Modern-day Italians serve cornmeal-based polenta as a simple side or hearty entrée, enriched with cheeses and herbs. Offering yet another take on the classic, our polenta is used to create a soft crust for a winter vegetable pie.
It may not be the first cooking method that comes to mind when you think of chicken, but poaching is a great way to cook lean proteins that have a tendency to dry out.
A warm and comforting dessert without the usual calorie count (just 156), and ready in just 35 minutes!
In Latin America, a picadillo usually consists of finely chopped well-seasoned meat and vegetables served alongside a bed of rice. Here, we've transferred the concept to the soup pot to spice up your cold winter nights.
We add depth to the Tetra Pak tomatoes by simmering them with onions, tomato paste, garlic and red pepper flakes. This process also thickens the sauce so it lightly coats the penne instead of drowning it.
Tosca Reno's 30-minute cookies are a holiday favorite - she was even able to use the addictive sweets as a means of sneaking flax into her daughter's diet!
A generous swirl of creamy peanut butter adds an extra layer of decadence to these unbelievably clean brownies.
Our handy take on the classic German dessert maintains the decadent crumb topping but switches it up as personal-size cupcakes, with only 137 calories each!
Whip up a quick snack for the kiddies or a meal-on-the-go with just 4 ingredients and 8 minutes. Bonus: It's loaded with fiber!
Here's a good way to sneak some greens into your kids – and time into your schedule! These lasagna-style roll-ups can be made ahead of time and reheated for a quick, easy weeknight meal.
Baking in parchment keeps fish moist and makes cleanup practically effortless. Try substituting Pacific cod for similar results at a reduced cost, and reserve the second half of your fennel bulb for use in a salad: Try it with radicchio, toasted walnuts, cubes of pear and crumbled goat cheese.
An amazingly easy-to-prepare, delightfully sweet whole fish is paired with mild roasted fennel and onions, plus couscous – a complete meal with just 8 grams of fat.
Fake greasy takeout with this healthy twist on fried chicken, breaded with whole-wheat bread crumbs, cheese and thyme!
While poaching mild-flavored catfish in orange juice will help infuse this dish with a citrus fragrance, it's actually the orange zest that provides an intensely aromatic character.
Our clean chocolate cake is dense, fudgy and so visually appealing you'll want to serve it on a platter. While the taste and texture are truly indulgent, one slice rings in at a mere 160 calories and five grams of fat.
Here, we're using lamb chops, which look like miniature T-bone steaks. They're full of flavor and the fat is relatively easy to trim off.
Try this low-cal spread on multigrain crackers, as a dip for crudités, smoothed on whole-wheat bread in lieu of mayo for a flavorful sandwich or burger.
Eating a slice of our moist, slow-cooker pumpkin bread may actually improve your energy, thanks to its hearty dose of potassium.
Clean cook and host of FitTV's Healthy Decadence, Devin Alexander takes the fried out of a beloved chicken dish. It tastes so good you'll wonder why you've relied on the grease for so long!
Don't pay in pounds because you want a delightfully decadent brunch! These waffles are also delicious topped with low-fat ricotta and fresh berries.
Instead of simply slapping some cheese between two slices of bread (as usual!) why not add black beans and shredded chicken to the mix for a little Mexican infusion?
Candice Kumai's salad gets an antioxidant boost from two kinds of berries, plus the heart-healthy omegas in raw walnuts and iron-laden spinach couple with a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette for a texturally satisfying, guilt-free lunch.
Find out how one reader manages to serve up a lean burger that actually bursts with juiciness.
This fantasic lobster roll has the two key ingredients: lots of succulent lobster and a soft, toasted whole-grain bun.
Set aside 12 minutes on a Sunday to prepare this hearty vegetarian stew, an easy lunch and supper during the week bursting with lentils, celery, carrot, sweet potato and tomatoes.
We borrowed the soft, light topping of a classic pie, cleaned it up and popped it onto a moist lemony cupcake for a lovely single-serving dessert!
All it takes are eight simple ingredients to make a cleaned-up classic that'll warm your bones – and you won't believe it's clean!
Chef Jo's transformed food truck burger is based on a classic from Grill 'Em All, winners of Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race. The truck is the heavy metal brainchild of two longtime buddies who use fresh, local ingredients for their German-inspired beef burger.
