Lightened Up Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is something I often see on a menu when eating out.  It always sounds so good, but to be perfectly honest, I've never actually ordered it because I know the main ingredient is butter which is why this dish is very high in fat and calories when ordered at a restaurant.  A traditional shrimp scampi in garlic and butter sauce will contain about 350 calories and 30 grams of fat in a 1/2 cup serving (and we all know we don't normally eat only half a cup of anything).  However, I have been known to steal a shrimp if someone at the table orders it so I do know how delicious it is.  

Since I would like to eat an entire shrimp scampi meal, rather than just one shrimp, I figured it was time to lighten up this dish.  I used fat free chicken broth in place of the butter and for the topping I used Becel Light.  Becel Light is half the calories and fat so you could replace some of the chicken broth with it in this recipe and it wouldn't change the nutritional stats too drastically.  I also used panko crumbs for the topping rather than regular bread crumbs and added some broccoli because I love the combination of with the shrimp and it goes so good with the sauce mixture.  Of course it doesn't hurt that it adds some fibre and extra nutrition as well.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Everyone has a handful of go-to recipes for those crazy weeknights when you barely have time to get dinner on the table.  This is one of my recipes for those nights.  It takes only 5-7 minutes to put together and the oven does the rest.  Not only is it a super quick recipe, it's also super tasty, low in fat and calories and is delicious over a salad the following day.

Food Swap Friday: Fruit Filled Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the healthiest snacks or breakfasts one can eat.  It's full of protein and calcium and usually low in fat.  It's also very convenient making it a great on-the-go option.  The only potential downside to yogurt is if you choose one of the many varieties containing high amounts of sugar and simple carbohydrates (the bad kind of carbs).  

Plain yogurt on its own contains the naturally occurring milk sugar 'lactose'.  This is not an added sugar like that found in the fruit that's added to fruit-filled yogurt.    

Your best option is to add your own fruit to plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt.  In doing so you not only decrease the amount of sugar you're consuming, you're also increasing the amount of fibre.  While the fruit in "fruit bottom yogurt" and yogurt with fruit mixed in is more like a jam and doesn't contain any fibre,  fresh fruit, especially berries, are full of fibre, making you feel full longer.  

If you really like that jam-like texture, you could always add 2 tablespoons of no sugar added jam with actual pieces of fruit in it to your yogurt instead of actual fruit and you'll be taking in far fewer grams of sugar.

While the calories will remain the same whether  you choose to eat yogurt with fruit already mixed in or add your own fruit, you'll be taking in far less sugar and carbohydrates if you choose to plain yogurt.  

Nutritional stats for fruit bottom yogurt (6 oz.)

Calories - 140

Total fat - 1.5g

Sat. fat - 1g

Carbs - 27g

Fibre - 0g

Sugar - 25g

Protein - 6g

VS.

Nutritional stats for plain fat-free Greek yogurt (6 oz.) + 1/2 cup mixed berries

Calories - 100

Total fat - 0g

Carbs - 7g

Fibre - 0g

Sugar - 7g

Protein 18g

Mixed Berries (1/2 cup)

Calories - 35

Total fat - 0g

Carbs - 8.5g

Fibre - 2.5g

Sugar - 5g

Protein - 0.5

Total

Calories - 135

Total fat - 0g

Carbs - 15.5g

Fibre - 2.5g

Sugar - 12g

Protein 18.5g

Baked Hoisin Meatballs

I'm a big fan of meatballs.  They're pretty easy to make, they take care of at least two dinners of the week and they're so adaptable to whatever flavoring you happen to feel like.  When I decided on this recipe I was feeling like some sort of asian-inspired meatball.  

While I used to be scared when hoisin sauce was listed as an ingredient in a recipe because  I didn't know what it was, it has become one of my newfound favorite sauces.  Its taste kind of reminds me of teriyaki sauce, but rather than being overly sweet, it's more of a sweet and salty mix which is what I love about it.  

