Mangoes are as pretty as they are delicious! Credit By: joyosity

I’d just like to take a minute or two of your time to share with you my love of a fruit. Fruits get a bad rap in some circles. The high amount of sugar…blah, blah, blah. I say we skip the sugar-scare for a moment and consider the awesome, nutritional benefits of a food group that is oh-so-good for our bods.

I’ve always loved mangoes, so when I moved to Cali, I went a little ape shat over the darn fruit. Then, after reading this awesome article, I fell in love with the bulbous fruits even more! I love the darn fruits so much I’m willing to pay $1.69 a piece for ‘em. (That’s HUGE, considering I’m a cheapskate and then some.)

And according to one of my favorite apps, Locovore, I can enjoy cheaper mangoes for another month because they’re in season. In celebration of everything mango, here’s a little video where you can watch a little mango love in action…hehe.

Mangoes for Tishy! Mangoes for all! Do you love mangoes as much as I do? Let’s share our mango love in the comments! —Tish

Even those of us who do our best to get our meals and snacks from whole, unprocessed foods sometimes find ourselves in need of some quick sustenance on the go. If you’re as active as I think you are, it’s important that the treat you choose comes packed with protein. And, if you’re as picky about what you eat as I am, well, it has to be tasty.

Recently, I tried out a couple of new protein bars, and just to save you the suspense, let me tell you one thing—they were both delicious. But, there’s more to it than that, of course, so let’s break it down.

Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars

Available in two flavors, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate and Peanut, Almond and Dark Chocolate (they sound similar, but the version with peanut butter is a bit sweeter), the Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars pack 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. However, you’re also consuming 190 calories, 12 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugar, so, you know, it’s not the kind of snack you want to chow down on all the time between meals. I tell you this because, trust me, you will be tempted. I wasn’t kidding about the deliciousness.

Want more nutrition info? Here it is (and the numbers are very similar for both flavors, but you can find the peanut butter flavor nutrition info here):

CLIF Mojo

In the opposite corner, we have the CLIF Mojo, which comes in two versions—Dipped and, well, not Dipped. Dipped features two flavors (S’mores and Chocolate Peanut), both dipped in chocolate, and the un-Dipped version has a wider variety (White Chocolate, Honey Roasted Peanut, Mixed Nuts, Mountain Mix, Peanut Butter Pretzel and Coconut). The two versions offer a variety in terms of nutrition, with calories ranging from 200 to 210, 9 to 11 grams of fat, 8 to 10 grams of protein, 8 to 11 grams of sugar, and two grams of fiber across the board. So, once again, this shouldn’t be mistaken for an everyday source of nutrition, but as an occasional treat on the go? Yeah, I’d hit it.

Below is a sampling of nutrition labels from the Mojo line to help you make an informed decision.

CLIF Mojo Dipped Chocolate Peanut

CLIF Mojo Honey Roasted Peanut

CLIF Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel

Do you ever snack on protein bars? Would either of these make the cut for your healthy diet? —Kristen

Mmmm, avocado. Credit: whologwhy

We’re hungry! And talking about food for this round of Question of the Week, which asks each FBG, “What are your three favorite healthy foods?” Tough one…

When I first got this assignment, I texted my husband—I was curious to see what he would come up with as my favorite healthy foods. His response: “Mexican, pizza and cheese.” Thanks, honey. I knew I could count on you for a little help.

It’s not that it’s hard for me to find three healthy foods that I love—far from it! Like Jenn, I dig my fruits and veggies, and I’ve been known to show some love to the legumes. It was hard to narrow things down, although, and I must admit that Jenn snagging eggs and nut butter as her faves definitely narrowed my choices. Good lord, do I love peanut butter. And almond butter. And oh, have you tried cashew butter? Do yourself a favor and don’t even try it. Don’t do it. A smidge is healthful. The amount you’ll want to lick off a spoon? Less so.

Ahem.

With no further nut-butter lust, let’s get to it!

My 3 Favorite Healthy Foods

1. Avocado. In salads and on toast, avocado, I love you the most. Well, at least enough to put you in my top three. It’s just so versatile—I mean, what can’t you put it in? It’s a perfect accoutrement to some scrambled eggs and salsa, but equally delicious with spinach, strawberries and almonds. Throw it in a smoothie to make things extra creamy, or mash it on a sandwich in place of mayo. You just can’t go wrong, which is great, because I do enjoy being right.

