What's Your Healthy Eating For 2026?

 In Wednesday's New York Times Food , food critic Pete Wells wrote about how he gave up sugar in his article about weight loss. Many of us look to a new year to restart our eating habits.Its could be more leafy greens. Goodbye to coffee and chocolate.

What will you do to eat better in the New Year? I feel I need to cut down on soda  - diet and regular. Everyone says I drink too much anyway and   I need to focus on more  in taking water and teas. I am trying to whittle down a three can  of diet soda a day habit to two and then to one. Tea is good anyway ,especially iced. I try to bring a Stanley cup of it wherever I drive.

So, what are you going to reform in this new year? Cut down on cold cuts? Maybe cut back on fast food? Let us know and good luck with it.

Dining For One

Being single does have it's advantages, especially in the kitchen.You can make what you want when you want.You can also splurge on expensive ingredients and have it with a good wine or even champagne.That's the joy of dining for one. Eating alone can always mean sticking with favorites.One of my culinary specials is filet mignon with bagna calda sauce.This last is a blend of anchovies, butter ,oil and garlic ,cooked with the meat.It's a wonderful blend of flavors, both briny and earthy.The dish is just pure heaven.I can never make this for my friends because they have a strong aversion to the fish.(I can't even order anchovy pizza except when I'm on my own).The same applies to surprisingly enough, kale.Forget making kale chips for any kind of get togethers.Yet it's one of my favorite vegetables. Luckily I have a family who enjoys this vitamin rich veggie and enjoys both kale and Brussel sprouts chips.A splurge is usually expensive.If that's the case, wait until your supermarket has a sale or is offering coupons.You can also use alternatives.For my indulgence, it doesn't always have to be filet mignon.It could even be flank steak or beef tips. What happens if your splurge is a good chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie? What about if you crave a slice of red velvet cake? Many people find buying the whole box or cake too much.It's all that effort and time just for one slice.Bakeries can help that, with offering bigger size of your favorites.Grocery stores are now offering individual sliced cake served in a size appropriate plastic container.As for A one chocolate, many candy stores like Rocky Mountain sell individual pieces like the chocolate covered Oreos and graham crackers.If you're craving ganache or fudge, you could make those yourself. There are a million recipes on the web regarding them and you can use primo ingredients like Dutch cocoa and French butter as ingredients.What about chocolate fondue for one? It can be done and you can have a ball dipping anything and everything into it.Another great aspect of eating alone is there 's no one to shame you if you exceed your calorie count or go off your diet for a super banana split or a bottomless ice cream soda. Dining for one can be fun.You can treat yourself to all sorts of fun dishes and desserts.Best of all you don't have to share.It's all yours!

Hitting The Cookie Bars

Nothing beats a cookie bar as an after school snack. The best ones are the homemade one, full of yummy ingredients. Cookbook author , Esther Brody , has come up with a great books full of all sorts of bar and brownie recipes. There are all sorts for every one's tastes.

Ms. Brody 's 250 Best Brownies , Bars and Squares (Robert Rose Publishers) has a plethora of not only recipes but advice. This is an excellent book for novice bakers.Ms. Brody give explanations of why a cake could have holes or why it burned. This helps in creating the perfect bar and brownie. She also give good tips such as storing marshmallows in the freezer  as well as buying nuts and certain other ingredients in bulk. There are also suggestions for making a healthier treat such as subbing in all natural honey for refined white sugar.

Her recipes are varied and interesting. There are the traditional lemon bars and chocolate brownies. There there are the twists such as the pink lemonade bar that's made with pink lemonade concentrate.. There's also lemon blueberry and lemon cream cheese .She includes a scrumptious gingerbread bar recipe that just right for fall. The brownie recipes are perfect for chocolate lovers plus there's a whole slew of variations, Try the chocolate banana brownies for a different after school treat or make the pecan brownies for a lunchbox or brown bag surprise.Ms  Brody is as sweet as her creations., She includes a section on recipes from family and friends

Happiness is a good homemade brownie or cookie bar. Esther Brody gives us the means to make them in her latest cookbook,. Get 250 Best Brownies, Bars And Squares to make classic and new treats for the students (and graduates ) in your life