1. “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver — a writer well-known for her novel about a missionary family in the Congo, “The Poisonwood Bible” — reflects on a year spent eating homegrown and locally produced food in southern Appalachia with her family. She harps on the evils of industrial agriculture, a supermarket-centric diet and the loss of connection with where exactly our food comes from. With today’s locavore trend, replete with the intricacies of your chicken entrée’s farm background detailed on your dinner menu, books on local food and sustainable agriculture are sprouting up on bookshelves with fervor.

But Kingsolver, always a novelist, infuses a distinctive literary flavor to her diary of an accidental gardener, making “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” as delightful of a read as the Price family’s misadventures in the depths of the African jungle.  With vivid passages on “the song of a stir-fry sizzle, the small talk of clinking measuring spoons, the yeasty scent of rising dough, the painting of flavors onto a pizza before it slides into the oven,” you’ll practically be drooling to embrace the lost culture of backyard vegetable gardens yourself.

2. “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” by Eric Schlosser

Although published more than a decade ago, Eric Schlosser’s exposé on the fast food industry’s mutilation of the American diet remains as relevant as ever. What Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” did for meatpacking a century earlier, “Fast Food Nation” achieves today.

Schlosser investigates the mysteries behind the mass production of our food, from the chemistry responsible for both “natural” and artificial flavoring to the slop that goes in the cattle’s trough before it becomes your 99-cent hamburger. He begins his horror story with a fascinating historical account of the founding of fast food giants and the quick embrace of frozen french fries and Ford’s assembly line, building up to the overarching question of, “Where do we go from here?”

While this book carries a lot of shock factor akin to Morgan Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” documentary, Schlosser packs in a heaping serving of journalistic prowess. His revealing interviews with underpaid, overworked teenage employees and slaughterhouse sanitation workers will make your jaw drop — and lead you on a speedy exit away from the drive-thru window.

3. “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” by Anthony Bourdain

Before he trotted the globe sampling an exotic smorgasbord for his TV show, Anthony Bourdain was slaving away behind the scenes as a chef at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan. In this deliciously funny — and characteristically vulgar — tribute to the often forgotten world of kitchen hands, Bourdain shares surprising tales about the cutthroat, rough-around-the-edges troupe who prepares your fancy dinner out. Although Bourdain would later boil down the very book responsible for catapulting him to fame to an overhyped warning on “why you shouldn’t order the fish on Mondays,” “Kitchen Confidential” is much more than that and is rightfully on the required reading list for foodies.

Our frank tour guide through restaurant kitchens dishes on what makes for the ideal mise en place, why Jackson Pollock-esque garnishes are unnecessary, and of course, why meat has a rightful place in humanity’s diet (vegetarians, read with a grain of salt). Coming from the guy who seems to run his kitchen like machismo hell, expect a rambling culinary commentary spiced up with a good dose of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, devil-may-care attitude.

4. “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer, contemporary literary darling and author of acclaimed novels “Everything is Illuminated” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” alternated between being a vegetarian and a carnivore for much of his life. After become a husband and father, he was forced to confront some serious questions about why we are willing to eat meat if we know about the animals who contributed their lives to our meals. Why is it considered OK for us to eat some animals but not others?

If you’ve heard that Foer’s passionate argument against animal cruelty converted Natalie Portman to veganism — or so she claims — then you have an idea of the type of powerful persuasion you’re getting yourself into. Foer delves into the many flaws of today’s “factory farming,” from the government-sanctioned destruction of our environment to the systematic degradation of animals as a mere protein source. He urges all readers to realize that their passivity on the issue only furthers the system, for “in the case of animal slaughter, to throw your hands in the air is to wrap your fingers around a knife handle.”

A true storyteller, Foer infuses a potentially preachy sermon with wit about the insanity of the industry and heartwarming details about his own life and self-examination. Placing himself as the main character in this great dilemma about where our food comes from, Foer engages and moves the reader toward action, leaving an impressive trail of facts, statistics and did-you-know morsels of information behind him all the while. “Eating Animals” is a moral pick-me-up for loyal vegetarians who have fallen into mere habit and a bridge to understanding for skeptical meat-eaters. Regardless of whether or not you ultimately go vegan à la Portman, you’ll never feel quite the same way about the wafting aroma of freshly cooked bacon again. And as Foer will tell you, that’s a good thing.

5. “My Life in France” by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme

Julia Child, Martha Stewart’s precursor, wrote the gold standard on French cooking for Americans, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One.” “My Life in France” is the true story behind that cookbook. More accurately, it is about Child’s love affair with French cooking.

