49 Lightened-Up Recipes That Are Comforting and Delicious

When you’re craving comfort food but want something a little bit healthier, sometime the smallest tweaks can make all the difference. Baking instead of frying, substituting ingredients or amping up a classic with extra protein and fiber—it’s easy to make your favorite dishes low-calorie, low-fat or even low-carb without cutting back on flavor. These recipes will show you exactly how, starting with a decadently creamy macaroni and cheese that cuts calories and fat by relying on a sauce that’s enhanced with pureed cauliflower.

This rich and creamy pudding sneaks in sweet potatoes for extra nutrition while delivering deep chocolate flavor you can feel good about.

This lightened-up dip delivers the bold, spicy flavor you crave with a healthy twist from Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cheese.

Our test kitchen trimmed traditional chicken parm down to just 435 calories, with less fat and more flavor from fresh tomato sauce and crisp breading.

Want to cut 291 calories and 21 grams of fat off the average slice of cheesecake? That's exactly what this recipe does—without sacrificing any of the richness or flavor.

Ellie's potluck-perfect baked beans feature lean, smoked ham instead of bacon and get their sweet side from molasses, not refined sugar.

Dense, chocolatey brownies topped with creamy cheesecake swirls can't be part of a healthy diet, can they? The answer is yes when you make our version with only 200 calories per serving.

Sweet potatoes sub in for lasagna noodles in this twist on the classic, while spinach adds a pop of color (and plenty of nutrition). The result is a hearty and satisfying main dish that just happens to be vegetarian and gluten-free too!

Thanks to the flavors of chili paste, garlic, cilantro and jalapeño, this six-layer dip tastes just as good as the original recipe, but has fewer calories and less fat.

Our test kitchen transformed a traditional butter-laden cake into this better-for-you version—that still boasts an intense cocoa flavor.

Bobby Flay's recipe has 300 fewer calories and 65 percent less fat than a serving of restaurant-style meatloaf. Panko breadcrumbs give the meatloaf a light, airy texture.

Ellie's baked "fries" allow you to indulge whenever the craving strikes.

You may think of this classic as fairly healthy, but the average recipe has more than 800 calories and 56 grams of fat per serving. But don't worry; we'll show you how to trim it to just 215 calories and 6 grams of fat.

We gave the classic corn muffin an overhaul, saving you 187 calories and 12 grams of fat. This one has another advantage: it's studded with plump raspberries which are a great source of fiber—and taste delicious.

By substituting buttermilk and oil for the butter in a traditional lemon cake recipe, we were able to cut calories without losing any flavor or moisture.

Butter, lemon, garlic and shrimp — this can't-go-wrong combo even works on roasted spaghetti squash.

Made with veggies, egg whites and turkey bacon, this comforting breakafst or brunch classic clocks in at just 255 calories per protein-filled serving.

A quick and easy weeknight meal with just 315 calories? What's not to love about that?!

Simple swaps like turkey bacon and reduced-fat jack cheese make these Tex-Mex snacks irresistible and good for you.

There's no need to give up chocolate when you're cutting back as long as you keep this creamy, dreamy recipe handy.

You won't miss the extra fat and calories in these savory, bite-sized snacks—and you won't believe that one serving has just 220 calories!

Pizza for breakfast? Ellie Krieger says it's an excellent source of essential nutrients like protein, calcium and fiber—so go ahead!

Potatoes are full of potassium and vitamin C, plus lots of carbohydrates for much-needed energy. Rachael Ray cuts calories in her mashed spuds by using turkey bacon and buttermilk instead of sour cream.