Skinny-Size It

Molly Morgan, RD, CDN, CSSD

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Skinny-Size It Breakfast

2 Sandwiches, Salads and Soups

3 Healthy Entrées

4 Deliciously Skinny Sides

5 Snacks and Appetizers

6 Sauces, Dressings and Dips

7 Drinks and Smoothies

Skinny References

To my husband and our two little guys, the best supporters.

Acknowledgments

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my husband and our two little guys, who happily tried every recipe in this book because for each recipe that turns out great, there are definitely some that flop in between! Our friends and family are so supportive and have also been taste testers throughout this process and I’m forever grateful for their recipe inspiration, input and suggestions!

Lastly, this book would not be a reality without Holly Schmidt from Hollan Publishing or my Harlequin editor, Sarah Pelz. Your ongoing support and encouragement is incredible and made my second Skinny book come to life!

Introduction

Life has gotten so busy that for many people, meals are primarily purchased and consumed at restaurants and drive-throughs or feature premade foods taken out of bags and boxes at home. Meals eaten out at restaurants are typically higher in fat, including saturated fat, sodium and sugar as compared to what you would make at home. Sometimes restaurant dishes seem like a healthy choice, yet when they arrive at the table, you find that they are swimming in a pool of melted butter or are loaded with salt.

Preparing and eating meals at home gives you control over the quality of the foods you consume and the quantity of fat, sugar and salt added. In addition, when you cook, you burn calories: approximately thirty minutes of cooking translates into ninety calories burned, and the cleanup burns another fifty calories, for a total of 140 calories burned (based on a 150-pound person). By preparing just three meals per week and doing the cleanup, you could burn 21,840 calories a year, which equals six pounds’ worth of calories. And if you prepared Skinny-Size It recipes—creating healthier alternatives by skipping and swapping out high-fat, high-calorie ingredients and avoiding certain cooking methods—you would consume fewer calories.

After writing The Skinny Rules, I was so excited to write Skinny-Size It, because eating healthy can taste great and you can make meals that fill your plate! This book is not about cutting down portion sizes to keep calories in check. Rather the recipes in Skinny-Size It call for plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and spices to maximize portion sizes while focusing on flavor from aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices, allowing you to enjoy a full plate of food for a much lower calorie price tag. I am always on the lookout for recipe ideas: I snap pictures of dishes I find appealing, and I read recipes in cooking magazines. Then I head to the grocery store for the ingredients, return to our kitchen and re-create the recipes in a way that makes them as healthy as can be.

You may notice there are a lot of vegetarian and vegan recipes throughout this book. While I have always worked a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds into my eating routine, for over a year I have gone mostly meatless and have limited the amount of processed foods, high-fat dairy foods and eggs in my eating routine. Why did I revise my eating plan in this way? Research has proven the health benefits of a plant-based diet: weigh less and have a reduced risk for certain types of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. In general, Americans overdo protein and animal foods, consuming too much. Have you ever stopped to consider that nearly every dish on most restaurant menus (and perhaps even your own home dishes) contains either meat, eggs, cheese or other dairy products, and some even feature a combination of all four? Never eating meat, eggs, cheese or other dairy products may not be right for you. However, eating more minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds would certainly be beneficial for everyone, since most people do not eat enough of these foods. Every recipe in Skinny-Size It incorporates them.

Perhaps you were wondering why there are no dessert recipes in this book. The reason I decided to exclude dessert recipes is that while removing a few grams of fat or adding a bit of fiber to a dessert recipe certainly would “health it up,” at the end of the day, it would still be a dessert. I figured that my energy was best spent on developing recipes that could serve as more of a foundation for eating routines, rather than just as icing on the cake. If you’re really craving something sweet at the end of your meals, this book offers a few delicious and satisfying options, such as Baked Apple Pie Parfaits and Apple Cinnamon Chia Swirl Pudding, both in the Snacks and Appetizers chapter.

It is always important to keep the bottom line in mind when it comes to meals: food is fuel. Would you put a type of gas in your car that would stop it from working efficiently? Probably not. Think of foods as fuel for your body, and consider that the right mix certainly can help you to feel and look your best. Last but not least, incorporating the fresh flavors of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and spices and herbs can make healthy recipes taste great. So with that in mind, what are you going to cook today?

Stocking Your Skinny Kitchen

Having a supply of certain ingredients and tools on hand makes it much easier to pull together Skinny meals. Check your cupboards to see which of the ingredients listed here you keep on hand and which ones you need to add to your shopping list.