Child had the good fortune of landing herself in Paris due to her husband’s government job, and eventually studied at the Cordon Bleu, discovering the enchanting secrets of French kitchens. “My Life in France” is a charming ode to the delights of Brie, bouillabaisse, boeuf bourguignon and baguettes. It’s also an inspiring tale, as the reader witnesses Child’s obsessive pursuit of culinary perfection. In her tireless efforts to get an English recipe for French bread just right, she uses up 200 pounds of flour. As she explains, “no one is born a great cook; one learns by doing. This is my invariable advice to people: … be fearless.”

Even those of us too young to have fond memories of Child’s TV cooking show will relish this memoir’s heartwarming nostalgia for post-World War II France and the culinary adventures the country offered to an American woman eager to savor it all. Child’s description of her seminal French meal will make your mouth water and leave you hungering for a similarly enlightening lunch. Bon appétit!

Smoothies prepared with whole milk, ice cream, sugar or any combination thereof could make you pack on the pounds and leave you wishing you got those skinny black jeans a size larger and with extra stretch. But other smoothies, like these three, are filling and healthy and will make skipping that order of disco fries worthwhile.

Banana-oatmeal breakfast smoothie

Photo: Chiquita Banana

Recipe via Chiquita Banana

Ingredients

• 2 whole bananas, preferably with brown flecks on peel
• 2 cups ice
• 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt with honey)
• 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1/3 cup almonds (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a blender, leaving the ice for last. Blend on high for at least 30 seconds or until thick.

Papaya smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt with honey)
• 2 cups ice

Place all the ingredients in a blender, leaving the ice for last. Blend on high for at least 30 seconds or until smooth.

Avocado pear smoothie

Photo: MarthaStewart.com

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado (about 7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup silken tofu drained
• 1 cup pear juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups ice

Quarter, pit, and peel avocado. Place avocado, tofu, juice, honey and vanilla in a blender, leaving the ice for last. Blend until smooth.

When in need of healthy sustenance, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests grabbing a 200- to 300-calorie snack. Air-popped popcorn with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese — or a dusting of cinnamon — is one quick and healthy snack solution.

No access to a microwave? No problem. Go veggie like Heather Brecke. A triathlon junkie and on-and-off office employee for more than 11 years, Heather suggests pre-packing edamame, celery, carrots and other easy grab-and-go veggies.

If you skimped on lunch, cut a whole pita into triangles and bring along a container with two tablespoons of hummus. Or, brown-bag a mini whole-grain sandwich with one slice of turkey, one slice of cheese and a small amount of mustard.

If a sweet tooth bombards you prior to your power presentation, try satiating it with a power sweet. Coachville Life and Fitness Coach Lorraine Esposito suggests stashing a supply of Kashi Go Lean Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars in your desk. “They’re delicious, have 9 grams of protein and only about 170 calories,” Esposito says.

Trail mix comprised of a small handful of almonds and a ¼ cup of raisins and sunflower seeds is another sweet desk-stash treat. Or, for those privy to a break room or mini-fridge, bring a yogurt parfait made of 6 ounces of fat-free yogurt with ½ cup berries and ¼ cup granola.

A recent National Restaurant Association survey showed that 2-out-of-5 Americans want healthy food for the big game, so we’ve collected the tastiest recipes — whether they’re twists on Super Bowl party classics or new additions — for you to whip up this weekend.

Asparagus guacamole
Hear us out: Avocados are nutritious and delicious, but they’re unfortunately high in calories and fat (even if it’s the “good” kind). And if you’re anything like us, it’s tough to control your portions when it comes to guac. Try this asparagus twist on guacamole from Food.com for a low-calorie, low-fat substitute that’s packed with healthy benefits: dietary fiber; protein; vitamins A, C, E and K; thiamin; riboflavin; and niacin, among others. Click here for the recipe.

Vegan chili
Don’t turn up your nose, carnivores. We guarantee you’ll want seconds of this healthy substitute for beef chili, provided by our own Gail Hoffer. With black beans, white beans, kidney beans and lentils, this chili recipe is packed with vitamins and minerals. Among them: dietary fiber, folate, protein, vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, copper and manganese. Click here for the recipe.

Lightened seven-layer taco dip
Believe it or not, it is possible to give this old favorite a healthy makeover. Cheap Healthy Good trims the fat (and the cost) with inexpensive fat-free ingredients and includes detailed calorie info, as well as price per serving, for all of its ingredients. Click here for the recipe.

Pizza quinoa polenta
Forget traditional pizza dough. Fit Sugar thought up something better: polenta! With protein and potassium, polenta is a nutritious complement to the tomato and mozzarella on these mini-pizza hors d’oeuvres. Click here for the recipe.

