How to Make Healthy Brownies With Black Beans

Blistered Shishito Peppers

These blistered peppers with burrata cheese are a total fork-and-knife job, but they're so worth it. The spice mellows out perfectly, thanks to the creamy, light balls of cheese. (via Forks and Foliage for Brit + Co)

Gluten-Free Avocado Fries

These avocado "fries" are coated in a gluten-free breadcrumb mixture for maximum enjoyment without ever weighing you down. Plus, any appetizer that doubles as a finger food is prime pickings in our book. (via Brit + Co)

Honey Whipped Goat Cheese with Pomegranate

This whipped goat cheese absolutely deserves a spot on your dinner table. It's light, tangy, and sweet, which can help offer a nice flavor reprieve before a heartier, savory main course. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Vegan Grazing Platter

When in doubt, make a charcuterie board. Just load it up with all of your fave GF snacks, and boom, pre-dinner is taken care of. Take this pretty vegan platter as pure inspiration! (via The Edgy Veg)

Fried Halloumi Bites with Spicy Honey

Halloumi is so yum, so if you haven't tried it by now, try whipping these lil' bites up for your next spread of gluten-free appetizers. It's pungent and tangy, much like goat cheese, but has a lot firmer texture, which helps keep these fried finger foods intact! (via Bowl of Delicious)

Carrot Tart with Pesto

Use some GF dough or puff pastry to wrap up this savory tart, then slice it into small pieces to serve a crowd! The earthy carrots are complemented perfectly with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and some cheese. (via Crowded Kitchen)

Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Cauliflower Taquitos

These taquitos are wrapped with corn tortillas, making them certifiably gluten-free. Everyone's bound to love anything buffalo-flavored. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are one of our favorite gluten-free appetizers to make, whether they're for a strictly GF crowd or not. This iteration is packed with a deliciously cheesy pimento filling that feels nothing but comforting. (via Averie Cooks)

Maple Glazed Prosciutto Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

Maple, prosciutto, and sweet potato? Consider us hooked. The saltiness of the meat will instantly balance out the sweetness of the sweet potato, so you can get a complex bite every time. Bonus points if you serve these bad boys with aioli or ranch. (via A Spicy Perspective)

Easy Fresh Corn Salsa

This flawlessly fresh corn salsa is a tasty ode to summer produce. All the legwork lies in the chopping, but once you're done with the cutting board, you'll toss everything into a bowl, and viola! (via Earthly Provisions)

Charred Jalapeño-Lime Guacamole

Guac is a total classic gluten-free appetizer, as long as you serve it with some high-quality corn chips. This big green bowl also assumes some unique smoky flavors from the charred jalapeños! This makes a very reliable (and yummy) starter for Taco Tuesday. (via Vanilla and Bean)

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Vegan Green Goddess Dressing

Smashed potatoes truly are the best thing since sliced bread. Indulge in a starchy, crispy bite using this appetizer recipe. The green goddess dressing is non-negotiable. Mind = blown. (via The First Mess)

Baked Feta with Olives and Honey

Grab some GF crackers or bread to dip into this sweet-yet-salty skillet appetizer! The feta will absorb all the honey and olive brine for a bite that's undeniably Mediterranean. (via Forks & Foliage)

Zucchini Tater Tots

Zucchini tater tots are a must-make when it comes to gluten-free appetizers. Once they're baked to browned perfection, you won't even taste the squash. (via Feel Good Foodie)

Bruschetta Hummus Stuffed Zucchini

This bruschetta and hummus love affair is just the dish for a light meal or party snack. If you’re planning on serving it as an appetizer, halve your zucchini boats for more mileage and watch them go. (via Running to the Kitchen)

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

If you’re the kind of person who carries hot sauce in her purse, buffalo chicken likely holds a special place in your heart. These buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini boats might be just the trick you needed to get on board with the green veggie. Now if only there was a safe way to carry these boats in your purse… (via Destination Delish)

Chili Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Boats

You can take these boats to the next level by adding a hot dog and/or Fritos. The zucchini here just might beat the texture of a gluten-free bun, though. (via Maebells)

Zucchini Pizza Boats

How cute are these mini pepperonis? They're so cute, you’re going to want to eat these pizza boats all up. The best part of this easy recipe is not getting flour all over your kitchen like you would with actual pizza. That’s a win for lazy girls and healthy girls alike. (via Cooking Classy)

Lemon Asparagus Cauliflower Rice Stuffed Grilled Zucchini with Shrimp

For a totally healthy, flavorful meal, try this zucchini dish with cauliflower rice and grilled shrimp. Though it’ll seem like you spent tons of time on these boats, you can actually pull it off in 30 minutes. (via Food Faith Fitness)

Stuffed Zucchini Boats With Garlic Sauce

Even if you’re not a fan of zucchini, the garlic sauce topping this dish is made with might just change your mind. It’s like a lightened-up aioli, thanks to the addition of yogurt. (via Delicious Meets Healthy)

Baked Potato Zucchini Boats

Recreate the glorious loaded baked potato with this healthy twist! Swap out your usual starchy spud for a zucchini or two, and you might not feel the pull of a food coma post-meal. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and hot sauce for the best not-a-baked-potato ever. (via Real Food by Dad)

Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This super simple dish works well as a side or a light main. It helps to have the cashew cream and quinoa prepared beforehand — as they do take some time to make — so get a head start on those ingredients over a lazy weekend. After that, these zucchini boats come together in a snap. (via Simply Quinoa)

