Beyoncé gained 15 pounds recently and boy, was it tasty, says the 27-year-old superstar.

Gaining weight is so much easier -- and tastier -- than losing it, remarks Beyoncé. The girl knows what she's talking about -- she had to drop a bunch of weight for her role in Dreamgirls, and she just packed on those 15 for her upcoming movie Cadillac Records. Beyoncé plays soul singer Etta James in the film.

Yes, gaining weight is easier than losing it. It tastes good too. Still, I wouldn't want to do it, even if it was part of my job description. There's just something about feeling good in my skin that's a whole lot yummier than packing on the pounds. What do you think?

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Salads are the way to go if you're in a hurry and watching what you eat. But not all salads are created equal -- some have more fat than a double bacon cheeseburger! If you're eating out often, be sure to check out this article from eDiets -- they've gone ahead and rated a bunch of different salads for you, and they've broken down the nutritional information to boot. The favourite seems to be McDonald's California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken, which at only 300 calories is a diet-friendly meal to boot.

I hardly ever eat fast-food salads. Why? I guess it'd down to the fact that I'm a bit of a food snob and if I eat out, it's usually at a restaurant. So I'm curious -- what's your favourite fast-food salad? Why? Tell us in the comments.

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One of my favorite treats is bread and jam. Toast and jam works too, and both are especially good with a tablespoon of the tasty, homemade raspberry variety. When I was little, I used to love visiting the family farm and spending an afternoon picking berries (although admittedly, a lot of those berries didn't make it into the pail, but rather ended up heading straight into my mouth after being plucked from among its leafy green surroundings), knowing that my grandmother would turn it into one of my favorite sweet treats.

I never sat in on a jam-making session though, so have never had the chance to make it on my own and wouldn't even know where to start. But recently I came across this post at DIY Life by Heather Craven that gives details on how to make your own jam! She mentions that it's great to use fruit out of your own garden, but if you don't have that particular luxury it's the perfect time of year to find all sorts of appropriate fruits at a local farmer's market. Next time all you fellow jam-fans out there have some time on your hands, you'll know what to do.

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It's a well-known fact that a lot of kids don't like to eat stuff that's good for them. Why ask for fruits and veggies as a snack when chips are available? And what reasonable 10-year-old would opt for a healthy meal of salmon and salad when they can get their hands on McDonald's? While these foods are fine as treats once in a while, it's sad fact that fast food and junk food is the biggest part of many kids' diets, making these unhealthy foods at least partly responsible for the growing youth obesity epidemic.

It's a shame though, because there are so many superfoods out there that children should be eating, and which when prepared right, can be really tasty. If you're struggling to find ways to get your kids to eat stuff that's good for them, take a look at these 10 superfoods, which can be substituted fairly easily for less healthy stuff. For example, at breakfast give them whole-wheat toast with natural nut butter instead of white-bread toast with peanut-butter that has extra sugar added.

Or try one of the suggested recipes, which include Creamy Noodles with Organic Chicken and Broccoli for dinner, followed by Blueberry Crisp for dessert. For kids, eating healthy doesn't necessarily mean eating foods that are boring and don't taste good. For more ideas on superfoods for kids check this out.

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One of my favorite things about summertime is all of the fresh fruit that is available in abundance from farmer's markets and roadside stands. For a special treat, there are few things better than a delicious fruit pie after a healthy meal. If you're looking for a guilt-free dessert, try this recipe for cranberry blueberry pie. It is relatively easy, and is filled with the blueberries, which ae loaded with vitamin C and are known for being high in antioxidants, and cranberries, which are great for your urinary tract systerm.

There's not much sugar in the pie and most of the flavor comes from lemon juice, cinnamon and, of course, lots of tasty, ripe and healthy blueberries and cranberries. There are less than 150 calories per serving and only a few grams of fat. In addition, each piece contains 2g of fiber and 1g of protein, so this is one treat that you don't have to feel guilty about.

