Actress Mariska Hargitay says chocolate and Pringles were once her go-to snacks. She's finally said "no more," though, and is on to something better.

Hargitay has developed a true love for tropical fruit, she tells Good Housekeeping magazine. Her favorites are mango, kiwi, and papaya. They remind her of Hawaii. And they make her feel light.

What's your favorite slimming food? If you don't yet have one, check out this gallery, featuring 11 snacks with less than 200 calories. I bet you can find one here.

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When I eat a kiwi, I do everything in my power to remove every bit of the skin. Frankly, I'm disgusted by the texture of it, I don't know why. However, an article in the most recent issue of Women's Health magazine suggests that when we don't eat the skin of a kiwi -- as well as many other fruits -- we're squandering a great deal of their antioxidants and healthy compounds.

Here is a quick breakdown of what we''re missing by removing the skin from our produce:

Apples - A Cornell University study revealed that 87 percent of an apple's cancer-fighting phytochemicals are found in the skin, not the crunchy white flesh inside

Eggplant - Remove the skin of this favorite vegetable of many Italian grandmothers (mine notwithstanding) and you remove 300 milligrams of brain-cell preserving antioxidants in the process

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I refuse to serve my kids skinless apples. There's just too much work involved. And there's too much my boys stand to lose if I peel apple after apple. Science backs me up on this one: Some of the most health-protecting antioxidants in fruit are found in the peel, says Susan Percival, Ph.D. and professor of nutrition at the University of Florida.

Before you get your peeler out, take a look at these five fruits with skin that should stay put.

• Apple -- Apple peels have 87 percent more cancer-fighting phytochemicals than the white flesh found inside.

• Cucumber -- Cucumber peels are made of silica, a collagen building block. Eat the skin of one cucumber and you'll get about five milligrams of this good stuff, the exact amount experts suggest eating. Buy organic and you'll avoid the waxy film found on some cucumber skin.
  

• Eggplant -- Eggplant skin contains nasunin, an antioxidant that may prevent brain damage. Potassium and fiber provided too.

• Kiwi -- Chemical compounds found in kiwi skin fight off bugs like staph and E. coli.

• Orange --Don't chomp right into this peel. Just add a little orange zest on salmon and salads and you'll be one step closer to preventing skin cancer.

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Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Kiwi is a popular fruit-salad topper at my house. We love it. It's sweet, a bit sour, and superbly healthy.

Kiwi tops the list when it comes to SuperFoods. From a study of 27 different fruits, kiwi was named one of the most nutritionally dense, says Stephanie Dean, R.D., dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. It's full of antioxidants, vitamin E, and lutein and can ward off vision problems, prevent blood clots, and lower cholesterol almost effectively as the SuperFood barley.

Dr. Steven Pratt calls kiwi one of the newest SuperFoods in his trendsetting book SuperFoods Healthstyle, but that doesn't 'mean kiwi is new to the nutrition scene. A two-piece serving of the fruit has twice the vitamin C of an orange -- also a SuperFood -- and as much potassium as a banana. It has as much fiber as one serving of bran flakes, all for about 100 calories, and it serves as a good source of magnesium. Kiwi is also a low-fat, sodium-free fruit.

It gets better.

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Are you a fan of green foods? These foods -- including fruits and vegetables -- are great sources of vitamins and minerals in many cases (including fiber). All things considered, these kinds of foods are some of the best we can all consume.

Try a kiwi, a stalk of broccoli and even a mango -- talk about some great foods that are great for you. This article talks about the marketing correlation between upcoming St. Patrick's Day and eating "green foods" -- and I think it's a great angle.

Eating "all the colors of the rainbow" is a great idea as well. Ever try onions, differently colored bell peppers and chicken breast on a flamed skewer with fresh pineapple chunks? A healthy and sensible meal that tastes great -- and is wonderfully colorful.

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