Makeovers for all your favorite comfort foods
ChristinaOrtiz23
Posts: 1,546 Member
Cheese Fries
French fries are a high-fat food; the cheese sauce adds still more fat and salt. The potato base is a simple carbohydrate, which the body breaks down into sugar.
Kerry's makeover Slice potatoes, toss them in olive oil and seasonings other than salt (such as black pepper or garlic powder) and bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet at 450˚F until they're tender and brown (about 30 minutes). For a low-fat cheese sauce, whisk 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of fat-free milk. Then heat another cup of fat-free milk over medium heat. Add the flour/milk mixture and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and add a dash each of dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt and 1/2 cup of low-fat cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts, then pour over the fries
Potato Skins
The potato is hollowed out and the skin is deep-fried and filled with a fatty/salty combination of bacon bits, sour cream, and heaps of cheese.
Kerry's makeover Microwave potatoes until they're tender. Cut them in half. Scoop out the flesh (use it later in mashed potatoes or some other dish), leaving just a thin rim. To get the skins crunchy without frying, brush inside and out with olive oil (add seasonings to the oil if you want). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 450˚F until the potatoes are hot and crispy (about 20 minutes). Top with sautéed mushrooms, onions, or other veggies, a pinch of low-fat cheddar, and 1/2 teaspoon of fat-free sour cream (optional).
Buffalo Wings
These come from the fattiest parts of a chicken, which are partially deep-fried at a production plant and then deep-fried again at the restaurant, essentially doubling the fat. The creamy (read: fatty) or sugary dipping sauces they come with are heavily salted.
Kerry's makeover Marinate chicken tenders (much leaner than wings) for an hour or so in a mix of low-fat buttermilk and a few teaspoons of hot sauce, then dip them in a mixture of equal parts whole-wheat and white flour. Instead of deep-frying, sauté the chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil. Serve the "wings" alongside celery and carrot sticks with reduced-fat blue-cheese dressing. If it's the sauce you crave, skip the chicken and dunk the veggies
Spinach Dip
Don't kid yourself that you're eating a vegetable. The spinach here provides little more than color. The main ingredient is actually a dairy product that's high in both fat and sodium.
Kerry's makeover Defrost a box of frozen spinach, squeeze out the extra liquid, and chop. Mix with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 2 cups of fat-free plain yogurt or nonfat sour cream. Add finely chopped vegetables, like carrots, along with chives and any other herbs you like. Instead of serving on salty chips, put it in a bread bowl: Hollow out a whole-wheat round loaf and cut the insides into cubes for dipping.
Chicken Fingers
So loaded with batter, fat, and salt that one industry insider dubbed them "unidentified fried objects."
Kerry's makeover Cut lean skinless chicken breast into finger-food-size pieces. Smash a cup of corn flakes and mix with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the chicken in whole-wheat flour, dip in a beaten egg, then coat with cereal mix. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and pop it in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
Garden Salad
Chain-restaurant salads are often smothered in a cream-based ranch dressing and flavored with cheese chunks, bacon bits, and oily croutons. They're more like fat served with a little lettuce.
Kerry's makeover Pile your plate with lettuce, veggies, and lean proteins like turkey and tuna. If you want that crouton crunch, top your salad with a cereal like Fiber One. Low-cal dressings can be loaded with sodium, so make your own with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
White-Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
It's coffee diluted with a mix of sugar, fat, and salt, then topped with whipped cream (adding more fat and sugar).
Kerry's makeover At Starbucks, order a Grande Vanilla Latte instead and you'll save about 160 calories. You can also make your own frappe by blending a cup of iced coffee, a cup of nonfat milk, a 1/4 cup nonfat
French fries are a high-fat food; the cheese sauce adds still more fat and salt. The potato base is a simple carbohydrate, which the body breaks down into sugar.
Kerry's makeover Slice potatoes, toss them in olive oil and seasonings other than salt (such as black pepper or garlic powder) and bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet at 450˚F until they're tender and brown (about 30 minutes). For a low-fat cheese sauce, whisk 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of fat-free milk. Then heat another cup of fat-free milk over medium heat. Add the flour/milk mixture and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and add a dash each of dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt and 1/2 cup of low-fat cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts, then pour over the fries
Potato Skins
The potato is hollowed out and the skin is deep-fried and filled with a fatty/salty combination of bacon bits, sour cream, and heaps of cheese.
Kerry's makeover Microwave potatoes until they're tender. Cut them in half. Scoop out the flesh (use it later in mashed potatoes or some other dish), leaving just a thin rim. To get the skins crunchy without frying, brush inside and out with olive oil (add seasonings to the oil if you want). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 450˚F until the potatoes are hot and crispy (about 20 minutes). Top with sautéed mushrooms, onions, or other veggies, a pinch of low-fat cheddar, and 1/2 teaspoon of fat-free sour cream (optional).
Buffalo Wings
These come from the fattiest parts of a chicken, which are partially deep-fried at a production plant and then deep-fried again at the restaurant, essentially doubling the fat. The creamy (read: fatty) or sugary dipping sauces they come with are heavily salted.
Kerry's makeover Marinate chicken tenders (much leaner than wings) for an hour or so in a mix of low-fat buttermilk and a few teaspoons of hot sauce, then dip them in a mixture of equal parts whole-wheat and white flour. Instead of deep-frying, sauté the chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil. Serve the "wings" alongside celery and carrot sticks with reduced-fat blue-cheese dressing. If it's the sauce you crave, skip the chicken and dunk the veggies
Spinach Dip
Don't kid yourself that you're eating a vegetable. The spinach here provides little more than color. The main ingredient is actually a dairy product that's high in both fat and sodium.
Kerry's makeover Defrost a box of frozen spinach, squeeze out the extra liquid, and chop. Mix with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 2 cups of fat-free plain yogurt or nonfat sour cream. Add finely chopped vegetables, like carrots, along with chives and any other herbs you like. Instead of serving on salty chips, put it in a bread bowl: Hollow out a whole-wheat round loaf and cut the insides into cubes for dipping.
Chicken Fingers
So loaded with batter, fat, and salt that one industry insider dubbed them "unidentified fried objects."
Kerry's makeover Cut lean skinless chicken breast into finger-food-size pieces. Smash a cup of corn flakes and mix with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the chicken in whole-wheat flour, dip in a beaten egg, then coat with cereal mix. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and pop it in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
Garden Salad
Chain-restaurant salads are often smothered in a cream-based ranch dressing and flavored with cheese chunks, bacon bits, and oily croutons. They're more like fat served with a little lettuce.
Kerry's makeover Pile your plate with lettuce, veggies, and lean proteins like turkey and tuna. If you want that crouton crunch, top your salad with a cereal like Fiber One. Low-cal dressings can be loaded with sodium, so make your own with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
White-Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
It's coffee diluted with a mix of sugar, fat, and salt, then topped with whipped cream (adding more fat and sugar).
Kerry's makeover At Starbucks, order a Grande Vanilla Latte instead and you'll save about 160 calories. You can also make your own frappe by blending a cup of iced coffee, a cup of nonfat milk, a 1/4 cup nonfat
0
Replies
-
Really like these ideas!0
-
Trying to make "dieting" better !!!!0
-
Thanks!0
