Skinny Shopping:
Look for corn tortillas in the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store. Most corn tortillas only have around 10 milligrams of sodium. Remember to double-check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts panel as it can vary greatly when making your selection. Many tortillas, especially flour tortillas, have 400 or more milligrams of sodium per tortilla! Salsa can be loaded with sodium too—opt for fresh salsas for the lowest sodium content, like Wholly Salsa, with only 25 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Skinny-Size It:
Fueling your body in the morning is essential, and whipping up this burrito takes only a matter of minutes. The filling is a mix of sautéed vegetables, whole eggs and egg whites, and it is wrapped up in a soft corn tortilla. It’s then garnished with light toppings, like nonfat Greek yogurt, salsa and shredded light jalapeño cheese. You will be starting your day the Skinny way—with only a fraction of the calories, fat and sodium compared to the traditional breakfast burrito.
Skinny Cooking:
Sautéing is traditionally done with oil and/or butter, which adds calories and fat. Each tablespoon of oil adds 120 calories and 14 grams of fat to a recipe. The Skinny way is to sauté sans oil! Believe it or not, it actually works. Vegetables like onions and peppers have water in them which sweat as they are cooked and provide moisture to sauté. Another option is to prepare the pan with nonstick cooking spray, although cooking sprays are not truly calorie free or fat free; the first ingredient on the ingredient list is oil. Food labeling laws allow less than 5 calories or less than half grams of fat to round down to zero on the Nutrition Facts panel. So although cooking spray has fewer calories and less fat compared to pouring oil into a pan, when possible the skinniest way is to skip it all together!
Ingredients
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites
8 small (6-inch) soft white corn tortillas
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa of your choice
1/2 cup shredded light jalapeño cheddar cheese (such as Cabot Jalapeño Light Cheddar Cheese)
Directions
1 Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2 Add the whole eggs and the egg whites and scramble until they are cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3 Warm the tortillas in a microwave oven by placing them on a microwave-safe plate and covering them with a damp paper towel. Microwave them on high in 30-second intervals until they are warm and pliable.
4 Arrange the warmed tortillas on 4 individual plates. Spread yogurt, salsa and cheese on each, and then top with the egg-veggie mixture. Fold the tortillas in half, and serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300 calories, 9 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 220 milligrams cholesterol, 400 milligrams sodium, 36 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 17 grams protein
EGG-LIKE BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE
Yield: 2 servings
Before:
Traditional egg scrambles are loaded with cholesterol. In just 3 eggs there are 558 milligrams of cholesterol, which is almost double the daily recommended heart-healthy limit of 300 milligrams. Plus, traditional egg scrambles pack around 300 calories or more.
Skinny-Size It:
The Egg-Like Breakfast Scramble contains only a third of the calories, thanks to exchanging the eggs for silken tofu. It also boasts 0 milligrams of cholesterol and only 110 calories. You even could add a slice of 100 percent whole-wheat toast and still consume fewer calories than are contained in a traditional egg scramble alone.
Skinny Shopping:
Like all tofu, silken tofu is made from soybeans. It has a softer, more delicate texture than regular tofu. At the store, you can find it in shelf-stable (aseptic) packaging or in the refrigerated section, near the rest of the tofu selections.
Ingredients
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
8 ounces silken tofu, drained on paper towels
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
Sea salt, to taste
Directions
1 Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the peppers and onions until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2 Add the tofu, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt, and mix well. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the scramble is hot. Serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
110 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium, 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar, 7 grams protein
SKINNY SKILLET SCRAMBLE
Yield: 2 servings
Before:
Breakfast skillets are often loaded with calories and fat. When you order a breakfast skillet in a restaurant, it can have as much as 700 calories and 50 grams of fat.
Skinny-Size It:
Incorporating lots of vegetables and beans produces a more flavorful, lighter version of the breakfast skillet, without all the fat and calories. To make it even lighter, swap all the whole eggs for egg whites, since the yolk is where the majority of calories in an egg is stored. The white is a complete source of protein, yet it has only 15 calories. The Skinny Skillet Scramble has only 190 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Ingredients
1 small red potato, diced
1/2 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1/4 cup shredded light cheddar cheese (such as Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar Cheese)
Directions
1 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the potatoes, onions and peppers until all the vegetables have browned and are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the black beans and garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes more.
2 Add the egg whites and the whole eggs to the vegetable-bean mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until the eggs have set, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3 Sprinkle the cheese over the scramble, cover the skillet and let the cheese melt, about 2 minutes. Serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
190 calories, 4 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 110 milligrams cholesterol, 150 milligrams sodium, 22 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 17 grams protein
APPLE QUINOA CRUNCH
Yield: 4 servings
While oatmeal is a great way to start the day, quinoa is a fabulous alternative to work into your breakfast lineup.
