help me makeover my baked ziti please!

Amandawith3kids

as it is, it's 600+ cals a serving. yikes.

when i buy for it, i buy part skim ricotta and low fat mozzarella, but aside from that i dont really know how to make this lighter. under 500 would be an improvement.

as-is:
1 pound ground beef
2 jars meat sauce
1 pound ziti
8oz ricotta
16 oz mozz (8 for the top, 8 to mix in)
maybe a cup of parm if i remember.

when my mom makes it, she goes all out and its epic. totally epic. *but* i cant eat enough of it to feel satisfied, which really sucks. i have to not eat half the day to really enjoy it, and thats no fun either. and i still have to skip the garlic toast.

i dont know how to make my own sauce. it's generally frowned upon to use ground turkey instead of beef, but when mom's not here i can do it. (i prefer it, but i'm not the only cook in the house) i'd take it out of the meal plan, but i'd probably get divorced. and its one of the few meals the kids EAT.

Amestris

You could try using Ronzoni Smart Taste. It won't decrease the calorie content but it will add additional fiber which may help you feel full.

jamoore94

Definitely keep with the low fat dairy products, try using a lower fat ground beef like 93% 7%, replace the meat sauce with an organic low sodium pasta sauce, try using a veggie pasta, or whole wheat pasta. All of those things will not only bring down the calories but add nutrients. Sounds like a good recipe, good luck!

morethenjustmum

The turkey is a great idea, sauce is super easy and will save you on the sodium.
I add a bunch of veg to mine ( I know , for shame lol) some time I do spinach, or brocoli.
If one of my kids is having a picky phase I puree veg into the sauce like cauliflower .

and when I just have to have it traditional style I make sure to eat a big salad / plate of veggies before I dig in. Helps me fill up before I go all out on the ziti.
It really is just tooooooo good tho isn't it.


edit . Try half turkey half beef they may not notice and its a nice to transition.

Holly_belle

How many servings does your recipe make? You make small changes to this that will make it a little lower in calories. Substitute gorund turkey. Jennie-o makes a Italian seasoned variety that works well with meatballs etc. PArt skim mozzerella and substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta. If you want the ricotta, look for a low fat kind. Whole wheat pasta too

melimomTARDIS

Cut the meat in half, use only half a pound.

Amandawith3kids

How many servings does your recipe make? You make small changes to this that will make it a little lower in calories. Substitute gorund turkey. Jennie-o makes a Italian seasoned variety that works well with meatballs etc. PArt skim mozzerella and substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta. If you want the ricotta, look for a low fat kind. Whole wheat pasta too

it makes 8.

i do buy whole wheat pasta most of the time, but with our food budget being what it is i cant always. many times i'll buy whole wheat penne instead of ziti because thats what the store has for the price i want to pay but thats just a different shape. aldi doesnt have much whole wheat pasta just yet, so i get what i can.

Laura732

Well, if you cut anything into small enough servings Low fat versions of the cheeses, maybe cut back on the mozzarella. I like the idea of adding veggies (google the Deconstructed Lasagna recipe from CleanEating.com - that may be a good place to start to revamp the sauce. Might also want to search their site for Ziti recipes.

Francl27

Whole wheat pasta, 93% fat or 95% fat beef (or 99% fat turkey), nonfat ricotta. Look for a sauce with less calories or make your own.

Sounds delicious though...

shortrest

Low fat Cottage cheese is amazing as a substitute for ricotta. I believe the calories are about half. You could replace some or all of the ricotta and mozzarella you mix in. The texture and taste are great.

Also replacing some of the meat with shredded zucchini. You won't know the difference.

caroldavison332

Use 1/2 low fat spicy turkey sausage and 1/2 ground black beans to retain flavor and cut fat. Use less cheeses. I don't recommend low fat because they are "a chemical **** storm". Add veggies like peppers,. Squash, onions, and what have you to your sauce. Serve smaller portions and great salads of kale, onion, mushroom, beans, berries, and seeds with homemade dressing. Serve smaller portions on plates and leave the cooking dish in the oven. Serve heavy fat filled meals like this with a light dessert like jello fruit angel cake and announce before hand you are doing so so they save room.

Amandawith3kids

Use 1/2 low fat spicy turkey sausage and 1/2 ground black beans to retain flavor and cut fat. Use less cheeses. I don't recommend low fat because they are "a chemical **** storm". Add veggies like peppers,. Squash, onions, and what have you to your sauce. Serve smaller portions and great salads of kale, onion, mushroom, beans, berries, and seeds with homemade dressing. Serve smaller portions on plates and leave the cooking dish in the oven. Serve heavy fat filled meals like this with a light dessert like jello fruit angel cake and announce before hand you are doing so so they save room.

the kids actually need to eat more. my oldest in particular, shes underweight due to meds, so i want her to eat this instead of the dessert, esp since she LOVES the ziti, and its one of the few things she'll stuff herself silly with.

