To Your Health
March, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 03) |
|
|
What You Do: Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil and garlic salt.
Gently stir in artichoke. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and lightly brown.
Why It's Better: Using fat-free cream cheese saves about 9 grams of fat, and using fat-free mayonnaise saves about 175 calories. Using part-skim Parmesan and Romano cheese and fat-free mozzarella saves about 48 grams of fat!
Baked Ziti
Prep time: 20 minutes; cook time: about 35 minutes; serves 6
What You Need:
16 oz. whole-wheat ziti
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
15 oz. fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded, part-skim Parmesan cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated, part-skim mozzarella cheese
What You Do: Preheat oven to 350° F. Pasta may be prepared as per directions on packet and drained. Beat egg substitute in a bowl, adding part-skim ricotta cheese, basil, garlic powder and 1 cup part-skim mozzarella; mix. Cooked pasta can now be added with spaghetti sauce (2 cups). Pour 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce into 13x 9 pan, top with ziti mix and remaining sauce. Sprinkle the leftover mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake again for 10-20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
Why It's Better: Although whole-wheat pasta and refined white pasta have a similar number of carbohydrates per serving, the whole-wheat version will keep you fuller longer due to the higher fiber content. Using egg substitute in place of regular eggs saves about 6 grams of fat, and using fat-free ricotta cheese, and part-skim Parmesan and mozzarella can save about 50 grams of fat! Also, there is a higher level of lycopene in the spaghetti sauce (lycopene has been shown to fight certain cancers) because cooking breaks down cell walls, releasing and concentrating carotenoids.
Low-Fat Crustless Quiche
Prep time: 15 minutes; cook time: 55 minutes; serves 8
What You Need:
One 8 oz. container of egg substitute
6 cooked pieces of turkey bacon (broken into small pieces)
One 8 oz package of fat-free cheddar cheese
One 8 oz container of fat-free half and half
¼ cup chopped onion
One 9 inch pie plate
What You Do: Spray pie plate with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Slightly stir to make sure they're all evenly dispersed. Carefully pour into the pie plate. Cook for 15 minutes at 425 degrees then lower temperature down to 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned on the top.
Why It's Better: By using egg substitute instead of real eggs, you save about 48 grams of fat and avoid the cholesterol found in whole eggs. Also, by using fat-free half and half, fat-free cheddar cheese and turkey bacon, you save over 125 grams of fat!
Carey Emmons, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian/nutritionist specializing in wellness dietetics and weight management at the Rothman Institute, a leading orthopedic practice in the greater Philadelphia area.
