Italian comfort food makeovers

If you are Italian, or just love Italian food, you probably already know how high in calories some of the most-loved dishes are. Why? Because Italians like fatty meats (sausage, ground beef, pork) and tend to drown everything in olive oil before topping it with a thick layer of cheese. Occasionally you'll find a leaner meat, like chicken breast, on an Italian menu but it's typically going to be dipped in egg, dredged in flour, and fried in oil- a process that adds enough calories to completely negate the benefit of the low-fat meat. Even seemingly "light" meals like chicken Florentine or sole Francese are often loaded with oil and/or butter. And then there's eggplant parmigiana... leave it to the Italians to take a vegetable and turn it into the nutritional equivalent of a triple cheeseburger.

Being part of an Italian family and having married into another one, it has been a challenge to cook satisfying and authentic meals without sacrificing my principles. But, it can be done. Today I will share a few "recipes" (we Italian cooks don't follow recipes; we make it up as we go) that I have used to convert some traditional dishes into healthier versions of themselves.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage-esque Turkey

Broccoli rabe is definitely one of my top 3 favorite vegetables. I posted a general recipe for broccoli rabe a while back, but in this follow up, I provide instructions for making your own turkey sausage. As I discussed a couple posts ago, commercially available turkey sausage isn't always what it's cracked up to be. If you make it yourself, you know for sure how lean it is. The recipe for the rabe is the same (see above link). To make the turkey sausage, simply combine 1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey with the following (approximate measures):

1/2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted

2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted

1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Then cook the turkey in a skillet, sprayed with oil spray, and add the steamed broccoli rabe.

"Stuffed" Artichokes

Another traditional Italian appetizer is whole artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and olive oil. Aside from having a less than optimal nutritional composition, this recipe is also somewhat labor-intensive to make and to eat.

Here is a super simple and light version:

Halve 1 can of whole artichokes and dry with paper towels

Place artichoke halves on an oil-sprayed baking sheet

Top with 1 tbs. seasoned breadcrumbs, 1 tbs. grated parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste, and another light spray of oil

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until lightly browned

Finally, my favorite lightened-up Italian recipe,

Eggplant Parmigiana

You will need:

Eggplant

Tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought, heated)

Part-skim shredded mozzarella (you may use 2% reduced-fat mozz, but don't use fat free)

Parmesan cheese, grated (1- 2 tbs.)

Slice the eggplant into 1/2" slices

Lay eggplant slices on layers of paper towel, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for a few minutes to half an hour (depending on how much time you have to wait!)

Press on the eggplant with the paper towels to absorb excess water

Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprayed with canola or olive oil spray and broil each side until golden brown

Remove the slices and place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil

Add enough tomato sauce to coat the bottom of a baking pan

Layer the eggplant slices on top

Continue alternating sauce and eggplant, and (optionally) cheese

Top the final layer of eggplant and sauce with mozzarella and grated parmesan

Place the baking pan under the broiler (on low setting) until cheese is melted and slightly browned

Because this recipe does not call for breading or frying the eggplant, it will be substantially lower in calories than the traditional version. The actual calorie content will depend on the type of sauce you use and the amount of cheese. Here are some tips for keeping the calories low: choose a tomato sauce that has 40-50 calories per 1/2 cup, use 1/4 cup or less cheese for each person or serving.

As an example, I made a large portion of this (enough for an entree for normal people) for my husband and these were the nutritional stats:

Calories: 365

Total fat :11.5 g

Saturated fat: 6.5 g

Carbohydrates: 47 g

Fiber: 22 g

Protein: 29 g

This recipe is also packed with vitamins and minerals, and with the unhealthy stuff left out, it is a nutritional powerhouse of a meal. Unfortunately, I can't find a reliable source of nutrition information for a restaurant serving of eggplant parm, but take my word for it- it would be a lot more calories and saturated fat!

