If there’s one thing that I learned from reading a multitude of articles online about dieting, it’s that eating small servings of food several times a day is better than gorging on three square meals a day.

So what’s a poor girl to do if she’s craving for some snacks but she’s on a slightly-strict diet? The key is to satisfy those PMS or post-PMS cravings with foods that’ll help flatten you up faster!

The secret behind these food items is that they make you feel fuller faster - so even if you snack on them 5 times a day, you still won’t have a bulging tummy. And they’re healthy, too!

Here’s the list:

Parmesan cheese

Save up to 90 calories when you substitute good old Cheddar cheese with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Blueberries

Ditch the fattening blueberry muffins – and spread the real deal on your bread instead. You will save a whopping 270 calories when eating blueberries, and they have potent antioxidants which give helps regulate your digestion and lower your bad cholesterol.

Dark chocolate

Instead of stealing an extra-wide chocolate chip cookie from your cupboard, enjoy four 1-inch squares of dark chocolate instead. Aside from saving you 180 calories, this sinfully delicious indulgence is good for the heart.

Other notable food items:

• Change your order of a 16-ounce, whole milk latte to a 12-ounce fat free latte to save you 120 calories.
• Save 180 calories by ditching the soda and drinking water with a squeeze of lemon instead. Also, drinking water a half an hour before meals can help control your cravings for snacks.

In this skinny-obsessed world that we live in, it’s difficult to believe that anyone would be interested in learning about the food items which are bad for us since they have high-caloric content. However, there are some naturally skinny women who actually prefer to have a figure like Jennifer Lopez rather than the paper-thin weight of the Olsen twins. And if you want to do it in a healthy way, here is what should be in your shopping cart!

Lots of good healthy foods can be added to your diet instead of fried foods and can result in a healthier, heavier you.
Dana Prince

1. Breakfast Cereals

If you are on a gain-weight-fast diet program, just eat 10 or 20 grams more than the recommended portion size of your favorite breakfast cereal. Anyway, if you get carried away and overfill your bowl, you have the rest of the day to burn off those excess calories.

I know I promised these wouldn’t be boring, regular nachos, but before things get too crazy, I decided to make my version of classic nachos. According to the food dictionary on Epicurious, a nacho is a chip topped with melted cheddar cheese and chopped chilis. These nachos are topped with cheese, chilis, and refried beans.

To give the nachos a more gourmet feel, I fried tortillas to make fresh chips. These were incredibly tasty and easy to make. Be careful when frying the tortillas, you don’t want them too crisp because you’ll finish them off in the oven. Also, be sure to open a window or turn on a fan. When I was making them, I set off my fire alarm! To see the recipe,

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Now that Winter soups are a thing of the past, it’s time to move onto a more interesting adventure. Recently I told you about my desire to open a restaurant devoted entirely to nachos, but in order for me to do so, I’ll need a repertoire of nachos recipes. So to get started I’ve created a new feature entirely devoted to nachos!

Not your — not-yo, sounds like nacho — regular nachos, I’ll be dishing out more than just tortilla chips and melted cheese. To get things started, I made a classic style dish that used items I already had in my pantry or fridge. To see how I made these black and white nachos,

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If you’re planning an Oscar-watching party, be sure to include cheese straws on the menu. An elegant and crowd-pleasing dessert (or appetizer), cheese straws are wonderful for a party because they can be made in advance. I have two recipes here, both are pretty simple. One builds upon a premade dough, while the other uses a homemade version. To take a look at both and choose the one that suits your needs as a hostess,

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When I made cheddar cheese soup a couple of months ago, I had a hard time choosing between two recipes. I went with the classic “best ever” cheese soup recipe from Cook’s Illustrated rather than the super simple variation from Everyday With Rachel Ray. To treat myself for Valentine’s Day I decided to give the other recipe a try. Good thing I did because I prefer this velvety version! Flavored with leeks instead of celery and beer instead of sherry, this soup has a wonderful cheesy taste. Mustard adds depth and its slight tang offsets the beer. For garnish I made heart-shaped croutons! To see how I made this soup,

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A couple of weeks ago, my girlfriend told me about a gorgeous red beet risotto she had seen in a magazine. Inspired, we decided to make one for dinner. We chose this recipe because it pairs the beets with sharp cheddar cheese. The vibrant color of the risotto would be perfect for any Valentine’s Day meal — especially when served in a heart-shaped dish. The flavor is rich, creamy, and was even well-liked by my beet-hating father. It’s not difficult to make, so take a look at the recipe when you

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Normally, when one thinks of broccoli cheese soup, cheddar cheese comes to mind. However one of my favorite supermarket soups is a delicious blend of broccoli and blue cheese. Now don’t go all “eww I hate blue cheese” on me. Stirred into a puree of tender, green broccoli, the blue cheese is mild and creamy rather than moldy and pungent.

This soup is elegant, delicious, and elevates a cafe classic to a whole new level of sophistication. I topped my bowl with crunchy cheddar croutons. You really won’t regret giving this smooth soup a chance, so see how I made it when you

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Although I know it’s not the most healthy dish around, cheddar cheese soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. Creamy melted cheese dotted with crisp, crunchy croutons — could a meal be any more simply delicious?

Besides the massive amount of cheese grating, this soup doesn’t take a lot of time to make and is best eaten right away. I treated myself to a big bowl for a decadent dinner after a long Monday, but this soup would pair nicely with a green salad or make an excellent first course to dinner party menu. The flavor of the soup depends on the quality of the cheese, so if you can, splurge on a good sharp cheddar. A glass of wine definitely complements this soup, as does an icy cold beer. To see how I made it,

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Ok here’s the deal: You are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/ girlfriend/ spouse/ child/ friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have cheddar cheese, fresh thyme, and all-purpose flour. Using these ingredients, along with whatever staples you currently have in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make? Tell me in the comments section below!

To see what I would make,

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Corn chowder is one of my favorite early fall soups. Fresh, late summer corn can be used to create a tasty, thick and delicious chowder. Bacon, cheddar cheese, potatoes, and peppers can all be added to enhance this hearty meal. If you’ve never made chowder before, definitely give the easy recipe a try. You’ll find homemade soups are super satisfying and simple to put together — all you need is time. To give one, or both, of these chowders a taste,

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