Citrus season is here and while oranges and clementines definitely pack a health punch, it’s time to make some room for grapefruit. Grapefruit has some powerful health benefits, some of which Cheryl Forberg, R.D., and Karen Ansel, M.S. R.D., reported on for EatingWell Magazine.

Recipes to Try: Grapefruit Brulee and More Healthy Recipes with Grapefruit

Note: Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interact with certain medications and make them less effective, so ask your doctor or pharmacist if you should avoid grapefruit.

The debate over whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is really worse for you than sugar is always popular and heated. Full disclosure: based on the available research, I usually land on the side that says there really is no difference. A sugar is a sugar is a sugar. Metabolic studies have shown that our bodies break down and use HFCS and sugar (sucrose) the same way.

If you’ve been exercising more, you may be suffering from the aches and pains of having overdone it at the gym. I’ve been there. Making sure your workout is challenging without overdoing it is one way to prevent muscle soreness. But research also points to some foods and beverages that can help ward off and minimize exercise-related muscle soreness, which we’ve reported on in EatingWell Magazine.

As a native of New England, I had never heard of Frito Pie until a Texas-born co-worker offered me some. And then…wow! As a fan of both salty, crunchy Fritos and spicy chili (my parents are from LA, so I’m not a total Yankee!), I couldn’t get over this delicious dish.

For those not in the know, Frito Pie is essentially super chili. Traditionally, it’s made by pouring a delicious, spicy chili over a bed of Fritos and then topping with a slathering of cheese (or Cheese Whiz). Yum!

My mother makes the world’s best meatloaf, but it’s as high in fat and calories as it is delicious, so as much as I like it, it doesn’t fit into my diet. Instead of giving it up, I’ve decided to tweak her recipe to fit my needs. With a few easy tricks and switches I can have my meatloaf, with less fat and calories, and eat it too.
Healthy Recipes to Try: 5 Delicious Meatloaf Recipes

Which will help me slim down—6 mini meals or 3 squares? I get this question a lot, especially from people who are trying to slim down, because I’m a registered dietitian and nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine. It’s a common question, especially among dieters looking to get an extra edge on their weight loss.
Related: 10 Tricks to Make Losing Weight Easier

As a food lover and food editor of EatingWell Magazine, it’s probably no surprise that I’m not a big fan of any diet where you have to give up a bunch of different foods. No bread or pasta? Forget it. Cabbage soup for two meals a day? No way. That’s why I’m a big believer in the weight-loss and maintenance approach that EatingWell has taken both in the magazine and in our diet books, including EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners, which I co-authored with Nicci Micco. The idea is that you can eat anything you want.

Since I need to eat at least three times a day, the grocery store is one of those unavoidable parts of life. And like other activities that I tend to do over and over again, when I’m there, I default to autopilot–idly shoving familiar things into my cart while I think about something else. Well, it’s time I wake up. It’s a new year and the desire to slim down and maybe save some money while doing it just might be enough to snap me back into coherence while I’m shopping for food.