlights:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Yummy Tummy: This one is less cheese and more vegetables, but sounds amazingly delicious.
Parmesan Encrusted Grilled Cheese from Something Magic: The simple ingredients in this make it amazingly appealing.
French Onion Grilled Cheese from BrannyBoilsOver: This recipe makes me wish I lived on a farm.
Grilled Chees’a'dilla from Grilled Cheese Social: This one I was debating putting in, because it’s not “really” a grilled cheese, or is it? Either way it looked delicious, so I had to! Plus, it’s a blog devoted to grilled cheese (can you say heaven?)!
And last but not least, I found this little gem: Grilled Cheese Croutons from A Turtle’s Life for me!

So all year long I do a pretty darn good job at resisting fried chicken, the deliciously greasy, artery clogging fried chicken. Until Labor Day.

So every year my family has a big family reunion type picnic on Labor Day and food can be found in abundance. One thing most often found is fried chicken. All types of fast food fried chicken surrounds me, screaming out to be eaten. Well, not this year I tell you! I’m bound and determined to resist this greasy nonsense and instead take on the fun cooking adventure of making my own healthier options for chicken.  I will then bring said option to share with all of those who like me, have horrible will power.  I will be the diet hero for the day!

So now I’m totally psyched and I’ve found plenty of options to fit the bill, like this Crispy Baked Chicken. This recipe has an overload of spices that make up for any lack of frying and also it has whole wheat topping! Or get a load of this Sage Chicken, which uses hardly any oil or margarine and still gives you that crunchy taste.

For those looking for a spicier or more adventurous option try this Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken, it’s got a ton of interesting flavors and is very unique.

Another irresistible alternative I found was from The Daily Eater and with a clever title no less: Healthy KFC: Krispy OVEN Fried Chicken, yum yummy. This other Oven Baked Fried Chicken recipe from Live.Love.Eat looks delicious too. Though I’d supplement the buttermilk for low-fat evaporated milk.

My favorite recipe found by far though is this Ohio Baked Chicken from What’s Cooking. I think this one could even tempt the most troublesome baked chicken skeptic. I mean just look at all the spices and interesting ingredients, oatmeal?! Cool.

So with all these wonderful options how will I choose? I might just have to make two different kinds.

So while you’re all pondering which one you’d like best, take a look at this collection of  more 30 Healthy Fried Food Recipe Favorites.

See, eating healthy brings all kinds of culinary adventures to your table. Enjoy!

Compared to soda, iced tea is a much healthier way to quench your thirst this Summer. But when trying to cool down, think twice before pouring yourself a tall glass of iced tea. One cup of Nestea lemon iced tea has over 21 grams of sugar, and one can of Lipton Brisk tea has 18 grams of sugar. Yikes!

But it doesn’t have to be this way! When you make iced tea at home, you can control how much sugar you take in. For healthier iced tea options, try these recipes:

• Lemonade Iced Tea
• Vanilla Almond Iced Tea
• Easy Chai Tea

Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is about a week away? Cinco de Mayo fiestas are always tons of fun – except, of course, if you’re watching what you eat. If you’re a diet-conscious Mexican food lovers, then check out The Best Mexican Food: 29 Healthy Easy Mexican Recipes. This tasty recipe collection features lighter versions of all your Mexican favorites, ensuring that you can still have your favorite Mexican recipes this Cinco de Mayo even if you are watching what you eat.

How will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

This Cinco de Mayo, whip up these favorites:

Beef and Mushroom Mexican Fajitas

Chicken Enchiladas with Cheese

Supreme Chicken Burrito

Almost Instant Quesadillas

Fish Tender Tacos

Easy Authentic Guacamole

For more Mexican recipes, check out The Best Mexican Food: 29 Healthy Easy Mexican Recipes.

For even more Mexican-style food recipes, check out these great blogger recipes:

Mexican Lasagne from Jackie’s Kitchen

Easy Turkey Tacos from Weekly Bite

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs from Chef In Making

Mexican Chicken Soup from Everything and Nothing

Mexican Lentils from Disease Proof

Winter has finally ended and summer is coming closer.   You know what that means…BATHING SUITS!  If you want to slim down and look good for the pool, then you better start eating asparagus!  That’s right- you heard me!  Asparagus is a low calorie vegetable with no cholesterol and low-sodium.  It is also chocked full of vitamins including calcium and vitamin B6.

It will take a couple of months to lose weight, so start eating asparagus now in the spring.  There are many ways to cook it, so try by baking, grilling, and roasting it.  Now that you are salivating, try out these 10 great asparagus recipes below.

• Amazing Asparagus Cheese Strata
• Hearty Asparagus and Mushroom Casserole
• Chicken and Pasta with Asparagus
• Eggs Benedict with Asparagus
• Amazing Asparagus Risotto
• Low-Cal Asparagus Fettuccine Alfredo
• Simple Asparagus Soup
• Vegan Asparagus with Roasted Red Pepper Salad
• 15-Minute Shrimp Stir-Fry
• Healthy Asparagus Risotto with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

For even more asparagus recipes, check out these other great blogger recipes below…

• Spring Salad with Asparagus, Mixed Greens and New Potatoes from the blog Healthy Foodies
• Fettuccine with Asparagus, Peas, and Bacon Salt from the blog The Epicurean Pig
• Kale Dosa and Asparagus Chutney/Spread from the blog Health Nut
• Asparagus French Bread Pizza from the blog Gnome Sweet Gnome
• Asparagus and Tomato Frittata with Havarti and Dill from the blog Kalyn’s Kitchen

Looking for some more ideas?  Try “pickling” asparagus using garlic, salt, dill, vinegar, and hot pepper.