Fresh herbs and spices

Fresh herbs, like dill and parsley, are too delicate to stock up on in large quantities. On the other hand, fresh gingerroot, a spice that is a necessity when it comes to Skinny cooking, is hearty and holds up well when stored in the refrigerator. If you like having plants, try keeping potted herbs that you use routinely in cooking, such as basil, mint, oregano, parsley and rosemary. I like to keep at least one fresh herb (a favorite is rosemary) plant growing in our kitchen year round, and seasonally we grow the other herbs in the garden. I have to say that herbs are relatively simple to grow. Two that I especially like to keep on hand during the summer months are mint and basil.

Aromatic vegetables

The foundation of flavor in many Skinny-Size It recipes comes from aromatic vegetables including garlic, onions, peppers and celery. These vegetables are full of flavor and deliver vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium and vitamin A. Consider aromatic vegetables like these staples of Skinny cooking!

Vinegars

To add great flavor to sauces and dressings, keep a variety of vinegars in your pantry, including balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and rice vinegar.

Oils

The quality of oil varies, and you definitely get what you pay for. For example, extra-virgin olive oil is more expensive than other olive oil versions because it comes from the first press of the olives and is the most nutrient rich and has a rich olive flavor! In comparison, light olive oil is a more processed oil that is lighter in flavor (but has the same amount of calories and fat). In addition, oils have different smoke points (the maximum temperature to which they can be heated before they break down) and flavor profiles.

The best oils for baking, oven cooking and stir-frying are canola oil, grapeseed oil, extra-virgin olive oil and peanut oil. The best oils for light sautéing, for making sauces and for cooking over low heat are sesame oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil and coconut oil. Keep on hand oils that are suitable for all these tasks. If I were to pick my top two favorite oils, they would be extra-virgin olive oil and sesame oil.

Specialty oils, such as fish oil and flaxseed oil, offer health benefits but do not hold up well when used with heat, so stick to adding these only to smoothies and/or drizzling on a finished recipe. When it comes to these oils, if some is good, more is not better. In large doses (over three grams per day), both fish oil and flaxseed oil can have a thinning effect on the blood and can cause bruising, nosebleeds, nausea and other health issues.

Meat substitutes

There are two meat substitutes that are Skinny staples: tofu and tempeh. Several varieties of tofu are commonly available, including:

 Silken tofu: has a soft texture and a high water content, and is excellent in smoothies and dips and as a swap for eggs.

 Firm tofu: has been slightly pressed but still retains some water, and is perfect for stir-frying and sautéing.

 Extra-firm tofu: is well pressed and has less water, and thus is suitable for marinating and grilling.

Tempeh is made through a natural fermentation process that binds soybeans, and this fermentation process results in a higher protein, fiber and vitamin content. Four ounces of tempeh contains twenty-two grams of protein and twelve grams of fiber. The firm texture of tempeh makes it excellent for marinating and using on sandwiches.

Dairy and eggs

Many foods from the dairy aisle, like plain nonfat Greek yogurt and light cheddar cheese, are essential Skinny ingredients, and once you start working them into your recipes, you won’t turn back. Generally, when it comes to dairy foods, such as yogurt, cheese, cream cheese and cottage cheese, always select low-fat (1 percent) or light products. Typically, I do not suggest fat-free dairy products, because they often don’t melt or perform as well in recipes. One exception to that rule, however, is plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Because of the way Greek yogurt is made, the nonfat version holds up well in recipes and you almost don’t realize that the fat isn’t there.

When it comes to eggs, paying extra for omega-3 eggs is worth it, as these eggs provide a boost of heart-helping omega-3 fats.

Butter or margarine? Both are high in total fat: butter is high in saturated fat, while margarine, which is made with vegetable oils, is lower in saturated fat. It really comes down to your personal flavor preference. Since both are high in fat, a limited amount of either should be consumed. If you do choose margarine, make certain to choose a brand that meets two criteria: it has zero grams of trans fat and it does not have partially hydrogenated oil, a trans fat, listed on the food label. This is important because food-labeling laws allow companies to declare on the Nutrition Facts panel that foods with less than half a gram of trans fat have zero grams. To be certain that a particular food really has zero grams of trans fat, you should review the ingredient list, looking for the words “partially hydrogenated oil.” If the words “partially hydrogenated oil” are listed, this means trans fat and although a food may contain less than half a gram of trans fat per serving, over time that amount adds up, and the goal is to avoid trans fat completely because of its negative impact on heart health.