Warm spinach-artichoke dip
Spinach and artichokes are to dips what peanut butter and jelly are to sandwiches — only more nutritious. Health.com’s perfect party dip will have you wondering why you ever ate those store-bought cans of French onion dip. Instead of regular potato chips for dipping, use Tostitos’ Multigrain Scoops (great for dipping!) or baked potato chips. Click here for the recipe.

Fruit kebabs
If you’re going to have chips and dip, you gotta have some sweet to counteract the salty. For a healthier alternative to candy or sweets, try these fruit kebabs, courtesy of our own Allison Cerra.

Choose your assorted fruits. (Allison recommends 3/4 cup of each kind and suggests using seedless grapes, strawberries, honeydew, melon or cantaloupe, pineapple or kiwi if it’s in season.) All fruit should be sliced into cubes and places on skewers. Dip the skewers into skim milk or orange juice, or use a pastry brush to coat with milk or OJ.

On a separate plate, roll in shredded coconut. Chill for 30 minutes. Serves eight to 10 people. Note: If you’re not a coconut person, substitute the milk/OJ and coconut by using nonfat yogurt as a dipping option, or add cubes of cheese for a kick of calcium!

Chicken sausage, sweet onion and fennel pizza
If you grumbled about the mini-polenta pizzas: 1) Shame on you! That recipe is amazing! 2) We have a backup plan for you that includes regular pizza crust. As Cooking Light explains, this recipe uses enough sausage and cheese to guarantee satisfaction while keeping calories, sodium and saturated fat in check. Our only suggested change to this recipe: Use a whole-wheat pizza crust instead. Click here for the recipe.

Baba ghanoush
Move over, hummus. Williams-Sonoma’s baba ghanoush is our new favorite Middle Eastern dip and one of our favorite ways to enjoy eggplant. Its low-calorie, low-fat ingredients make it a diet-friendly snack, and the eggplant is a great source of dietary fiber. Buy some whole-wheat pita for dipping. Click here for the recipe.

Kale chips
We can’t rave about these enough. Not only are they surprisingly tasty (I know they look a little scary), but they also are one of the least expensive green veggies out there and are a great source of dietary fiber; vitamins A, C, K and B6; calcium; potassium; copper; and manganese.

To make: Spray 1 cup of kale (fresh trim stems, dried thoroughly) with 5 sprays of olive-oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Spread onto a cookie sheet in an even single layer, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until it begins to brown and crisp. Sidenote for those looking to keep their eats on the cheap: Kale is one of the most inexpensive green veggies out there.

Baked buffalo wings
It’s time you learned the truth: Buffalo wings don’t need to be fried to be finger-lickin’ good. Alton Brown’s Food Network recipe steams and bakes the chicken to avoid extra fat. Don’t forget the celery and low-fat Blue cheese dressing! Click here for the recipe.

Quinoa tabbouleh
If you haven’t jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet, it’s about time you did. Quinoa contains more protein and fewer carbs than wheat, rye, rice and oats, and it’s packed with fiber. We’re not even going to list the vitamins and minerals in parsley because they would take up a full paragraph’s worth of space. If you’re looking for a nutritious party snack, add this tabbouleh to your menu. Just try to keep the olive oil to a minimum. Click here for the recipe.

Avoiding heavy cream and sugar means saving about a bajillion calories and will go a long way toward keeping those arteries unclogged, but does it mean sacrificing taste? I decided to put some of these healthy alternatives to the taste test.

Applesauce for sugar

Cut the sugar you use in some of your favorite baked treats in half, and combine ½ cup with ¾ cup of sugar-free applesauce. I tried this with my chocolate chip banana bread recipe and even left out the vanilla extract, since applesauce is such a wet ingredient. My bread was moist, and I felt significantly less guilty about throwing in those chocolate chips.

Avocado for butter

Avocado instead of butter. Surely you jest, you may say, and I certainly thought my friend was kidding when she told me about it. She recently informed me that she tried chocolate mousse prepared with avocado. After I was done scrunching my face into its finest “gross!” expression, she assured me she could not detect the avocado and wasn’t told until after she delighted in the rich, chocolatey results.

Yogurt for cream

It certainly feels like everyone is using plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for lots of fattier ingredients, so it’s not surprising that some people are using it in lieu of heavy cream. Heavy cream makes for some very tasty soups, chief among them butternut squash and tomato cheddar. You don’t have to give up your favorite fall soups anymore. I was skeptical about using Greek yogurt and wondered if it might result in a tart soup that lost its punch. But I tried it out with my tomato cheddar soup and was pleased with the creamy, flavorful results. What I did lose was that underlying sweetness you get with heavy cream, but I didn’t miss it, nor did I miss the many calories.