Mmm.. cheese

Is there anyone who doesn't love cheese?? It has to be one of the best tasting foods on Earth. Some people are picky about their cheese. You know the type- they don't like bleu cheese or they don't like goat cheese, or they don't like orange cheese (yeah, Ma, I'm talking about you). My feelings towards cheese are like Violet Beauregarde's towards gum: if it's cheese, it's for me.

Sadly, as a student of nutrition, my infatuation is somewhat tempered by an ugly mole on the otherwise flawless face of cheese: saturated fat. Not to mention the calories that this excess saturated fat provides. Most cheese has about 100 calories per ounce (about 1/4 cup shredded or the size of 4 dice). It is practically unavoidable. What gives cheese its full-bodied flavor and creamy mouthfeel is fat. Most of the fat in cheese is saturated, as is much of the fat from animal sources, be they meat or dairy. The only way to get around the saturated fat in dairy products is to choose fat-free or low-fat versions. I think this works pretty well when it comes to yogurt and milk. The difference between whole milk and 1% is noticeable, but not intolerable. Ditto for yogurt. Even lower-fat ice cream and frozen yogurt is still pretty darn tasty! Not so with cheese. Fat-free cheese is out there, but have you tried it?? It bears more resemblance to rubber than it does to actual food.

But fear not, I have some solutions to offer. Over the years, I have tried many different kinds of cheese-full fat and reduced fat- and have come up with the following guidelines for including cheese in your diet without breaking your calorie budget or clogging your arteries.

Eat full fat, but in small portions:

These cheeses are so full of flavor, you can reduce the portion (1/2 oz. - 1 oz. per sitting) and hardly notice.

Parmesan cheese - I especially recommend the pricier parmigiano reggiano. Buy a wedge of it and shave with a potato peeler over a salad or grate into recipes. It keeps for a long time in the fridge and can also be frozen for a longer shelf life.

Bleu cheese- A little bit of this goes a long way. But be wary of ordering salads topped with bleu cheese at restaurants. You can easily get 400 calories or more of the stuff. Either ask for less cheese or, if you can trust yourself, push some of it aside before you dig in.

Sharp cheddar- I find that a mere tablespoon (~25 calories) of extra sharp cheddar cheese adds an amazing flavor to my scrambled eggs.

Eat reduced-fat versions:

These are some taste-tested (by me and the hubs) lower-calorie cheese items

Sargento reduced-fat string cheese and colby/jack cheese sticks- when it comes to string cheese, there's really no point in buying the full-fat kind. The lower-fat versions almost always taste perfectly good. This brand seems to be the best of them all, in part because it also melts well. Why would this matter? Well just imagine you want to melt some cheese on.... something.. and all you have is string cheese. If it doesn't melt well, you're screwed, aren't you?! Hey, it's happened to me. Now if I can just stop hearing the Kermit-the-frog-like voice of the guy in the Sargento commercials everytime I buy it, I'd be good.

Laughing Cow light babybel and wedge cheese- Laughing Cow really knows what they're doing when it comes to light cheese. The babybels are great for eating by themselves and the wedges are delicious on crackers or spread on bagels, or vegetables, or pretty much anything! If you're my husband, you might just the eat the wedge as-is too, but I still think that's taking it a little too far. It's not unlike eating cream cheese with a spoon out of the tub. :-/

Cabot 75% reduced-fat varieties- This is about as good as it's going to get for a very low-fat cheese. And it melts well considering its fat content.

Finally, I have a special section for the best cheese ever made:

Burrata mozzarella- since my vacation to Vegas, where I was first introduced to this cheese, I have begun a love affair that I think will last a lifetime. This is a type of fresh mozzarella that has cream added to it so that it is extraordinarily creamy and delicious. I thought for sure this cheese would be twice as high in calories and fat as regular mozzarella and the truth is, I didn't care. It was worth it. BUT, as it turns out, by some miracle performed by superhero cheesemakers, burrata is actually LOWER in fat and calories than traditional mozzarella. Most fresh mozzarella has 80 calories and 6g of fat (4g saturated) per ounce. Burrata has only 60 calories and I can't tell you how much fat because I (stupidly!) threw the darn package away already and I can't remember. But I'm sure it was less. It is hard to find, but gourmet Italian food stores (like Liuzzi cheese in North Haven, CT) may have it. Try it. You won't regret it.