Flavor boosters

There are ingredients, such as dried herbs and spices, that add great flavor to recipes, and you will want to keep these in your Skinny cupboard. Having a variety of dried herbs and spices on hand is a must. These include dried basil, celery seed, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, dry mustard, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley, paprika, black pepper and white pepper. If you make a Skinny-Size It recipe or one of your own that you feel needs more flavor, before you reach for the salt shaker, try adding an herb or a spice, as it will boost the flavor without adding sodium.

Table salt or sea salt? The biggest difference between table salt and sea salt is in how they are processed. Table salt is mined from salt deposits and then processed, while sea salt is made by evaporating ocean water and usually not processed. Both have the same amount of sodium by weight, which keeps the playing field level. When it comes to adding some salt to a recipe, my personal preference is to add sea salt because the coarser texture packs a bigger sodium taste and can result in less overall salt added for the same taste impact.

A word on sodium: A majority of sodium intake comes from processed foods; in fact, about 75 percent of sodium comes from processed foods or from the salt added to foods in restaurants and other food service locations. Basically, all Americans consume more sodium than they need, with an average intake of about 3,400 milligrams per day. The goal for healthy adults is to consume 2,300 milligrams or less sodium per day. The goal for adults who have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes, and for those who are African American, is to have 1,500 milligrams or less sodium per day. Note: if you are very active for more than one to two hours per day, your sodium needs may be higher because of your rate of sweating. All the recipes in Skinny-Size It skip salt or skimp on the amount of added salt to keep the overall sodium content low. Another key is adding the salt to a dish just before serving, which keeps the salty taste at the top of the dish, instead of dispersing it throughout the dish when it is added during cooking.

Other flavor boosters to keep on hand that are healthier alternatives include lite soy sauce, light coconut milk, low-sodium broth and liquid smoke.

Nuts, seeds and dried fruit

Some Skinny-Size It recipes contain nuts and seeds, which provide healthy (unsaturated) fats and crunch, as well as dried fruit, which lends sweetness. These include walnuts, almonds, raw cashews, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried mango and raisins.

The nuts, seeds and dried fruit you include in a recipe is up to you, so keep on hand those you like best.

The sweet stuff

Skinny-Size It recipes skimp on the amount of sugar added. Making salad dressings and sweet sauces, such as barbecue sauce, from scratch allows you to control the quantity of sugar added. It is a good idea to keep a mix of sweeteners on hand and to select the one that works best in each recipe. Sweeteners include granulated sugar, pure maple syrup, agave nectar, honey and brown sugar.

Is agave nectar a health food? Agave nectar is a mix of fructose (90 percent) and glucose (10 percent), though the amounts of each vary based on how the sugar is processed. Agave nectar is produced from aguamiel, that is, the sap of the agave plant, and is processed until it reaches more or less the consistency of maple syrup. It has a very light taste, and one of its perks is that it is about one and a half times sweeter than table sugar. However, it also has more calories compared to table sugar: sixty calories per tablespoon versus forty calories per tablespoon for sugar. So while agave nectar is used in some of the Skinny-Size It recipes to avoid adding table sugar, it should still be used in moderation.

Grains

The recommendation set forth in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010) is to make at least half your grains whole grains. The Skinny-Size It goal is to make almost all your grains whole grains, as they not only are more nutrient rich than their stripped-down counterparts, but also add excellent flavor and texture to recipes. Whole grains and whole-grain products to stock up on include brown rice, steel-cut oats, rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats), quinoa (red, white, black/purple), whole-wheat panko bread crumbs, oat flour, whole-wheat flour, white whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pasta, soba (100 percent buckwheat) noodles, wheat bran, cornmeal and buckwheat flour.

Skinny Tools

Having the right mix of ingredients is a must, and having the essential tools to prepare healthy foods can make the job easier and, in some cases, more enjoyable too! Check out the list of Skinny tools to have on hand. If your kitchen is missing some of these tools, add them to your wish list and slowly work on getting them.

