Delicious Low Calorie / Low Fat Recipes!
We all have to eat to live. The key is what we eat and how much of it. Below are some of our favorite healthy, low fat, low calorie recipes. We’ll continue to add to this list as we make ‘em, so check back often. If you want to share your own recipes, email us at info@wellbalance.com.
Pita Bread Mozzarella Pizza
Low Fat Turkey Chili
Fat Free Hot Dogs
Refried Bean Mexican Pizza
Fat Free Brownies with Fruit
Salad with Homemade Fat Free French Dressing
Healthy Tuna Salad
Ginger Infused Chicken Broth with Bok Choy and Tofu
Low Fat Chicken Nachos Recipe
Smoked Salmon Canapés
Romanian Potato Soup
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Healthy Burritos
Broccoli Rice Quiche
Turkey Lasagna
Gnocchi Potato Pasta
Butternut Squash Soup
Low Fat “Fried” (oven baked) Chicken
Turkey Meatball Spaghetti
Low Fat Hand Tossed Pizza
Pita Bread Mozzarella Pizza
1 Fat Free or 0.5 gram of fat pita bread
2 oz. pizza sauce
2 oz. fat free Mozzarella cheese
1/2 oz. sliced pepperoni (optional)
1/2 oz. sliced olives (optional)
Add whatever vegetables you want
Spread pizza sauce on top of the pita, and then sprinkle the cheese on the sauce. Add vegetables- you can add whatever kind you want. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Yields 1 serving with 1 gram of fat and 250 calories for a cheese pizza (without pepperoni or olives).
Low Fat Turkey Chili
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 stick of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
1 8-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp fat-free sour cream
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven and then add the onion, celery, chopped pepper and garlic. Cook all for 5 minutes . Crumble the turkey into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add beans, mix well and cook on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of fat-free sour cream on top or garnish with chili peppers if desired.
Yields 4 servings, 5.7g fat, 300 calories.
Fat Free Hot Dogs
Always a favorite- fat free hot dogs taste pretty much the same as their full fat counterpart, and they are so much better for you! The following brands offer low fat to fat free products:
Ball Park Fat Free- 0 grams of fat, 40 calories per dog.
Oscar Mayer 98% Fat Free – 0.5 grams of fat, 40 calories per dog.
Hebrew National 97% Fat Free – 1 grams of fat, 40 calories per dog.
Just boil and presto- lunch is served!
Other quick fat free / low fat meal ideas include:
* Fat free grilled cheese sandwich grilled with fat free cooking spray.
* Veggie Burgers, or purchase the lowest percentage ground beef, turkey, or buffalo meat you can find.
* Fat free cream cheese on a low fat bagel.
Refried Bean Mexican Pizza
Readymade Pizza Crust
1, 16 oz can of refried beans
Fat free shredded cheese
Green onion / scallions
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Salsa (optional)
Bake pizza crust according to directions. Spread refried beans around covering crust. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of beans. Bake ate 350F degrees until cheese is melted and beans solidify and brown a bit. Take out of oven and add tomatoes, lettuce, green onions/scallions, a touch more cheese and salsa if you want.
Fat Free Brownies with Fruit
Note: as an alternative to the below recipe you can use a regular brownie mix substituting Splenda for sugar and fat free yogurt or applesauce for the oil. Most sources recommend a 1:1 swap: if the recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, substitute with 1 cup of applesauce.
3/4 cup unsweetened apple butter
2 cups Splenda
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder nonfat cooking spray
1 small box sugar free chocolate Jell-O mix (follow water instructions) and add to batter mix below with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonfat cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine apple butter, Splenda, vanilla and egg substitute and mix until well blended. Stir in cocoa, flour and baking powder; mix until all ingredients are blended. Add in 1 small box sugar free chocolate Jell-O mix (follow water instructions) and add to batter mix below with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mix really well. Spoon batter into prepared dish and bake 30-35 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Garnish with berries and mint leaves.
Salad with Homemade Fat Free French Dressing
Makes 1 cup
10 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp made-up mild mustard
1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Put the above listed ingredients all in a screw-top jar and shake well. Keep in the refrigerator and shake before serving.
Fortunately any type of lettuce is low in calories and provides plenty of vitamins A and C, plus calcium and iron. For maximum nutrition mix or garnish your salad with grated red cabbage, carrots and radishes.
