low cal

Makes 30 servings; serving size 1 bar

This remake of a cookie classic has only 160 calories and 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Not bad for a sweet dessert and a lot better than traditional Seven Layer Bars.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
One 14-ounce can low-fat sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil or coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Spread the oats evenly on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even browning. Remove and set aside. Place the walnuts on the same baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. (Keep a watchful eye on the nuts so they don't burn!) Remove and set aside.

3. Place the toasted oats in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds. Add the beans, wheat germ, butter, canola oil, and salt and pulse until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and smooth down evenly with your fingers or palms to form a bottom crust.

4. Top evenly with the chocolate chips, cranberries, walnuts, and coconut. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the layers.

5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until the coconut is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and cut into thirty 1¾ x 2-inch bars. Best if stored in the refrigerator.

Nutrition:
160 calories, 7g fat (2.5g saturated, 0.5g omega-3), 50mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 14g sugar, 3g protein

Servings: 4

Brighten up your winter with the combination of colors and tastes in this seasonal dish. The vibrant orange and yellow color of butternut squash and its sweet, nutty taste are a perfect complement to spinach. Plus, butternut squash is a great source of vitamin A and C.

Ingredients:
1 Butternut squash (about 4 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup red onion thinly sliced
2 Cups spinach
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup pecans

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peal and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. In a large bowl toss with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary.

3. Transfer to a roasting pan and cook for about 30 minutes or until softened.

4. Sauté red onions in olive oil over medium heat. When soft, add spinach and balsamic vinaigrette and cook until spinach is wilted.

5. Top spinach with butternut squash and pecans.

Nutrition:
188 calories, 17g fat (2g saturated, 10g monounsaturated, 4g polyunsaturated), 0g cholesterol, 51mg calcium, 199mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 2g protein, 3g fiber, 1g iron

One of the best--and worst--parts of holidays are the desserts. I love a slice of pecan pie or an apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, most holiday desserts are loaded with saturated fat and sugar.

But holiday desserts don't have to be dietary disasters. For a simple dessert, we like to take raspberries, blueberries and walnuts and mix them with whipped cream. Sugar free whipped heavy cream has as few as 20 calories a serving and only 2 grams of fat. We also whip vanilla flavored Greek yogurt with melted dark chocolate, nuts and strawberries for another low-fat, low-cal treat.

Here are some other tasty holiday dessert recipes that won't stuff you with extra fat and sugar:

Our chocolate caramel pie recipe doesn’t just taste amazing—it’s low in fat and calories. Registered Dietitian Liz Weiss uses an unexpected ingredient—dark chocolate silken tofu—to lighten this dessert.

Want to make this at home? Download this recipe now. (PDF)