help me makeover my baked ziti please!

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Amandawith3kids
Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
in Recipes
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.
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Replies

  • Amestris
    Amestris Posts: 152 Member
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    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
    jamoore94 Posts: 46 Member
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    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
    morethenjustmum Posts: 170 Member
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    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
    Holly_belle Posts: 4,042 Member
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    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
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    Cut the meat in half, use only half a pound.
  • Amandawith3kids
    Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
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    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
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
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    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
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    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
    shortrest Posts: 11
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    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
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    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
    Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
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    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.
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,723 Member
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    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
    lillilanda Posts: 27 Member
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    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
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 775 Member
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    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
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    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
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    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
    time4kim2014 Posts: 85 Member
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    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
    time4kim2014 Posts: 85 Member
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    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
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    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….

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