Lighten Up Your Meat
When you're making burgers, meatballs or other ground-meat dishes, combine equal parts of beef or pork with a leaner meat like turkey or chicken. You'll save on fat and calories without sacrificing flavor and texture. We mixed ground beef with ground turkey for Food Network Magazine's Light Shepherd's Pie — if you go all-turkey, you lose that great beefy taste.
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Meatloaf, Lightened Up
I recently ran the numbers on a classic meatloaf recipe and found that it had almost 800 calories and 65 grams of fat per serving! Here are some great ways to lighten up this American favorite.
FN’s Top Recipes, Lightened Up: #2 Paula’s Old-Fashioned Meatloaf
It's no surprise that meatloaf ranks high on Food Network’s Top 50 Recipes of 2009 list -- who doesn't love meatloaf?! And a Paula Deen meatloaf, at that! Ms. Deen isn't known for her low-cal dishes, but we've got some simple tips for slimming this comforting classic.
Cheesecake, Lightened Up
Velvety smooth, sweet and creamy, but with more than 600 calories and 45 grams of fat per slice, can it be part of a healthy diet? Here’s how you can have your (cheese)cake and eat it too!
Hearty Chili, Lightened Up
Yes, it's easy to load up your chili with calories and fat, but here are easy steps to make a pot for under 400 calories per serving.
Grilled Cheese, Lightened Up
Who doesn’t love the ooey-gooey goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich? You can enjoy the scrumptious combo of toasted bread and melted cheese without throwing your healthy eating plan out the window.
Iced Tea, Lightened Up
A tall glass of iced tea is perfect is perfect for chilling -- and re-hydrating -- in the summer heat. You can make a large batch in no time (please, none of that powder stuff!), but knowing what to put in it is the important part. Here are some mixtures to try.
Ribs, Lightened Up
This backyard classic can be tricky to make, messy to eat and tough on the waistline. We can’t do much about the mess, but can help out with everything else. Grab your napkins!
Lobster Rolls, Lightened Up
Gobs of mayo and butter can wreck this summertime goodie. Lighten up your favorite lobster roll recipe and dive in!
Tacos, Lightened Up
Fried shells, fatty meats and piles of high-cal toppings can make tacos a belly buster. But they don't have to be; use our tips to give a make healthier tacos.
Potato Salad, Lightened Up
I’m just starting to see early varieties of potatoes at the farmers market and potato salad recipes are calling out to me! This picnic and barbecue fave is known to be heavy on the fat and calories, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are my favorite ways to lighten up this summertime classic.
