Healthy food choices are readily available in many grocery stores and specialty markets today. In addition to those places, one of my most favorite places to visit is a farmer's market. Vibrant colors of red, green, yellow, orange, and deep purple greet me and I can't help to begin to create healthy entrees in my mind.

Think of a stir-fry with green peppers, red peppers, onions, garlic, and grilled chicken over a nutty brown rice. Roasted potatoes and steamed carrots compliment a marinated roast cooked slowly in the crock pot.

What if you knew that making healthy food choices not only tastes great, but would also reduce your risk to diabetes, cancer and heart disease?

Choose foods that have the greatest nutritional value. For example, apricots have beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and fiber. Beta-carotene protects the eyes and prevents free-radical damage. The beta-carotene is turned into Vitamin A, which may help in preventing some skin cancers. Fiber is important to our bodies for preventing constipation and to help in the area of weight loss management. All this in one fruit that is smaller than a baseball!

Other healthy food choices in the fruit category include raspberries, mangoes, avocados, cantaloupe, tomatoes, raisins, lemons and limes. Some studies show that eating tomatoes daily may cut the risk of bladder, color and stomach cancers in half! Tomatoes also contain antioxidants that help prevent cell damage.

Some of the healthiest vegetables include onions, artichokes, ginger, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, squash, and garlic. Winter squash contains huge amounts of Vitamin C and beta-carotene. This combination may help prevent endometrial cancer.

Round out your balanced diet with whole grains and nuts and dairy. Lentils, peanuts, wheat germ, quinoa,green teaand low-fat yogurt are also healthy food choices that make a big difference in our well-being. These provide unsaturated (good) fat, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

A balanced diet is the key. Eat fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, lean meats, seafood, whole grains and nuts. When we do this, our bodies receive the micronutrients it needs to function properly.

This recipe is just one of many to help you make healthy food choices as well as being a tasty entrée that will wake up your taste buds!
Almond Chicken
2 whole chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon pepper and leaf marjoram crumbled
1 Tablespoons chopped green onion
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds (raw and unsalted)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine or apple juice
1 teaspoon butter (not margarine)

1. Skin and bone chicken breasts.
2. Combine salt, pepper and marjoram on wax paper. Rub chicken with seasonings.
3. Add green onion and garlic; sauté just until tender.
4. Sprinkle almonds over chicken. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender (in an oven-safe skillet). Remove chicken with almonds to warm plate.
5. Add wine and lemon juice to skillet. Cook, stirring to scrape up brown bits. Cook on medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened.
6. Stir in butter and parsley. Pour over chicken and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
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