 Garlic press—e.g., OXO Garlic Press, approximately $20.00

 Salad dressing shaker—e.g., Tupperware Quick Shake Container, $15.00–$20.00

 Mini food processor (1½-cup)—e.g., Black & Decker 1½-Cup Food Chopper, $13.00–$20.00

 Large food processor (5- to 9-cup)—e.g., Cuisinart 5-Cup Food Processor, $270.00

 Cast iron skillet (12-inch)—e.g., Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, $18.00

 Large stainless-steel skillet (14-inch)—e.g., All-Clad, $180.00–$200.00

 Stockpots and soup pots (small [3-quart], medium [5-quart] and large [8+-quart])—prices vary

 Blender and/or immersion blender—e.g., Bamix Immersion Blender, $179.00

 Cut-resistant gloves—e.g., Microplane Cut-Resistant Gloves, $15.00

 Salad spinner—e.g., OXO Salad Spinner (small or large), $24.00–$30.00

 Mini colander (2- to 3-cup)—e.g., Crate and Barrel, $7.00

 Wok (13-inch)—e.g., Calphalon Stainless Wok, $100.00

 Rice cooker (works great for quinoa too!)—e.g., Oster Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, $20.00

 Pizza stone—e.g., Breville Smart Oven Pizza Stone, $30.00

Skinny Skimps, Swaps and Skips

The Skinny-Size It recipes have already made these skimps, swaps and skips for you! You can use this chart to move some of your not so Skinny recipes over to the Skinny side.

Whole eggs

 Swap one whole egg for two egg whites. This works great in baking. For every whole egg you swap out, you will save 184 milligrams of cholesterol and five grams of fat.

 Swap one whole egg for two ounces of silken tofu. This works great in egg scrambles.

 Use an egg replacer (such as Ener-G Egg Replacer) made with potato and tapioca flours in baked goods to forgo eggs altogether. Note that 1½ teaspoons egg replacer + 2 tablespoons warm water equals one egg. Works great in cookies, quick breads, muffins and brownies.

Flour

 Replace at least half the non-whole-grain flour in most recipes with 100 percent whole-grain flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat or buckwheat). This works especially great with cookies, muffins and quick breads.

 Swap one-quarter of the flour in a recipe for flaxseed meal to boost the fiber content of a recipe.

Milk

 Swap low-fat cow’s milk for almond milk and save sixty calories per cup and gain 1½ grams of monounsaturated fat per cup (from the almonds)!

 Swap whole milk or 2 percent milk for 1 percent milk or skim milk to reduce the calories and fat in a recipe.

 Swap buttermilk for the same amount of low-fat milk plus one tablespoon of vinegar.

 Swap heavy cream for cashew cream, which is loaded with heart-healthy unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat. Soak one cup of raw cashews overnight (or for at least thirty minutes), drain most of the water, reserving it, and blend the cashews in a blender until creamy, adding a teaspoon of the reserved water at a time, if needed. Stir the cashew cream into soups and sauces to thicken them!

Oil

 Reduce the amount of oil in a recipe by half or skip it all together (depending on the recipe).

 For baked items, such as muffins and quick breads, substitute equal parts unsweetened applesauce for oil.

 Sauté vegetables without any oil! Each tablespoon of oil, even extra-virgin olive oil, adds 120 calories and fourteen grams of fat to a dish. Even though it is healthy fat, it still has calories, and it is easy to overdo it.

Sweet onions

When making soups and sauces, start with sautéed sweet onions to add fresh flavor and to limit the amount of heavier ingredients that must be added during cooking.

Sugar

Skimp on or skip the added sugar in recipes and rely on the flavors of the ingredients instead. Typically, at least a third of the sugar in a recipe can be removed without altering the texture of the finished product very much.

Sour cream

Substitute plain nonfat Greek yogurt for sour cream. Thanks to the thick, creamy texture of Greek yogurt, you won’t even miss the added fat. Works great for dips, salads and sauces.

Cheese

Switch from full-fat cheese to 50 percent light cheese or part-skim varieties to eliminate about half the saturated fat.

Salt

Although it is tempting to add salt to boost the flavor of a dish, instead look first to spices and herbs, such as basil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley and rosemary.

1

Skinny-Size It Breakfast

Tempted to skip breakfast because you don’t feel hungry in the morning? Think again! Studies continue to pile up that link eating breakfast to weighing less. Researchers have found that breakfast skippers engage in lower levels of physical activity and have a lower fruit and vegetable intake, and they have increased levels of fat and soft drink consumption—all factors that go against the Skinny Rules. Eating a higher amount of overall calories at breakfast is linked to lower weight gain in middle age. It is also interesting that in research studies, the groups that had the highest percentage of calories at breakfast had a higher total daily energy intake, yet they gained the least amount of weight. So forget just moving through your morning with a cup of coffee. Instead, work these Skinny-Size It breakfasts into your routine to fuel your body!

