Photo by Melanie Acevedo/Getty Images
Calorie-conscious eating doesn't mean boring eating. And it definitely doesn't mean forgoing foods you love. In fact, with simple "food flips," everything you already eat can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. So don't ditch your favorite fare. Simply replace high-calorie and unhealthy ingredients with good-for-you items that taste just as delicious. Here's how to turn some popular comfort-food favorites into healthy recipes.
Caesar Salad
Flip out: Bottled Caesar dressing
Flip in: Simple homemade Caesar dressing
Calorie savings: 67
Whisk it! In small bowl, whisk together ¼ c pasteurized egg substitute; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1½ tsp anchovy paste; ½ tsp Dijon mustard; ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce; and 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice. Slowly add 2 Tbsp olive oil in a steady stream, whisking until combined. Stir in ¼ c fresh Parmesan. Toss 8 c coarsely torn romaine lettuce with dressing and ½ c croutons. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Caesar salad is famously fattening, and it's all the dressing's fault. Each 2-tablespoon portion of prepackaged Caesar dressing can contain 170 calories and 18 g of fat. And who stops at only 2 tablespoons? Our quick-to-prepare homemade version slashes the amount of fat in half and does away with unnecessary ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and sugar. (Check out25 low-cal salad recipes that will fill you up.)
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Flip out: Brown sugar, marshmallows, butter
Flip in: Maple syrup, olive oil
Calorie savings: 93
Roast it! Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash and peel 4 med sweet potatoes and cut into 1" pieces. Toss in large bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ c pure maple syrup, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and ¼ c chopped pecans. Place mixture in 13" x 9" baking dish. Roast until fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Traditional versions of this dish call for lots of brown sugar and a cup of marshmallows—no surprise it's called "candied." Plus, recipes are generally brimming with butter, which is laden with saturated fat. It's why a serving can pack in 430 calories. Our slimmed-down rendition is sweetened with just a touch of antioxidant-rich maple syrup and has the same nutty flavor but only 237 calories and 1 g of saturated fat.
Macaroni & Cheese
Photo by Yuying Chiu/Getty Images
Flip out: Powdered cheese, whole milk, butter
Flip in: Butternut squash, fat-free milk, reduced-fat cheddar cheese (Try one of these delicious butternut squash recipes.)
Calorie savings: 118
Make it! Prepare 8 oz whole wheat rotini according to package directions. In medium saucepan, simmer ½ c fat-free milk with ½ 12 oz package frozen butternut squash until combined. Remove from heat and mix with 1 c shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp dry mustard, and pepper to taste. Pour drained pasta into 8" x 8" baking dish, stir in cheese mixture, and top with 1 Tbsp each Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Subbing in creamy butternut squash adds fiber and flavor, plus antioxidants that fight disease. Using fat-free milk and reduced-fat cheese, we lowered the calories per serving from 412 to 294—and unlike the boxed variety, our version has no artificial flavors. It also provides 45% of the daily recommendation for vision-protecting vitamin A.
Pumpkin Pie
Flip out: Store-bought piecrust
Flip in: Quick graham cracker crust
Calorie savings: 175
Bake it! Preheat oven to 375°F and coat 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray. In small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp wheat germ, 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed, and two 2½" graham cracker squares, crushed. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of the mixture to each muffin cup. Whisk 2 lg eggs and stir in one 15 oz can plain pumpkin puree, one 12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk, ⅔ c packed brown sugar, 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour evenly into cups. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until sides are set and filling jiggles slightly. Mix ¾ c nonfat Greek yogurt with ¼ c pure maple syrup; keep cool in the fridge. Let pies rest 10 to 15 minutes before removing from tins; top each with a dollop of the maple-yogurt mixture. Serves 12.
How to cut calories: Replacing the buttery crust with a thin layer of crushed graham crackers and nutty grains drops the calorie count from 316 to 141—without compromising flavor. Flaxseed adds heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, while wheat germ boosts vitamin E, which helps control blood sugar. A piecrust that fights disease! What's not to love?
