265 Calorie Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

I came up with the idea for this soup on a whim - I had all of the ingredients on hand so I just sort of threw it together, and it turned out great! This was a super easy, light, Italian dinner - perfect for the freezing weather we've been having in Chicago.

I used NOoodles for this recipe - they are a "zero calorie" noodle - basically there are so few calories that they can say there are zero calories, I would estimate there's about 30 calories or fewer in the whole package which is still really good for noodles  -- to satisfy a pasta craving I like to just rinse, drain and microwave these with some Earth Balance or olive oil and garlic powder and salt. These noodles are also already prepared so you don't have to cook them, just heat them up! They are also gluten and dairy free!

This recipe is gluten free and dairy free :)

Ingredients:

1 Can Tomato Basil Soup - 300 calories

1 Package NOodles - 30 calories

1 turkey burger patty - 200 calories

Garlic powder and Garlic Salt to taste                            

=530 calories, 2 servings, 265 calories per serving

Directions:

1. Put the turkey burger in a heated up medium sauce pan

2. Mash up the turkey and heat until browned

3. Add the tomato soup, bring to a boil

4. While the soup is heating, drain and rinse the noodles

5. Add the noodles to the pot, cook for a minute or two until the noodles are heated up

6. Serve hot :)

238 Calorie Chili

I tried making a skinnier version of my Mom's turkey chili - this was the result - you can customize it to your own preferences for chili ingredients, spice level etc.

This recipe makes at 2-3 large servings - you can freeze any leftovers and re-heat later for chili mac, chili dogs, or whatever else you might use chili for.

This would be great with my 158 Calorie Hearty Jalapeno Cornbread as a side :)

This chili is way better than canned/store-bought and it is gluten and dairy free!

Ingredients:

2 cans tomatoes - 180 cal

1 can chili beans - 315 cal

1 turkey burger - 200 cal

1 small can green chiles - 20 cal

1/2 tsp cumin

2 dashes each of salt, pepper and chili powder if desired                          

= 715 calories total, makes 3 servings, 238 calories each

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot brown and break up the turkey meat
2. Once the turkey is well browned, add in the tomatoes
3. Rinse the canned beans, then add to the pot
4. Add in green chilis and spices to taste
5. Allow to simmer for at least 25 minutes, longer if desired - stir occasionally
6. Remove from heat and serve hot - store leftovers in airtight container in the freezer

150 Calorie Bacon Mushroom Salad

I made this Bacon Mushroom Salad for dinner tonight and it was awesome - only 3 ingredients and under 20 minutes to make! 

The bacon and mushrooms would also be good as a steak or chicken topping, or on their own as a side dish - they are very versatile and there is no added oil because the mushrooms cook with the bacon - you can also add some extra spices like garlic or plain old salt and pepper.

This dish is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Ingredients: 

1 large slice of bacon - 80 calories

8 oz sliced mushrooms - 50 calories

2 cups mixed greens - 20 calories                       

= 150 calories total

1. Wash and slice up mushrooms, and cut bacon into 1 inch or smaller pieces

2. Add mushrooms and bacon to skillet or wok - cook on high heat

3. Stir occasionally, continue cooking until liquid from mushrooms cooks off and mushrooms are browned and bacon is cooked through

4. Remove from heat and serve over mixed greens - add salt and pepper, or garlic if desired

158 Calorie Hearty Jalapeno Cornbread

Whole Foods makes amazing jalapeno cornbread - but it isn't gluten free - so I decided to try making my own version - (more variations of gluten and dairy free cornbread coming in the future!)

This makes a single serving - you may want to add more stevia/jalapenos depending on how sweet or spicy you want it to be - I topped mine with some Earth Balance Vegan Butter :)

Recipe:

1/3 cup corn flour - 145 cal

1 tbsp and 1 tsp almond milk - 3 cal

1/2 tsp stevia - 0 cal

2-3 jalapenos - 2 cal

1 tbsp egg whites - 8 cal                      

= 158 cal

1. Preheat over to 450 degrees
2.Mix together the corn flour, almond milk, stevia and egg whites
3. Chop up the jalapenos and stir into the batter
4. Press batter into small greased baking dish
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes - let cool, serve warm with butter if desired

210 Calorie Garlic Pepper Shrimp and Broccoli

This is a really easy dinner recipe, and I (almost) always have these ingredients on hand so it's a good go-to dinner :)

All you need it broccoli, shrimp and some spices to whip this up 

- and it is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

 Recipe:
4 cups Broccoli - 120 calories
6 oz. Shrimp(about 10) - 90 calories
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste               
= 210 calories

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Spread broccoli florets on a foil lined baking sheet, spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle pepper and garlic salt on top

3. Bake broccoli for 25 minutes

4. While the broccoli is cooking thaw out the shrimp

5. Add the shrimp to a skillet and heat through - top with pepper and garlic salt

6. Take the broccoli out of the oven, top with shrimp :)

170 Calorie Turkey Club Salad

Turkey Club sandwiches are classic - so I thought I'd try to make a salad version - 