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Yield: 4 servings

Before:

Grabbing a breakfast burrito at a restaurant can translate into consuming as much as or more than 30 grams of fat, 600 calories and 2,000 milligrams of sodium, which is nearly a day’s worth of sodium.

Skinny Shopping:

Look for corn tortillas in the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store. Most corn tortillas only have around 10 milligrams of sodium. Remember to double-check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts panel as it can vary greatly when making your selection. Many tortillas, especially flour tortillas, have 400 or more milligrams of sodium per tortilla! Salsa can be loaded with sodium too—opt for fresh salsas for the lowest sodium content, like Wholly Salsa, with only 25 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Skinny-Size It:

Fueling your body in the morning is essential, and whipping up this burrito takes only a matter of minutes. The filling is a mix of sautéed vegetables, whole eggs and egg whites, and it is wrapped up in a soft corn tortilla. It’s then garnished with light toppings, like nonfat Greek yogurt, salsa and shredded light jalapeño cheese. You will be starting your day the Skinny way—with only a fraction of the calories, fat and sodium compared to the traditional breakfast burrito.

Skinny Cooking:

Sautéing is traditionally done with oil and/or butter, which adds calories and fat. Each tablespoon of oil adds 120 calories and 14 grams of fat to a recipe. The Skinny way is to sauté sans oil! Believe it or not, it actually works. Vegetables like onions and peppers have water in them which sweat as they are cooked and provide moisture to sauté. Another option is to prepare the pan with nonstick cooking spray, although cooking sprays are not truly calorie free or fat free; the first ingredient on the ingredient list is oil. Food labeling laws allow less than 5 calories or less than half grams of fat to round down to zero on the Nutrition Facts panel. So although cooking spray has fewer calories and less fat compared to pouring oil into a pan, when possible the skinniest way is to skip it all together!

Ingredients

¹/₂ cup diced sweet onion

¹/₂ cup diced red bell pepper

4 large eggs

4 large egg whites

8 small (6-inch) soft white corn tortillas

¹/₂ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

¹/₂ cup fresh tomato salsa of your choice

¹/₂ cup shredded light jalapeño cheddar cheese (such as Cabot Jalapeño Light Cheddar Cheese)

Directions

1 Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2 Add the whole eggs and the egg whites and scramble until they are cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

3 Warm the tortillas in a microwave oven by placing them on a microwave-safe plate and covering them with a damp paper towel. Microwave them on high in 30-second intervals until they are warm and pliable.

4 Arrange the warmed tortillas on 4 individual plates. Spread yogurt, salsa and cheese on each, and then top with the egg-veggie mixture. Fold the tortillas in half, and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

300 calories, 9 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 220 milligrams cholesterol, 400 milligrams sodium, 36 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 17 grams protein

EGG-LIKE BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE

Yield: 2 servings

Before:

Traditional egg scrambles are loaded with cholesterol. In just 3 eggs there are 558 milligrams of cholesterol, which is almost double the daily recommended heart-healthy limit of 300 milligrams. Plus, traditional egg scrambles pack around 300 calories or more.

Skinny-Size It:

The Egg-Like Breakfast Scramble contains only a third of the calories, thanks to exchanging the eggs for silken tofu. It also boasts 0 milligrams of cholesterol and only 110 calories. You even could add a slice of 100 percent whole-wheat toast and still consume fewer calories than are contained in a traditional egg scramble alone.

Skinny Shopping:

Like all tofu, silken tofu is made from soybeans. It has a softer, more delicate texture than regular tofu. At the store, you can find it in shelf-stable (aseptic) packaging or in the refrigerated section, near the rest of the tofu selections.

Ingredients

1 cup diced red bell pepper

¹/₂ cup diced sweet onion

8 ounces silken tofu, drained on paper towels

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

Sea salt, to taste

Directions

1 Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the peppers and onions until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2 Add the tofu, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt, and mix well. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the scramble is hot. Serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

110 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium, 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar, 7 grams protein

SKINNY SKILLET SCRAMBLE

Yield: 2 servings

Before:

Breakfast skillets are often loaded with calories and fat. When you order a breakfast skillet in a restaurant, it can have as much as 700 calories and 50 grams of fat.

