Authors: Lisa Lillien
A quick slushie treat. Blend it up and spoon it from the glass—it’s too thick to drink from a straw!
Frozen Unsweetened Strawberries + Light Vanilla Soymilk
PER SERVING (1 cup berries plus 1 cup soymilk): 122 calories, 2g fat, 105mg sodium, 21g carbs, 4g fiber, 12g sugars, 6g protein
No time for breakfast? WRONG! Take a few seconds, blend up this quickie smoothie, and you’ll be much more pleasant to be around. NO SKIPPING B-FAST!
Cheats:
Some no-calorie sweetener and/or calorie-free sugar-free strawberry syrup work fantastically with this duo.
Frozen Bananas + Cool Whip Free
PER SERVING (1 small banana plus 2½ tablespoons whipped topping): 109 calories, <0.5g fat, 7mg sodium, 26.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 13.5g sugars, 1g protein
Cut a banana into 10 rounds and top 5 with ½ tablespoon thawed whipped topping each. Place remaining banana slices on top of the whip, and FREEZE.
Cheats:
A little reduced-fat peanut butter swirled with the Cool Whip Free goes a looooooong way.
Starring…Frozen Broccoli & Cheese Sauce
We don’t know what genius decided to start freezing broccoli mixed with cheese sauce, but we want to shake his or her hand. Happy cheesy broccoli-ing!!!
Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce + Plain Light Soymilk
PER SERVING (1 tray broccoli & cheese sauce plus ½ cup soymilk): 75 calories, 2.5g fat, 488mg sodium, 9.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 3.5g sugars, 4.5g protein
Don’t cringe, this is not a smoothie! Thaw, blend, and heat for a quick broccoli & cheese soup. You can puree all of it or leave some broccoli out and then add it in afterward for some chunkiness.
Cheats:
Toss some reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping, salt, black pepper, and/or Laughing Cow Light cheese into the blender too.
Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce + Boneless Skinless Lean Chicken Breast
PER SERVING (1 tray broccoli & cheese sauce plus 4 ounces chicken): 189 calories, 3g fat, 586mg sodium, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 34.5g protein
Chop up grilled chicken and toss these two together or just pour the saucy veggies over a baked chicken cutlet. The broccoli comes with plenty of extra sauce to coat your meat.
Cheats:
Canned sliced mushrooms love to crash this party.
Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce + Baked Potato
PER SERVING (1 tray broccoli & cheese sauce plus one 7.5-ounce potato): 210 calories, 1.5g fat, 443mg sodium, 44g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 3.5g sugars, 6g protein
SO filling and yummy. If you want, hollow out some of the potato to make room and save calories. Tater time!
Cheats:
Top with fat-free sour cream for added enjoyment.
Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce + House Foods Tofu Shirataki
PER SERVING (1 tray broccoli & cheese sauce plus 1 bag shirataki): 85 calories, 2.5g fat, 460mg sodium, 13g carbs, 7g fiber, 2g sugars, 4g protein
There’s TOTALLY enough sauce to go around! Make a tray of the cheesy veggies, and dump it over your drained/rinsed/patted-dry noodles. Microwave a bit longer, and then let the chewing begin!
Cheats:
A Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge, some salt, and black pepper take this couple to the next level.
Starring…Broccoli Cole Slaw
Just in case you didn’t get enough of the BCS (a.k.a. Broccoli Cole Slaw) in our “Fun with…” chapter, here are more ideas for the colorful veggie shreds!
Broccoli Cole Slaw + Low-Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
PER SERVING (¼ of recipe, 1 cup dry slaw plus 2 tablespoons dressing): 60 calories, 1.5g fat, 415mg sodium, 10g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g sugars, 2g protein
Mix a 12-ounce bag of slaw and ½ cup of dressing together, and let them chill in the fridge (the longer this stuff marinates, the better it’ll taste!). You’ll have yummy slaw for four people with almost no effort.
Cheats:
Add chicken, sliced almonds, mandarin oranges, and/or scallions to your slaw to jazz it up. Schmancy!
Broccoli Cole Slaw + Low-Calorie Thai Peanut Dressing or Sauce
PER SERVING (½ of recipe, 2 cups dry slaw plus 1 ½ tablespoons dressing or sauce): 100 calories, 2.5g fat, 295mg sodium, 19g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 5.5g protein
Pierce a 12-ounce bag of broccoli slaw to vent (only if the packaging says it’s okay to nuke!) or transfer the veggies to a microwave steamer, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Let chill completely, and then add 3 tablespoons dressing or sauce. Peanutty slaw for two. Who needs cold sesame noodles? NOT YOU!
Cheats:
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Live a little!
Broccoli Cole Slaw + Low-Fat Tomato Soup or Low-Fat Marinara Sauce
PER SERVING (½ of recipe, 2 cups dry slaw plus ½ cup soup or sauce): 120 calories, 2g fat, 525mg sodium, 21g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 12g sugars, 5.5g protein