Tender spears of asparagus hug our salmon, and are topped with a tangy, hollandaise-style sauce. We don't mind when some of the creamy condiment runs into our smashed redskins either...
You can make these honey mustard chicken thighs up to 8 hours in advance and, at the last minute, simply coat them with the sauce and bake.
Sweet oranges and tart cranberries make a perfect pair when you want to perk up your plate with tang and color. Adding orange peel as you begin cooking your rice, and orange juice at the end of the process, lends a smooth flavor and fragrance to this cranberry chicken.
Homemade honey-mustard sauce beats the processed varieties any day. Complement your seasoned salmon with brown lentils, which are easy to find and hold their shape when cooked.
Our vanilla cupcakes with berry centers and chocolate glaze are the perfect light treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Sliders are easy to serve and fun-to-eat appetizers, and Clean Eating's healthier version strips them of the requisite greasy patty and corn syrup–laden sauces, without sacrificing flavor.
This tasty snack takes the best of two classic dishes – Hawaiian pizza and potato skins – and brings them together in a crispy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside guiltless treat for your entire family.
A healthy twist on a classic ham and cheese sandwich, this salad boasts peppery arugula and lightly sautéed bell peppers with a sharp, tangy Dijon dressing.
A throwback to the ham and pea soups of your childhood, every bite of this elegant stuffed squash oozes with "stick-to-your-ribs" buckwheat and gooey Swiss cheese.
Our Cuban sandwich has the requisite fillings (ham, cheese, pickle) with a fraction of the calories – just 231 per sandwich. All you need is 8 minutes and a hearty appetite!
While our herbed chicken is delicious sans sauce, why not add a little clean fun to your meal by using the herb and mustard blend as a dip for both your bird and broccoli?
Get foolproof, silky cheesecake – that won't yield tempting leftovers in the fridge for days and days – from your slow cooker, where a warm, moist environment encourages gentle, even cooking in individual ramekins.
Roasting butternut squash enhances its creamy texture. With a tart and tangy combination of ginger, garlic and lime, this dish boasts immune-boosting benefits plus a zesty flavor profile, providing a quick pick-me-up in cooler weather.
With only five ingredients, these yogurty snacks are a cinch to prepare. To make your life in the kitchen even easier, cut the tangy squares prior to freezing them.
We've come up with an easy way to coat and cook your French toast while controlling calories significantly.
A bonus recipe from our inaugural baking contest, these are the perfect dunkers for your morning cup of coffee!
This classic dish gets a healthy and colorful makeover with sweet parsnips and vibrant purple potatoes, while quinoa flakes make a gorgeous gluten-free crust for oven-baked fish!
You'll never go back to traditional butter-laden stuffing recipes after trying our low-fat version – ample flavor and moisture come from sautéed vegetables, juicy apples and broth!
What if you want a crust that's versatile enough for all sorts of fillings while remaining wholesome and uncomplicated? Seek no further, pilgrim, for our labor is your reward: a Clean Eating crust that delivers on all fronts!
Our reader's convenient turkey cups are full of protein to fuel you for the day, whether you eat them as a snack on Saturday morning or serve the pretty packages atop half an English muffin for brunch.
Dig into our creamiest-ever chocolate pudding, made superbly smooth with heart-healthy soy milk, dark chocolate chips and a dash of sweet vanilla.
Recipes aren't always meant to be followed! For variety, try serving these little sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and lettuce or thinly sliced mango, and use toothpicks to help the layers stay put.
Recipes aren't always meant to be followed! For variety, try serving these trendy little sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and lettuce or thinly sliced mango, and use toothpicks to help the layers stay put.
Tangy lemon and lime zest pair beautifully with delicate salmon, creating a delicious entrée that's perfect for any occasion.
Creole dishes are slow simmered, which unfortunately translates to a loss of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For this reason, we kept the stove-top time for our chicken and okra brief.
Our lighter version of this comfort soup combines potatoes with cauliflower for a nutritious base that's brimming with flavor. Freshly made turkey bacon bits top off this cauliflower and leek soup for an incredibly indulgent lunch.
By ditching the requisite heavy cream and butter, we’ve stripped our creamy asparagus soup of its potentially weighty calorie count – it rings in at just over 200 calories and includes succulent toppers like crabmeat, Parmesan, bread cubes and more!