I had a salad with Mustard dressing last week and it was fantastic so I decided to use mustard as the dressing for this salad - It is also much healthier than oily salad dressing

I also used Boston Lettuce for this - it's still alive when you buy it(it has the root attached) so it stays nice and fresh in the fridge :)

This salad is gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe:

1 head Boston Lettuce - 20 calories
2 slices Bacon - 60 calories
2 slices turkey - 70 calories
1.5 tablespoons Dijon Mustard - 20 calories          
= 170 calories total


1. Wash and chop up lettuce
2. Cook bacon and chop up, add to lettuce
3. Chop up turkey and add to salad
4. Add Mustard (as dressing) and toss to incorporate

200 Calorie Cabbage & Bacon Stir Fry

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Cabbage & Noodles cooked in bacon - and I figured I could make a healthier/gluten free version - 

This is sort of similar to Stir Fry or Pad Woonsen - it made a great main dinner dish and was really easy to throw together - you could add other veggies/protein to the mix if you want to change things up just make sure to cook the hard vegetables until soft

This is also gluten free and dairy free:)

Recipe:
1 package NoOdles - 40 calories
1/4 head cabbage - 57 calories
2 slices bacon - 60 calories
1 spritz coconut oil - 10 calories
1 teaspoon Tamari - 5 calories
1 teaspoon butter alternative - 29 calories
Garlic Salt to taste                           
= 201 calories total

1. Cook bacon halfway in the microwave
2. Wash and shred cabbage
3. Add cabbage to wok, spritz with coconut oil and heat up
4. Add the bacon and noodles(drained) and heat evenly
5. Add Tamari and garlic salt to taste - serve hot :)

90 Calorie Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Frozen cooked shrimp is a great healthy snack to have on hand - I like to buy a big resealable bag (40-50 count) and keep it in my freezer so I can thaw and use them as needed in lots of different recipes

This spicy shrimp cocktail makes a great appetizer, snack or light entree - 

and it is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Recipe:

For the sauce:
1/2 tablespoon Barbecue Sauce - 15 calories
2 tablespoons Sriracha - 30 calories

3 oz. Frozen Cooked Shrimp - 45 calories
                                                                        
= 90 calories

1. Mix together the barbecue sauce and Sriracha
2. Thaw the frozen shrimp by running under cold water
3. Dry off the shrimp - serve with the sauce :)

100 Calorie Carrot Fries

I love sweet potato fries - but these carrot fries are even healthier, and they taste really similar!

These make a great snack or side dish

These are also super easy to make, and they are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan :)

Recipe:

1.5 cups Baby Carrots - 78 calories

1/8 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup -10 calories

Coconut Oil Spray - 10 calories                                          

= 98 calories total

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice the baby carrots in half length-wise, then in half length-wise again - cutting each carrot into 4 long pieces

3. Spread carrots on a foil covered baking sheet, spray lightly with coconut oil

4. Bake for 30 minutes, halfway through the cooking time move the carrots around to help them cook evenly

5. Remove from oven, serve with maple syrup as dipping sauce

230 Calorie Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice in a restaurant isn't very healthy - and it usually isn't gluten free because of the Soy Sauce - so I thought I would try making my own healthy/gluten free version for dinner :)

I used quinoa instead of rice - you can use rice if you prefer, I just already had quinoa - and I added egg whites and peas - but you can add whatever other veggies/protein you like

This was pretty easy to make, and its only 230 calories! It is also gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe:
2 Egg Whites - 34 calories
1/4 cup uncooked Quinoa - 160 calorires
1/4 cup Peas - 26 calories
1 tablespoon Gluten free Soy Sauce/Tamari - 10 calories
Onion Powder, Garlic Salt, Pepper (to taste)                     
= 230 calories total


1. First cook your quinoa or rice - quinoa takes about 15-20 minutes to make
2. Once the quinoa is cooked, scramble the egg whites
3. As the egg whites are cooking you can cook the peas in the same pan
4. Once the eggs and peas are done add the quinoa to the skillet and stir in the Soy Sauce or Tamari, and add the other seasonings
5. Serve hot :)

90 Calorie Egg Drop Soup

This is one of my go-to comfort food dinners - it is really easy to make and it is perfect for a cold Chicago day

All you need is bouillon and an egg! As long as you check your bouillon carefully this is gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe: (makes 1 large serving or 2 smaller servings)
1 egg - 70 calories
2 cups Chicken Bouillon - 20 calories      
= 90 calories

1. Prepare the bouillon and bring to a boil

2. Scramble the egg in a separate bowl - then add to the boiling bouillon - the egg will cook immediately in the boiling pot so be sure to stir quickly to break up the egg

3. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve :)

