Roasted Veggie Kabobs

• Raw vegetables with ranch dip is healthy but rather boring. Instead, make roasted veggie kabobs seasoned and paired with a light balsamic dip. Take red, green and yellow pepper and portobello mushrooms, and season them as you wish, but without salt-based seasonings. Another option is to drizzle a little honey and balsamic vinegar over the peppers. Roast the veggies in the oven at 450 degrees F for about a half-hour. When they're ready, slice the veggies up and place them on skewers, alternating the mushrooms and the multi-colored peppers. The skewers make it feel less like health food and more like grilled meat kabobs.

Baked Wings and Blue Cheese Dressing

• You can make buffalo wings that are healthy and satisfying without all the calories. You just have to remove the skin from the wings and cut out the butter from the buffalo sauce and bake them instead of frying. To make the sauce to toss your wings in before baking, combine, 2 tbsp. of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. of cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. ginger. The sauce will be enough for at least 24 chicken wings or drumettes. Broil the wings under the broiler in the oven until they are ready. Add more spice if you love heat. For a healthier blue cheese dressing, combine 3/4 cup fat free sour cream, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, one green onion, 1 tbsp. each of white wine vinegar and lemon juice and 1 tsp. of sugar.

Sweet Potato Fries

• Sweet potatoes can help satisfy a need for starch. Instead of french fries or a baked potato filled with butter, cheese and bacon, slice and bake some seasoned sweet potatoes. You can choose to peel the potatoes, but you don't have to. Slice the potatoes into half-inch thick strips and toss with olive oil to coat. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil and place in the oven at 400 degrees F. Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Then season lightly with salt and pepper, and some fresh parsley.

Chili Nuts

• Avoid the overly salty store-bought mixed nuts and make your own spicy mixed nuts where the spice is more important than the salt. Select about three cups of nuts such as peanuts, almonds and cashews. Toss the nuts with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Mix 2 tsp. of chili powder, 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder and cumin, 1/4 tsp. each of cayenne pepper, celery salt and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the seasoning over the mixed nuts and spread the nuts onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes. You can serve them warm or cooled.