We know, we know – charred ground beef on a bun isn’t the healthiest dinner option around. Unless you are planning a vegetarian conversion, however, it is unlikely that you are going to kick the hamburger habit any time soon. 

The following tips can be used separately or can be combined to create a truly healthy hamburger.

We're in the thick of it: Summertime! And that means fruit coolers, iced tea, fresh pies and gelled desserts! But hold up. Before you get started on the Strawberry Jell-O Mold or the Banana Cream Pie, do you know where your gelatin comes from? If not, we've got the not-so-appetizing details that will have you wondering what alternatives you have for using gelatin in cold pies, gelled dishes and custards. Meet the all-natural, completely plant-based alternative to animal gelatin: Agar.

With two main ingredients – pureed chick peas and sesame seeds (also known as garbanzos and tahini, respectively) – a magical union of flavor and texture is created, rendering this Mediterranean staple both satisfying and downright tasty. Once the lemon juice, garlic and various other spices and flavorings are added – ohh, you know what I’m talkin’ about – it is so on. Who needs pita bread and vegetables when you have a perfectly good naked spoon? Hummus is a bean-seed spread with a somewhat funky name but a whole lot of flavor and quite a nutritional punch, too.

Can there possibly be anything more refreshing than a cool cocktail straight from the garden? I doubt it. Garden cocktails feel like a luxurious extravagance, but in truth they're relatively healthy and easy to make. Here are recipes for three delicious drinks to spice up your weekend, all made with foods from your own garden (or farmers market).

Who doesn’t love party food? Any shindig you’ve ever been to where you had to shove your way through the packed kitchen just to reach the last crab cake as someone else snatches it from right under your nose, can answer that question.

Glorious summer brings cherries galore, and like most fruits and vegetables, when the price is lowest on cherries, their flesh is sweetest and the juices more likely to dribble down your chin and put a smile on your face.

Loaded with anti-inflammatory flavonoids, fiber and only 87 calories per cup, cherries are a smart snack any time of day – but these plump little wonders also work well in dishes you might not expect, like appetizers, sauces and salads.

If you ask Jim Collins, he has great things to say about organic farming and winemaking. He defines it quite concisely: “To be an organic grower, your focus is taking out synthetic chemicals from your operation,” he states. Of course, in his vineyard, he strives to do that.

There are some fruits that you can only enjoy during summer, when they’re in season, in your neighborhood, and for just a limited time. Well, folks, this is that time, and one of those get-it-while-it’s-hot foods: The peach. The summer peach is divine: Fuzzy like a baby’s bottom, deliciously oozing with sweet, pulpy juice when ripe, one of nature’s sweetest treats sprouted off a branch.

So, you get them while the getting’s good, only to find you now have a fridge full of overripe peaches, and the clock is only ticking towards the day you’ll have to (eek!) throw them into the backyard compost pile. Worry not. If you need a break from the usual peach recipes—peach pie, peach crisp, peaches and cream—you can still make use of those juicy fruits. Try one of these unusual summer recipes to make the most of your plentiful peaches.

They're everywhere right now: Strawberries, raspberries, black and blue berries, even those heavenly mulbs… Sure, there's probably no better way to enjoy them then by the naked handfuls, but many great recipes abound that are both easy as pie (that too, of course) and showcase these tart, tangy, super sweet, healthy and versatile bite-sized summer fruit darlings.

Finishing off a lip-smacking good scoop of your favorite ice cream with a crunchy cone just feels oh-so satisfying. No bowl and spoon can match it. There’s just something that screams “summertime” (and it’s not you screaming for some ice cream) about eating this season’s favorite treat perfectly cradled in the wonderful, edible cone. Plus, July is National Ice Cream Month, so you just have to celebrate, right?

Chomp down on this tasty recipe for homemade ice cream cones.