Everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day, right? No matter how much green beer or heaps of corned beef and cabbage your celebration calls for, you can be as Irish -- and as healthy -- as you want to be next week.

Although commiting to a conscious celebration and St. Patrick's Day may seem mutually exclusive, you can opt to consume smaller portions of the good eats or to cook with healthier ingredients. This article offers some delish sounding recipes and some sensible tips to stay healthy before and after the big parades. Tucked into the recipes are these ideas for healthier Irish cooking:

• Consider that wheat and barley have been a staple crop in Ireland for 5,000 years. I personally suggest adding barley to a hearty soup or choosing a dense whole grain wheat bread to give a boost to your St. Paddy's dinner.

• Make mini versions of of traditional fare, like potato pancakes. This way you get a taste without packing in extra calories.

• Opt for more richly-flavored cabbage than its corned beef partner.

• Seek out revamped recipes with healthier ingredients that still offer the flavor of the holiday.

I am also inspired by the mouth-watering recipes on Cooking Lite that sound perfect for St. Patrick's day partying, no matter how Irish you really are.