Low-calorie desserts & pizza

Recipes for your favorite things.

November 5, 2023

Hello,

I hope that your Halloween was great and that you got lots of Trick or Treaters! Remember: eating candy isn’t bad. Just make sure that it if it doesn’t fit into your calorie budget that you don’t guilt yourself for having eaten it. You absolutely deserve a splurge now and then, and eating too much candy is not a moral failing.

This week I’ve been thinking about “junk” food. You know I don’t believe in “bad” food: all things in moderation are OK. So when I want something typically thought of as not healthy, I just adjust the recipe and make it fit into my calorie budget and health goals. Here we go!

Low-Calorie Berry & Spongecake Dessert

Are you craving something after dinner but don’t feel like filling up? This is the perfect dessert for you. It’s the greatest little sweet treat. I made it with blueberries, but any berry and most fruits would work as well.

Low-Calorie Pepperoni Pizza

When I first started calorie counting I thought I’d never be able to have pizza again. Made on Lavash bread (available in your supermarket) this low-calorie pizza is sooo good.

Low-Calorie Cajun Shrimp & Rice

Ready in a flash (well, 10 minutes) this fiery dish is great for busy weeknights. Served over rice in it’s own creamy sauce, it tastes decadent, but isn’t calorie-rich. The whole family will love it.

Nick’s 50 Calorie Ice Cream Bars

Trying these, it’s hard to believe they’re only 50 calories. They taste as if they’re made with cream and sugar! The Sälta Karamell (Salted Caramel) is by far my favorite, but Chokolad Chokolad (Double Chocolate) and Strawbär (Strawberry) are also very good.

I highly recommend Plan to Eat

I’ve been using Plan to Eat since 2014 (!) It’s no understatement to say that without it I would have no idea what to make for dinner every night, and not having a plan for dinner leads me to hungrily cave and order delivery. So, what is it?

1. It’s a Recipe File

I store all my recipes in it – you can easily import recipes from the web, including those from Shrink Violet, with just one click. I also took a day and entered all my paper recipe clippings, so now everything is in one place. You can even tag and categorize recipes and search by ingredient to find just the right one.

2. It’s a Meal Planning Tool

Every Sunday I use the calendar function to plan what we’re eating for dinner in the coming week. (You can also plan snacks, breakfast, and lunch if you like, but I’m just not that organized.) For me, Sundays are much less hectic than the rest of the week and I can take the time to meal plan. The drag-and-drop interface makes it really easy to shuffle things around so each night gets a meal.

3. It’s a Shopping List

Then I use the shopping list feature to go shopping for all the ingredients I need. You can either print your list, or take your device with you and check ingredients off as you go. When my meals are planned and groceries are in the fridge I am significantly less likely to sabotage my diet with takeout or high-calorie frozen food.

4. It’s 20% off!

You can use Plan to Eat on their web site as well as on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, so it’s everywhere you need it to be. It’s so simple and well done that I’ve been using it since 2014! That’s how effective it is. And this link gets you a free trial as well as a 20% discount.

I’ve been noodling around in the kitchen, and I’ve got some more low-calorie recipes coming up. I can’t wait to share them with you :)

-Violet