Skinny-Size It:

Incorporating lots of vegetables and beans produces a more flavorful, lighter version of the breakfast skillet, without all the fat and calories. To make it even lighter, swap all the whole eggs for egg whites, since the yolk is where the majority of calories in an egg is stored. The white is a complete source of protein, yet it has only 15 calories. The Skinny Skillet Scramble has only 190 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

Ingredients

1 small red potato, diced

¹/₂ medium sweet onion, peeled and diced

¹/₂ medium red or green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 large egg whites

2 large eggs

¹/₄ cup shredded light cheddar cheese (such as Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar Cheese)

Directions

1 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the potatoes, onions and peppers until all the vegetables have browned and are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the black beans and garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes more.

2 Add the egg whites and the whole eggs to the vegetable-bean mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until the eggs have set, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3 Sprinkle the cheese over the scramble, cover the skillet and let the cheese melt, about 2 minutes. Serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

190 calories, 4 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 110 milligrams cholesterol, 150 milligrams sodium, 22 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 17 grams protein

APPLE QUINOA CRUNCH

Yield: 4 servings

While oatmeal is a great way to start the day, quinoa is a fabulous alternative to work into your breakfast lineup.

Before:

Many breakfast cereals have a lot of added sugar in the form of corn syrup or brown sugar.

Skinny-Size It:

This cereal features fresh fruit, diced apple, to sweeten your breakfast without adding sugar. In addition, the chopped almonds add crunch, healthy fat and flavor.

Skinny Shopping:

Quinoa is a seed that cooks up like a grain. It is a complete protein, because it has all the essential amino acids. Look for quinoa near the rice in your grocery store. It comes in red, white and purple/black varieties. Nutritionally, they are all the same, but the red variety tends to have a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa (¹/₃ cup dry)

2 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for cooking) apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 ounce (about 22 nuts) unsalted almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/₄ cup low-fat milk or almond milk

Directions

1 Combine the quinoa, apples, almonds and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cereal is heated through.

2 Spoon the cereal into serving bowls, top with a tablespoon of milk, and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

120 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar, 4 grams protein

OATMEAL OMEGA PARFAIT

Yield: 1 serving

Before:

Granola parfaits are often loaded with calories from sugar and sugary sweet granola. While they may contain some whole grains, when you really look at the nutrition details, is this really the best choice? Furthermore, traditional granola parfaits tend to leave you with a quick energy crash after the sugar rush.

Skinny-Size It:

Make your own parfait by layering oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt and Barlean’s Strawberry Banana Omega Swirl Flax Oil. This is a winning combination that will fill you up without the sugar rush and energy crash. Oatmeal Omega Parfait contains only 9 grams of sugar per serving, and the fiber and protein will help to keep you full and will help balance blood sugar levels, too.

Skinny Tip:

What is the difference between steel-cut oats and rolled oats? Steel-cut oats are whole-grain groats (grains of oat missing only the hull) that are cut into little pieces and when cooked have a heartier texture. Rolled oats (aka old-fashioned oats) are oat groats that have been steamed and rolled to reduce the cooking time. Nutritionally both are a great option but switch it up from time to time for the texture variety!

Ingredients

¹/₂ cup cooked steel-cut or old-fashioned oats (¹/₄ cup dry oats)

¹/₂ cup sliced strawberries

¹/₂ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Barlean’s Strawberry Banana Omega Swirl Flax Oil

Directions

1 In a clear 12-ounce or larger drinking glass, layer the oatmeal, sliced strawberries, yogurt and flax oil, alternating, up to the top of the glass. Serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

230 calories, 7 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 55 milligrams sodium, 30 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar, 15 grams protein

TROPICAL MANGO OATMEAL

Yield: 2 servings

Before:

Many oatmeal recipes contain added sugar, which delivers sweetness but is not nutrient rich.

Skinny Shopping:

Coconut milk is typically found in the baking section and the ethnic food section of the grocery store. Regular coconut milk is high in calories and saturated fat, so the Skinny choice is light coconut milk. Not only does it have a lighter calorie price tag, but it is also full of flavor. In general, the goal is to limit the amount of saturated fat in your diet, though research is finding that not all saturated fats are created equal. For example, the saturated fat in coconut milk is lauric acid, which doesn’t seem to adversely impact heart health.

Skinny-Size It:

To add sweetness to dishes, turn to fresh fruit. For example, this recipe derives its sweet taste from mango (a personal favorite), shredded coconut and light coconut milk, resulting in a tropical way to start your day. While the overall sugar content (14 grams per serving) is similar to that of plain oatmeal with a tablespoon of brown sugar, this recipe boasts 4 grams of fiber per serving, which is double the amount in plain oatmeal sweetened with brown sugar thanks to the mango. Plus, the mango provides immune-boosting vitamin A and vitamin C!