Quinoa & Black Bean Enchilada Stuffed Zucchinis

Up your healthy enchilada game by swapping in zucchinis for tortillas. They make the dish lighter, but still satisfying. The quinoa, black bean and zucchini makes for a fibrous combo that can’t be beat. (via Tastes Lovely)

Lasagna Zucchini Boats

Put a spin on veggie lasagna with these zucchinis filled with red sauce, ricotta cheese, and ground meat. It’s a solid option for a quick weeknight dinner. If you’re looking for a vegetarian version of this recipe, try diced mushrooms in place of ground meat for an even healthier take that still tastes meaty. (viaCooking Classy)

Roasted Zucchini Tuna Melts

Skip the deli and make this healthy version of a tuna melt at home! Since these are technically open-face sandwiches, the top layer of cheese and tuna gets extra melted and crispy with a little broiler action. Sorry, tuna melt — you’ve been replaced. (via The Honour System)

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

You can still get the flavors you love from chicken Parmesan in this zucchini-centric version. This recipe uses ground chicken instead of fried cutlets, which is both healthier and easier to prepare. (via The Wholesome Dish)

Lentil Walnut Vegan Chorizo Stuffed Zucchini

Both non-vegans and vegan devotees will appreciate this stuffed zucchini boat. It’s loaded with a delicious mix of spices from cumin to cinnamon, so it’s definitely not lacking in flavor. This dish also boasts at least three different forms of protein to give you an energy boost to power you through the day. (via Connoisseurus Veg)

Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats

When a burger craving hits, it’s not always in line with your meal plans — whether your concerns are budget- or health-related. You can satisfy that craving guilt-free by cooking up these burger boats! Though the recipe calls for beef, any ground meat you prefer will do. Just don’t forget the ketchup and mustard. (via The Skinny Fork)

As a gal with a little more meat and muscle on her bones, this has always been a problem for me. It’s infuriating, but it feels even more isolating. I can’t always wear the same styles that smaller women do, and even if I do find similar boot designs fashioned for wide calves, they look noticeably cheap or simply don’t check all the boxes in terms of my desired look.

I grew tired of saving all the “perfect” tall boot outfit inspo pics to my Pinterest board only to find that the boots in question had way too small of calf sizes, so I did what I always do when I shop for size-specific pieces: I took to Reddit.

I primarily consulted r/femalefashionadvice, r/plussize, and r/ausfemalefashion to see what people like me are saying about wide calf boots. The frustrations with finding good-looking, comfy tall boots was pretty similar across all three subreddits. As one passionate user put it:

“Even at a size 6, I have never been able to just buy any old pair of boots and have them fit. It is interesting to me how we've made great progress the past several years in regards to body inclusivity, yet somehow there seems to be a huge lack of sizing in regards to tall boots… It makes me so sad to see these beautiful boots everyone else gets to wear, slouchy, over the knee, western inspired, leopard/snake print, etc. Nothing like that comes in wide calf.”

Luckily, Redditors across all three threads suggested a handful of brands that actually offer cute wide calf boots with extended sizing. I had never heard of a few of them, but after scrolling through their sites, it felt like I struck gold.

The top-recommended brands for wide calf boots:

• Penningtons
• Børn
• DuoBoots
• Franco Sarto
• Sam Edelman
• Billini

Franco Sarto Bowman Wide Calf Knee High Boots

You're meaning to tell me these chic boots can really accomodate my calves?! The deep red color already had me sold, but that 15.75-inch calf circumference made this style so much better. They also come in a smooth brown color and a foxy faux-snake pattern, if those speak to your personal style more.

Børn Hayden Extended Calf Boots

The suede leather construction of these boots honestly rivals that of the beloved Campus boot, but their fit is much more roomy, boasting a 16.5-inch calf circumference. These zippered boots also have a playful lace-up detail on the back that's utterly unique.

Penningtons Extra Wide Width Black Tall Heeled Boots with Harness Straps

The calf circumference on these bad boys starts at around 17 inches for shoe size 6, and tops out around 19 inches for shoe size 12. I can't get enough of these moto-style boots and I love that they have the signature harness with silver hardware around the base that other similar boots do.

DuoBoots Saffron Knee High Boots

The fact that you can choose the calf sizing yourself when purchasing these Western-esque boots is ahh-mazing. The options start at 13 inches and go up to 20 inches to hold your beautiful legs without any fuss.

Billini Granger Extended Curve Boots

From all the wide calf boot brands suggested on the Reddit threads I scrolled through, Billini has to be my favorite. They state that these adorable camel-colored boots can fit calf sizes from about 18.11 to 21.42 inches, and while they do have an elastic panel on the sides to stretch even further, I think it's discreet enough that it doesn't distract from the overall look. Score!

Baretraps Thalia Wide Calf Boots

A very similar style to my wishlist Sam Edelman boots, this black pair actually has a 16.5-inch calf circumference that'll fit my legs to a tee. The block heel is the perfect shape and height, plus the toe isn't overly pointed (I don't necessarily care for pointy toes).

Sam Edelman James Wide Calf Western Boots

Finding cowboy boots with wide calves can be a big challenge – but no more! These reddish-brown boots have a 16-inch calf circumference so you can confidently rock any and all Western looks.

Billini Oshea Curve Boots

Immediately yes. These broader-fit boots are everything you need to make a statement with your shoes. They're definitely going on my wishlist! The calf circumferences for this style start at 16 inches and go up to 19 inches based on your shoe size.

Vince Camuto Seshon Extra Wide Calf Boots

With a 18-inch calf circumference, you won't have to worry about squeezing into these tall boots. I adore the timeless squared toe and wide block heel on these!