It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal: Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." Read more

If dairy products don't sit well with your belly or you choose to eat a vegan diet, then you can still satisfy your chocolate cravings. Although milk chocolate is made with dairy, many dark chocolate products are not. Just be sure to read the label before indulging in any chocolatey treat. I've done the legwork for you and gathered a list of my favorite dessert products and recipes that don't Read more

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Noshing on these fund-raising treats seems like an American pastime, but it can be challenging to keep a snack session of these seasonal sweets in check. If you can enjoy your cookies in a reasonable manner, then good for you! But if you're looking for a way to scratch that sugary itch without killing your healthy eating agenda, here are some healthier alternatives. Read more

When talking health food trends, last year was all: ancient grains, overnight oats, and gluten-free goodness. This year's biggest health food trends? Here's a hint: chia pets, the godfather of fitness, and pina coladas. Coconut milk: With recent studies calling into question the benefits of soy, people were on hunt this for a dairy-free alternative that wasn't linked to breast cancer. While Read more

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight "While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found Read more

If you read labels to steer clear from any sketchy sounding ingredients, you've probably come across xanthan gum in random items from ice cream to salad dressings, from toothpaste to gluten-free desserts. Xanthan gum sounds artificial, but what is it really, and why is it in so many products? Without getting too scientific, xanthan gum is a carbohydrate created through fermentation. The process Read more

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar! Improve your weight loss plan by avoiding these health diet disasters By Alyssa Shaffer Thanks to confusing labels and unearned reputations, it's difficult to know what's good for you. You might automatically reach for items with a "health halo," such as spaghetti sauce (love that lycopene!), or labels like reduced Read more

Many people choose a vegan lifestyle for ethical, health, or environmental reasons. But if you're solely going meat-, dairy-, and egg-free because you think it will help you drop pounds, you may end up gaining rather than losing weight. Remember that just because a food is vegan doesn't mean it's healthier or lower in calories. Keep these points in mind to avoid plumping up on your vegan Read more