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I actually like vegetables (I know, I'm a weirdo) but some taste better than others, that's for sure. And like anything it's all too easy to get stuck in a rut and end up eating the same vegetables over and over -- it's hard enough to get enough on a daily basis without making them boring on top of it!

I think this post over at Cranky Fitness is a great reminder for all of us to sit down and really think about what kinds of vegetables taste the best to us. Whether you can think of a whole list or you're struggling to come up with just one, it's well worth the time and effort to figure it out. Having a few good recipes of your favorites (or at least some you can stand if you're a real veggie-hater) in your "arsenal" when you hit the grocery store is a great way to get those vegetables not only in the basket, but also onto your dinner plate (no letting them rot in the fridge!).

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One of the most frustrating things to me, as a fitness trainer is to see people who work so hard towards fitness get duped. The I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is one of those things. Now....I'm not suggesting the folks who make that product are liars. Cause they're not. I think the idea of their product is incredibly deceptive though, due to the fine print.

Did you know that the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray has zero calories and fat ONLY IF YOU USE 1.25 sprays. WHAT!? Who does that? If you use any larger portion though.....you're screwed. And how exactly do you accomplish a .25 spray?One teaspoon bags 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. Most people never read that fine print. In fact, most folks I know claim to pour it on their rice, pasta, and bread because they truly believe it's a completely fat-free product. Who knows how many thousands of fat calories these poor people have been unknowingly consuming for years? Do you think it's fair and reasonable for them to advertise ZERO CALORIES on the front of the bottle?

When I lecture on fitness I always address this topic, and I can't tell you how many jaws come crashing to the ground when I drop this information bomb. First looks I get are of shock. Second looks I get are of pure anger. They feel cheated and they have every right to. Of course, it would be nice if they read the ingredient lists which lists OIL as it's number two ingredient. But I still feel bad for the consumer, because they are lead to believe the product is completely fat-free and can be used at leisure. Fortunately though, I've found an amazing substitution which is legitimately fat-free, low in calories and delicious. I even bake with it!

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Ever heard the saying, "eat all you want and lose weight?" Most of the time it is followed with a commercial for some kind of diet pill or drink to help you lose weight no matter what you eat. But the saying holds its truth to some extent. Eating frequently increases metabolism and keeps you from binging during meal times. Eating often will help keep your blood sugar from dipping, which can cause you to eat the wrong things in the wrong portions. You don't have to eat those packaged granola bars all day long either. Here are a few tasty snacks that are good for you and mix proteins and fiber together which will make you feel full and stay full longer. Remember that choosing healthy foods is as important at snack time as it is at mealtime. Forget the chips, candy bars and sodas and replace them with water or herbal teas and these great healthy snacks combinations. Eating this way will make it is easier to eat a sensible well balanced meal with lighter portions and help you reach that desired weight and maintain it. You will also be amazed how much weight you will lose by replacing soft drinks or diet sodas with water and herbal teas.

Easy and healthy items for snack time.
Carrots, cucumbers & hummus
Raisins & a handful of nuts
Apples & peanut butter
Low-fat cottage cheese & sliced peaches or other fruits
Yogurt & strawberries
Hummus & pita bread
Celery & cream cheese
Granola & yogurt
Bowl of cheerios and low fat milk
Broccoli & bean dip
Peanut butter on whole wheat crackers
A slice of angel food cake with non-fat whipped topping
Popcorn
Mixed fruit with bananas, apples, grapes and pineapple
1/4 cup dry roasted soy nuts
Applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon and granola
4 cold boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce and whole wheat crackers

There are all kinds of foods that kids don't like or won't eat, and although most of those disappear as people get older, as adults we all still have a variety of different taste preferences. For example brussell sprouts are famously on the "yuck!" list due to tasting strong and bitter, but then there are some who really like them. So how is it that certain people taste bitterness when others don't? Is it all in our heads, or is there another explanation?

Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas are looking into it and finding variations in the genes responsible for bitter-taste receptors, which they believe account for different people liking different things.

So I always thought beer, another one of the examples of "bitter" flavors, was an acquired taste, but maybe there's more to it than that.

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