Here are a few low calorie ideas for additions to your salad:
* Grilled chicken, seasoned with spices or marinated
* Grilled fish or shrimp
* Deli chicken, turkey, ham or other lean sandwich meat
* Sliced or cut-up fruits such as oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
* Mushrooms
* Cold, cooked pasta
* Crunchy vegetables such as sugar snap peas
Healthy Tuna Salad
1 can tuna fish
1 tomato, chopped
½ cucumber, chopped
3-4 banana peppers, chopped
3-4 pitted black olives, chopped
1 tsp. fat free Greek salad dressing
Pinch of Black pepper
1/2 oz Fat free cheese
Place drained tuna in small bowl, add pepper. Stir in banana peppers and black olives, and then fat free Greek salad dressing. Place on a bed of shredded lettuce. Add tomato, cucumber, and fat free cheese on top.
Ginger Infused Chicken Broth with Bok Choy and Tofu
5 cups chicken stock
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 cups fresh Bok Choy washed and chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stick to a boil. Ladle out about 1/2 cup of the boiling water, and reserve. Add tofu. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add bok choy; simmer about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the greens are tender. Remove soup from heat. Stir into soup. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with scallion. Serve immediately.
Tofu is a low-fat source of protein. Bok Choy is a great choice for getting lots of vitamin C, calcium and vitamin A. Bok Choy also contain glucosinolates, which may prevent cancer.
Low Fat Chicken Nachos Recipe
1 bag of Baked Tortilla chips. Note the chips MUST be baked or the fat content will be too high.
2 chicken breasts, skin removed and minced
1 bag of grated fat free cheddar cheese
1 can of salsa
16 oz fat free sour cream
If you can’t get baked tortilla chips, you can make them in the over with regular tortillas. Simply preheat oven to 400 degrees F, lay the tortillas out on a cutting board, spray with fat free oil spray on both sides. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut through the pile of tortillas, cutting into 4 equal triangles. Bake for 6-7 minutes.
After you have made your chips and they have cooled (they will continue to crisp as they cool) place chicken, fat free cheddar cheese and salsa over a layer of chips. Bake at 200 °C for about 5 - 8 minutes so they become heated completely. Next, grill for 1-3 minutes while watching closely and immediately remove once the cheese starts to brown and look crispy. Finally, add the fat free sour cream on top.
Smoked Salmon Canapés
8-ounce (1 package) fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package whole wheat crackers
2 (4-ounce) package thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 medium cucumbers
2 small purple onions, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Garnish: fresh dill sprigs
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Separate salmon slices and cut into strips. Spread 1/2 teaspoon fat free cream cheese mixture onto each whole wheat cracker. Using a vegetable peeler, cut cucumbers into thin slices. Roll a cucumber slice inside each piece of salmon; place over cream cheese spread on whole wheat crackers.
If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon fat free cream cheese mixture over salmon. Sprinkle with onion and pepper; garnish, if desired.
Romanian Potato Soup
4 medium potatoes or 2-3 large potatoes
1 quart soup stock
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
A few grains pepper
4 tbsp. grated fat free American cheese
Contrary to popular belief potatoes and other carbohydrates are part of a healthy diet. Avoid sugar and fat, but carbohydrates in moderation are okay.
Peel and grate the potatoes and combine with the soup stock. Add the onion, salt and pepper; cook together for 15 minutes. Serve in a soup bowl; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of the fat free cheese. Canned consomme may be substituted for the soup stock.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
3 to 4 lbs. chicken (use white meat, skin removed to reduce fat)
5 cups water or chicken broth
8 oz package of egg noodles, or pasta of your choosing.
1 lb. baby carrots
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 celery stalks, finely sliced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp. low sodium chicken soup base (or bouillon)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can corn
1 head of broccoli
1 or 2 green onions, chopped (optional)
2 bay leaves
pinch oregano and thyme
salt and pepper (to taste)
additional seasonings of your choice (to taste)
Put all ingredients in crock pot except noodles. Allow soup to come to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat until steaming hot but not boiling (barely simmering is OK). Cook all day (6-8 hours) or until chicken is tender in your crock pot.
Thirty minutes before serving time, add homemade noodles; cook until noodles are tender. Taste and season soup with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, to taste, before serving.
Healthy Burritos
4 whole wheat tortillas shopping list
1 can fat-free refried beans
8 oz fat free cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
8 oz chicken, skin removed
3 cloves garlic pressed
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup lettuce, chopped
1 chopped up tomato
hot sauce
Remove any skin and fat off the chicken and cook with garlic on medium heat until done. Add refried beans and stir until warm. Divide chicken/beef mixture onto tortillas. Add fat free sour cream, salsa, lettuce and tomato. Fold and place on grill until toasted.
