Simple, Slim-Down Recipes (2024)

Skip that sugary morning muffin that usually has about 480 calories. Instead, try our multigrain cereal (which takes 10 minutes from start to finish) with only 265 calories. Health bonus: a Harvard study showed that eating whole-grain cereal daily cuts the risk of heart failure by 28 percent.

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To speed up weight loss, consider doubling — if not tripling — your intake of fruits and vegetables every day. Our vegetable and bean stew is a delicious dinner option with 355 calories per serving (recipe makes 4 servings).

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Instead of ladling up a bowl of New England Clam Chowder with a whopping 450 calories, try our vegetable soup recipe. It has 160 calories — which is a savings of 290 calories!

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If you exchange a weekly slice of coconut cream pie (425 calories) for our Apple-Oat Crisp dessert (175 calories), you can shed an additional 3.7 pounds a year.

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Once a week, bypass the short ribs with mashed potatoes (810 calories) in favor of our Jerk Halibut with Apple-Sweet Potato Mash (410 calories), and you'll be 5.9 pounds lighter by this time next year.

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This healthy side dish is a wonderful addition to any main dish and has only 70 calories per serving.

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Replace an ounce of potato chips (150 calories) with an equal amount of our Kale "Chips" (15 calories), and you'll save 135 calories. Make the switch twice a week for a year, and you'll lose 4 pounds.

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A monotonous vegetable menu will quickly have you reaching for more fattening fare. So experiment a little and reach for brightly colored vegetables. This nutrient-packed recipe has only 50 calories per serving.

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A six-month study led by Pennsylvania State University researchers showed that people who filled up on produce ate up to 511 fewer calories each day on average. Here, a low-fat cabbage side dish with only 60 calories.

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Researchers theorize that omega-3 fatty acids, the polyunsaturated fats abundant in cold-water fish like salmon, switch on the fat-burning process in cells — provided you also exercise.

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Substitute your weekly Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta (500 calories) with our Pomegranate-Berry Smoothie (250 calories), and you'll lose 3.7 pounds in a year.

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Swap Fettucine Alfredo (660 calories) for our Fusilli with Herbed Ricotta and Grape Tomatoes recipe (400 calories) and save 260 calories.

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Prepare Herb, Spicy Peppercorn, or Red Chile — and then cook it on the grill. You'll save 60 calories per serving.

Once a week, try our Warm Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds (305 calories) instead of two biscuits with butter (420 calories) and save a total of 115 calories or 1.7 pounds a year.

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Whole grains are digested slowly — thanks to the bran and germ, which are left intact — so they keep your blood sugar steady and your hunger in check. Substituting brown rice for white rice is an easy way to add whole grains to your diet.

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According to a 12-year Harvard study, women who ate plenty of whole grains gained less weight than those who consumed a lot of refined grains (think cake, white bread, and all those other white-flour goodies that wreak havoc on your blood sugar and leave you craving more carbs).

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Research shows that breakfast eaters typically consume about 100 fewer calories during the course of the day and weigh less than those who forgo food in the morning. Our delicious yogurt parfait recipe has 255 calories and takes only 5 minutes to prepare.

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