The great sausage swindle

I see chicken sausage and turkey sausage everywhere these days. Great, right?! Well, maybe not as great as you'd think. It seems like sausage made from poultry would be an obviously healthier choice than beef or pork sausage, but unfortunately, the benefits of choosing these kinds of products are overblown more often than not. Case in point: my shopping experience this afternoon.

I was at my local Stop and Shop, picking up some ingredients for an Italian pasta dinner tomorrow night and, keeping with tradition, I planned to make sauce with meatballs and sausage. Looking at the options for sausage, I thought for a moment about getting chicken sausage. Although I don't like to sacrifice too much of the authenticity of a meal for a better nutrient profile, I also don't mind making subtle changes where I can. I picked up a package of chicken sausage and a package of pork sausage from the same company, flipped them over and compared the nutrition labels. What do you know? The calorie content was almost exactly the same (110 vs. 100 calories per 2 oz. serving) as was the fat content. That sure made my decision easier. I took the pork sausage and put the imitation healthy sausage back.

It's true that the chicken sausage did not bear any claims about healthfulness or fat content, but it's my suspicion that most shoppers would assume, without any such explicit claims, that the chicken sausage would just have to be better than the pork sausage. And I doubt everyone would take the time to make the label comparison that I did. The point of this rant is to provide a warning. Just because a product is made with chicken, turkey, or some other meat with a healthful aura, does not automatically mean it is any lower in fat or calories than the original version. If you are trying to choose leaner meats (good for you!), please make sure you read the package labels and make sure you are getting the benefits you think you are.

P.S. I'm sure there are some legitimately more-healthful varieties of sausage out there, so don't discount them entirely. And if you've seen some, please share your find with the rest of us!

More perverse food advertising

It seems like there is never a shortage of questionable food marketing tactics, especially when kids' foods are involved. The latest example: a new commercial from Kellogg's touting its cereals' new and improved fiber content. Although I could not find a video of the commercial, here is a link to a page on the Kellogg's website which explains the importance of fiber and portrays Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Pops as nutritious by virtue of the added fiber they now contain.

It's true that fiber is an important part of a healthy diet and most kids don't get enough. However, Kellogg's narrow focus on a single nutrient is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy designed with the hope that consumers will miss the forest for the trees and buy what they're selling- both literally and figuratively.

The new ad campaign comes at a time when nutrition experts and public health professionals are calling for a shift in focus from nutrients (e.g. fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, etc.) to foods. In agreement with many others in my field, it is my belief that we should be giving the public recommendations about nutrition that are simple, based on scientific evidence, and easy to understand and put into practice. Rather than providing acceptable ranges of saturated fat and fiber (do you know what to do with that information???), we should instead encourage consumption of whole, minimally processed foods (think rolled oats and fresh apples) and advise limiting intake of foods whose component parts are no longer recognizable and contain substantial amounts of added sugars, salt, and other unwholesome ingredients (think Apple Jacks).

The so-called "reductionist" approach to nutrition smacks of hubris that has gotten out of control. To believe that we can take a food in its natural state and process it to the point that it looks and tastes completely different and then simply add back the nutrients we deem to be important is to assume that we know everything there is to know about the nutrients humans need. This is very far from the truth. Most vitamins have only been discovered within the last century and for many of them (vitamin D included), we only have a general idea of how much we need to avoid illness. We don't necessarily know how much we need for optimal health. Furthermore, research on non-vitamin bioactive food components (like antioxidant polyphenols) is still relatively new. So far, it suggests that these substances are very important, too, but we don't know enough about them to use them in food fortification.

