Creamy Dreamy
Thanks to the starch content, potatoes make a creamy soup all by themselves. All you have to do is combine sautéed vegetables and diced potatoes with chicken or vegetable broth. Cook until the potatoes are tender and puree the mix using a blender or food mill. For a deeper flavor, try roasting the potatoes first.

A typical potato soup recipe made with heavy cream has 10 times more fat than one using with whole milk, so make the switch! Or, for a calorie-controlled bit of richness, swap out cream for extra broth or water and top individual portions with a small dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche.

Bulk Up, Stay Slim
Save money, time and calories by using these pointers:

• Buy bags of potatoes when they’re on sale — store them in a cool, dry place for two to three months.
• Make a meal out of a broth soup by adding chunks of potatoes like in this Rhode Island Clam Chowder.
• Make large batches of soup, pack it in quart containers and store them in the freezer.
• Keep calories under control by using lots of sautéed veggies such as celery, carrots, leeks and onions.
• Swap out classic toppers — bacon and cheese — with whole wheat croutons and chives.

Healthy recipes to try:
• Zucchini Vichyssoise
• Sweet Potato Soup
• Creamy Potato Parsley Soup
• Vichyssoise with Sour Cream and Chives
• Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder

Ketchup
Many of the brands you’ll find at the market are overly salty and sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Ketchup wouldn’t be the same without its sweet and salty flavor mix; my homemade version below uses brown sugar and has 50% less sodium than the bottled stuff. Because it’s winter, we used canned tomatoes but you could replace that with fresh ones when they’re in season.

Easy Homemade Ketchup
Yield: 2 cups

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender and strained to remove any seeds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutrition Info (per tablespoon):
Calories: 15
Fat: 0 grams
Saturated Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 6 grams
Protein: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 70 milligrams
Fiber: 0 grams

Mustard
There are dozens of low-calorie mustards at the grocery store — plain, honey mustard, dijon, on and on. Some packaged mustards have a few basic ingredients while others have added salt and sugar (so be sure to check those ingredient lists). Making your own mustard is all about mustard seeds and vinegar. This recipe from Emeril Lagasse uses both yellow and brown seeds (which you can find at most grocery stores) along with some extra flavor from shallot, white wine and a hint of allspice.

RECIPE: Homemade Mustard

For a simpler version, follow the steps from the recipe above using a combination of mustard seeds, vinegar, water and a pinch of salt. You can also jazz up store-bought plain yellow or Dijon mustard with a little honey or horseradish.

Tartar Sauce
Creamy tartar sauce is a classic condiment for seafood but most bottled versions are full of fat, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar and preservatives that up the sodium content. This version cuts the fatty mayo with non-fat Greek yogurt — it has less fat and cholesterol, more protein and zero added sugar.

Lemon & Yogurt Tartar Sauce
Yield: 3/4 cup

1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 dill pickle, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for two to three days.

Nutrition Info (per tablespoon):
Calories: 20
Fat: 1.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 1 gram
Protein: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 75 milligrams
Fiber: 0 grams

Only have time for the store-bought brands? Check out our tips for smart buys in the condiment aisle.

Sure, boxed mac and cheese is easy to whip up, but it seriously lacks in flavor. This dish is a simple, wholesome recipe made with real ingredients — no powdered cheese mix here! Real cheddar cheese provides protein and calcium.

Our tips for lightening it up:
• Trade the whole milk for low-fat milk (1%) to cut back on the saturated fat (without losing any calcium).
• Use half of the cheese — you still get all the flavor and save 115 calories and 175 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Try panko for the topping (and lose the butter) to shave off an additional 50 calories per serving.

