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Does anyone age better than 93-year-old Dick Van Dyke? Nope.

Dick Van Dyke just turned 93, and he is the ultimate example of #aginggoals.

It's official. Nobody is better at aging than Dick Van Dyke. The beloved, energetic star of film and television is celebrating his 93rd birthday, and he's showing no signs of giving in to his age.

Maybe he was born with superhuman stores of energy from the get go. Maybe his humor and childlike wonder about the world has kept that twinkle in his eye and spring in his step. Maybe he was infused with some actual Disney magic at some point. Who knows.


One thing is for sure, though—Dick Van Dyke has mastered the art of growing young.

I mean, check him out at 90. Um, yeah. All the goals right here:

He returns to the big screen this month in Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns." Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Those of us who can't imagine a Mary Poppins film without Van Dyke's jaunty footwork needn't worry. He will be playing the role of an elderly—but surprisingly spry, of course—London banker, whom director Rob Marshall has clarified is the son of Mr. Dawes played by Van Dyke in the original film.

Will the 93-year-old will bring the the flavor of fun he always brings to a production? Is that even a serious question? Dick Van Dyke equals delight. Always. That's just fact.

He revealed in his 2011 memoir the ridiculous lengths he went to to land his extra role in the original movie.

In the original Mary Poppins, Van Dyke played Poppins' friend, Bert, a lively chalk artist, chimney sweep, and general jack-of-all-trades. But he coveted the role of the elderly Mr. Dawes from the time he first read the script, and was determined to convince Walt Disney to let him play it.

“I loved portraying old men, and since first reading the script, I had been secretly eyeing that part," the actor wrote in his memoir, “My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business.” “I saw a lot of potential for extracurricular amusement.”

Disney had him test for the role, so Van Dyke, who was in his 30s at the time, dressed up in a white wig and beard and improvised the part  “I was stooped over, talking like the very senior banker, and having a blast amusing both the crew and myself,” he wrote.

He even pretended to have to stop and pee in the bushes every few minutes. “‘I’m a weak old man because of a hernia,’ I explained in a wheezy voice,” Van Dyke wrote.

Disney relented and gave him the part—but only if he donated $4000 to Disney's California Institute of the Arts. “I ended up paying him a not insignificant amount of money to play a part I had offered to do for free,” Van Dyke wrote. “I’m still scratching my head over at that one.”

Van Dyke has had some close calls, but he's always come up smiling.

The actor was an alcoholic for 25 years and a heavy smoker for much of his adult life, but has lived a clean and sober life in his later years. In 2013, his Jaguar caught fire on the L.A. freeway and Van Dyke was pulled from the vehicle by a stranger who thought he was slumped over at the wheel. (It turns out Van Dyke was just bent over gathering things he wanted to rescue from the fire.)  People started worrying when the star revealed that he had been suffering from some neurological issues and headaches, until he said the problem was his titanium dental implants.

I'm starting to wonder if Dick Van Dyke is actually made of titanium himself. He just keeps dancing his way through life, putting all of us younger folks to shame.

Here's to another joyous trip around the sun, sir.  Please do us a favor and live forever.

Check out the master ager talking about his latest role:

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10 anti-holiday recipes that prove the season can be tasty and healthy

Balance out heavy holiday eating with some lighter—but still delicious—fare.

Albertson's

Lighten your calorie load with some delicious, nutritious food between big holiday meals.

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The holiday season has arrived with its cozy vibe, joyous celebrations and inevitable indulgences. From Thanksgiving feasts to Christmas cookie exchanges to Aunt Eva’s irresistible jelly donuts—not to mention leftover Halloween candy still lingering—fall and winter can feel like a non-stop gorge fest.

Total resistance is fairly futile—let’s be real—so it’s helpful to arm yourself with ways to mitigate the effects of eating-all-the-things around the holidays. Serving smaller amounts of rich, celebratory foods and focusing on slowly savoring the taste is one way. Another is to counteract those holiday calorie-bomb meals with some lighter fare in between.

