Guacamole, as with many other avocado-based recipes, is one of those foods that is as delicious as it is healthy. The avocados contain monounsaturated fats which are good for your heart, and the dish is full of other fibrous and nutrient-rich veggies. In college, my guacamole recipe was popular with my roommates, which is amusing because it included garlic powder and no cilantro. Thankfully my recipe has grown up over time and is still a crowd pleaser.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know that I look for creative ways to get my greens because salad can be a drag. Pesto to the rescue! It’s highly nutritious, as evidenced by its lovely shade of deep green, and it can be made quickly with just a few ingredients. It’s hard to go wrong with a pesto recipe, but I like to think mine is especially delicious.

A balanced trail mix can be a well-rounded, healthy, and versatile snack. This simple recipe lacks the processed ingredients you’ll often find in store-bought trail mixes, so long as you use high-quality chocolate. And while it does have some sugar, the sugar content in the chocolate and cherries is balanced by the fiber, protein and healthy fat in the nuts.

Who doesn’t love a peanut butter & jelly sandwich on white bread with a bag of salty potato chips? Unfortunately this meal, a staple of American childhood, isn’t very nutritious. So I’ve elevated PB&J into a smoothie that maintains its nostalgic flavors but has roughly 30 grams of protein, fewer processed carbs, and more nutrients and fiber from frozen fruit.

Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup was a winter staple growing up in my household, and I imagine many of us have comforting memories of the classic soup. But it doesn’t offer much in the way of nutrition, and since I’m now gluten-free, I’ve started making my own soups from scratch. This one is chock full of vitamin- and fiber-rich veggies.

Chili is one of those foods that is as nutritious as it is delicious, and there’s nothing more homey than the smell of chili that’s been cooking in a crockpot all day. I love making it on Sundays—looking forward to a hearty chili dinner helps beat the Sunday scaries that come with knowing I have to return to work the next day.

The pumpkin we know best is overshadowed by sugar and whipped cream, as social media inundates us with pumpkin-flavored muffins, bars, pies and lattes between the months of September and December. But what if I told you there was a more sophisticated pumpkin? A pumpkin that wants to be known for its carotenoids, not its association with infinity scarves, leggings and Ugg boots?

You’ve probably heard the term “eat the rainbow” to suggest that people maximize their nutrient intake with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. I’m reminded of it when I make this smoothie, as its rich purple color is unlike anything else in the palette of my other typical foods.

This is one of my favorite smoothies because it’s filling, delicious, and balanced. It’s got lots of protein, carbs from the banana, healthy fat from the peanut butter, plenty of sweetness and a little salt. It has enough substance to be a meal replacement, but it also makes a great snack after a hard-hitting workout.

I’ve mentioned that I’m not much of a salad girl, so I find other ways to get my greens. And what better way to eat them than when they’re smothered in melted cheese?

This smoothie is awesome because it calls for a few readily available ingredients, it tastes delicious, it’s packed with nutrients, and the low glycemic index of strawberries compared to other fruit makes it a reasonable choice for people who are watching their sugar. It’s a fantastic and filling way to curb a sweet tooth without the guilt.

When I was in grade school, my mom would take me to baton practice once a week, and afterwards we would have dinner at McDonald’s. The memory of their famous Shamrock Shake, which is only available around St. Patrick’s Day, evokes nostalgic feelings for a time when I didn’t know what high fructose corn syrup was.

The idea of eating salad every day bores the life out of me, but I know that leafy greens are among the world’s healthiest foods, so I find creative ways to make them interesting. The strong tropical fruit flavors in this smoothie hide any bitterness that might come from the greens, but you’ll still be getting significant doses of vitamins A, K and C, B-vitamins, and necessary trace minerals like manganese, iron and copper.