See the original recipe »

Get more lighter macaroni and cheese recipes »

More Top 50 Recipes, Lightened Up:
• #2: Paula’s Old-Fashioned Meatloaf
• #3: Good Eats Roast Turkey
• #4: Paula’s Pumpkin Bars
• #5: Chicken Enchiladas

Wing It
The classic chicken wing recipe calls for a whole lot of unhealthy steps: flouring and deep-frying the wings and then tossing them in a sauce, which is often a mixture of hot sauce and butter. A single, average-sized fried wing has 100 calories and 7 grams of fat (including 2 grams of saturated fat) and that’s before it’s tossed in any sauce or dipped in blue cheese! Once you dunk that wing in a creamy dressing, you add another 76 calories and 8 grams of fat per tablespoon!

Think a boneless wing is the way to go? Think again! We checked out the menus of some
popular chain restaurants and found orders of boneless wings (with blue cheese dressing) contain more than 1,100 calories, 80 grams of fat and 4,000 milligrams of sodium (that’s almost double the sodium recommendation for an entire day!)

A smarter choice is a roasted, grilled or broiled chicken wing, which only has 35 to 40 calories and 1 gram of fat each — that’s definitely a step in the right direction. Keep portions modest — about five or six wings per person.

Take a (Light) Dip
For your wings’ sauce, replace butter with heart-healthy olive oil or forget the extra fat all together by just brushing your wings with a flavorful hot sauce or other low-fat condiment such as teriyaki, BBQ or sweet and sour.

For dipping, pass on the bottled blue cheese and make a lighter version of your own with plain non-fat Greek yogurt and some crumbled blue cheese (this will save you 45 calories per tablespoon). Salsa and honey mustard are other lower-fat choices.

Finger-Licking Good
Here is how I cut back the calories without losing flavor: pat the wings dry, season with salt, pepper and any other favorite spices, and then a drizzle of oil. Roast them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 400-degree oven until golden and crisp or toss them on the grill. Towards the end of cooking, baste with your sauce of choice. Avoid adding the sauce before cooking; this will often cause the outside of the wings to burn before the inside is cooked.

My husbands likes to combine two methods. First, he bakes the wings in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes and then he moves them to the grill to finish cooking, lightly basting them with a spicy barbecue or hot sauce.

I’ve been scouting out all kinds of wing recipes; here are a few flavor combos I plan to try:
• Hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce
• Soy with honey and ginger
• Curry powder with mango chutney and chopped pistachios
• Smoked paprika and hot pepper jelly

Chicken wing recipes:
• Teriyaki Chicken Wings
• Grilled Spicy Wings
• Sunny Anderson’s Caribbean Chicken Wings
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
• Low-Fat Baked Buffalo Wings

TELL US: What’s your secret to perfect wings?

A Lighter Loaf
Believe it or not, this simple recipe covers 45% of your recommended dose of vitamin C (from the tomatoes) and 20% of your recommended amounts of iron (from the beef). The heart healthy oats adds a touch of fiber and the suggested 4-ounce portion is just right.

To lighten it up, it’s all about choosing the healthiest ingredients. For the ground beef, opt for 90-95% lean. When you use 90% lean ground beef, this recipe contains 330 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving. You can also substitute part of the beef for ground turkey breast , veal or pork.

Mindful Topping
Although ketchup is not a high-calorie, fatty ingredient, it is made with sugar. Read the label to make sure your preferred ketchup doesn’t include high-fructose corn syrup. You might also try to make your own.

See the original recipe »

Check more tips and recipes for lighter meatloaf.

More Top 50 Recipes, Lightened Up:
• #3: Good Eats Roast Turkey
• #4: Paula’s Pumpkin Bars
• #5: Chicken Enchiladas

Tips for a Lighter Version
Believe it or not, this recipe is perfect just the way it is. As long as you keep your portions sensible and don’t load up your turkey dinner with fatty sides, turkey is a good base for a healthy meal. Keep these tips in mind before you load up your plate:

• A 14 to 16 pound turkey is a bit heavy for 10 to 12 people — that’s more than a pound per head! Scale down your bird or figure on having lots of leftovers.
• Pass on the skin to avoid the artery-clogging saturated fat.
• Opt for turkey breast meat; 3 ounces has 120 calories and very little fat.

