At the start of every new year, do you resolve to eat healthier only to fall right off that strict diet wagon a month later? If that sounds familiar, I challenge you to a diet do-over.
This New Year, try a different approach to that annual resolution. Pizza, burgers, even fries — you can have them all because I trim down the recipes while keeping them terrific.
Diets usually tell you what not to eat, but my go-to “D.I.E.T.” is about portion control. In other words, “Don’t Ingest Everything Today!”
But I do know you want to be able to fix healthy foods quick and easy, so I have turned to my “KITCHEN 101” cookbook to give you some of my favorite healthy “fast foods” you can whip up in a flash.
Pizza pleases everyone, but don’t let this fast food become a burden to the waistline. Chicken Fajita Pizza will satisfy that craving, and it’s even quicker than delivery. No time-consuming homemade yeast crust here, this healthy recipe uses refrigerated crust and rotisserie chicken for extra ease. It’s even diabetic-friendly. Also, remember my pizza recipes are freezer-friendly, so you can make one or several ahead of time and be ready when you’re in a time crunch.
Well Done: Recipes for Chicken Fajita Pizza, Cheesy Burger Dip, Sweet Potato Fantastic Fries
Now on to burgers — make that cheeseburgers — which are a family favorite around my house. This hearty Cheesy Burger Dip really hits the spot, especially when you have folks gathered to watch a football bowl game. This satisfying appetizer calls for only four ingredients, so it’s ready in minutes. And, you can double or triple the recipe for a crowd. Don’t tell, but you will even be sneaking in some veggies as ½ cup of salsa equals one serving of vegetables.
And what would a burger be without fries? These Sweet Potato Fantastic Fries are just that — fantastic! Use this recipe for tasty, healthier fries just as delicious as those from the local burger joint. By the way, sweet potatoes from Louisiana are called yams, and they are the sweetest of sweet potatoes!
Trim and Terrific Tips:
• When using rotisserie chicken, remove the skin. Select different flavors of rotisserie chickens for a variety.
• Add extra veggies to your pizza to sneak in a nutrition boost.
• Make this change now: reduce bad-for-your-heart saturated fats by choosing lean meats, those ending in “loin” or “round.”
• Serve your dip with low-carb veggies like cucumber rounds and bell pepper strips.
• Serve your crowd-friendly dip in a slow cooker to keep it warm.
• Sweet potatoes or yams are a nutritional bargain — fat-free, low in sodium, high in antioxidants and fiber.
• Substitute sweet potatoes for potatoes in any recipe.
Holly Clegg, best-selling national cookbook author of the trim&TERRIFIC & Eating Well cookbook series, specializes in easy, healthy, everyday recipes. Visit her website, The Healthy Cooking Blog. Follow her on facebook.com/HollyClegg, instagram.com/holly_clegg and twitter.com/hollyclegg. Email her at [email protected].