You read that right. You can make mac and cheese healthy! Mac and cheese is often labeled as one of the unhealthiest foods you can eat, in particular due to the high saturated fat content. With this recipe, we use skim milk and low-fat cheese to significantly cut down the saturated fat content. This is the best way to enjoy mac and cheese on a diet.
Healthy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup onions, chopped
½ cup evaporated skim milk
1 medium egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1¼ cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
Directions:
1. Cook macaroni according to directions—but do not add salt to the cooking water. Drain and set aside.
2. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Lightly spray saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions to saucepan and sauté for about 3 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine macaroni, onions, and rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
6. Transfer mixture into casserole dish.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8
Serving size: 1/2 cup
PER SERVING:
Calories: 200
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 34 mg
Sodium: 120 mg
Total fiber: 1 g
Protein: 11 g
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Potassium: 119 mg
How to Make Your Favorite Foods Healthy
Mac and cheese isn't the only dish that you can make healthy! With the right strategy, pretty much any recipe can be made into a healthier version that's optimal for a diet. Being able to eat your favorite foods means that you'll be much less likely to experience diet burnout. Diet burnout is one of the top reasons why someone ends up failing at a diet, so avoiding it is key.
Grab your favorite recipe that you've given up since dieting. Take a look at the ingredients. What can you substitute or otherwise change to reduce the calories, saturated fat, and/or sugar? Pretty much every recipe has something that can be changed to make it healthier. Whether it's using low-fat cheese, skim milk, artificial sweeteners, or margarine instead of butter, there's almost always something you can do.
Once you've made the necessary changes, try making the new version of the recipe. You might have to adjust it further to make it taste as good as it can, but experimenting with recipes is part of the fun! Changing recipes will also help you better understand what you're putting in your body, and what your body needs to function its best.
Once you've practiced making adjustments to one recipe, move on to other recipes that you've given up since starting your diet. Pretty soon, you'll be back to eating foods you love! In addition to changing up your own recipes, make sure you check out the dozens of other healthy recipes we have on offer.