Get the original recipe »

Talking Turkey
We love brined turkeys like Alton’s! A soak in a ginger-infused broth is a terrific way to impart big flavor without adding calories. Here is more info on the health benefits of turkey and some tips for buying your bird:
- Picking the Right Turkey
- Are Free-Range and Organic Turkeys Worth It?
- Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?
- Leftovers: 5-Ingredient Fix: Turkey Quesadillas and more healthy recipes

More Top 50 Recipes, Lightened Up:
• #4: Paula’s Pumpkin Bars
• #5: Chicken Enchiladas

Guiltless Pleasure
This fan favorite recipe uses canned pumpkin, which adds moisture and flavor without much fat. Pumpkins are loaded with beta-carotene and the antioxidant lutein, which keep your eyes, skin and heart healthy.

Our Tips For A Lighter Version
For the bars, swap in canola oil instead of vegetable oil to make the fat more heart healthy.

For the icing, you could turn to low-fat cream cheese. Yes, this will skim off about 10 calories and a few grams of fat per bar, but to slim these babies down even more, there are two other options:

1. Simply half the icing recipe — this will save you about 50 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 10 milligrams of cholesterol per bar (based on 24 bars).

OR

2. Save the same amount of calories as above by decreasing portions — make 48 bars (instead of 24).

Get the original recipe »

Check out more lighter tips for Food Network’s Top 50 Recipes:
• #4 Tyler’s Chicken Enchiladas »
]]> http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/18/fns-top-recipes-lightened-up-4-paulas-pumpkin-bars/feed/ 2 http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/11/fns-top-recipes-lightened-up-5-chicken-enchiladas/ http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/11/fns-top-recipes-lightened-up-5-chicken-enchiladas/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:15:43 +0000 Dana Angelo White http://blog.healthyeats.com/?p=13010
Every January, our big sister, FoodNetwork.com, tallies up their most-viewed recipes of the previous year. They’ve just unveiled their Top 50 Recipes of 2009 — all scrumptious dishes but not exactly waistline-friendly fare! If you’re tempted to try out the best of the best, we don’t want you to blow your diet. Every week, we are looking at one of the top five recipes and offering some simple tips for slimming them down without losing their flavor.

Coming in at #5 is Tyler Florence’s Chicken Enchiladas. Good news: This dish is healthier than you might think.

Say Ole!
Mexican dishes don’t have to be heavy. This recipe calls for skinless chicken breast, which is low in fat and high in hunger-fighting protein. It also uses corn tortillas instead of flour, saving 100 calories per serving.

Our tips for a lighter version:
• Skim off 50% of the fat by cutting the cheese in half or switching to a lighter version.
• Use a combo of salsa or chopped tomatoes and less enchilada sauce to cut back on the sodium.
• Pass on the optional sour cream and use non-fat Greek yogurt instead (or a low-fat sour cream).
• The recipe makes 16 enchiladas, two per person; stick to one and balance your meal with a veggie-filled salad.

See the original recipe »

]]> http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/11/fns-top-recipes-lightened-up-5-chicken-enchiladas/feed/ 4 http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/05/grilled-cheese-lightened-up/ http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/05/grilled-cheese-lightened-up/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:30:55 +0000 Dana Angelo White http://blog.healthyeats.com/?p=12920
Who doesn’t love the ooey-gooey goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich? You can enjoy the scrumptious combo of toasted bread and melted cheese without throwing your healthy eating plan out the window.

Bread & Cheese
A typical grilled cheese can tip the scales at 700 calories per serving. When made with hefty amounts of cheese and butter, your sandwich’s saturated fat content skyrockets — not very heart-healthy!

Because the ingredients for this dish are minimal, you want them to be high quality and full of flavor (diet bread and fat-free cheese just won’t do!). Choose a whole-grain bread that has 110 calories or less per slice and match it up with a small amount — only 100 calories worth — of a really flavorful cheese such as Manchego, Swiss or goat cheese. Pre-sliced, low-fat cheeses usually have about 70 to 100 calories per slice — cheddar, Jarlsberg Lite, provolone or pepper jack are all yummy choices and as long as they’re low fat or part skim, you’ll still get the flavor.