Ooey-gooey yet surprisingly low in fat and calories, these rich stacks are a heavenly, healthy take on the overly sugary originals. If you can't find raw cacao nibs, feel free to substitute shaved dark chocolate.
It's almost too easy to slash fat and calories: Simply cut the floury fillers and mayo-based dips to let the shellfish shine.
While a little less than an hour may seem long until dinner is ready, you can make this soup entrée ahead and enjoy it for dinner or lunch anytime. Trust us, it's even better on the second day!
A staple in Cajun cooking, collard greens are a quick cook's best friend. While the leaves may seem tough, it's important to not overcook them for optimum flavor – five minutes is all you need.
A creamy sweet potato casserole is a must-have on every holiday table, and we've put a new spin on the eye-catching orange-hued spuds with light coconut milk and various sweet and piquant spices.
With its creamy Thousand Island dressing, stacked corned beef or pastrami and Swiss cheese, the traditional reuben is a high-calorie affair. Our version uses a homemade tomato dressing, Jarlsberg cheese, ham and turkey for a full-flavor version under 300 calories
Julie O'Hara takes the ultimate one-pot comfort food and slashed the fat, calories and sodium.
This make-ahead brown rice pudding tastes best the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld in the fridge. Whether you serve it for breakfast, a snack or dessert, it's a definite crowd-pleaser and a great dish to make on a Sunday afternoon to have for the week!
This beloved family recipe started off as a good-old moist, flourless cupcake and is now an equally moist, almost-flourless cupcake that is just as easy!
Greek yogurt gives our decadent chocolate mousse a hint of tang, the perfect dessert to spice up a romantic night in.
Determined to mimic her mother's classic banana bread, this reader ditched the calorie-laden Crisco for raw honey, applesauce and healthy oils. Better yet, even mama approves of this Clean Eating banana bread!
This pie is reminiscent of the chocolate peanut novelty cones doled out by ice cream trucks every summer and those chilly, chocolate-robed frozen bananas of childhood. Sweetened only by the bananas themselves, the thick custard-like filling sits in a peanutty crust for a cold indulgence on a hot night.
Our frozen "yogurt" bombs don't include any yogurt at all, but these soy milk and tofu creations come so close to the real thing that your friends and family will never know they're actually enjoying dairy-free alternatives.
This classic chicken cordon bleau recipe is made with low-sodium ham and creamy Laughing Cow cheese to give it a clean makeover.
Nothing says cozy like a hot bowl of chicken vegetable stew, and we kick the comforting classic into shape with clean ingredients that pack a whole lot of flavor on a cold winter's night.
One of the four heart-healthy recipes selected for our collaboration with the American Heart Association, these tartlets are a hit on-hand as a bite-sized snack or served as dessert at your next dinner party.
Our whole-grain breaded fish and baked chips are delightfully crunchy and delicious and, with a $6 price tag and just 300 calories per serving, our version of the English classic beats out any famous fast-food variety.
Say good-bye to heavy cream, half and half, shortening and butter. Our cleaned-up version of this classic pie is light on saturated fat (not to mention prep time)!
Thin whole-wheat pasta transforms a dish of tender cauliflower, garlicky clams and parsley-infused broth into a hearty meal. By skipping the spaghetti, you can take this recipe from main course to a starter or tasting plate for a party.
Try this side, of cinnamon- and carrot-scented wheat berries with butternut squash, with beef, chicken or fish.
Fresh mangos and red peppers can turn your tuna dinner into a deliciously refreshing salad at lunch. Plus, its protein-laced peanut vinaigrette will give you a tasty energy boost.
The flavor of this savory, creamy dip beats any store-bought or restaurant variety by a long shot. Chock-full of vegetables, it is significantly lower in both calories and fat, too.
Bite through the crisp, flaky crust of these Portuguese-inspired tarts and you'll discover a delightfully smooth, sweet filling!
Both sherbet and sorbet consist of fruit juices or purées and sweetener, but sherbets also include dairy. Most sherbet sold in the US often contains 1 to 2% milk fat, but our recipe uses skim milk for a zero gram fat total.
A 3-ounce serving of our broiled eye of round steak recipe has only 180 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat and 3.5 grams of total fat, so it's no surprise that it's one of our favorite dishes.