If you have a group of people that you're hoping to spread love to this holiday season, but you don't want to break the bank, and you want to offer a break from the traditional holiday sugar coma, give them the gift of guilt-free indulgence.

My children go to the YMCA for child care, where classroom assistants are often jumping into different classrooms to help. I wanted to thank everyone that has loved my children so well, and I know they value their break time, so I decided to fill up their break room with healthy treats, including some Izze sparkling juice, apples, and this Chocolate Avocado Fruit Dip. While you might wince at the idea of avocado in a sweet dip, the flavor of it is lost to the sweetness of the banana, chocolate and syrup. But the avocado does give it a healthy source of fat, as well as a creamy pudding-like texture:

CREAMY CHOCOLATE AVOCADO FRUIT DIP

I spooned the dip into 4 oz. mason jars and added labels between the lid and the ring, for a special touch. This recipe filled 12 jars, and I may or may not have eaten the little bit that was remaining with a spoon.

Then again, you don't need a gift giving opportunity to make this recipe. Serve it to your kids, your spouse or your extended family. If you don't tell your picky eaters what it's made of, they'll probably devour it without the slightest clue that it's a healthy treat.

Here - I'll take all of the pressure off of you. If you would like to recreate this recipe as a gift, here are some jar labels for you. Simply click on the photo below to be taken to a file that you can print, cut out, and add to your jars. Enjoy!

My experience with Fresh Thyme has been that while their packaged foods are more expensive, their produce prices, especially for their quality, are hard to beat. They have a great organic section, with great organic deals to match. If I plan my meals around their ads, cooking clean, simple meals, I find that I can typically feed my family of four (with two small children) for about $80-90 per week. To save on canned and packaged goods, milk, eggs and butter, I usually make the extra trip to Meijer, Kroger or Costco.

You can find all of Fresh Thyme's ads on their website. In addition to produce, I like to pick up all of my supplements at Fresh Thyme as well. They have a great selection of vitamins and supplements, along with natural body care products.

If you would like help learning to meal plan in an affordable way, please contact me at ext. 2137.

Where do you find your best deals to make eating well affordable? What is your greatest struggle when it comes to preparing healthy meals for yourself or your whole family? I would love to help. Share in the comments below, so I can offer feedback that may benefit everyone.

This year, Thanksgiving is at my house, and I'm pretty excited about it. I really enjoy entertaining, and one of my favorite parts about hosting people for a meal is surprising them with how delicious a healthy meal can be.

Between the potatoes, the green bean casserole, the bread-laden stuffing, rolls, candied yams, and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving, while delicious, often feels very heavy and leaves you regretful - if not for what you ate, then at least for not wearing stretchier pants. If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional dishes that are a little lighter, without sacrificing flavor, here's a menu for what this foodie will be serving. Whether you're cooking for your whole family or have been charged with bringing a dish to dinner, feel free to shop the list below.

My best advice around the holidays, to avoid the average American weight gain of 7-10 pounds, is to indulge in your single favorite dish, in the way it's traditionally made, and make substitutions for the rest.

Dry Brined Roasted Turkey - when it comes to the holidays, Martha Stewart is boss. This recipe of hers requires very little cooking time, freeing up the oven for other things (like pie!).

Thanksgiving "Stuffing" - this one might be a stretch. True to Paleo recipes, it doesn't contain a crumb of bread, and it's certainly not light on calories, as two of its main ingredients are sausage and bacon. But none of its calories are fluff - it's nutrient dense and there is so much flavor that a small helping goes a long way. And if you have someone in your life that has a gluten sensitivity, like me, you might just make their holiday by giving them a version of one of their favorite dishes that they can actually eat.

Mashed Faux-tatoes - low in calories, natural sugars, and carbohydrates, and high in nutrients, parsnips and turnips are a good alternative to mashed potatoes. You may have heard of cauliflower as a substitue for potatoes, but parsnips and turnips are a lot closer in consistency, when mashed, to the potato.

Garlicky Green Beans - instead of relying on a cream based soup for flavor, the way green bean casserole does, save the calories (and prep time and oven space) and allow whole foods to make a big impact, the way balsamic vinegar and garlic do in this recipe.

Orange Cranberry Sauce - How did cranberry sauce ever become a Thanksgiving staple when it's so gross? My guess is, it probably tasted more like this recipe, and less like the canned variety. This part of my meal has gone from being something I always wished we could skip, to being the reason I look forward to turkey. Seriously - skip the gravy and spread a little of this on your turkey. You won't be disappointed. It's already made up in my fridge and taunting me to steal a spoonful every time I see it.



Salad with Goat Cheese, Pears, Candied Pecans and Maple Vinaigrette - is it wrong if the part of your Thanksgiving meal you're most excited for is the salad? It probably is, but I am, nonetheless. I haven't tried this specific recipe yet, but the flavors are such a perfect blend for the holiday.

I've made my meal healthier and lighter, so that I can indulge in my grandmother's chocolate crust, whipped pumpkin pie. What's your favorite dish that you just can't resist? And what are you doing to make your holiday a healthier one? Please share in the comments below, or snap a picture on Instagram, using the hashtag #wiredforwellness.

We've all been there - you're on your way to work when you realize you left your lunch in the fridge at home. Or that you forgot to consider your lunch altogether.

Instead of grabbing something from the vending machines or going through the drive thru, consider adding a healthier alternative into the mix, by making a quick trip to the grocery store for this easy, whole food solution.

If you're jonesing for chocolate the way I do, you know that the feeling won't go away until you get some. For moments like that, I've found a recipe that I can make at home, that has no added sugar, so I know it's a much better option than grabbing a candy bar in the checkout lane at the grocery store.

THE CLEANER FUDGY CHOCOLATE BAR

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. coconut oil
• 1/4 c. cocoa powder
• 1/4 c. nut butter
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 c. pure maple syrup

Directions:

• Melt coconut oil and nut butter in the microwave, for about one minute.
• Add in other ingredients and stir to combine.
• Pour into a loaf pan, lined with wax paper.
• Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Pull out, slice and enjoy. Any extras can be stored in the freezer until the next craving hits.