Layering in the Flavor
Instead of just relying on cheese to bulk up your sandwich, add flavorful ingredients that are lower on the calorie scale. Spread on your favorite condiments and toss in just about any veggie you can think of or even a fruits such as green apple slices or a tart jam spread. You can also add in some hunger-fighting protein to keep your sandwich satisfying without the fat (though, yes, we know that is veering off from the classic).

Here are some winning combinations:
• Turkey, Swiss and sundried tomatoes on whole-wheat bread
• Low-fat cheddar, honey mustard and granny smith apple slices on multi-grain bread
• Goat cheese, tomato and baby spinach in a whole-wheat pita
• Part-skim mozzarella, basil and roasted red pepper on whole-wheat bread
• Manchego, arugula and olive tapenade on an English muffin
• Jarlsberg Lite, grilled chicken breast and BBQ sauce on potato bread
• Low-fat cheddar, salsa and spinach on multi-grain bread

Heating It Up
When it comes to grilling your sandwich, pass on the butter or oily griddle. Use a nonstick pan or panini press along with some nonstick cooking spray. The cheese will be melty and the bread toasty without adding in additional calories and fat from gobs of butter.

Recipes to Try:
• Grilled Blue Cheese and Fruit
• Easy, Spicy, Veggie Grilled Cheese (shown above)
• Light Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches
• Pressed Cheese Sandwiches

[Photo by Annacia / Recipezaar]

TELL US: How do you make grilled cheese?

]]> http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2010/01/05/grilled-cheese-lightened-up/feed/ 24 http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2009/12/28/beef-stew-lightened-up/ http://blog.healthyeats.com/blog/2009/12/28/beef-stew-lightened-up/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:00:30 +0000 Dana Angelo White http://blog.healthyeats.com/?p=12785
Love the stick-to-your-ribs goodness of a hearty beef stew, but want to cut back on the fat and sodium? Pass on the salty canned stuff and try these tips and recipes.

Nutrition Facts
A typical serving of beef stew has anywhere from 200 to 1,000 calories depending on the portion size (restaurants usually go overboard) and the meat used (some cuts have more fat than others). A measly single-cup serving of the canned stuff has almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium, which is more than 40% of your recommended sodium for an entire day.

The Lighter Dish
The essential ingredients for stew — meat, vegetables and broth — are healthy stuff. The problem is that traditional recipes call for massive portions of fatty meats paired with super-salty canned broths. Don’t be turned off by recipes that use wine; a large portion of the alcohol and calories cook away.

Opting for a chicken or veggie stew will cut back on calories and fat, but if you’re looking for the real thing, here are six easy steps:

1. Keep portions sensible – If the recipe makes four to six servings, definitely make it for six.
2. Start with lean cuts of meat – Try London broil, brisket, top round and chuck roast.
3. Add lots of vegetables – More carrots, peas, potatoes, celery, broccoli or even turnips helps bulk up portions while using less meat.
4. Slash the salt – Use low sodium beef broth.
5. Skim off excess fat – Fat will rises to the top as the stew simmers.
6. Add some hunger-fighting fiber – Serve the stew over whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous or barley.

Cooking Tip: Long and slow simmering will concentrate the flavors, which makes meat tender and your stew more flavorful. To save time, prep and chop all your ingredients the night before or prepare the dish in your slow cooker.

Stews are satisfying and affordable meals that are great for feeding a crowd — even if you’re only cooking for a small group, make extra and freeze the rest for later.

Recipes to Try:
• Beef Stew
• Chianti Marinated Beef Stew (shown above)
• Sun of a Gun Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Beef with Root Vegetables
• Mexican Chicken Stew
• Spiced Butternut Squash Stew with Couscous
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