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MiloBloom83

You might get a fair reduction by using regular sauce without meat. Maybe a basil tomato. Or do a four cheese sauce and leave the parmesian out of it, but I think parmesian is low in calories anyway. I would be doing sausage instead of hamburger, bigger flavor. Calories are higher though.

Honestly, my solution would be a five mile run followed by wa ting all the ziti...

And ignore a suggestion to sub cottage cheese for ricotta. Its so wrong, I dont know where to begin...

lillilanda

Agree with everything the others have said... But your problem is that every single ingredient on the list is high calorie. If you add in low calorie ingredients, then you will be able to eat a lot more. Roasted eggplant or zucchini maybe?

Kamikazeflutterby

This recipe's pretty good and low cal compared to yours at 570 cal/serving. Of course, it may be a much smaller serving than yours. In general, when I want to make it with even fewer calories I use more tomato sauce and a little less meat and cheese. Regular marinara sauce is a pretty good deal to me calorie-wise so I get or make the tastiest sauce I can. I use part skim mozzarella and reduced fat sour cream, or alternately I exercise more and pile on the good fresh mozzarella because it is crack. Tasty, tasty crack.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Ziti-I/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=baked ziti&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Home Page&soid=sr_results_p1i2

debrakgoogins

One quick way to cut a little fat is to use a lower fat/sugar/sodium sauce. Walnut Acres - Organic No Salt Added Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce is a great one if you can find it in your area. An entire jar has only 270 calories, not fat and no only 90 mg of sodium. Compare that to Prego Heart Smart at 350 calories, 7.5 grams of fat and 1800 mg of sodium! Another trick is to use low fat cottage cheese (blend it in a food processor to make it creamy). For comparison, Daisy Low Fat Cottage Cheese has 180 calories in one cup while part skim ricotta has 320. Fat free cottage cheese is much higher in sodium so I avoid it. Why not use extra lean ground pork? That makes it a Bolognese sauce. One pound has 600 calories and 20 grams of fat. It's more than ground turkey but gives a good flavor and might be a good compromise.

dmpizza

Purebred Italian here.

Ditch the canned meat sauce and make your own tomato sauce. Get Italian peeled tomatoes, like 5 cans, mill them(buy a mill, they are cheap), then heat to a boil for hours with a few basil leaves, a touch of oregano, about two ounces olive oil, and a clove or two of garlic. Let the sauce cool, then freeze it into portions for each meal.
This is what I grew up on.

time4kim2014

You could also make your normal version for your family and then try a healthier version out as well. Yes it is a bit more effort but you would have leftovers for another night.

time4kim2014

Purebred Italian here.

Ditch the canned meat sauce and make your own tomato sauce. Get Italian peeled tomatoes, like 5 cans, mill them(buy a mill, they are cheap), then heat to a boil for hours with a few basil leaves, a touch of oregano, about two ounces olive oil, and a clove or two of garlic. Let the sauce cool, then freeze it into portions for each meal.
This is what I grew up on.

This sounds fantastic...thanks!!!

ndj1979

take out the ricotta and just use mozzarella…

that should lighten it up …I usually make mine with ground hamburger, zitti, sauce, and mozzarella….

ETA - make your own red sauce…get can of cento whole tomatoes and use that ..I believe one container is 175 calories….

KarissaA

I would start by cutting the mozzarella down to a half pound.

Another option is to plan ahead for the day and eat lower cal the rest of the day.

ittybittybadonkadonk

Baked Ziti (from the biggest loser family cook book )

Olive oil spray
1(14 1/2 oz) box fiber enriched ziti or penne rigate ( I used Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1 (15 oz) container fat free ricotti cheese
2 large egg whites
8 ounces (4 cups) finely shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Main Event Marinara Sauce or 3 1/2 cups other low fat , low sodium marinara
2 Tbsp grated reduced fat Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly list a 13x9x2 ceramic or glass baking dish with olive oil spray. Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain. In large mixing bowl mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined . Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined . Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish . Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 cup sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, the sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls and serve.

Makes 8 servings..Per serving: 350 calories, 22 g protein, 57g carbs, 6g fat 20mg cholesterol 8g fiber 429mg sodium

Main Event Marinara sauce

Olive oil spray
1 cup minced yellow or white onion
2 Tbsp freshly minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. no salt added tomato paste
2 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste (optional)

Spray a medium nonstick saucepan with the olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just becoming tender (they should not brown), 4 to 6 minutes.Reduce the heat to low and with a wooden spoon stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, honey, oregano, basil, and pepper flakes until we combined. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour. Season with salt if needed.