Evaporated milk for cream

Want to avoid using heavy cream but don’t have plain Greek yogurt on hand? No problem. A can of fat-free evaporated milk and a couple of tablespoons of flour will do just nicely. I tried it out for my vegetarian Italian sweet sausage pasta dish that calls for a white creamy sauce. The sauce’s texture was not affected in the least, nor did it overwhelm the combination of flavors of the other ingredients, which included garlic, oregano, basil and onion, along with the vegetarian Italian sweet sausage. (Hey, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!)

Here’s everything you ever (or never) wanted to know about parsnips:

• Parsnip consumption dates back at least 2,000 years — the fact that they’re very easily prepared may have something to do with it.

• A winter vegetable, parsnips are in season from October to February. Their flavor is enhanced by frost, so this is the perfect time of year to eat them.

• Parsnips’ relatives include fennel, celery, carrots and chervil. Let’s be honest; nothing from the root vegetable family is going to be getting ogled by Brent Musburger anytime soon. But in the grand scheme of things, parsnips aren’t really THAT ugly; they basically resemble a dirty, ivory-colored carrot.

• When you’re shopping, don’t take the big parsnips. Just don’t. Small and medium parsnips are much more flavorful and tender. They’ll keep for two to three weeks in your crisper.

• Parsnips are good for you! They provide fiber, potassium, folic acid and not one but two vitamins — C and K.

• Even though parsnips look like carrots, don’t eat them raw like you would carrots. They have a nutty, sweet flavor that is positively delectable after cooking.

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  Photo: BonAppetit.com

  Speaking of cooking, parsnips offer the benefit of versatility — bake them (like these parsnip fries with rosemary), roast them (try with carrots like this recipe), or serve them with just about any type of meat or fish (like this roasted salmon with parsnips and ginger).

Bon appetit!

Egg-cellent choices

Eggs are one of the best sources of protein out there. Weighing in at just 75 calories per egg, they’re the perfect way to fill up without filling out! If you’re feeling ambitious, chop up veggies like peppers, carrots and broccoli to throw in with your scrambled eggs or omelet. Whole Living suggests scrambled with tomatoes and spinach as a great combo!

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner, Cooking Light

Beware of the breakfast breads

Waffles, pancakes, French toast — an array of sweet and syrupy options are often served up as breakfast favorites. Yes, breakfast is good for us, but you may need to beware of some of the more extravagant versions of these dishes. You don’t have to forgo them totally, but keep an eye on ingredients. Try Health.com’s healthy pancake recipes or Cooking Light’s wonderful waffle options!

Go with grains

Whole-grain oatmeal or cereal is a great way to start your morning. Grains are a great source of fiber and can keep you full until lunch. But be careful of added ingredients in some store-bought oatmeal and cereal! Try plain, old-fashioned oats with your favorite additions of fruit or brown sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cups of chopped onion
• 5 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• 1 stalk of celery, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced or sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 3 to 4 cups (or more) of water
• 1 14.5-oz. can of tomato puree (about 2 cups)
• 1 to 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas or kidney beans. You can also do half of each.
• ½ to 1 cup of dried pasta, any shape
• 1 or 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced (optional)
• Freshly minced parsley, for topping (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a kettle. Add onion, garlic and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add celery, carrot, oregano, black pepper and basil. Cover and cook over very low heat about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add zucchini, water and tomato puree. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Add beans and simmer another 5 minutes. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

Add pasta, stir and cook until the pasta is tender (according to instructions on the box). Stir in the diced fresh tomatoes, and serve right away, topped with parsley and Parmesan if desired.

The challenge? Creating a daily schedule with enough delicious veggies to satisfy both our health needs and our taste needs. A tip for your veggie consumption is having a veggie side each night for delicious dinner nutrition and an easy leftover side for lunch later in the week.

Create with color!

Zucchini and squash are great winter vegetables! They add a splash of color, and you can use them in a variety of ways. For a great dinner side and easy take-to-work leftover, try this zucchini and yellow squash gratin — simply sauté slices in a pan with freshly ground pepper, salt and onions.

Crafty carrot constructions

Another great addition to any meal, the carrot can come in all shapes and sizes. As an appetizer, keep it raw with ranch or veggie dip, glam it up with this honey glazed recipe or try roasting them with sugar snap peas, like this MyRecipe’s side.

Power up with potatoes

It’s easy to forget that the potato counts as a vegetable serving. Sweet, red, russet or gold, there is a potato out there to match your meal. Bake, steam or even microwave them! Try Martha Stewart’s lemony smashed potatoes or rosemary garlic potatoes.