During our "6 Months to a 6-Pack Challenge," TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer shared ab-friendly lunch sandwiches and dinner options and now she's has a few other tasty guilt-free options.
Joy's Angel Dog
A typical Devil Dog has over 28 ingredients including caramel coloring, five teaspoons of sugar and hydrogenated oil — which means trans fat, the most evil of all fats. This new and improved “Angel Dog” has fewer calories, far less sugar and even 3 grams of fiber, thanks to the whole grain flour.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat-white flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3/4 cup skim milk
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
Aerated whipped cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 4 standard loaf pans with oil spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, milk, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold the batter until just combined.
Pour evenly into the 4 prepared loaf tins (you’ll have a small layer of batter in each). Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Cut each loaf pan “thin cake” into 5 pieces, the short way. Carefully remove each and place on platter or plate.
Squirt whipped cream (about 2 tablespoons worth) along the top of 1 chocolate mini-cake strip and gently top with another mini-cake strip. Repeat with remaining strips (or save and store in fridge or freezer and enjoy at another time).
Makes 10 servings (130 calories each)
Joy's cinna-yums
Craving a Cinnabon while walking through the mall or airport? Don't go there!
A traditional glazed cinnamon roll floods your system with 880 calories, 36 grams fat (17 of them saturated), and almost 15 teaspoons of sugar!
This lightened-up "Cinna-yum" version delivers the same sugary-sweet indulgent satisfaction for a fraction of the calories, fat, and sugar. In fact, thanks to the pumpkin, yogurt and whole wheat flour, you can double up the serving size (or serve one with scrambled egg whites, nonfat Greek yogurt, or turkey sausage) for a healthy and tasty breakfast.
Joy's lasagna love muffins
A traditional slice of lasagna has about 550 calories, 23 grams of fat, and packs on multiple layers of noodles, fatty beef and full-fat cheese.
This lightened-up lasagna uses a fun presentation that automatically controls the portion size and slashes the carbs by using just 1 noodle per serving.
Plus, you'll slash calories and fat by swapping in lean ground turkey and reduced-fat cheese, and add volume, flavor, fiber, and nutrition by layering in roasted zucchini and frozen, chopped spinach. Just 220 calories per serving — score!
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