Ingredients

1 cup water

¹/₂ cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup diced mango

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

¹/₂ cup light coconut milk

Directions

1 Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oats, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

2 Spoon the oatmeal into 2 serving bowls. Top each bowl with the diced mango, shredded coconut and coconut milk, and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

160 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 15 milligrams sodium, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

BRAN FLAX MUFFINS

Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)

Before:

Store-bought muffins tend to be gigantic in size, and one muffin can have as much fat as you need for a whole day. In addition to their large size and fat content, they tend to be made with all-purpose white flour, which lacks fiber and other key nutrients.

Skinny-Size It:

Whole-wheat flour, flaxseed meal and wheat bran not only make a wonderful base for a muffin, but they also deliver fiber to help balance blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full! This muffin gains additional fiber from shredded carrots and apples and uses the Skinny swap of 4 egg whites, instead of 2 whole eggs.

Skinny Tip:

Flaxseed meal is made from flaxseeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are high in fiber.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin

1 ¹/₂ cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

³/₄ cup flaxseed meal

³/₄ cup wheat bran

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

³/₄ cup low-fat milk

4 large egg whites, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¹⁄₂ cups shredded carrots

2 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and shredded

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.

2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.

3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the milk, egg whites and vanilla, and stir until well combined.

4 Fold in the shredded carrots and apples.

5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is about three- quarters full.

6 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

170 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium, 32 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 16 grams sugar, 6 grams protein

WHOLE-WHEAT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)

Before:

Many fruit muffins gain their sweetness from added sugar and have only a small amount of actual fruit. Plus they are typically made with all-purpose white flour.

Skinny Swap:

Buttermilk actually contains no butter, as it is basically the sour milk that results from the curdling of the milk proteins and can have 5–8 grams of fat, or more, per cup. Buttermilk is used frequently in baking. Rather than buying buttermilk, make your own. Simply mix together 1 cup of low-fat milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes, and the proteins will begin to curdle. This homemade buttermilk recipe results in only 2.5 grams of fat per cup.

Skinny-Size It:

By switching from all-purpose white flour to whole-wheat flour and adding lots of fruit to these muffins, you end up with 3 grams of fiber in each muffin. Additionally, the recipe relies on the natural sweetness of fruit, thus eliminating the need for much added sugar.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¹/₂ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

³/₄ cup low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)

2 large egg whites, beaten

2 tablespoons melted unsalted margarine (such as Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread) or butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.

2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.

3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, margarine and vanilla, and stir until well combined.

4 Fold in the blueberries.

5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is about two-thirds full.

6 Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

130 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 410 milligrams sodium, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 12 grams sugar, 4 grams protein

CARROT CAKE MUFFINS

Yield: 24 servings (1 muffin each)

Before:

Carrot cake is traditionally a calorie-heavy, sugary dessert. An average-size slice of traditional carrot cake could have as many as or even more than 350 calories, 15 or more grams of fat and lots of added sugar.

Skinny-Size It:

Changing this traditional dessert to a muffin format and tweaking the ingredients transforms it into a great breakfast that will fuel your morning, with only 120 calories per muffin and 5 grams of fat (one-third the total fat of a typical version of the original dessert). This recipe contains nearly double the amount of shredded carrots found in typical carrot cake recipes and derives more natural sweetness from pineapple. In my first version of this recipe, I included a Skinny version of traditional heavy cream cheese frosting. However, my taste testers said the muffins were even better without it! The frosting recipe became a dip instead (see Whipped Pineapple Dip)!

Skinny Kitchen:

A quick and easy way to grate carrots is with a shredding blade in a food processor.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or 24 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin

1 cup sugar

¹/₂ cup canola oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots (6 to 8 medium carrots)

¹/₂ cup crushed pineapple, drained

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 24-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.

2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla, and mix well.

3 In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon, and stir until well combined. Add the dry mixture to the large bowl containing the sugar, oil and egg mixture, and stir until well combined.

4 Fold in the carrots and the pineapple.

5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is half full.

6 Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

120 calories, 5 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams sugar, 2 grams protein

APPLE MUFFINS

Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)

Before:

Say good-bye to oily muffins!