Before:
Many breakfast cereals have a lot of added sugar in the form of corn syrup or brown sugar.
Skinny-Size It:
This cereal features fresh fruit, diced apple, to sweeten your breakfast without adding sugar. In addition, the chopped almonds add crunch, healthy fat and flavor.
Skinny Shopping:
Quinoa is a seed that cooks up like a grain. It is a complete protein, because it has all the essential amino acids. Look for quinoa near the rice in your grocery store. It comes in red, white and purple/black varieties. Nutritionally, they are all the same, but the red variety tends to have a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
2 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for cooking) apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 ounce (about 22 nuts) unsalted almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup low-fat milk or almond milk
Directions
1 Combine the quinoa, apples, almonds and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cereal is heated through.
2 Spoon the cereal into serving bowls, top with a tablespoon of milk, and serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
120 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar, 4 grams protein
OATMEAL OMEGA PARFAIT
Yield: 1 serving
Before:
Granola parfaits are often loaded with calories from sugar and sugary sweet granola. While they may contain some whole grains, when you really look at the nutrition details, is this really the best choice? Furthermore, traditional granola parfaits tend to leave you with a quick energy crash after the sugar rush.
Skinny-Size It:
Make your own parfait by layering oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt and Barlean’s Strawberry Banana Omega Swirl Flax Oil. This is a winning combination that will fill you up without the sugar rush and energy crash. Oatmeal Omega Parfait contains only 9 grams of sugar per serving, and the fiber and protein will help to keep you full and will help balance blood sugar levels, too.
Skinny Tip:
What is the difference between steel-cut oats and rolled oats? Steel-cut oats are whole-grain groats (grains of oat missing only the hull) that are cut into little pieces and when cooked have a heartier texture. Rolled oats (aka old-fashioned oats) are oat groats that have been steamed and rolled to reduce the cooking time. Nutritionally both are a great option but switch it up from time to time for the texture variety!
Ingredients
1/2 cup cooked steel-cut or old-fashioned oats (1/4 cup dry oats)
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Barlean’s Strawberry Banana Omega Swirl Flax Oil
Directions
1 In a clear 12-ounce or larger drinking glass, layer the oatmeal, sliced strawberries, yogurt and flax oil, alternating, up to the top of the glass. Serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
230 calories, 7 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 55 milligrams sodium, 30 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar, 15 grams protein
TROPICAL MANGO OATMEAL
Yield: 2 servings
Before:
Many oatmeal recipes contain added sugar, which delivers sweetness but is not nutrient rich.
Skinny Shopping:
Coconut milk is typically found in the baking section and the ethnic food section of the grocery store. Regular coconut milk is high in calories and saturated fat, so the Skinny choice is light coconut milk. Not only does it have a lighter calorie price tag, but it is also full of flavor. In general, the goal is to limit the amount of saturated fat in your diet, though research is finding that not all saturated fats are created equal. For example, the saturated fat in coconut milk is lauric acid, which doesn’t seem to adversely impact heart health.
Skinny-Size It:
To add sweetness to dishes, turn to fresh fruit. For example, this recipe derives its sweet taste from mango (a personal favorite), shredded coconut and light coconut milk, resulting in a tropical way to start your day. While the overall sugar content (14 grams per serving) is similar to that of plain oatmeal with a tablespoon of brown sugar, this recipe boasts 4 grams of fiber per serving, which is double the amount in plain oatmeal sweetened with brown sugar thanks to the mango. Plus, the mango provides immune-boosting vitamin A and vitamin C!
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup diced mango
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1/2 cup light coconut milk
Directions
1 Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oats, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
2 Spoon the oatmeal into 2 serving bowls. Top each bowl with the diced mango, shredded coconut and coconut milk, and serve at once.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
160 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 15 milligrams sodium, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams sugar, 3 grams protein
BRAN FLAX MUFFINS
Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)
Before:
Store-bought muffins tend to be gigantic in size, and one muffin can have as much fat as you need for a whole day. In addition to their large size and fat content, they tend to be made with all-purpose white flour, which lacks fiber and other key nutrients.
Skinny-Size It:
Whole-wheat flour, flaxseed meal and wheat bran not only make a wonderful base for a muffin, but they also deliver fiber to help balance blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full! This muffin gains additional fiber from shredded carrots and apples and uses the Skinny swap of 4 egg whites, instead of 2 whole eggs.
Skinny Tip:
Flaxseed meal is made from flaxseeds, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are high in fiber.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup low-fat milk
4 large egg whites, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1⁄2 cups shredded carrots
2 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and shredded
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.
3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the milk, egg whites and vanilla, and stir until well combined.
4 Fold in the shredded carrots and apples.
5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is about three- quarters full.
6 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
170 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium, 32 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 16 grams sugar, 6 grams protein
WHOLE-WHEAT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)
Before:
Many fruit muffins gain their sweetness from added sugar and have only a small amount of actual fruit. Plus they are typically made with all-purpose white flour.
