Lighten Up

"Lighten Up." Yep, I said it! But...I don't mean it in the way it sounds. Since the holidays are right around the corner, many of us will be cooking and baking. Just because you're cooking for a crowd doesn't have to mean it needs to be unhealthy. Today, I'm going to give you basic tips on how to many your foods a little lighter!

1. How to lighten up Creamy Soups

• Butternut squash, cream of mushroom, clam chowder and pumpkin soup are some warming favorites. Many soups, however, are thickened with heavy cream, which contains upwards of 400 calories, 44 grams of fat and 28 grams of saturated fat per cup.

• Other soups call for a roux, or a combination of butter and flour, to help thicken the mixture. But that can jack up the soup's calories and fat rather quickly, since each tablespoon of butter contains 100 calories, 11 grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat. Oil is not much better, with each tablespoon containing 120 calories, 14 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat.

To lighten up:

• Use stock or broth. They contain significantly fewer calories than heavy cream or a roux.

• Use vegetables to thicken. Butternut squash, parsnips and potatoes help thicken soups nicely.

• Add veggies. Up your daily vegetable intake by adding lots of vegetables to your soup.

• Up the fiber. Add legumes such as beans, peas and lentils to get more fiber and protein, which will also help keep you satisfied.

2. How to lighten Chili

• There are several things that can sabotage this cold weather favorite. First, loads of high-fat cuts of meat can add ridiculous amounts of calories and saturated fat.

• Canned tomatoes and broths can also increase the sodium to over 1,000 milligrams per serving, which is close to half the recommended amount for one day.

• Lastly, high-calorie toppers like sour cream and piles of cheese can send the calories through the roof.

To lighten up:

• Use beans as the star ingredient. Use black, pinto, kidney or cannelloni beans – or a combination of them all – while decreasing the amount of meat to about 1 to 2 ounces per serving.

• Use lean cuts of meat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends choosing lean protein like 90 percent lean cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey.

• Spice it up. Spices add flavor and depth to your chili for few calories.

• Go low on sodium. Use canned goods with low sodium or no added sodium.

• Keep portions of toppers under control. Use fresh ingredients like cilantro and smaller amounts of cheese and light sour cream.

3. How to lighten....wait for it....PIE

• Those delicious fall pies can pack on the pounds. A reasonable slice of apple or pumpkin pie can have around 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (or both!) and you're talking at least 500 calories.

• Canned apple or pumpkin pie fillings are packed with sugar, while homemade filling can call for loads of butter.

• As for the crust, you need some butter, lard or shortening to keep it flaky, but your waistline may not be too thrilled with the added calories.

To lighten up:

• Skip the canned pie mix. If you choose canned filling, use the 100 percent puree variety like pumpkin puree, which is made with 100 percent pumpkin and nothing else.

• Stick with simple filling ingredients. Skip the gobs of butter and don't overload on canned fruit. Instead, use a modest amount of fresh fruit with a little sugar and low-calorie flavorings such as vanilla extract, cinnamon and lemon juice. Skip the butter (or at least minimize it) so you can save it for the crust.

• Use half the crust. Opt for a galette, which is an open-faced tart that uses half the crust – and half the calories! You can also make a crisp or turnovers using phyllo dough.

4. Lightening up Muffins

• There's nothing better than the aroma of a warm batch of muffins wafting through the house. But many muffins lack fiber and are made with a ton of fat like butter.

• Also, many store-bought muffins are the size of a baseball – which can have close to 450 calories!

To lighten up:

• Add whole-wheat pasty flour. Swap in whole-wheat pastry flour for half of the white all-purpose flour to up the fiber.

• Swap part of the fat. Instead of butter or oil, use applesauce, apple butter, prune puree or even nonfat plain Greek yogurt.

• Remember that size matters. Fill the muffin tin two-thirds the way up so you can get a perfectly-portioned muffin.

Alright, now you are all ready to bake, sift, and stir those recipes into your diet!