ComfortFoodMakeover

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Comfort Food Makeover
How are you doing with that resolution to live a little healthier this year? You’ve almost made it through the first — and often the most challenging — month. You see, experts believe that it takes the body 21 days to form a new habit. After that it becomes more routine. But, sometimes routine can start to feel like a rut — especially when we’re talking about mealtime.

Don’t give up! Remember, eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up good old-fashioned comfort foods. Small changes in one or two ingredients can make a big difference. Check out these smart strategies for slimming down favorite family recipes.

Meatloaf
Look for 95 to 99 percent lean ground meats such as beef, turkey or chicken. If you choose 95 percent lean ground meat instead of 80 percent, you’ll cut about 100 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving. If desired, use ¼ cup of egg substitute or two egg whites in place of each egg called for in the recipe. And to boost the nutritional value, use whole-grain breadcrumbs or crushed whole-grain cereal flakes instead of traditional breadcrumbs. Then, mix in shredded or finely chopped vegetables such as carrots, green bell peppers, or even drained, canned mixed vegetables.

Casseroles
For creamy casseroles, cut the fat by using reduced fat mayonnaise, sour cream or cheese. Lower the sodium content by choosing reduced-sodium cream soups and broths. Many regular condensed cream soups have 800 to 900 milligrams of sodium per ½ cup serving. So, choosing options such as the 25 percent reduced-sodium varieties can make a significant difference. Make your casserole nutrient-rich by stirring in lean cooked meats, skinless poultry or tuna packed in water, and frozen or drained, canned vegetables.

Mashed potatoes
Instead of adding ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup whole milk to mashed potatoes, go with equal parts fat-free milk and reduced-fat sour cream. The sour cream gives a rich, creamy consistency — and you’ll cut about 80 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. For greater nutritional value, leave the potato skins on. And, try mashed sweet potatoes, too. They’re a great source of vitamin A.

Macaroni and cheese
Try using fat-free and reduced-fat dairy products. If you use skim milk instead of 2%, and reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese instead of regular, you’ll cut approximately 90 calories and 12 grams of fat per serving. To add even greater nutritional value, use whole-grain elbow macaroni.

Sweets
Want to decrease the fat and sugar in Grandma’s brownie recipe? Use only half of the butter or oil called for in the recipe and substitute unsweetened applesauce or other fruit-based fat replacement for the other half. Cut the sugar by one-quarter to one-third, and add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and allspice to add sweetness to recipes. Reduce the baking time by up to 25 percent, if needed.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe proves that you don’t have to give up family-favorite dishes in order to eat healthy.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 cups ShopRite canned no-salt-added corn

1 1/2 cups Kraft Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, divided

1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles

1 cup ShopRite mild or medium salsa, divided

20 whole-wheat (6-inch diameter) tortillas

1 (8-oz.) container nonfat sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring 2 quart saucepan water to boiling in medium saucepan. Add chicken breasts, reduce heat to simmering and poach 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove chicken to medium bowl and cool. Once cooled, pull chicken breasts apart into shredded strips. Add corn, 1 cup of the cheese, green chiles and 1/2 cup of the salsa to chicken.

2. Place about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas seam side down in shallow 3-quart baking dish.

3. Stir together sour cream with remaining 1/2 cup salsa. Spoon mixture evenly over filled tortillas.

4. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Serves 10

Per serving (2 enchiladas each): 289 calories, 33g carbohydrate, 31g protein, 13g fiber, 9g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 37mg cholesterol, 589mg sodium