Eating

Gals, please don't tune out. Super Bowl-watching might be a guy thing, but decades of experience tell me that snacking is gender neutral. Put out a bowl of popcorn and all hands dive in. Here's my guide to Better Cheaper Tastier Snacking.

A wonderful winter soup you make in a few minutes. Rich but light. Nourishing and deeply flavorful. Less than $1 for two servings. Your Chinese New Year resolution.

For dessert. What a Way to finish a meal. Sweet and tart. Refreshing and satisfying. And it counts as a full fruit serving. If I were a bettin' man, I'd bet you'll lick your plate.

What every vegan's been waiting for: a big bite of something juicy, crunchy, tasty and greasy you can hold in your hands. OK, not greasy. Just slightly sesame oil-y. The breakthrough is the "bun": fried soba noodle cakes. Crunchy and soft. Pungent, sweet, salty, sharp and bright.

The might be the ultimate Better Cheaper Slower food. Two really Cheap ingredients: flour and potato. Better than any pasta or potato dish I've ever had. When you get the feel, when you get it right, you'll be so amazed by every bite. And you'll eat very Slowly.

Hot color. Warming mouthful. Deep flavor. Earthy from the beets. Sweet from red onion. Good time for a hot soup made from a winter vegetable. You'll get the picture. When you click.

Savory and sweet. Satisfying and light at the same time. Lunchtime. Aromatic and creamy. Yup, yogurt's not just for fruit and breakfast anymore. This is savory yogurt with few calories and a near-zero Glycemic Load.

Not to mention rich, delicious, high-fiber and low-calorie. And Better and Cheaper. $2.50 and 90 seconds in a food processor gets you a bowlful. A great first or side course. And enough to dip many dozens of chips.

The lightest, airiest pancakes I've ever had. 75 cents for a stack of deeply delicious, whole grain buckwheat pancakes. Or a basket of blini. Depends if you're serving maple syrup or caviar.