I lightened up the original recipe by using extra lean ground turkey rather than pork, I halved the oil and eggs and reduced the amount of panko from 1 cup to a 1/2 cup.  The only other thing I changed was I added a tablespoon of honey because I wanted an equal amount of sweet and salty taste to my meatballs and I felt the sauce was more on the salty side before adding the honey.

These were absolutely delicious and could be served as both an appetizer or a meal.  I served at as an entree complete with my super easy healthier vegetable fried rice.                               

Ingredients:

Meatballs

2 lb. extra lean ground turkey 

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 tsp. sesame oil

3 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/3 cup sliced green onion

Salt

Hoisin Glaze

2/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. honey

Garnishes (optional)

Sliced green onion

Sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In bowl mix together all ingredients for meatballs.  Shape into medium-large size meatballs, place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

3. While meatballs are baking mix all the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to boil and remove from heat.  When meatballs are done, place them in the sauce and mix until they are fully coated.  Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.

Nutritional Information:

Serving: 6

Serving size: 3 large meatballs

Calories 270, total fat 5.2g (sat. fat 1.3g), total carbs 16g, fibre 0.8g, sugar 4.6g, protein 38.6g

Weight Watchers Points: 6

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 7 

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan

I absolutely love eggplant!  I can eat it on it's own, in my omelets and frittatas, I put it in my salads, but my favorite form of it is eggplant parmesan.  

The problem for me is that this dish is typically very high in fat and calories.  I don't like to eat things high in fat and calories (with the exception of birthday cake, of course).  Normally the eggplant is breaded and deep fried and all the cheeses used are of the full-fat variety.  If you order traditional eggplant parmesan in a restaurant it will normally contain about 850 calories, 35-40 grams of fat and 85 grams of carbohydrates.  Scary!!!

In this healthier version the eggplant is baked in the oven with no oil added.  I also use Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs) which are half the calories and carbs of regular breadcrumbs, as well as reduced fat cheeses.  

The end result...crispy eggplant filled with gooey cheese and covered in garlicy tomato sauce.  Sooooooo good!!!  Mr. B, like most men, is not into vegetarian meals but this particular recipe happens to be one his favorite dinners.  I should also add it's been one of my kids' favorite meals since they were 10 months old.  There are very few things lately that I know they will 100% eat, but this happens to be one of them.  I love when I can just make one meal and know that everybody will be happy.

Healthy Beef, Barley and Vegetable Soup

Now that we are FINALLY starting to get some warmer weather here in Toronto, my soup days are coming to a close.  I swap my weekly soup for a weekly salad when the temperature starts to soar because I find it's what my body craves.  But I had to make one last soup and I can't even express how good it turned out.  It's definitely a repeat recipe.  I don't have many of those because believe it or not, I really dislike making a meal more than once a year (I also won't watch a movie more than once...ever).  The only time I stray from this is if it the recipe was just so good that I couldn't get enough of it and need to have it again very soon.  This is one of those recipes.  Unfortunately I'm going to have to wait until the cooler autumn weather approaches.

Not only is this soup delicious, it's also so easy to put together and is super healthy.  It's full of lean meat, whole grain barley which is packed with fibre and veggies which also provide tons of fibre and antioxidants.  These ingredients are also what make this soup extremely filling without packing in lots of calories.

Low Fat Whole Wheat Banana, Coconut and Date Muffins

Last week I had a bunch of bananas that were as ripe as ripe could be and I was so sick and tired of making regular banana or banana chocolate chip muffins.  So I though about other things I could add to banana muffins that go well with...well bananas.  

When I was a little girl there would be a big dinner at my grandparents' house every Friday night.  There would always be huge platter of dried fruit out to snack on and my favorite part of that platter were the 2 or 3 coconut covered dates in the middle (I was alone on this one which meant they were all for me).  Since then my favorite sweet combo EVER has always been dates and coconut.  Anyone with me on this?  Here is the proof: