Sometimes, it's not just what you eat, it's how you prepare it. If you want a french fry, a baked version is undeniably healthier than a deep-fried version.

The queen of all things domestic, Martha Stewart, has recipes for every healthy cooking method:

• Baking. When you bake foods rather than fry or other fat-adding cooking methods, you can reduce your overall calorie intake. (Now if only cakes and cookies could be considered healthful just because they're baked.) Some of the healthy baking recipes on Martha Stewart Living include Walnut Crusted Chicken Breasts and Parmesan Coated Sweet Potato Fries.
• Steaming. When vegetables are just lightly steamed, you can retain many of the nutrients. Some recipes to try are Steamed Broccoli With Miso-Sesame Sauce and Green Beans With Golden Raisins.
• Stir-Frying. Stir-fries are such a quick and easy go-to meal. And you have complete control over how much fat you add to the dish. Try out Brown Rice Stir Fry.
• Sauteing. When you use healthy fats like olive oil, sauteing can be a light and healthy way to cook. Give Cinnamon-Spiced Moroccan Chicken and Saute-Steamed Swiss Chard a try.

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Baking up goodies for parties, gifts and Santa is a terrific part of this festive holiday season -- even for me, your loving fitness trainer. Baking doesn't have to be bad for your body though, nor does it have to contribute to that traditional December weight gain.

If I weren't a fitness professional, I'd be a baker. It's fun and allows me the ability to be creative while making people happy. I love making people happy. I don't, however, enjoy putting fat on my hips or the hips of others. This has lead me to be really creative.

I've got a few suggestions for you to follow and a link here to my favorite baked treats in my online recipe book at Fitzness.com.

• Substitute eggs for an egg substitute like Egg Beaters.
• Substitute butter/oil for a sugar free syrup like the ones sold a DaVinci Gourmet. (Use equal amounts as the ones given for the oil/butter.)

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My sisters, mother, and I used to have a cookie exchange every year. It was a lot of fun, but we'd all go home with ridiculous amounts of cookies. It's nice to have some -- after all, a carrot stick doesn't exactly scream holiday spirit -- but too many is just too many. We ended up canceling the tradition altogether and now we just get together for a fun girls' night.

If you're planning on baking some of your family's favorite holiday cookies this year, here are some tips for enjoying without going overboard:

• Cut your recipes in half. Fewer cookies means fewer pounds on the scale. And only make your very favorites -- nobody needs 10 different kinds of cookies.
  
• Know the difference between holiDAYS and holiMONTHS -- Fitz tells you how.
• Don't leave cookies out on a tray for everyday noshing. Only set them out on the special holidays.
  

Hey, have you heard about the importance of a good breakfast? OK, I jest, because we all know that a healthy start to our day is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. From helping keep us slim to supplying our bodies with enough energy to tackle our busy day, a good breakfast does it all.

Tough to find time for a good breakfast, sometimes, isn't it? What if you could have a solution for a balanced breakfast that is full of nutrition, easy on the pocketbook (about 50 cents each) and a snap to prepare? If that sounds appealing, then you'll want to try this recipe for all-in-one breakfast muffins.

Loaded with protein like eggs, ham, and cheese, these muffins will stick to your ribs so you won't crave the sugary snacks come mid-morning. Plus, scallions and peppers add veggie nutrients.

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Salmon is by far my favorite type of seafood. Not only is it delicious, it's good for you, too; it's rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D, selenium, protein, and vitamins B3 and B12.

While it's important to me to serve healthful meals for me and my son, I'm not the world's most innovative cook. That's another reason why salmon is tops on my list. It's so easy to cook ... you really can't go wrong. My favorite method is to drizzle it with just a tiny bit of olive oil, sprinkle some paprika on top, and grill it. The same method works in the oven, too. I usually pair it with some seasoned brown rice and steamed asparagus.

Real Simple has eight salmon recipes that are much more creative than my stand-by preparation method. The Dill Salmon Burgers sound awesome as does the Blackened Salmon.

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When you think of stocking your pantry with baking needs, usually garbanzo beans don't come to mind. It's time to change that thinking, for a number of reasons. Baking with garbanzo beans:

• instead of flour adds protein and fiber to your baked goods
• allows people on gluten-free diets to enjoy sweet treats
• creates treats for people on low-carb diets
• adds more nutrition to your baked goods; they really do become a viable food

OK, but how is that going to taste? I've been baking with garbanzo beans for years, namely this recipe for Lemony garbanzo bean cake. I've only gotten rave reviews, and I've even served it for Easter dessert. It is a rich cake bursting with lemon flavor.

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I always thought that Bob Barker was pretty hip for an older guy, what with his obvious devotion to animal welfare. Like many others, I only admired him more after his gem of a cameo in Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore, when he gets his best golf whites good and dirty during a drag'em down fist fight with Sandler and then proceeds to utter one of the most hilarious one-liners in movie history.

My respect was finally cemented when I discovered this post over at Slashfood. Apparently not only is Bob Barker a friend to the animals, he also cooks up a tasty vegan enchilada bake. Who knew that the man who made the phrase "Come on Down" famous was also a devoted vegetarian?

I know a lot of people, especially meat-fans, shy away from vegetarian and vegan dishes but this one not only looks healthy, but also delicious. I've just discovered it and so haven't tried it myself yet, but it's on my list for the weekend. If anyone else decides to try it out beforehand, please let us all know how it turns out.

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I'm not much of a cook, but even I think this recipe for granola bars looks not only easy but delicious. And considering granola bars make such handy snacks, and the store-bought kinds usually have so much added sugar and preservatives, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a batch for yourself and family every so often. And one more reason I'm feeling inspired to give this a shot is the fact that the recipe is so easily interchanged to add some variety and switch up flavors, and you can find the perfect combination.

Now to come up with a cute way to wrap them besides Press 'n Seal...

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