100 Calorie Spicy Italian Salad

As you may already know, I love spicy food. One of my favorite ways to spice up my food is to use hot sauce as salad dressing (like I do at Chipotle) - this salad is a variation of that, using a mixture of Light Italian Dressing and Green Tabasco :)

This really tastes like a spicy italian sub sandwich - but it is only 93 calories! You can add some lunchmeat if you want more protein, or serve this as a side dish - 

This salad is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan :)

Recipe:

2.5-3 cup Lettuce - 20 calories

1 small (or half of a large) Heirloom Tomato - 35 calories

4-6 Pepperocini peppers - 15 calories

1 tablespoon Light Italian Dressing - 22 calories

2-3 teaspoons Green Tabasco Sauce                                 

= 93 calories total

1. Wash and chop up the lettuce and tomato(salt and pepper the tomato), and cut up the peppers

2. Before adding the tomato and peppers, add the italian dressing and tabasco sauce to the lettuce and toss well

3. Top with tomato and peppers, toss well again, and enjoy :)

Shrimp Scampi (Under 200 Calories!)

This is another variation of my 100 Calorie Zucchini Spaghetti -  this time I sauteed the Zucchini Spaghetti with garlic salt, butter, and shrimp, to make a healthy Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo!

Recipe:

1 medium/large Zucchini - 46 calories

10 medium shrimp - 64 calories

1 tablespoon Earth Balance Whipped Buttery Spread(or other Butter replacement) - 80 calories

1-2 teaspoons Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder                                                                                  

= 190 calories

1. Thaw your shrimp if you are using pre-cooked frozen shrimp

2. Wash and slice your zucchini into spaghetti strips

3. Heat up a medium frying pan on the stovetop, add the shrimp

4. Add the zucchini to the pan, add the butter(you may not need a full tablespoon, you just want to add enough to keep the zucchini from drying out)

5. Sautee for about 6 minutes, top with garlic salt and enjoy :)

260 Calorie Big Mac Salad

I love McDonald's Big Macs - but this salad version is much healthier, I don't even miss the bun and the cheese!

This is a very heavy salad, but it tastes exactly like a Big Mac in my opinion - 

It is also Gluten free and Dairy free!

Recipe:

1/4 pound Ground Turkey Breast (or other meat) - 120 calories

1 large pickle - 20 calories

2 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing - 90 calories

Lettuce (about 2.5 cups) - 20 calories                            
=260 calories total


1. Grill your turkey burger, flipping about halfway through
2. While the meat is cooking chop up the pickle, wash and chop up your lettuce
3. Put the lettuce in a large salad bowl, top with pickles
4. Add your turkey burger to the top of the salad, top with Thousand Island Dressing and more pickles

Dining Out: The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is one of the worst offenders as far as high calorie restaurant entrees - If you choose to eat here while watching your calorie intake you have to be very careful about what you order

I only order off of their new Skinnylicious Menu - I get the Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos, they are 260 calories, and they are gluten free and dairy free(without the crema) - they are basically like a mexican chicken salad in lettuce wrap form

For comparison, my boyfriend orders the Baja Chicken Tacos - these are 1,119 calories! And his entree does not look very different from mine except that his comes with actual tortillas and rice and beans. I would not have thought that his meal would be that high in calories - but leave it to Cheesecake Factory to make even the healthy-looking things high in calories..

Also if you eat here while restricting calories do not order cheesecake! Instead you should make your own low cal version at home - You can do this using 1 container of Chobani or Fage low fat greek yogurt and a tablespoon of Jell-O Sugar Free Cheesecake mix - just stir the two ingredients together well and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes - you could add PB2 powder or cocoa powder to make a peanut butter/chocolate cheesecake, or top with some fruit preserves for a classic fruit-topped cheesecake treat :)

200 Calorie Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower

I made this Spicy Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower for dinner tonight, it smelled AMAZING while it was roasting in the oven - and I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I ate then entire thing by myself...

This was really good! I love spicy food so I knew I would like how this turned out - I even used extra sriracha as a dipping sauce :)

I had this as a main dinner dish but you could also have it as a side dish, or serve it with some other heavy sides if you're cooking for more than one person.

This recipe is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan - make sure you use a Gluten Free Sriracha if you are gluten intolerant, not all brands are gluten free

Recipe:

1 medium head of Cauliflower - 146 calories

1/4 cup Sriracha - 60 calories

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Powder

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes               

=206 calories for the whole head of cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Wash Cauliflower and cut off the large stem and leaves

3. Mix together the Sriracha, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Powder, and Chili Flakes

4. Spread the Sauce mixture over the whole head of Cauliflower - Use a spoon or basting brush to do this, or wear gloves so that you don't stain your hands

5. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - I sprayed some coconut oil on my cauliflower halfway through the cooking time but that probably isn't necessary

6. Remove from oven when tender, slice and add some salt and pepper if desired - enjoy while it's HOT :)