Clean eating has been around since the 1960s but has been gaining popularity recently. Registered dietitian Michelle Dudash author of Clean Eating for Busy Families explains how simple it is to follow.

Q. Could you explain what clean eating is?
Clean eating is the lifestyle of enjoying foods in their most natural and least processed state, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts and seeds, lowfat dairy and expeller-pressed oils. For example, instead of eating white bread, seek out sprouted wheat bread, which is a true whole grain. Also, if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on the label, you probably shouldn’t eat it. Instead of components that sound like things from lab experiments, opt for foods with ingredients found in home kitchens. Clean eating to me also means opting for in-season foods—not just produce, but seafood, too—whenever possible.

Q. So many foods marketed to kids are processed — how can you eliminate or minimize processed foods, and how can you tell which packaged foods are clean?
Unfortunately, many foods marketed to kids can be deceiving. You must look past the healthy images on the front of the package and go straight to the ingredient label on the back. If you see sugar in any form (yes, even evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup) as the first ingredient, put it down. If it’s a grain product like a bar or cereal, whole grains like oats or brown rice should be listed first. If you see more than a few ingredients you can’t pronounce, it’s probably been manipulated and is highly processed. Despite the widespread availability of processed kids’ snacks, remember, kids still love fruits and vegetables or whole-grain crackers paired with dip.

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Tina Ruggiero is a dietitian, spokesperson, special correspondent for the Tampa Tribune and author of the cookbook, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. We chatted with her about her book recently and she offered to give you, our lucky readers, the opportunity to win a copy of her book!

Q: What inspired this cookbook?

A: Prior to writing the book, I had 17 friends and clients who where either expectant or new moms. They each had the same questions about infant and toddler nutrition, and at that point, I realized I needed to write this book.

Q: What does healthy mean to you?

A: To me, healthy means having the ability to enjoy life to its fullest. “Healthy” is a state of mind, a lifestyle and something to be embraced and celebrated. Healthy goes beyond food. When you have your health, you can achieve anything.

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Ellie's Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

With the cold weather settling in, many folks turn to their favorite comfort foods. But the truth is, most classics like macaroni and cheese, chili, and chicken fingers are laden with calories. I had the opportunity to speak with Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian, cookbook author and host of Food Network’s hit show Healthy Appetite, about her new book Comfort Food Fix.  She tells us how we can eat these favorites without worry.

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Win this book!

Joy Pierson, co-owner of one of New York city’s best-loved vegan restaurants, Candle 79 along with chefs Angel Ramos and Jorge Pineda  have a brand new cookbook out,  filled with their favorite meatless recipes, plus ones customers can’t seem to get enough of. The group is so passionate about the food they serve; the chefs were the food stylists for the book’s over-the-top images.

“It’s our customers who say, ‘I love that avocado soup. I want the recipe,’” Joy says. “People really want to eat this way, so we’re giving them the tools.”

Everything from the book is easy to execute using farmers’ market organic products, she says.

You can buy your own copy of the Candle 79 Cookbook or enter in the comments for a chance to win your own. Just let us know, in the comments, your favorite meatless Thanksgiving dish. The contest starts at 9:30 a.m. EST today, and ends on Friday, November 25 at 5 p.m. EST.

We’re giving away one gift set to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter. You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate with you if you’re a winner.

You may only comment once to be considered and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 to win. For the first day of the giveaway, all entries (answers) must be entered between 9:30 a.m. EST on November 23 and 5 p.m. EST on November 25. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of each prize: $30.00. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a Food Network, 9721 Sherrill Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37932.

So tell us, what’s your favorite vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving dish?

Win your own copy of Gita Patel's cookbook.

East and West merge together in this cookbook, Blending Science With Spices by registered dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, Gita Patel. Her approach to cooking combines modern nutritional science with traditional vegetarian dishes—all with Indian flair.

Start by organizing and stocking your kitchen, then delve into the world of vegetables, salads, condiments, beans and hot oils. You’ll find full menus all hand-picked by Gita with calorie counts, health benefits and more.

You can buy your own copy of Blending Science With Spices or enter in the comments for a chance to win your own. Just let us know, in the comments, what you do to live healthy. The contest starts at 9:30 a.m. EST today, and ends on Friday, November 18 at 5 p.m. EST.

We’re giving away one cookbook to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter. You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate with you if you’re a winner.

