5 Ingredients or Fewer

You really can’t beat this ridiculously easy and much healthier version of the pizza rolls you might find in your grocer’s freezer. It’s just as gooey, and it’s guilt-free for you . . . and the kids. In fact, it can even be made with all-natural ingredients.

We’ve all heard of sloppy joes. Well, now there’s a new dish on the block. Instead of serving your favorite sloppy joes on a regular old hamburger bun, have some fun (and some crunch) with them by using Tostitos Baked! Scoops. If it’s easier, feel free to sub in any baked tortilla chips for the scoops. They obviously won’t look the same, but they’ll taste just as great. These joes can also be made with extra-lean ground turkey, but you’ll need to add extra sauce because turkey is drier than beef. Using turkey in this recipe will save you about 3 grams of fat, but keep in mind that the extra sauce will add 95 mg of sodium per tablespoon.

When I first saw the “herbs in tubes,” as I call them, referring to Gourmet Garden’s herb blends, I thought I wouldn’t like them. But with one try, I became hooked, particularly to the garlic blend. This rendition of a margarita pizza is one of my favorite applications for them. It’s insanely easy to throw together and especially tasty, considering the little amount of time it takes. If you’re having trouble finding these herbs, visit gourmetgarden.com and check out their store locator. Or you can look for herbs frozen in trays. At my local Trader Joe’s, they sell frozen chopped garlic and chopped basil in trays from a brand called Dorot. Just be sure to measure the herbs yourself instead of relying on the measurements listed on the package (I found 1 teaspoon of basil was more than 1 cube, though the package says that 1 cube is equivalent to 1 teaspoon).

Having been raised on the East Coast, I thought everyone knew what stromboli is—you really couldn’t go into a casual Italian restaurant without seeing it on the menu. Plus, my mother made it often. When I moved to the West Coast, I found most people had no idea what stromboli is. In case you aren’t familiar with it, stromboli is traditionally made by taking bread dough, flattening it into a rectangle, layering it with Italian ingredients (my family’s favorite was pepperoni and provolone), and then rolling it, jelly roll style. You seal the ends and bake it, so it’s like a stuffed loaf when it emerges from the oven. When we served it at cocktail parties, we would always cut it into slices and serve the pieces on their sides so they looked like pinwheels. This recipe is a much less fattening version of this Italian favorite. It is still a treat, but you won’t need to spend hours and hours on a treadmill after you eat it.

Every New Year’s Eve when I was a kid, we had pigs in blankets, chips with dip (see my makeover, Fixed-Up French Onion Dip, on page 100), and mini-pizzas. And that was pretty much the only time we ever had them, so I have such warm, celebratory memories associated with these foods. The very first time I was on Good Morning America, it was on New Year’s Eve and I was showing America how to throw together a last-minute, healthy New Year’s Eve party. I made bite-sized pigs in blankets. Here, I’ve sped up the preparation time so you can eat this favorite in minutes any time of the year. Be sure to buy biscuits with only 1.5 grams of fat or less per 2-biscuit serving. I’ve found that many private labels make them (so be sure to check those), as does Pillsbury.

This dish is a simple marriage of an enchilada and pizza that has become a favorite of mine. If you’re craving enchiladas, this is a great shortcut, because it doesn’t involve laboring over a big pot of sauce or the time-consuming process of rolling enchiladas. Canned enchilada sauce is a great ingredient to have on hand because it’s generally low-fat and has great flavor, and it can be used for more recipes than just enchiladas, like my Mexican Cocktail Meatballs (see page 107).

This wrap is filled with plenty of fresh ingredients. To make it easier to handle, be sure to finely shred the lettuce and cut the chicken into cubes, as this really is an overstuffed wrap—after all, the drippier the better (and more decadent!), right?

Open-ended wraps are a great way to ensure a balanced meal. A recommended serving of protein is about 4 ounces per adult meal. To fully encase that much protein in a tortilla, you would have to use a tortilla that’s higher in carbs than advised. So I keep many of my wraps partially open. That way I can stuff plenty of ingredients in them while keeping my meals in check. In this case, it’s a balanced meal that happens to be brimming with fillings.

To brie or not to brie . . . that is the quandary for many. Well, now that I’ve found ways to stave off the cravings without overindulging, I’m definitely a happy camper. Though the flavor is subtle here, the brie is great paired with the cranberry sauce and arugula leaves. In minutes, you’ll feel like you’re eating at a gourmet sandwich shop, but without the gourmet sandwich consequences.

Sure, if you pull into the drive-thru, chili burgers can be deadly. But here, using the leanest ground turkey with canned turkey chili, you can have a decadently drippy yet sensible meal that satisfies. For another 60 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, you can even add an ounce of 75% light finely shredded Cheddar cheese.

Kids will definitely go for these logs. Make them for breakfast or even as an after-school snack. They’re so delicious, the kids won’t balk at eating fruit. If you have them, feel free to use corn-on-the-cob holders to assist in coating the bananas. You don’t absolutely need them, but they’ll help keep the peanut butter where it belongs—on the bananas.

This simple breakfast is great to eat on the go. Just mix the Grape-Nuts and chocolate chips directly into the yogurt carton and take the whole thing with you. Cleanup’s as easy as tossing the container!

Juice bar smoothies have justifiably gotten a bad rap because they’re often chock-full of added sugar and calories. This twist on traditional raspberry lemonade uses only 1 teaspoon of honey, and the rest of the sweetness comes from real fruit. Note that it’s important to use frozen fruit in smoothies because if you use too many ice cubes to try to get that thick consistency, you’ll end up with a watery, not-as-good-as-the-juice-bar’s smoothie in minutes.

I am a huge fan of anything colada—piña colada, strawberry colada, even mango colada. This dish is a healthier twist on a banana colada that’s great for breakfast or any time of the day. For a real treat, tuck the kids into bed at night, and then try it with a small spike of rum.

The combination of chocolate and raspberries is considered decadent by pretty much everyone. Here’s a decadent breakfast that will keep you fit, healthy, and happy with each bite

Chocolate and peanut butter? Yes! Now we’re talking. Not only will your kids be singing your praises when you throw together this breakfast in mere minutes, you’ll be feeling like you’re cheating with each decadent bite!

Anyone who knows me knows that although I’ve maintained a fifty-five-pound weight loss for close to twenty years, I proudly eat chocolate every day. Here’s a great example of how I can face my chocolate craving head-on, even at breakfast!

We all need energy to start our days off right, and a healthy and hearty breakfast is the perfect way to do just that. When it comes to getting nutrition and satisfying early morning hunger, it doesn’t get much better than this creamy cereal. You’ll be shocked by how refreshing and rich this dish tastes. But in addition to being decadent, this breakfast is also packed with great nutrients like calcium, vitamin C, and iron.

Chocolate and peanut butter? Yes! Now we’re talking. Not only will your kids be singing your praises when you throw together this breakfast in mere minutes, you’ll be feeling like you’re cheating with each decadent bite!

In recent years, pomegranates have emerged as one of the healthiest fruits due to their powerful antioxidants. Here’s a quick spin on plain oatmeal you can enjoy for its delicious flavor while reaping the great benefits of this superfood.