Diet/Nutrition

Polka Dot Press

Got a pal whose cooking skills need a little help? Try picking up a copy of The Little Black Apron: A Single Girl’s Guide to Cookingwith Style & Grace, $15. It compares conquering the kitchen to putting together a perfectly accessorized ensemble, and is a gem for gals who think the four basic food groups are “wine, cheese, chocolate and coffee.” With Sex and the City-like anecdotes and witty side notes (“blanch” has nothing to do with A Streetcar Named Desire!), The Little Black Apron delivers practical, nutritious recipes and answers to those questions you’re too afraid to ask (what actually is the difference between baking and broiling?). Entertaining for the holidays? There’s a chapter with menus and recipes tailored to your dwelling size — yes, you can cook a full meal in that studio apartment, so hop to it! Click here to buy a copy for yourself or a pal at amazon.com.

inset: Carlos Diaz/INF

For me, summer means eating as much ice cream as I can, but there is that pesky issue of calorie counting. So, when I stumbled across naturally low-fat Laloo’s Goat’s Milk ice cream, I had to try it! I am now hooked on their Molasses Tipsycake (whole chunks of oatmeal raisin cookies, what’s not to like?), but it turns out that I’m not the only fan of the artisanal brand — Jim Carrey, Al Gore and Kim Basinger are addicted too. And they have now new frozen yogurts flavors, with even fewer calories and all the same taste! Kate Hudson’s favorite flavor is the sweetly named Brownie & Clyde — and I can say that I now heartily trust Kate’s taste in frozen treats, it’s delicious! Get a pint for yourself at Whole Foods stores or at goatmilkicecream.com, $8 a pint.

Sarah Jessica Parker has a great body, so does Eva Longoria (have you not seen her Bebe ads?), but we’ve figured out how they satisfy their chocolate cravings and still keep their amazing figures. Turns out these beauties are avid snackers of Sweetriot chocolate covered cacao nibs. These tiny pieces of chocolate are filled with intense flavor, antioxidants, are extremely addicting (ask our StyleWatch editors) and contain only 140 calories per tin. Talk about guiltless! Go to your local gourmet food store like Whole Foods to purchase single servings for $4.99 or go to sweetriot.com to buy larger quantities or gift packages.

Photo: Courtesy of sweetriot.com

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Not only does little Suri Cruise have an amazing gene pool, she’s got great taste in cupcakes! For her 1st birthday, Suri had a party hosted by mom Katie and dad Tom on April 18th where the entire clan dined on cupcakes from Sprinkles bakery in Beverly Hills. Sprinkles are the sweetest splurge in Hollywood with a line down the block just to get one! While tourists wait for over 20 minutes for the tasty treats, real Sprinkles fans like the StyleWatch team go online to order or call ahead. We all have our favorites: the black and white, vanilla with chocolate frosting, and the most popular red velvet cupcake. On Saturdays, Sprinkles bakes peanut butter chocolate cupcakes which are well-worth the wait, just for the frosting! Sprinkles cupcakes have become Hollywood’s latest housewarming gift, get-well treat, and afternoon indulgence — just ask fans like Paris Hilton, Courtney Cox, and Tyra Banks.

Cupcakes are $36 for a dozen — for more info, check out sprinklescupcakes.com.

Photo: ap; courtesy sprinklecupcakes.com

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When the StyleWatch team heard about Holey Donuts — with only 3 to 4 grams of fat unlike the 15 to 20 grams in regular donuts — we had to try them. While some low fat desserts have the appeal of eating cardboard, these treats were surprisingly delicious. Even better was that Holey Donuts and the equally yummy Cinnamon Buns contain zero trans-fat, zero cholesterol and no artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes. How is that even possible? The secret to the great taste and guilt-free nutrition lies in a unique cooking process which avoids deep frying and causes a dramatic reduction in fat content (including zero trans-fats!), leaving you with 25 percent less calories in Holey products than other donut companies. There are over 18 varieties of donuts including the marble frosted , coconut, carmel, boston creme and cinnamon buns that are available for delivery across the country at holeydonuts.net (1 dozen for $24). Try them and tell us what you think!

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When Lindsay Lohan isn’t out and about in Hollywood or New York, the actress is indulging in one of her favorite snacks at home: Lily Original Movie Theatre Popcorn. True to its name, the Lily popcorn tastes just like actual movie theater popcorn! And unlike microwave popcorn, you don’t have to wait for it to pop or add butter. It’s no wonder Lindsay ordered five cases to her Los Angeles home recently. And she’s not alone — Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette just put in an order for 600 bags for a movie premiere party. We love this one as much as our beloved kettle corn — we cannot get enough! You can buy six four-oz. bags for $20 at lillypopcorn.com.

Photo:INF

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I’ll admit it — I am a member of the Official Peeps Fan Club. While it’s true that you can get the deliciously addictive marshmallow treats throughout the year (strawberry creme hearts at Valentine’s Day are high up there for me), but Easter is this candy’s time to shine. So naturally, my curiousity was piqued when I heard that Peeps had released a celebrity survey. Turns out that dedicated Peeps eaters believe that Will Ferrell and Jessica Simpson are the celebrities that most embody the sweet treat — and that President Bush and Britney Spears are the most in need of a Peep. To read the rest of their survey results, click here or visit their site at marshmallowpeeps.com. And check out this handy chart comparing all the calories of your favorite Easter candy on Fitsugar.com. — Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty

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