2. Chickpeas. You know how I mentioned the spinach/strawberry/avocado mix above? Well, throw some chickpeas on that baby, and let’s call it a real party! These are such a tasty and simple source of protein that I don’t know where I’d be without them. Truthfully, I mostly eat them on salads, but I’ve also roasted them for a super healthful snack, added them to soups, sauteed them and mixed ‘em up with veggies…and I’m sure there have been lots of other uses throughout the years. Oh, wait, that’s right. Hummus. ‘Nuff said.

3. Red bell peppers. They’re sweet, crisp, juicy, and—like my other choices—awesome in a wide variety of dishes. I’ve talked about roasting them before, but I often lightly sauté them before serving them in veggie fajitas or quesadillas, or mixed up with black beans and whatever other veggies I have on hand for a quick meal. And, you know how I mentioned hummus above? There’s pretty much nothing better than a fresh, raw red pepper dipped in hummus. Bonus—peppers help with iron absorption, so pairing them with my beloved chickpeas means I get more iron than I would from the chickpeas alone. Winner, winner, chickpea-and-peppers dinner!

What healthful foods would you list in your top three? Go on, remind me what I left out. I’ve got my grocery bags ready to go. —Kristen

You've been warned. Simply 7 lentil and hummus chips are addicting.

You know how Lay’s has that saying, “Betcha can’t eat just one?” Well, there’s another contender for that slogan, and it’s Simply 7 chips. They’re downright addictive. Like, so addicting I’ve banned them from my cabinets because I apparently lose all self-control around them. (Hey, you have to know your triggers!)

Usually it’s the sweets that call to me, but these lightly flavored delicate little chips made with no trans fat, no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, no gluten and no GMO ingredients, were calling my name—over and over again. They come in six flavors: Hummus Sea Salt, Hummus Tomato Basil, Hummus Spicy Chili Pepper, Lentil Sea Salt, Lentil Creamy Dill and Lentil Bruschetta. While some are certainly better than others (Lentil Bruschetta and Hummus Spicy Chili Pepper take top taste-test honors in my book—although the other varieties are good for those with palates that aren’t as game for spicy and/or overly flavored foods), they’re all just so airy and easy to nibble on. Like, too easy.

With 50 percent less fat than potato chips, these Simply 7 chips are far better for you than regular potato chips. A one-ounce serving of about 30 chips has just 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. And the ingredient list on each of them is impressively easy to pronounce and understand (chickpeas, flour, garlic powder, olive oil—I know what those things are!). They’re also made of beans—lentils and chickpeas—rather than potatoes. You know how we like our bean chips…

You can buy Simply 7 chips at most natural food stores, or order a 12-pack that includes two bags of each flavor for about $35. The 12-pack is perfect for a party, where there are plenty of people to gobble them up—which is exactly how I plan to enjoy them in the future (mindfully and with good company).

Like I said, portion control and a little self restraint is a must around these. At least for me it is. Are there any all-natural snacks that you can’t just eat one of? Tried Simply 7 hummus or lentil chips before? Share! —Jenn

A couple of years ago, we had the chance to chat with former The Biggest Loser trainer Kim Lyons. At that time, she had just put out some workouts DVDs and had written a book. Since our interview, she’s been busy adding another product to her line: protein bars. We all know the protein-bar market is flooded with options, but her Your Body, Your Life bars caught our eye. With more than 40 essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, super-green foods, digestive enzymes, and six servings of fruits and vegetables, the bars are also 100 percent natural with just about 200 calories. Not too shabby…

The Your Body, Your Life Bars are available in two flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Raspberry. And, of course, we taste-tested both. Dairy-, gluten- and trans-fat free, my stomach liked these bars. They were sweet without being too sweet, and they filled me up. With a soft texture, they weren’t chalky and tasted like the real deal. While both flavors were good, I preferred the Chocolate Peanut Butter as it was more savory than the Chocolate Raspberry. (Sometimes I just get sick of the overly sweet protein bar flavors, ya know?) However, the Chocolate Raspberry did remind of something—so much so that I wonder if they have darn near the same recipe. It tasted just like the SmallWorld Beauty Coco Berry Crisp protein bars. Coincidence? I’m not sure… But if you like those bars, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll like these.

For us, protein bars are always a “sometimes food,” rather than a staple, as eating whole foods is always best. But when on the go, it’s hard to beat the nutritionals on this one. And it’s supported by Kim Lyons, who obviously is in ridiculously good shape. I will admit that these bars aren’t cheap though. At a little more than $2 a pop, they’re at the high-end of what I’ll pay for a protein bar.

