I created this recipe for a savvy reader whose boyfriend loves chicken teriyaki, but wanted to make a better version for the two of them....

I was recently asked to speak at SoulCycle’s first ever wellness and nutrition event in Bridgehampton, NY.  What did this mean for the girls at SkinnyintheCity.com?  Road trip - naturally!  So, my team and I headed out east where I joined a panel of incredible women to discuss weight loss, health, and overall well being.  

It’s zucchini season and I’m hosting a dinner party. Hence, I want to serve the vegetable to my guests—but how to make it classy? Zucchini Carpaccio!

I live in New York, where Middle Eastern restaurants are a dime a dozen, so it’s easy for me to get my falafel fix. Falafel is one of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes. It’s a vegetarian patty consisting of chickpeas, garlic, cilantro, and parsley, making it high in fiber, folate, and antioxidants. But restaurants typically deep fry their falafel, turning what started out as a healthy dish into a diet disaster.

Sushi is typically one of those foods best left to the experts to create—those little rolls can quickly turn into one big raw fish and rice mess, if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why I came up with this sushi salad- you get all the great taste elements of a California Roll—no rolling required. There’s also no white rice in this recipe, which can be a diet downfall at a sushi restaurant.

Fennel is known to taste almost like licorice-flavored celery — crisp and crunchy with a pronounced flavor when raw. Some people love it right away; others need to taste it a few times first. So do a good deed and try this recipe out on someone who’s never had it before — they may be surprised by the new flavor.

Cabbage isn’t just a boring Irish side dish served with corned beef. It’s a great addition to Asian dishes—like this perfect summer salad.  Not to mention, cabbage is high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and iron. But the best part about this salad? If you don’t put the dressing on, it can last in the fridge all week without going bad. Which means it’s perfect for all the single ladies (and men) tired of cooking for one every night.

If you’ve been following Rachel, our new Skinny Size Me blogger, you know how amazingly successful she’s been with weight loss in just a few short weeks!  One of the reasons is that she’s still been able to enjoy some of her favorite dishes—like Chicken Milanese.

Nothing hits the spot quite like a cold, refreshing smoothie on a hot summer day. But although they appear healthy, many restaurant or coffee shop versions of smoothies can be surprisingly high in calories and sugar. Even the most innocent-sounding ones can pack 400-500 calories and 100 grams of carbohydrates.

For dieters with a savory tooth like me, it’s not giving up the chocolate cake and sugar cookies that’s the hardest, it’s passing on the greasy French fries, onion rings, potato chips and other salty side dishes that are oh-so delicious. Most days, you can keep your wits about you and say, “I’ll just have the side salad, please” or “hold the chips.” But on days when your will power is wilting, head home and make these perfectly seasoned steak fries—without an ounce of guilt.