Copyright 2014 by Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, IA.
All rights reserved.
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Skinny Dinners: 200 calorie-smart recipes your family will love / Better Homes and Gardens.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-544-33669-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-0-544-33443-4 (ebk)
1. Reducing dietsRecipes. 2. Low-calorie dietRecipes. 3. Menus. I. Better Homes and Gardens Books (Firm) II. Better homes and gardens. III. Title: Better Homes and Gardens skinny dinners.
RM222.2.S564 2014
641.5635dc23
2014026304
Meredith Corporation
Editor: Jan Miller
Project Editor: Tricia Bergman, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Contributing Editor: Lisa Kingsley, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Contributing Writer: Kristi Thomas, R.D.
Contributing Copy Editor: Terri Fredrickson
Contributing Proofreader: Peg Smith
Recipe Development: Jane Burnett, Carla Christian
Recipe Testing: Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publisher: Natalie Chapman
Editorial Director: Cindy Kitchel
Executive Editor: Anne Ficklen
Executive Editor: Linda Ingroia
Managing Editor: Marina Padakis Lowry
Director of Production: Tom Hyland
Design Director: Ken Carlson, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Associate Design Director: Doug Samuelson, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Production Assistant: Mindy Samuelson, Waterbury Publications, Inc.
Our seal assures you that every recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Dinners has been tested in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. This means that each recipe is practical and reliable and meets our high standards of taste appeal. We guarantee your satisfaction with this book for as long as you own it.
Cover photo:
v1.1214
the nutrition breakdown
Each dish in this book is within a reasonable range of fat, calories, and fiber.
Entres
Calories: 425 or less
Fat: 15 grams or less
Protein: more than 10 grams
Fiber: 3 grams or more
Sides and Snacks
Calories: 175 or less
Fat: 5 grams or less
Fiber: 1 gram or more
Desserts
Calories: 200 or less
Fat: 8 grams or less
Fiber: 1 gram or more
Look for icons indicating a recipe meets the following criteria:
high fiber 5 or more grams per serving
vegetarian No ingredients contain meat or meat products
Gluten Free No ingredients contain gluten*
*Gluten free: These recipes can successfully be prepared with all gluten-free ingredients and may be suitable for people with celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities. Check the ingredient lists on all foods you use in these recipes to ensure they do not contain gluten.
get the skinny
Whatever your motivation for seeking out healthy foodfor weight loss or simply to provide your body high-quality fuel for optimum health, the most common and commonsense advice from a variety of sources is this: Dont dietchange your lifestyle. That means learning how to trim calories from every dish and making nutrient-packed meals built around fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains.
Thats what Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Dinners is all about. Its filled with good-for-you recipes that make it easy to get a delicious, healthful dinner on the table any night of the week. The editors and dietitians behind Skinny Dinners know that if changing your lifestyle is not easy to achieve, you are more likely to abandon your weight-loss goals. Cooking and eating a new way has to fit into the busy, often hectic, lives we all lead. The calorie-smart recipes in Skinny Dinners trim time and hassle from the cooking process but they do not cut corners on great taste or nutritionso you can feel confident that everyone in the family will love the food you make and will benefit from eating it.
A lively, interesting variety of dishes, including casseroles, stir-fries, main-dish salads, 5-ingredient recipes, and meals from the pantry ensures that youll never tire of cooking and eating skinny. These nourishing and tasty recipes dont constitute a diet, but simply a new way to eat and livewell, happy, and healthy!
the skinny
on skinny
Whether youre looking to lose weight, get fit, or simply want to eat more healthfully, changing your diet in a way that is achievable without deprivation is the key to long-term success. Skinny Dinners provides the information you need and the recipes you want to feel great, lose weight, and keep it off for good.
lose weight for the right reasons
Before you embark on a weight-loss plan, take inventory of your ability to carry out your goals. Are you stressed out? Are you changing jobs, relationships, or relocating? Being in the right frame of mind can affect whether you are successful in losing weight or not. Additionally, it is best to lose weight for yourself and your healthnot for your spouse, your mother, or your friends. It is also not wise to starve yourself to lose weight at lightning speed for an event. Not only is this unhealthy, the weight loss most likely wont last. When you do decide the time is right, did you know:
Preventing weight gain or reversing recent weight gain can improve your health?
Health can improve with a relatively minor weight reduction (5 to 10 percent of body weight)?
Adopting a healthy lifestyle by eating better and moving more has positive health implications even when you dont lose any weight at all?
common sense dieting
Many trendy fad diets encourage you to avoid whole categories of foods. By doing so, you run the risk of missing necessary nutrients needed to stay healthy. For a healthy eating plan, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest:
- Consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.
- Enjoy your food, but eat less.
- Avoid oversized portions.
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
- Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen mealsand choose the foods with lower numbers.
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks. For additional information, see www.choosemyplate.gov.
Rather than thinking about eating good food or bad food, focus on eating a variety of nutrient rich foods. That means focusing on fresh foods rather than packaged or fast foods. The least amount of processing the food has undergone, the better. What is better for you: A powdered soup from a package or a homemade soup with fresh veggies and lean meat? The choice is obvious.