Skinny-Size It:

These muffins are moist without any added oil. The moisture in the muffins comes from shredded apples and applesauce. Switching from 2 whole eggs to 4 egg whites skims about 368 milligrams of cholesterol and 10 grams of fat from the recipe (since a large whole egg contains about 5 grams of fat), and using whole-wheat flour adds fiber along with vitamins and minerals.

Skinny Tip:

If you do not like the taste of whole-wheat flour, try white whole-wheat flour, which is milled from white wheat, a variety of wheat that is lighter in color and flavor than traditional red wheat yet delivers all the nutrition of whole wheat.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin

1 ¹/₂ cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¹/₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

4 large egg whites, beaten

¹/₂ cup brown sugar

¹/₂ cup Applesauce (see recipe)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and shredded

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.

2 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix well.

3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the egg whites, brown sugar, Applesauce and vanilla, and stir until well combined.

4 Fold in the apples.

5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that it is evenly distributed.

6 Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

120 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium, 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

BLUEBERRY BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES

Yield: 6 servings (2 pancakes each)

Before:

Depending on how pancakes are made, you can wind up starting your day with a whole lot of empty calories, little to no fiber and lots of sugar from syrup.

Skinny-Size It:

These pancakes are half whole-wheat flour and half buckwheat flour, which mixes up the taste while still adhering to 100 percent whole grains. And for sweetness, this recipe calls for blueberries in the batter and my homemade Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe) as the topping.

Skinny Tip:

Although the word buckwheat would lead you to think that buckwheat is a grain, it is actually the fruit seeds of an herb, the buckwheat plant, though it is still considered to be part of the whole-grain family. The triangular-shaped seeds are ground into flour, which has a nutty flavor and is gluten free. Because of its strong flavor, buckwheat flour is typically mixed with other flours. Look for buckwheat flour in the grocery store baking aisle, near the all-purpose white flour, or check the health food section of the store for this flour.

Ingredients

³/₄ cup whole-wheat flour

³/₄ cup buckwheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

1 ¹/₂ cups low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)

2 large egg whites, beaten

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the skillet or griddle

¹/₂ cup Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe)

Directions

1 In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, baking soda and sea salt, and mix well.

2 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk and egg whites, and stir until well combined.

3 Fold in the blueberries.

4 Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray and then heat it over medium heat.

5 Working in batches, ladle 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet or griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook it on the other side, about 1 minute more. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

6 Serve the pancakes at once with the Blueberry Maple Syrup.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

190 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, < 5 milligrams cholesterol, 450 milligrams sodium, 38 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar, 7 grams protein

VERY BANANA PANCAKES

Yield: 6 servings (2 pancakes each)

Before:

A serving of traditional pancakes can have as much as or even more than 400 calories, 80 milligrams of cholesterol and 38 grams of sugar, while offering only about 1 gram of fiber!

Skinny-Size It:

These Skinny-size pancakes allow you to have the same number of pancakes as in a typical serving but at a cost of only 300 calories, almost no cholesterol and little added sugars. Most of the sugar in these pancakes comes from the fresh bananas in the batter, and a serving contains 6 grams of belly-filling fiber, thanks to the combination of whole-wheat (or oat) flour and oatmeal!

Skinny Swap:

In any pancake, muffin or cookie recipe swap each whole egg for 2 egg whites. This single change will trim the recipe by 65 calories, 5 grams of fat and 186 milligrams of cholesterol. Additionally, instead of all-purpose white flour, use 100 percent whole-wheat or oat flour, found in the grocery store baking aisle.

Ingredients

³/₄ cup old-fashioned oats

1 ¹/₂ cups low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)

³/₄ cup whole-wheat flour or oat flour

1 ¹/₂ teaspoons baking powder

³/₄ teaspoon baking soda

¹/₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 medium bananas, plus 1 sliced for garnishing

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the skillet or griddle

¹/₂ cup Banana Maple Syrup (see recipe)

Directions

1 In a small bowl, soak the oats in 3/4 cup of the buttermilk for 10 minutes.

2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.

3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the egg whites, brown sugar, the remaining 3/4 cup of buttermilk and the oat-buttermilk mixture, and mix until just combined.

4 Mash 2 of the bananas and fold gently into the pancake batter.

5 Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray and then heat it over medium heat.

6 Working in batches, ladle 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet or griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook it on the other side, about 1 minute more. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

7 Garnish the pancakes with the banana slices and serve at once with the Banana Maple Syrup.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

300 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, < 5 milligrams cholesterol, 520 milligrams sodium, 60 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 26 grams sugar, 10 grams protein

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