Broccoli Rice Quiche
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice; hot
3 ounces fat free cheddar cheese; shredded
3 eggs equivalent egg substitute (Egg Beaters or other)
3 ounces skim milk (fat free)
3/4 cup canned mushrooms; drained
1 1/2 cups Broccoli; cooked and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Combine hot rice, 1/3 egg substitute, 1/4 teaspoon salt and half of the fat free cheese on a bowl and mix. Spoon into a 9" pie pan that has been sprayed with fat free Pam, press against the sides and bottom to form a shell. Beat the remainder of egg substitute, stir in skim milk, mushrooms, broccoli, remaining salt and pepper. Spoon into rice shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 10 more minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Turkey Lasagna
1 lb. ground lean turkey
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, cut up
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
½ package of sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
8 oz. lasagna noodles
1 cup egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
2 c. fat free cottage cheese
3/4 c. fat free Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 oz. fat free cheese
In a large skillet, cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off all the fat from the turkey. Stir in the next 7 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring mixture often.
Cook the noodles according to package directions, but leave out the oil. Drain. Stir together egg substitute, fat free cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the fat free Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
In a 9x13x2 inch baking dish, layer half of the noodles, half of the fat free cottage cheese mixture, half of the Mozzarella, and half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers; sprinkle with remaining fat free Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 10 servings.
Gnocchi Potato Pasta
6 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup egg substitute such as Egg Beaters
4 cups all-purpose flour
Spinach and tomato optional for coloring and added flavor
If you are making the spinach version, boil the spinach and leave to cool, squeezing all the water out very, very well. Mince very finely.
Boil the potatoes until cooked, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Rice potatoes with a ricer and place on cookie sheets to cool. Let potatoes dry out as much as possible before continuing with recipe.
Bring large stew pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, place the riced potatoes in a large bowl. Add the egg substitute and combine gradually but quickly while stirring in the flour. Using your hands (you can use rubber gloves – the potatoes are hot!), work in the flour into the potato mixture, thoroughly but with a light touch. Mix in minced spinach or minced tomatoes to different batches to create multi colored gnocchi.
When the flour has been worked in well, roll pieces of the dough into little “snake like” cylinders, around one inch in diameter. Cut the cylinders into gnocchi, around 1 inch in length. Touch each of these lightly with a fork to make grooves for the sauce. Place on well-floured area so that the gnocchi does not stick. Cook in boiling, salted water. The gnocchi are ready when they float to the surface of the water. You can add more as you scoop the cooked ones out, but careful not to put too many in at once.
Serve with tomato sauce.
Butternut Squash Soup
2 pkg. frozen butternut squash
2 cans meatless lentil soup
2 cans chicken or vegetable canned broth
4 tbsp butter substitute to taste (Fat Free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or Smart Balance Light)
Chopped onion
Salt, pepper and curry powder to taste
Combine all ingredients listed above and cook until right consistency of your choice. Let simmer 10 minutes.
Low Fat “Fried” (oven baked) Chicken
6 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
12 fat free saltine crackers
6 slices melba toast
1/2 c flour
¾ cup Egg Beaters
1/2 c. liquid butter substitute
Salt & pepper to taste
Use a rolling pin and crush the crackers and melba toast on a piece of waxed paper. Place the flour on a small plate and pour out the ¾ cup of Egg Beaters on another small plate. Pour the liquid butter substitute into a large non-stick frying pan. Turn stove on medium. Coat the chicken breasts with flour and dip them in Egg Beaters. Next roll them in the cracker crumbs to coat well. Place them in the frying pan and cook until golden on both sides. Remove from frying pan and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with a non-fat cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp.
Turkey Meatball Spaghetti
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup egg substitute (EggBeaters)
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 c. bread crumbs (fine)
1/4 c. parsley
1/2 tsp. oregano
Mix all above ingredients and shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Saute in large skillet until browned and no longer pink. Serve over cooked spaghetti with favorite spaghetti sauce.
Low Fat Hand Tossed Pizza
3 cups Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (110 - 115 degrees F.)
1 teaspoon yeast
4 oz. pizza sauce
4 oz. fat free Mozzarella cheese
1 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 oz. sliced onions
1 oz. sliced bell pepper
Add whatever vegetables you want
In a mixer bowl add the one cup of warm water and a teaspoon of yeast. Mix until yeast dissolves, then add 3 cups of bread flour and teaspoon of salt. Mix with dough hook about 15 minutes, until ball of dough forms pulling away from the sides of the mixer bowl. This makes enough dough for about 2, 14” personal pan pizzas.
Put the dough out on a pan sprayed with fat free cooking spray. Spread pizza sauce on top of the dough, and then sprinkle the cheese on the sauce. Add vegetables- you can add whatever kind you want. Cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. For a crispier pizza, you can broil it for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with bay leaves.
Yields 1 serving with 2 grams of fat and 300 calories
