Cheese

Although white rice is always included in the fast-food version of this dish, I left it out here. It would have added about 100 calories per serving, and these burritos are really good without it—even better, I think. If you can’t find corn salsa, buy fresh refrigerated salsa and stir in some low-sodium canned corn.

Chicken Parm is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It’s as much an American classic as a burger and fries or angel food cake. The good news is that Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made from skim milk to start with, so there is no need to replace it with “cheese food” or anything else that’s unsuccessfully impersonating the real thing. In this version, thin chicken cutlets are grilled and topped with reduced-fat mozzarella and then sprinkled with breadcrumbs just before finishing the dish for a crispy browned topping.

In Italy, pasta and meats are generally served as separate courses, but in this country, we like to combine them into a single main course. This creamy pasta pairs well with the sauteed chicken.

Ever since I was a kid working in catering halls to pay for college, I’ve been fascinated by how delicious this simple dish is. Though the original has ample amounts of oozing butter, this version doesn’t have any butter in it at all, and it still tastes great. Pay close attention to the cooking time so the chicken doesn’t dry out, and prepare the sauce 2 hours ahead of cooking time.

If you love thin-crust pizza (I am one of you), after you taste this version, you will never buy premade crusts again. Once baked, these crusts hold well at room temperature for several days if lightly covered with a tea towel—and hold very well in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a week. Make a batch on Saturday for later in the week. Please note: This is a very generous portion—you might be full after eating just half of one personal-size pie.

Is it the bun, the beef, or the processed cheese that makes a Philly cheesesteak America’s most famous hero sandwich? Some say all three are equally important. Suffice it to say that from my research, there will never be agreement on this issue. We can all agree, though, that this whole-grain, low-fat sandwich is a different kind of hero.

Some say the Reuben—corned beef brisket, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, bread—was invented by an Omaha grocer named Reuben Kulakofsky to provide sustenance to participants in a late-night poker game. This reformed version was invented to help you eat better. (Following that logic, don’t stay up late playing poker, either.)

This sandwich is so old-school—and I love it. Using water-packed tuna and a reasonable amount of low-fat mayonnaise takes this diner-food classic off the “Do Not Eat” list.

As basic as a grilled cheese sandwich is, there are ways to make it badly (I’ve had a few of those) and ways to make it beautifully. This is how it should be: The bread should be toasted and crispy (hence the broiling), the cheese should be warm and melted but not running out of the sides, and there should be a little something extra to truly take it over the top. Here, a little orange marmalade adds a touch of sweetness to the otherwise savory elements.

Never trust a skinny chef—or one who serves you an 800- to 1,400-calorie chef’s salad! If you think you’re being good when you order this dish, think again. Given the exceedingly large quantity of deli meats, the Russian dressing, and the boiled eggs, you might as well eat a Big Mac. This version, however, really is a skinny salad. It calls for egg whites only, reduced-fat cheddar, and a reduced-fat full-flavor Russian dressing of my own creation.

This dish has become a staple on the American menu. From McDonalds to gastro-pubs to fine-dining restaurants, everyone has their own version. I’d venture to say mine is among the tastiest and healthiest out there.

Cobb Salad gets its name from Robert Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles and first cousin of baseball great Ty Cobb. The story goes that he was browsing through the refrigerator late one night, looking for a snack, and could only find bits and pieces of leftovers—which he chopped up and turned into a salad. The rest is history. Here’s a version of Cobb Salad that was put together with a little more thought—and a lot fewer calories.

The Italian name for this salad is insalata caprese, and it’s a shining example of the brilliance of Italian cuisine: a few fresh, simple ingredients at the peak of their season combined to produce exceptionally complex flavors. It hails from Capri, a small island off the coast of Naples in the region of Campagna, where my family comes from. Buy only the best mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil you can find to make this salad. It may be naturally fresh and healthful, but I have kept fat and calories to a minimum by keeping the olive oil to a minimum—only 1 tablespoon for 4 servings.

Who doesn’t love a big thick chunk of iceberg lettuce with bacon and blue cheese dressing alongside a juicy cowboy-cut ribeye? It’s one of my favorite steakhouse meals. Problem is, at 700-plus calories and more than 80 grams of fat—for the salad alone!—it’s a very bad bargain. Thankfully, the availability of reduced-fat blue cheese means you don’t have to choose between the steak and the salad.

This is such a great salad—especially in the fall, when beets are in season. The sweet, earthy flavor of the beets provides a nice foil for the tangy blue cheese and peppery arugula. By lightly crushing the walnuts, you need less of this healthy but high-fat nut in your salad. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.

If ever there was a dynamic duo of destructive caloric forces, cheese and potatoes is it. But they taste sooo good together, we dive in anyway. This potato-free cheese and “potato” soup reunites the duo but tames them to a mere shadow of their former fatness.

This beautiful green soup features broccoli two ways—pureed for body and in chunks for texture. The cheese in this rendition of broccoli-cheese soup is a whisper of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The real creaminess comes from yogurt.

Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and have many healthy properties that make them a good go-to ingredient. The best thing about black beans is their rich, meaty flavor. They lend themselves to many preparations, are great hot or cold, and the best news is that you don’t ever have to cook them if you don’t have the time or inclination. When purchasing, watch out for sodium levels, and buy organic if you can.

French onion soup began to show up on restaurant menus in the 1960s, when America’s interest in French food was piqued by Julia Child. Onions have tremendous nutritional value and have been shown to aid in preventing and treating both cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Though a bowl of French onion soup is full of great things, it also has a fair amount of fat. This recipe calls for reduced-fat Swiss and little to no fat in the general preparation, which trimmed fat and calories by about one-third and one half, respectively.

Frittata is a dish I have eaten and served for my entire life. It was always there just in case we were hungry or if an unexpected guest dropped by. It’s made with fresh eggs and whole vegetables, nothing unhealthy. I never thought of it as unhealthy or fattening. But at 20 grams of fat per portion, it’s not entirely benign. This dish was a little easier than most to make healthier because it starts out in a good place—but why not have fewer calories without sacrificing flavor?