Creamy Tomato Soup
Photo by imagospot/Getty Images
Flip out: Heavy cream, regular chicken broth
Flip in: 2% milk, white beans, low-sodium chicken broth
Calorie savings: 140
Simmer it! Combine two 14.5 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth, one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, and several bay leaves in medium saucepan over medium heat. In small bowl, mash 1 c rinsed and drained cannellini beans with the back of a spoon and set aside. When soup bubbles, stir in 1 c 2% milk and reduce heat to low. Season to taste with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves and stir in mashed beans. In small batches, puree soup in a blender. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Traditional tomato soup gets its characteristic rich flavor and thick texture from heavy cream, which also boosts its calories. By using 2% milk instead of heavy cream, we nearly eliminated the soup's saturated fat content. The mashed beans do double duty: Their starches swell in the hot liquid, making the soup thick and hearty, and they boost the fiber—one serving supplies about one-quarter of your daily requirement. Switching from regular chicken broth to the reduced-fat, low-sodium type lowers sodium by 298 mg.
Mashed Potatoes
Flip out: Heavy cream
Flip in: Low-fat buttermilk
Calorie savings: 182
Make it! Put 2 lbs of cubed Yukon Gold potatoes in a large pot, add 1 Tbsp salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Warm 1 c low-fat cultured buttermilk in a saucepan over low heat, being careful not to overheat. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes and pour in buttermilk; season with salt and pepper and finish with 1½ Tbsp butter. Top with 2 Tbsp chopped chives. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Replacing heavy cream with low-fat buttermilk reduces artery-damaging saturated fats from 17 grams to 3. Buttermilk is thicker than regular milk, which helps the mashed potatoes retain their characteristic creamy texture, plus it's also a source of probiotics—live beneficial bacteria that can boost immunity and improve digestion.
Meatloaf
Flip out: Ground beef, plain breadcrumbs
Flip in: Ground turkey, quick-cooking instant oats, frozen chopped spinach
Calorie savings: 99
Bake it! Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a nonstick 9" x 5" loaf pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 lb extra-lean ground turkey, 2 large eggs, ½ cup instant oats, ¼ cup low-sodium BBQ sauce, ½ c chopped onion, 10 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Place the meat mixture into the pan and shape so it's even. Pour ¼ c low-sodium BBQ sauce over top of loaf and bake for 1 hour, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reads at least 160°F. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Switching from 85% lean ground beef to extra-lean ground turkey reduces the calories from 370 to 261 and cuts the saturated fat from 8 to 1. The instant oats that replace the plain breadcrumbs ups the fiber. Spinach supplies 45% of the daily recommendation for vision-boosting vitamin A.
MORE: Recipes With Meatloaf Leftovers
Cosmopolitan
Photo by Leslie Thomson/Getty Images
Flip out: Store-bought Cosmopolitan mix
Flip in: Cranberry juice, lime juice, agave nectar
Calorie savings: 91
Mix it! Combine 1 oz vodka with 1 tsp agave nectar, ½ oz fresh lime juice, and 1 oz cranberry juice in co*cktail shaker. Add ice, shake, and garnish with lime. Serves 1.
How to cut calories: A drink made with sugary store-bought mix can contain 194 calories. Real fruit juice has no artificial colors and fewer calories, and it includes vitamins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that boost health.
Frozen Margarita
Flip out: Sugar-laden store-bought mix
Flip in: Zero-calorie mixers, fresh limes, agave nectar
Calorie savings: 160
Shake it! Combine ½ c seltzer water with ½ shot each tequila and triple sec, ¼ c fresh lime juice, and a teaspoon of agave nectar. Add ice, shake, and garnish with lime slices.
How to cut calories: One frozen margarita made with store-bought mix can contain over 300 calories. Swapping out the neon green concoction for fresh lime juice and agave nectar saves 160 calories.
Ice Cream With Strawberry Topping
Flip out: Hershey's strawberry syrup
Flip in: Strawberry compote
Calorie savings: 156
Heat it! Warm 4 c frozen strawberries with 2 Tbsp honey in a saucepan over medium heat until soft and tender. Let cool until sauce thickens. Divide 2 c vanilla ice cream into four bowls and top each with strawberry compote. Serves 4.
How to cut calories: Don't ditch ice cream entirely—just cut the portion down to ½ c from 1 c, which slashes 137 calories. Replacing what's essentially strawberry-flavored high fructose corn syrup with a quick and easy compote supplies powerful disease-fighting antioxidants, 100% of your daily vitamin C needs, and 4 g of waist-friendly fiber.
MORE: 20 More Slimmed-Down Comfort Food Ideas