Have you tried these? What do you look for in a protein bar? Love Kim Lyons? Share! —Jenn

Eating healthy while traveling doesn't have to be impossible! You just have to get creative... Credit: Kossy@FINEDAYS

I just came back from Vegas, and man, did I win BIG! No, I didn’t bet it all on black and win the jackpot (although that would have definitely put a dent in some of my student loans), but I did stay fit and eat healthy while in Sin City. And that’s a serious win!

As many Fit Bottomed Girls (and guys) know, fitness and health don’t go out the door once you take a seat on the plane—but eating healthy while traveling does become much more challenging. And if you’re like me, the moment I step foot on the ground for my vacay, the weight starts creeping on—every taste turns into a bite, and every bite turns into a devour, and the next thing you know my conscious chants of “you’re on vacation…” are giving me an excuse to let my jeans get tight. So to help those fit-traveling junkies out there, I’ve put together a list of my unique and very unconventional tricks to getting through a trip with a consistent pant size and a small budget.

This is what Raquel packed in her travel bag!

Eating Healthy While Traveling: 5 Tips

1. Use food as ice packs. It’s the best two-for-one deal in town! Frozen food will keep your food from spoiling, and when it defrosts, you have your next meal or snack. For my recent Vegas trip I froze pre-cooked chicken and sweet potato pancakes—yum!

2. Bring a can opener. Yes, they do go through airport security! This nifty tool allows for continuous canned options. My favorites are canned tuna and chicken.

3. Order a side of steamed veggies. Broccoli, asparagus, carrots…What’s your favorite? They all make great leftovers and healthy snacks.

4. Bring a bag of condiments and Tupperware. The Tupperware is great for the canned meat and extra steamed veggies. Oh! And let’s not forget the condiments like spice blends, herbs and mustard—sometimes all you need is to spice up your life. (Pun intended!)

5. Bring pre-measured snacks. Nuts, fruit, whatever holds you over! Since “vacation” usually means overindulging, pre-measured snacks help with portion control, and they give you an extra spurt of energy to get through all of your traveling excitement.

Hopefully these five tips will help you to stay focused on your health while on vacation. And the next time you decide to board a plane, take a look at the TSA’s list of Dos and Don’ts. You’ll be surprised to see all the things that can still go through airport security, including THE CAN OPENER!

How do you stay healthy when traveling? How much do you indulge? —Raquel

Perfect Blocks makes a darn good smoothie. Credit: mary_thompson

We are so not into diets, but we’re also not ones to ignore good info and facts when it comes to fitness and nutrition. After all, we’re all about making ya’ll and ourselves as healthy as we can while still living a real (wine- and chocolate-filled) life. The Zone Diet—which emphasizes a balanced ratio of protein, carbs and fat in every meal—is a pretty decent way to eat.

Yes, it’s highly complicated and it does have that dreaded four-letter “diet” word in it, but over the course of the last few years, I’ve found that when all of my meals and snacks have a mix of protein, carbs and fat, I feel better and easily maintain my weight. Do I follow The Zone Diet to a T? Heck no. There’s a lot of counting involved, but the general principles make sense, especially when you’re eating really nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts.

The Zone Diet has been popular for years, but it has recently gotten even more buzz as many CrossFit coaches recommend this—7 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fat per “block”—way of eating. (For the more serious CrossFitters, it’s all about going Paleo.) I don’t want to get into the specifics of how to follow The Zone Diet (plenty of that out there), but I do want to bring your attention to a new protein powder we recently were sent and tried: Perfect Blocks.

Review: Perfect Blocks Protein Powder

The major pro to this protein powder is that every serving of it provides a Zone Diet balanced ratio of protein, carbs and fat, making eating breakfast or a snack a breeze. All-natural with no sugar, artificial flavors or preservatives, it also has 24 vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics and fiber. Each scoop is a “block,” which has 90 calories in it. (Full nutritionals here.) While the $59.95 price tag seems high, that breaks down into about a buck a scoop, which isn’t terrible for quality protein powder.

I personally tried the Vanilla Oat Flavor and loved it. Nicely oat-y yet sweet (be warned that it does have that slight Stevia aftertaste), it’s good mixed with water and ice or—my favorite—two or three scoops of the stuff with water, ice, kale, frozen spinach, fresh ginger and a little cinnamon. When you add the greens in, it makes the smoothie awesomely green, which makes my veggie-loving heart go pitter-patter. (If you’re a Zone Diet die-hard the greens will bump up your carb count, but like I said earlier, I use the ratio loosely…)

Again, while we’re not into “diets,” if you are looking to balance out your mix of protein, carbs and fat, and need a protein powder that does the balancing work for you, trying Perfect Blocks is a no brainer. And if you aren’t concerned with following The Zone Diet principles, know that this protein powder is darn good for whatever kind of smoothie you want to make—oooh—or oatmeal for double oat-y goodness!

Do you try to make a nice mix of protein, carbs and fat with every meal? Try to do the same with your smoothies? Tell us about it! —Jenn

Have a healthy Easter with some hard-boiled eggs and these better-for-you treats! Credit: shesinthekitchen

Easter has almost become as synonymous with candy as Halloween, but receiving a basket of goodies that is actually GOOD for you can be just as exciting. Whether you are arranging a basket of treats for your child, a significant other or coworker, gathering healthy Easter treats instead of sugary candy can be just as fun and just as delicious. Consider stocking up on the following healthy Easter basket stuffers this year!

7 Healthy Easter Basket Treats

1. Fresh fruit. A lot of Easter candies are flavored with chemicals to taste like fruit, so why not give the real thing? Lining your baskets with fresh fruits like strawberries, grapes and oranges can make a beautiful basket bursting with spring colors.

2. Vitamins. From a daily multivitamin to fish oil supplements to chewable Flintstones, giving vitamins is a great way to show someone that their health is important to you.

3. Trail mix. Go the extra mile and make your own healthy trail mix using your favorite varieties of nuts, dried fruit and little extras, like shredded coconut, yogurt-covered raisins or chocolate chips. Fill up plastic Easter eggs with your unique mix for a sweet surprise.

4. Herbal teas. Find brightly packaged herbal teas in tons of fun and fruity flavors, like blueberry, pomegranate orange and raspberry.

The following is a post sponsored by Egg Beaters. For our sponsored post policy, click here.

You know how much we love our smoothies up in here. And you know how much we love our natural lean protein. So combining the two? Pure genius! In the video below, we’ll show you how to make a Raspberry Protein Smoothie that is a cool frothy treat that works as a breakfast, a snack or even a fruity dessert.

In less than 10 minutes, you can blend up a filling smoothie that has just 262 calories, 1 gram of fat, 201 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein, along with 58 percent of your vitamin C needs for the day and 28 percent of your daily calcium needs. Oh, and did we mention it’s delicious?

When trying it, I seriously had a moment…or two…or three…

Can’t see the video? Click here to learn how to make your own Raspberry Protein Smoothie!

We love how you can use Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites in uncooked foods because they’re pastuerized—it seriously opens the door to so many smoothie possibilities! You can get the full Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites Raspberry Protein Smoothie recipe here and more fun recipes by following Egg Beaters on Facebook.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more fun protein-power recipes and posts, and be sure to hop on the Twitter and use the hashtag #EBProteinPower to tell us about your experience making this smoothie! We imagine a little spinach or kale would be pretty good in it… —Jenn

Mmmm, cheese. Credit: Ron Dollette, Flickr

I was at a good friend’s wedding this weekend (actually, you guys basically know her—congrats, training buddy Jodi!), and I was hit with a realization. People crave vastly different things.

Oh, hush. It’s not like this is big news to me or anything. But, this wedding brought the point home because there were a ton of different goodies available, and everyone seemed to go for different things. For me, the tastiest treats were at the beginning—I couldn’t get enough of the salty, crunchy, savory appetizers, like creamy smoked fish dip on homemade chips and brie with blueberry in a crispy shell.

My husband, on the other hand, couldn’t step away from the candy bar that came out later in the night—the cake pops and chocolate-covered Twizzlers were definitely his downfall. I saw other guests making multiple trips to the cake table (Who could blame them? There were three different kinds to try!), while still others were full from two or three servings of chicken or roasted veggies at dinner.

This got me thinking. With the exception of the folks who only went to town on the more healthful dinner options, most people were definitely overindulging on not-so-good-for-you treats. And hey, no judgement—I was right there with them! But I wondered, if I had the ability to make just one food really, really good for me instead of not-so-nutritious, what would it be? And what would other people choose? I can say with almost absolute certainty that my husband would choose chocolate.

For me, though, I really think it would have to be cheese—almost every food that I really, really love includes cheese, and generally, plenty of it. I like the expensive kinds. I like the cheap kinds. I like cheese that’s hard, soft, stinky, mild, crumbly, melty…dammit. Now I’m hungry.

So, now I’m putting the question to you. If you could fix one food and magically turn it into a fabulously healthful option, what would it be? —Kristen