Contrary to popular belief, eating “light” doesn’t have to be tasteless, boring or unsatisfying. And contrary to common practice, meals don’t have to fill an entire plate—especially when we’re trying to balance out heavy holiday eating.

It is possible to enjoy the bounties of the season while maintaining a healthy balance. Whether you prefer to eat low-carb or plant-based or gluten-free or everything under the sun, we’ve got you covered with these 10 easy, low-calorie meals from across the dietary spectrum.

Each of these recipes has less than 600 calories (most a lot less) per serving and can be made in less than 30 minutes. And Albertsons has made it easy to find O Organics® ingredients you can put right in your shopping cart to make prepping these meals even simpler.

Enjoy!

eggs and green veggies in a skillet, plate of baconNot quite green eggs and ham, but closeAlbertsons

Breakfast Skillet of Greens, Eggs & Ham

273 calories | 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (5 oz) pkg baby spinach

2 eggs

1 clove garlic

4 slices prosciutto

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 medium zucchini squash

1/8 cup butter, unsalted

1 pinch crushed red pepper

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bow of cauliflower ham saladGet your cauliflower power on.Albertsons

Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Ham, Celery & Dill

345 calories | 20 minutes

1/2 medium head cauliflower

1 stick celery

1/4 small bunch fresh dill

8 oz. ham steak, boneless

1/2 shallot

1/4 tspblack pepper

1/4 tsp curry powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/8 tsp paprika

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

tofu on skewers on a plate with coleslawPlant-based food fan? This combo looks yums. Albertsons

Grilled Chili Tofu Skewers with Ranch Cabbage, Apple & Cucumber Slaw

568 calories | 20 minutes

1 avocado

1/2 English cucumber

1 (12 oz.) package extra firm tofu

1 Granny Smith apple

3 Tbsp (45 ml) Ranch dressing

1/2 (14 oz bag) shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix)

2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

frittata in a cast iron skilletSometimes you just gotta frittata.Albertsons

Bell Pepper, Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata with Parmesan

513 calories | 25 minutes

6 eggs

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

2 oz Parmesan cheese

1 red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

8 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with slices of grilled chicken and a caprese saladCaprese, if you please.Albertsons

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Classic Caprese Salad

509 calories | 25 minutes

3/4 lb chicken breasts, boneless skinless

1/2 small pkg fresh basil

1/2 (8 oz pkg) fresh mozzarella cheese

1 clove garlic

3 tomatoes

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 3/4 pinches black pepper

1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

four stuffed mushrooms on a plateThese mushrooms look positively poppable.Albertsons

Warm Goat Cheese, Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

187 calories | 35 minutes

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1 1/4 pinches crushed red pepper

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with open English muffin with goat cheese and sliced baby tomatoes on topMove over, avocado toast. English muffin pizzas have arrived.Albertsons

English Muffin Pizzas with Basil Pesto, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes

327 calories | 10 minutes

3 Tbsp (45 ml) basil pesto

2 English muffins

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

3/4 pinch black pepper

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

pita pocket on a plate filled with veggies, meat and cheeseThis pita pocket packs a colorful punch.Albertsons

Warm Pita Pocket with Turkey, Cheddar, Roasted Red Peppers & Parsley

313 calories | 20 minutes

1/4 (8 oz) block cheddar cheese

1/2 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

4 oz oven roasted turkey breast, sliced

1/2 (12 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers

1 whole grain pita

3/4 pinch black pepper

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp mayonnaise

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with toast smeared with avocado and topped with prosciuttoDid we say, "Move over, avocado toast?" What we meant was "Throw some prosciutto on it!" Albertsons

Avocado Toast with Crispy Prosciutto

283 calories | 10 minutes

1 avocado

2 slices prosciutto

2 slices whole grain bread

1 5/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bowl of chili with cheese and green onions on topVegetarian chili with a fall twistAlbertsons

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili with Cheddar

444 calories | 30 minutes

2 (15 oz can) black beans

1/2 (8 oz ) block cheddar cheese

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 green bell peppers

1 small bunch green onions (scallions)

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin purée

1 medium yellow onion

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 7/8 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes, visit albertsons.com/recipes.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

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