You may only comment once to be considered and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 to win. For the first day of the giveaway, all entries (answers) must be entered between 9:30 a.m. EST on November 16 and 5 p.m. EST on November 18. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of each prize: $19.95. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a Food Network, 9721 Sherrill Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37932.

So tell us, what do you do to live healthy?

6-minute side dish.

I see a lot of cookbooks — that’ll happen when you work for Food Network — and even though there’s a stack of new books on my desk threatening to topple over, I still get excited when I get a really good, new cookbook. The cookbooks that excite me are the ones filled with healthy, seasonal recipes, especially those with a lot of vegetable dishes because I don’t eat meat. Food writer, NY Times columnist and cookbook author  Melissa Clark‘s book, Cook This Now was one that excited me. So much so that it made it home to my kitchen, and not the teetering, 4-foot cookbook pile on my desk.

The book is organized by month, and each month has 10 recipes using ingredients that are at their peak that month. The setup is helpful for obvious reason: it’s easy to figure out what’s freshest and what to shop for at farmers’ markets, but there was an unexpected bonus to the month-by-month organization. Usually when I get a great cookbook, I leaf through the whole thing, flagging dozens of recipes I must make, then can’t decide what to make first. When I cracked open Cook This Now, I jumped right to November. I was tempted by the Butternut Squash Risotto With Pistachios and Lemon, the Honey Whole Wheat Corn Bread and the Roasted Acorn Squash, Honey, Smoked Paprika, and Sage Salt, but last night just happened to get a big bunch of broccoli rabe in my CSA, so was eager to turn that into dinner.

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Take back dinner with our very own Robin Miller‘s new cookbook Robin Takes 5. Choose from 500 quick, healthy, weeknight meals that are all 500 calories or less. The best part? Each recipe has just five ingredients! That means less time at the store and even less time in the kitchen.

Whip up soups, pizzas, pastas, beef, seafood and side dishes every night of the week without breaking a sweat. Make Cashew Crusted Chicken with Roasted Jalapeno-Mango Chutney (one of 70 chicken recipes), or satisfy your sweet tooth with one of Robin’s 50 dessert recipes like Orange Marmalade Tart with Chocolate Covered Almonds.

“It’s a slam dunk for every busy person and Food Network fan out there,” she says.

You can buy your own copy of Robin Takes 5 or enter in the comments for a chance to win your own. Just let us know, in the comments, the five ingredients you couldn’t live without. The contest starts at 9:30 a.m. EST today, and ends on Friday, November 4 at 5 p.m. EST.

We’re giving one copy away to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter. You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate with you if you’re a winner.

You may only comment once to be considered and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 to win. For the first day of the giveaway, all entries (answers) must be entered between 9:30 a.m. EST on November 2 and 5 p.m. EST on November 4. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of each prize: $29.99. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a Food Network, 9721 Sherrill Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37932.

So tell us, which 5 ingredients would you not be able to live without?

Robin Mather, author of The Feast Nearby, lost both her marriage and her job during the same week in 2009. A food writer for more than 30 years, Mather retreated to a cottage in her native Michigan for solace.

“Everything had to change really fast,” she says. “I had no way to pay for what I was used to paying for.”

A proponent of eating locally, and sparked by this life change, Mather embarked on a year-long project to sustain herself on $40 a week. Not only did she end up sustaining herself, but she also put money back into the community by choosing to support local farmers instead of going to a chain grocery store.

Mather says it was important for her to convey in The Feast Nearby that eating locally isn’t just for the foodie-elite.

“If you can make five meals a week of locally produced food, you have already improved the situation in your community immeasurably,” she says.

Try some of Mather’s tips for working more local produce into your life. Your local farmers will thank you.

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Good old soul food is famous for excess fat, salt and sugar. Thank goodness for soul food expert and registered dietitian Fabiola Gaines, who told us how to lighten up soul food without compromising taste.

Q: What inspired you to write The New Soul Food Cookbook for Diabetes, especially for diabetics?

Several years ago, the American Diabetes Association asked my partner and I to sit in on a cultural diversity committee. They came up with this recipe card that wasn’t appropriate for the African American population with type 2 diabetes– the recipe was for sweet potato pie with raisins.  In the typical African American cuisine raisins are not included in sweet potato pie. We became a critical part of choosing recipes for this project, and the American Diabetes Association asked my partner and I if we would be interested in writing the first African American cookbook. Both of our fathers died of complications from diabetes and the book is near and dear to our hearts. It was important that we show that soul food is not bad but needs a facelift.

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