Skinny Swap:
Buttermilk actually contains no butter, as it is basically the sour milk that results from the curdling of the milk proteins and can have 5–8 grams of fat, or more, per cup. Buttermilk is used frequently in baking. Rather than buying buttermilk, make your own. Simply mix together 1 cup of low-fat milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Let it sit for about 3 to 5 minutes, and the proteins will begin to curdle. This homemade buttermilk recipe results in only 2.5 grams of fat per cup.
Skinny-Size It:
By switching from all-purpose white flour to whole-wheat flour and adding lots of fruit to these muffins, you end up with 3 grams of fiber in each muffin. Additionally, the recipe relies on the natural sweetness of fruit, thus eliminating the need for much added sugar.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)
2 large egg whites, beaten
2 tablespoons melted unsalted margarine (such as Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread) or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt, and mix thoroughly.
3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg whites, margarine and vanilla, and stir until well combined.
4 Fold in the blueberries.
5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is about two-thirds full.
6 Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
130 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 410 milligrams sodium, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 12 grams sugar, 4 grams protein
CARROT CAKE MUFFINS
Yield: 24 servings (1 muffin each)
Before:
Carrot cake is traditionally a calorie-heavy, sugary dessert. An average-size slice of traditional carrot cake could have as many as or even more than 350 calories, 15 or more grams of fat and lots of added sugar.
Skinny-Size It:
Changing this traditional dessert to a muffin format and tweaking the ingredients transforms it into a great breakfast that will fuel your morning, with only 120 calories per muffin and 5 grams of fat (one-third the total fat of a typical version of the original dessert). This recipe contains nearly double the amount of shredded carrots found in typical carrot cake recipes and derives more natural sweetness from pineapple. In my first version of this recipe, I included a Skinny version of traditional heavy cream cheese frosting. However, my taste testers said the muffins were even better without it! The frosting recipe became a dip instead (see Whipped Pineapple Dip)!
Skinny Kitchen:
A quick and easy way to grate carrots is with a shredding blade in a food processor.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or 24 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (6 to 8 medium carrots)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 24-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
3 In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon, and stir until well combined. Add the dry mixture to the large bowl containing the sugar, oil and egg mixture, and stir until well combined.
4 Fold in the carrots and the pineapple.
5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that each well is half full.
6 Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
120 calories, 5 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams sugar, 2 grams protein
APPLE MUFFINS
Yield: 12 servings (1 muffin each)
Before:
Say good-bye to oily muffins!
Skinny-Size It:
These muffins are moist without any added oil. The moisture in the muffins comes from shredded apples and applesauce. Switching from 2 whole eggs to 4 egg whites skims about 368 milligrams of cholesterol and 10 grams of fat from the recipe (since a large whole egg contains about 5 grams of fat), and using whole-wheat flour adds fiber along with vitamins and minerals.
Skinny Tip:
If you do not like the taste of whole-wheat flour, try white whole-wheat flour, which is milled from white wheat, a variety of wheat that is lighter in color and flavor than traditional red wheat yet delivers all the nutrition of whole wheat.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray or 12 paper cupcake liners, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 large egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Applesauce (see recipe)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and shredded
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt, and mix well.
3 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the egg whites, brown sugar, Applesauce and vanilla, and stir until well combined.
4 Fold in the apples.
5 Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, so that it is evenly distributed.
6 Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
120 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium, 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams sugar, 3 grams protein
BLUEBERRY BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES
Yield: 6 servings (2 pancakes each)
Before:
Depending on how pancakes are made, you can wind up starting your day with a whole lot of empty calories, little to no fiber and lots of sugar from syrup.
Skinny-Size It:
These pancakes are half whole-wheat flour and half buckwheat flour, which mixes up the taste while still adhering to 100 percent whole grains. And for sweetness, this recipe calls for blueberries in the batter and my homemade Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe) as the topping.
Skinny Tip:
Although the word buckwheat would lead you to think that buckwheat is a grain, it is actually the fruit seeds of an herb, the buckwheat plant, though it is still considered to be part of the whole-grain family. The triangular-shaped seeds are ground into flour, which has a nutty flavor and is gluten free. Because of its strong flavor, buckwheat flour is typically mixed with other flours. Look for buckwheat flour in the grocery store baking aisle, near the all-purpose white flour, or check the health food section of the store for this flour.
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar (buttermilk)
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the skillet or griddle
1/2 cup Blueberry Maple Syrup (see recipe)
Directions
1 In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, baking soda and sea salt, and mix well.
2 Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the buttermilk and egg whites, and stir until well combined.
3 Fold in the blueberries.
4 Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray and then heat it over medium heat.
5 Working in batches, ladle 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet or griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook it on the other side, about 1 minute more. Repeat until all the batter has been used.