Last year, while looking for the dietary holy grail—a good “healthy” brownie recipe—I discovered Hungry Girl. With a thriving website, a cookbook and a huge community of fans, Hungry Girl offers a variety of low-cal, low-carb and low-fat options for busy people who are looking for creative ways to cut back without sacrificing their love of “fried” chicken or fettuccine alfredo.

I particularly love Hungry Girl’s pumpkin brownie cupcake recipe, which combines just two ingredients—one box of devil’s food cake mix and a can of pumpkin. It’s delicious!

On the other hand, some of Hungry Girl’s other recipes have me worried. The prevalence of ingredients like Splenda, powdered creamer and egg and meat substitutes on the Hungry Girl website raise interesting questions about whether it’s better to cut calories with a diet that has quite a bit of processed food in it, or if it’s more beneficial overall to switch to fresh, whole foods (even if ground beef has more calories than meat-like soy crumbles).

In either case, Hungry Girl offers a variety of recipes to suit any type of home chef, and is worth taking a look. But what do you think? When feeding your family (and yourself!), do you opt for low-calorie goodies or full-fat treats that a bursting with nutrition? Are you a Hungry Girl fan? You tell us!

Pass these links along to any new moms you know who are looking for a lift!

• BabyZone offers their readers’ best advice for new moms, from letting friends and family help out to how to talk to your new baby.
• Feel overwhelmed by all the new changes in your life? Everyday Health proves that you aren’t alone.
• Ban the post-baby diet! BabyCenter lists the best energy-boosting foods for new moms looking to regain their shape.
• If you’ve been cleared by your doctor and you’re ready to start a workout regime, check out SheKnows‘ top five fitness tips for new moms.
• Read through Showing’s list of quick tips to make mom feel fabulous with baby in tow!

Football is coming back in all its fall glory, and it’s definitely not just for the boys anymore. At least one good friend of mine has season tickets to watch her alma mater USC dominate in college football, and all of my girlfriends from back home in San Diego have vowed to keep their nails painted blue and gold as we watch every game in support of the Chargers throughout the season.

With more and more girls getting into the game, we can undoubtedly look forward to fun, fan-filled football parties all season long! I can’t wait to have the girls over to watch the game, and since I’m a bit of a health nut, I’ve rounded up some healthier alternatives to my favorite football fare to help you cheer on your team with your friends and family:

• Guacamole dip from Hungry Girl
• Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Ellie Krieger
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Crudites from Giada De Laurentiis
• Baked “fried” zucchini from Hungry Girl
• AMAZING brownie muffins from Hungry Girl (yes, I love Hungry Girl, but you really HAVE to try this recipe! It’s so easy, low fat and scrumptious!)
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies football treats (because they are so cute, and you’ve gotta splurge sometimes!)