There are so many ways to cook asparagus, how do you cook it?

Fresh garden salads can be great healthy and nutritious dishes perfect for lunch or as a starter, perfectly healthy until salad dressing gets added to the mix. Usually loaded with fat and calories, salad dressing can turn the healthiest salad to a calorie bomb. If you absolutely need salad dressing for your salad, then here are five of the healthiest salad dressing recipes around.

Fat Free Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mustard
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• Black pepper, freshly cracked
• Red pepper, optional
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, optional

Instructions

1) Combine all ingredients in a resealable plastic container.
2) Shake well to combine before use.

Hummus Vinegar Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup hummus
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Red bell pepper, finely minced
• 1 pinch salt
• Black pepper, freshly cracked

Instructions

1) Combine hummus, vinegar, garlic, peppers, salt and pepper in a resealable plastic container.
2) Stir well to combine  before use.

More Healthy Recipes for Salad Dressing

Easy Low-Fat Salad Dressing

Lucy’s Low Fat Caesar Dressing

Lemon Citrus Balsamic Salad Dressing

When you’re on a diet, indulgence foods seem to always be there, from the cookie at the coffee shop to that cheesy bowl of pasta at your favorite restaurant. Often, starving yourself of your favorite foods while dieting just leads to end of the diet. Don’t think of a diet as just a purge and then binge of your favorite foods. Think of it as a whole new lifestyle and a whole new you. A diet does not have to mean starving yourself. Here are some tips that let you eat your favorite recipes while still maintaining your diet.

-In most recipes, two egg whites can replace one whole egg. You can even make your own egg replacer by combining 6 egg whites, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk.

-For chocolate recipes, replace the fat with an equal amount of pureed prunes or applesauce.

-Use evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream. Yogurt can be used instead of sour cream.

-Always choose lean cuts of meat, like the loin. If you need more of a meaty taste, try cooking the lean piece with mushrooms.

Here are two replacement recipes that let you indulge and be healthy at the same time.

Vegan White Cake

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup soy milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cake pan.

2. In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate container and add to flour mixture. Beat for 2 minutes.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out dry.

Beef and Mushroom Mexican Fajitas

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 45 min

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces beef top round, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips

4 ounces portobello or shiitake mushroom caps, chopped

1/2 Spanish onion, chopped

1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt (optional)

8 flour tortillas

Instructions

1. In a self-sealing plastic bag, mix the lime juice, chili powder, oregano, sugar, and garlic. Add the meat and mushrooms, seal the bag, and press gently to coat the meat with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Coat a large non-stick skillet with no-stick vegetable oil spray. Warm over medium-high heat.

3. Add the meat, mushrooms, and 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked.

4. Remove and set aside. Wash and dry the skillet. Coat with no-stick vegetable oil spray. Warm over medium-high heat. Add the onions, red peppers, and yellow peppers. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onions start to release moisture.

5. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden. If necessary, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water to prevent sticking. Season to taste with the black pepper and salt (if using).

6. Place the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the beef mixture among them, spooning it down the middle. Top with the onions and peppers. Fold the tortillas to enclose the filling.

7. Garnish each fajita with chopped fresh cilantro, fat free sour cream, and hot-pepper sauce to taste.

What is the definition of a healthy diet? Depends who you ask. Basically, a healthy diet ensures you get plenty of good stuff (fiber, protein, vitamins, etc.) and less bad stuff (saturated fats, sugar, salt, calories, etc.). If you want to start eating healthy but don’t know where to begin, then let this guide help you. Here are 6 recipes that show you how to cook a basic healthy dish and why you should cook with certain ingredients.

Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken – This recipe courtesy the blog Mindika Moments shows you how to cook a healthy and flavorful piece of chicken. Chicken is an incredibly lean source of animal protein that is a great source of B vitamins. Cook chicken using a low fat cooking method (saute or bake are two good options) and flavor with a low-fat sauce and steamed veggies.

Steamed Fish with Vegetables – This recipe courtesy The Ultimate Fishing Blog shows you how to cook fish. Fish has numerous health benefits, including reducing the risk of arthritis and depression. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce blood clots and the risk for heart disease. Steaming and grilling are two ideal cooking methods for fish. Use a lighter sauce and pair with brown rice.

Snickerdoodles – This recipe from the I’m So Hungry, I Could Eat My Blog shows you how to make a healthier dessert. Since desserts are normally chock full of fat, sugar and calories, eating healthier desserts is key if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. For making desserts, try as much as possible to get the sweetness from fruit. Use artificial sweeteners and oil-based butter substitutes to decrease the amount of calories. Desserts don’t contribute to a healthy diet, but a healthier dessert ensures that you eat fewer calories.

In A Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers – This recipe courtesy the blog Oh She Glows shows you how to make a delicious vegetarian dish. Meat eaters may not believe this, but eating vegetarian meals a few nights a week is great for your health. Vegetables have no cholesterol and little fat and sugar. Eating vegetarian helps boost your immune system and decreases the risk of developing many cancers. This quick easy meal is a great jumping-off point for making future vegetarian meals.

Sweet Potato Chips – This recipe courtesy the blog All From Scratch shows you how to make a healthy snack. When you get hungry in the middle of the day, avoid chips, candies and other high sugar, high fat foods. Snacking can be a huge source of excess calories. If you must reach for a snack, choose lighter fare like these sweet potato chips or simply an apple.

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup – This recipe courtesy the blog The Frugal Foodies shows you how to make healthy soup. Eating soup before a meal makes you less likely to overeat during the meal. Soup is a great way to incorporate more tasty veggies and water into your diet. Plus, making soup is one of the best cooking methods for keeping food nutrients in the dish.