Makes 7(1/2 cup) servings: about 3 1/2 cups sauce
Per Serving: 63 calories, 3g protein, 15g carbs, less than 1g fat, 3g fiber 156mg sodium

Both of these recipes are yummy ..Enjoy

F00LofaT00K

Have you tried 96% lean beef? Which ingredient has the most calories? Maybe you can substitute something else for it. Or how about half beef and half turkey? If you cook the turkey in some beef broth and mix it with the beef well, your mother may not even notice.

jenilla1

Ground beef grosses me out - that gristle and grease, yuck! I only use ground turkey. But don't use the 99% lean turkey - it's too dry. Cut out some of the cheese. Don't use canned meat sauce, just use marinara (i make my own) - why would you need meat sauce if you're already adding your own meat? :drinker:

evilqueenT

we use either whole wheat pasta or the barilla white fiber pasta. use reduced fat cheeses. change your sauce from either meat jar sauce to a traditional jar sauce or a combo of part can sauce (like hunt's or whatever brand you prefer) and part crushed tomatoes (especially yummy if you can add fresh herbs like oregano, basil, or italian parsley, or some fresh garlic or onion if those are items you like. and use a smaller quantity and extra lean ground beef (no 80/20).

mals30

I LOVE all Italian dishes...but since cutting out all dairy, processed foods and gluten, It's rare that I get to indulge However, I still have managed to get my fix in. I use gluten free noodles (usually made out of quinoa or brown rice flour)...tastes great and you honestly can't tell the difference. WAY more nutrients. Also, I use ricotta nut cheese instead of ricotta. Sounds seriously crazy, but it's honestly SO good and you can't tell the difference. My fiance eats meat daily and usually turns his nose up to my meals, but I made lasagna with this nut cheese, and it's his favorite lasagna recipe now. So simple to make too! Here's the link: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/06/vegan-chive-ricotta-nut-cheese-spread.html

I also would sub a large can or two of italian spiced crushed tomatoes with sauteed onions and garlic (in coconut oil). Saves on calories! I don't eat meat, so removing the beef would be an instant calorie saver. Maybe try adding veggies (peppers, onions, etc.) instead.

shortrest

You might get a fair reduction by using regular sauce without meat. Maybe a basil tomato. Or do a four cheese sauce and leave the parmesian out of it, but I think parmesian is low in calories anyway. I would be doing sausage instead of hamburger, bigger flavor. Calories are higher though.

Honestly, my solution would be a five mile run followed by wa ting all the ziti...

And ignore a suggestion to sub cottage cheese for ricotta. Its so wrong, I dont know where to begin...

I'd rather sub a little cottage cheese than run 5 miles any day.

Francl27

You might get a fair reduction by using regular sauce without meat. Maybe a basil tomato. Or do a four cheese sauce and leave the parmesian out of it, but I think parmesian is low in calories anyway. I would be doing sausage instead of hamburger, bigger flavor. Calories are higher though.

Honestly, my solution would be a five mile run followed by wa ting all the ziti...

And ignore a suggestion to sub cottage cheese for ricotta. Its so wrong, I dont know where to begin...

I'd rather sub a little cottage cheese than run 5 miles any day.

Forget the cottage cheese. Nonfat ricotta is 45 calories for 1/4 of a cup... it's about the same as nonfat cottage cheese. I don't know why people are trying to switch something that won't even save calories.

I agree though, using a ton of beef plus some meat sauce just seems overkill. Just use plain sauce.

knra_grl

as it is, it's 600+ cals a serving. yikes.

when i buy for it, i buy part skim ricotta and low fat mozzarella, but aside from that i dont really know how to make this lighter. under 500 would be an improvement.

as-is:
1 pound ground beef
2 jars meat sauce
1 pound ziti
8oz ricotta
16 oz mozz (8 for the top, 8 to mix in)
maybe a cup of parm if i remember.

when my mom makes it, she goes all out and its epic. totally epic. *but* i cant eat enough of it to feel satisfied, which really sucks. i have to not eat half the day to really enjoy it, and thats no fun either. and i still have to skip the garlic toast.

i dont know how to make my own sauce. it's generally frowned upon to use ground turkey instead of beef, but when mom's not here i can do it. (i prefer it, but i'm not the only cook in the house) i'd take it out of the meal plan, but i'd probably get divorced. and its one of the few meals the kids EAT.

You might try using:
1 lb ground turkey
2 jars tomato sauce (not meat sauce there are healthier options or you could use one and sub a large can of tomatoes)
Ziti (does it come in whole wheat or multi grain?)
Ricotta - reduced fat and maybe half or 3/4 the amount
Mozza - reduced fat and half or 3/4 the amount
parmesan - half a cup

I really think it's the cheese that increases the cals in this so cut back on that - looks good I may have to try it

darleneasher328

I make this at least every other month, family and friends love it.

Original recipe makes 10 servingsChange Servings
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
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Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.