Self

Savoring dark chocolate daily is linked to lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can lead to excess belly fat. Chocolate and flat abs? Fab.

Offer your pals an excuse to snack and relax. Pistachios' potassium can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Get ready to hear "Mmm…ahhh."

Even the girl who has it all could use an energy boost. Walnuts' protein will keep her going strong.

Shrimp are a great go-to for lowfat protein. Opt for those farmed in the United States: Foreign farms use potentially harmful antibiotics and chemicals.

This slightly sweet side pairs well with pork or chicken, and a serving offers about 3/4 of your daily need for vitamin C.

A high-in-folate parsnip looks like a funky carrot, but this root veggie is sweeter and slightly nutty.

The bite-size sweet red peppers in this recipe are a tasty, low-cal vehicle for delicious cheese; plus, their mild heat can help warm you up from the inside out as the temperature begins to drop.

One slice of this classic dessert can pack 480 calories, 22 grams fat and 35 g sugar. (No, that's not á la mode.) Crust in time for the holidays.

Meyer lemons, a cross between lemons and oranges, start to ripen in November. They add a deliciously fragrant sweet-and-sour note to this cocktail.

Soybeans are the only complete vegetable protein, delivering all nine of the amino acids that help build fat-burning muscle.

Talk about a lean bean! Adding about 1/2 cup of filling high-fiber chickpeas to your daily diet can cut your consumption of fatty foods, a study in the journal Appetite finds.

Be a bean counter! The new USDA guidelines recommend having 1 1/2 cups of legumes weekly for their protein, fiber, iron and more. This hearty, lightly tangy dish gets you a third of the way to your goal.

Black beans are a tasty nonmeat source of iron, which is key to high energy and strong immunity.

Are you flush with folate? Too-low levels are linked with osteoporosis, depression and more. Black-eyed peas are a top source of the vitamin.

Condiments deliver flavor but often a lot of calories. A light yogurt sauce supplies healthy zip.

Capers give these burgers zing—and cancer protection, too: They help prevent the formation of carcinogens that can occur when meat gets charred.

A bit of blue cheese in each patty ups the chicken's savoriness without adding much fat or calories.

Bison contains choline, a nutrient that may help keep stress at bay.