My point is- we can only add back what we know we took out. I think it is extremely arrogant to think that we can manipulate foods to our liking and not suffer any health consequences. Whether or not fiber-fortified sugary cereals are leading to deficiencies in flavonoids or other important compounds, they are almost certainly leading to excess calories and excess weight relative to foods that naturally contain the nutrients that Kellogg's sprays their Froot Loops with.

The truth is, we don't know all that much about the health effects of specific nutrients. Just look at the baffling results of studies on Atkins-like diets. Despite being high in saturated fat, a nutrient that has been demonized for decades, people who follow the diet for a long period of time actually have better improvements in their cholesterol levels than those on a low-fat diet. Some Eskimo populations have diets that are 80% meat and very high in total fat, yet they have lower rates of chronic disease than Americans do. What we do know more about is the dietary patterns that are associated with better health. And they are almost universally based on whole foods close to their natural state.

This post has turned a little rambly, but the point I'm trying to get across is: when you see food ads and commercials like the one Kellogg's is airing, be skeptical. Trust your common sense. Food manufacturers want you to believe that they can "fix" any nutritional shortcoming, but don't fall for it. They can't. Not now, probably not ever, and certainly not in your lifetime.

For an eye-opening discussion of food-based vs. nutrient-based approaches to nutrition by a much more eloquent writer, I highly recommend Michael Pollan's New York Times essay, "Unhappy Meals."

A quarter pounder with cheese, hold the fat please

I think one of the most common pitfalls of dieting is the assumption that the formula for success involves simple addition of healthy, if unpalatable foods and subtraction of favorites that are tasty but pernicious. It seems to me that many people try to tolerate a bland, meager diet for a period of time to lose weight and are inevitably disappointed and (inexplicably) surprised when they revert back to old habits and regain the weight they lost. Although the strategy of muddling through one's days eating celery sticks and cottage cheese will technically work, I have yet to meet anyone without a serious eating disorder who is able to do this indefinitely to maintain a svelte physique.

To my knowledge, the only way to keep oneself at a healthy weight permanently without sacrificing sanity is to eat foods that are both nutritious and delicious. But finding such foods can be tricky. When I cook for myself, my husband, or my family, I usually re-work traditional recipes to make them healthier. More often than not, the result is something that retains a lot of its original appeal.

A good example is the hamburgers I frequently make for by husband, Steve. His nutritional needs are pretty restrictive-- calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates must all be within a specified range. Depending on the day, I might make burgers from 95% lean ground beef, 93% lean ground turkey, or extra-lean ground turkey breast. The higher the percentage, the more challenging it is to make a flavorful, juicy burger. Last week, Steve requested extra-lean burgers. If I were to make patties with the ground turkey and simply throw them on the Forman grill, they would be extremely dry and tasteless. So, I added a few things I had on hand to increase the moisture and flavor of the burgers. Then, I formed patties and cooked them in a skillet sprayed with oil spray. After they were seared on both sides, I also added a little water to the pan and covered it with a pot lid to steam them. I can't tell you how long I cooked them because I didn't keep track, but I assume most people can figure out when a burger is cooked! The ingredients for the meat are listed below. If you'd like to try this recipe out, cook the burgers as described above, top with a small amount of 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, and serve on low-calorie buns with your favorite toppings (for Steve, this was lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and mustard).

Ingredients (for 2 medium/large burgers):

8 oz. raw ground turkey breast (99% fat free)
1/4 cup black beans, mashed
2 tbs. ketchup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. real bacon bits
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 oz. reduced-fat cheese for topping, 2 low-calorie buns



If these burgers are lean enough for a bodybuilder, I think they will meet anyone's standards! They are low in fat and very high in protein. I have included the nutrition information for a single burger, below. If you have high calorie needs, you can easily eat 2 or 3 of them. If you are a lighter eater, I would suggest making smaller patties, as these are pretty thick.