Registered Dietitian, Carolyn Reynaud is a new guest blogger with TSOLC. Carolyn is a health coach specialist with over ten years of experience working in corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. This post is sponsored by Calorie Control Council.

Spring has sprung! This has been a long and cold winter, but the air is getting warmer, the sun is staying out longer, and you can finally shake off those winter blues. This is my favorite time or year and one of the reasons it is my favorite is spring produce! You are finally seeing all of those colorful and tasty fruits and vegetables that go into hiding over the winter come back into season.

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet and research has shown that a colorful plate helps promote healthy eating. So, this is a great time to get in the kitchen and experiment with ways to color your plate.

Have trouble getting in your fruits and veggies? There are several ways to dress them up a part of your meal that you will look forward to.

A low-cal sweetener can be a great addition to your recipes. Your favorite sweetener will satisfy your sweet tooth without adding to your waistline. These products have been used for the last 30 years as a safe way to enhance your food without adding additional calories. Here is some great light and delicious recipes using these products that can help you get in your fruits and veggies this spring!

Garden pasta salad

Raspberry swirl peach soup

Fresh and light celery salad

Cucumber and tomato salad

Y’all I have some exciting news that I’ve been keeping a secret and I can finally share it with you today!

I am very happy to introduce TWO new guest bloggers to The Skinny on Low Cal! Carolyn Reynaud and Ellen Stokes are both registered dietitians with tons of real-world experience working with people to meet their health-related goals. Their blog posts will give you a dietitian’s perspective on things like healthy eating, exercise tips, recipes and the latest health news. These posts are being sponsored by Calorie Control Council.

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University.  She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion.  She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals.

Ellen Stokes, MS, RD, LD is an award-winning video producer, director, and writer in addition to being a registered dietitian. Ellen writes and creates videos about nutrition education, food safety, menu planning, grocery shopping, and healthful cooking on a budget. Ellen has worked with organizations and companies including the Partnership for Food Safety Education, the University of Georgia Food Science Department, and Golden Cuisine. Ellen formerly worked for CNN as a writer and producer and has taught food safety online for Georgia State University. You can check her out on Twitter @EllenS_RD

Tomorrow, Carolyn will share four easy recipes for all those springtime fruits and veggies that are popping up in your local grocery stores and farmers markets. Check back here tomorrow for her post.

Do you have a question or topic you’re dying to get their opinion on? Share in the comments and check back to see if they write about it!

While it may not be an official American holiday, Cinco de Mayo is certainly celebrated every 5th of May with “mucho” enthusiasm for Mexican inspired food. Unfortunately, a lot of those dishes can run high in calories and sodium –making quite a dent in your pre-summer diet plans.

My friend Lauren from the blog Stevia Benefits, pulled together some healthy guilt-free  remakes of classic Cinco de Mayo party foods for you to serve at your fiesta. I hope you enjoy these recipe round ups! Share your favorite Cinco de Mayo recipe in the comments.

Crockpot Lime Chicken Fajitas

Typical fajitas can be well over 1,000 calories, depending on how you top them off. Try this recipe adapted from DashingDish to cut down on oil, sugar, and fat. It’s so light, flavorful and easy to make, you’ll want to make it year round! (Recipe and Image via DashingDish)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
• 1.5 lb (or about 4-5) Chicken breasts
• 1 pkt of sweetener of choice (optional)
• 2 tbs Fajita seasoning 1
• 2 tbs Lime juice
• 3 Bell peppers (color of choice)
• 1 medium Onion

Optional:

• 4 Low carb flour or corn tortillas OR lettuce wraps.
• Diced tomatoes, green onions, low fat Greek yogurt, shredded lettuce for topping

Cooking instructions

Skinny Margarita

Try our skinny Ruby ‘Rita for a twist on the traditional lime-based margarita. Save the calories and sugar – this margarita is fresh, homemade, and much skinnier than its original counterpart.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Raspberry Zinger tea
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 packet Stevia In The Raw®
• 2 teaspoon Triple Sec, Cointreau or other citrus liqueur
• 1 ½ ounces Blue Agave tequila
• Chilled martini glass, optionally salt-rimmed
• 1 thin lime slice, for garnish, optional

Mixing Instructions and Nutritional Information

There are lots of “skinny” variations you can do one your own like blackberry and blue margaritas. You can’t go wrong!

Baked Tortilla Chips

Oh those delicious crispy triangles –how we all love them with salsa, guacamole, and queso. But the kinds that you get at the store or at the restaurant are both really full of fat and salt. Make these yourself and enjoy with less guilt –even less if you skip the salt. Recipe via EatingWell.

Ingredients

• 8, 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
• Canola oil cooking spray

*Optional:1/4 teaspoon cracked sea salt

Cooking Instructions

Other Lighter Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes:

Salsa Fresca
Mini Mexican Pizzas
Quick and Healthy Black Beans & Rice
Avocado-Free Guacamole
Baked Churros

And don’t forget to plan some outdoor activities to burn some calories while having fun!

Replace salad croutons with a few chopped walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds. They’re a great source of healthy fats and fiber.