FN's Top Recipes, Lightened Up: #4 Paula's Pumpkin Bars
These delectable bars were number four on Food Network’s Top 50 Recipes of 2009. Here are a few simple tips to slim them down without using lower-fat ingredients (seriously!).
This fan favorite recipe uses canned pumpkin, which adds moisture and flavor without much fat. Pumpkins are loaded with beta-carotene and the antioxidant lutein, which keep your eyes, skin and heart healthy.
For the bars, swap in canola oil instead of vegetable oil to make the fat more heart healthy.
For the icing, you could turn to low-fat cream cheese. Yes, this will skim off about 10 calories and a few grams of fat per bar, but to slim these babies down even more, there are two other options:
1. Simply half the icing recipe -- this will save you about 50 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 10 milligrams of cholesterol per bar (based on 24 bars).
2. Save the same amount of calories as above by decreasing portions -- make 48 bars (instead of 24).
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Check out more lighter tips for Food Network's Top 50 Recipes: