Best 5 Healthy Meal Makeovers
While you may be sticking to a lighter eating plan in 2015 as part of your New Year's resolution, there's no denying comfort food cravings — especially in the midst of this week's bone-chilling weather. Now you can have the best of both worlds: Cozy up to your favorite hearty recipes, and enjoy lighter versions of them. That's where Food Network's meal makeovers come in. Savory and sweet, these better-for-you alternatives to traditionally indulgent favorites are lighter, but they don't skimp on flavors. Read on below for Food Network's top-five made-over classics, including moist meatloaf and chocolate brownies, then browse all of our healthy comfort foods.
5. Oven-Fried Chicken — Thanks to a thick, crispy breading of mustard-laced mayonnaise and broken bagel chips, this juicy, golden-brown chicken boasts the texture you crave, but the meat is roasted in the oven instead of fried in oil.
4. Dark Chocolate Brownies — Opt for low-fat yogurt and only a splash of oil to add moisture to these tender, cocoa-rich brownies, topped with chopped walnuts for welcome crunch.
3. Mom's Turkey Meatloaf — Ground turkey breast gets a starring role in place of traditional beef in this moist vegetable-studded meatloaf, best finished with a tangy tomato-onion glaze.
2. Hearty Chicken and Dumplings, Lightened Up — Instead of making oversize dumplings, follow Food Network Kitchen's lead and stick with cherry-size drops instead. These light oat-based dumplings plump up in the chicken- and vegetable-filled broth.
1. Three-Cheese Macaroni — Ready to eat in just over 30 minutes, Food Network Magazine's gooey casserole (pictured above) is a family-friendly favorite you can rely on. Featuring a trio of cheeses for flavor, the thick, creamy sauce comes together with no cream at all, in fact — just pureed cauliflower, which promises a smooth consistency.