Lighten Up: Recipes To Help Shed Those Pesky Pandemic Pounds

As gyms shuttered and anxiety rose during the pandemic, people started gaining weight. Recent research shows that many Americans gained more than 20 pounds during their time in isolation. We took to eating comfort food and whatever we could find in our pantries. For a nation already battling obesity, this has been a dangerous trend.

As spring arrives and more of the country (and the world) receives COVID-19 vaccines, and tight pandemic guidelines slowly lift, it’s a good time to start thinking about eating lighter, healthier food.

This segment is not about dieting or depriving ourselves of our favorite foods, but simply a way of redirecting food cravings if you want to lighten up your diet. Look at it as a temporary goodbye to mac and cheese, fried chicken, pizza, cookies and cakes. Focus instead on spring vegetables, fresh fish and lighter fare.

The key to feeling satisfied without heavy carbs