“To get people to eat well, don’t say a word about health, just cook fantastic food for them”
-Ellie Krieger

Garlic fries. Blueberry Pancakes. Macaroni & Cheese. Sloppy Joes. Chocolate Mousse. Who doesn’t crave these foods? But how can they be healthy?

Amazingly, healthful recipes for these mouth-watering dishes and more all-time favorites are included in a new cookbook by Ellie Krieger, star of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite and the go-to nutritionist in the media today. In THE FOOD YOU CRAVE: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, Ellie offers more than 200 recipes that are far from bland and boring.

How does she do it? In Ellie’s food world, no ingredient is off-limits. As she says, “The minute someone tells me I can’t have something, I suddenly want it ten times more. Plus, let’s face it; a lot of foods frequently found on people’s banned lists can make food taste really good.” Rather, all of her recipes follow her Usually-Sometimes-Rarely philosophy.

Usually foods are the backbone of each recipe and the cornerstone of a healthy diet -- colorful vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lean meats and fish, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy and healthy oils. Sometimes foods are somewhat more refined, like regular pasta, white flour, and sugar, or a little higher in saturated fat, like some cuts of red meat. They are not the healthiest but, boy, can they make a meal more crave-able, so Ellie sprinkles them in here and there. Rarely foods are those most nutritionists say are off limits, like butter, full-fat cheese, bacon, and cream. Ellie uses these ingredients strategically so you get the most flavor punch out of them and the overall recipe is still healthy.

Here is just a sample of the delicious recipes you will find inside:
Breakfast The most important meal of the day.
Stay healthier, manage your weight and boost your brain power!

• Peach French Toast Bake
• Poached Eggs with Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast & Sweet Potato Hash
• Broccoli & Cheddar Frittata
• Pumkin Pie Muffins
• Energy Bars
• Nutty Granola
• Peanut Butter Split Smoothie

Smart Snacks
Keep your energy up and prevent overeating at meals.
Snack right: Plan, Don’t Pick.

• Devilish Eggs
• Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
• Spiced Mixed Nuts
• Edamame “Hummus” with Spiced Pita Chips
• Luscious Lime Guacamole

Soups & Sandwiches Soups, sandwiches and small plates are all the rage.

• Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup
• Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder
• Meatball & Pepper Hero
• Sloppy Joes
• Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• L.O.V.E. Wrap Sandwich (Lettuce, Onion, Vegetable, Egg Salad)SALADS

Side Salads Enjoy influences from around the world: Asia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America.

• Caesar Salad with Lemon Pepper Shrimp
• Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon & Apple Cider Dressing
• Five-Minute Salad of Goat Cheese, Herbs & White Beans
• All-Day Breakfast Salad
• Soba Noodle-Vegetable Salad
• Pesto Potato Salad
• Southwestern Slaw
• Tabbouleh

Pasta, Pizza, & Grains Pasta and grains are comfort in a bowl and should not be missed. And make sure to try whole wheat pastas -- they’re not the cardboard versions of the past.

• Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Fettuccine Bolognese
• Pasta Puttanesca
• Macaroni & 4 Cheeses
• Arugula, Carmelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza
• Mushroom Barley Risotto
• Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame & Tofu

The Main Dish!
All are lean, full flavored, and ultimately satisfying.

• Cowboy Steak with Coffee & Ancho Rub
• Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, Chocolate & Wine Sauce
• Confetti Chili
• Lamb Stew with Orange
• Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce
• Crispy Chicken Fingers
• Chicken Pot Pie with Phyllo Crust
• Chicken with Jerk Sauce & Cool Pineapple Salsa
• Mom’s Turkey Meatloaf
• Poached Salmon with Lemon-Mint Tzatziki
• Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
• Crab Cakes with Smarter Tartar

Sides
Ellie’s a side-lover. These are no second fiddle serve-alongs.

• “Dirty” Broccoli
• Roasted Nutmeg Cauliflower
• Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
• Short-Cut Collard Greens
• Garlic “Fries”
• Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
• Garden Risotto

Desserts
These make a lasting impression!

• Banana Cream Pie
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting
• Raspberry Fool
• Spiced Red Wine-Poached Pears
• Apple-Cranberry Turnovers
• Watermelon, Lime & Mint Granita
• Chocolate Cherry-Almond Biscotti
• Chocolate Egg Cream

In addition, Ellie offers loads of tips and ideas for getting the most out of your food, from ideas for healthy grab-and-go eating to the best lunch options for staying energized. She also includes a New Way Pantry List so you can start fresh with the best ingredients and each tempting dish includes a complete nutritional breakdown.

As a true food lover, a dietician and a mom, Ellie has always said, “to get people to eat well, don’t say a word about health, just cook fantastic food for them.” This book is Ellie’s way of bringing delicious food to your table.