The word “healthy” is a tricky one. The definition is as broad and as personal as a word gets. What’s healthy for you may be the opposite for me, and when I think of “healthy” cooking, I unfortunately often think of less flavor and less fun. So instead of focusing on that word, “healthy,” a word that means so many things, I have decided to take on a different challenge: take 103 beloved recipes and make them a little “lighter.”
We’ve all had moments where we feel like we overindulged, or it’s the week leading up to a big event and we want to lay off the salt and consume as many greens as possible. I can’t begin to count these moments on my hands because there are far too many. In the past, I have compromised quality and variety and turned to boring food items or prepackaged protein bars. One day, I decided that something lighter can (and should!) pack a punch. Flavor and excitement do not need to fall to the wayside when creating a guilt-free dish.
For me, “lightening up” means using fresh ingredients when I can, instead of something artificial. It means loading up my grocery cart with more items from the produce section than I usually would. It means using ingredients that I can pronounce, and that aren’t loaded up with preservatives and additives. And while you can’t always achieve perfection, striving toward a healthier lifestyle is a process, one that I hope this book can help you apply to all of your cooking endeavors.
Do you love those cheesy nachos you make and eat when watching the big game? Try my Skinny Bell Pepper Nacho Boats (here). Hard to pass up grilled shrimp on the menu? Make my skinny version (here). Thinking creamy pasta is removed from the list? Think again! Creamy Avocado Spinach Pasta (here) is just as silky and comforting. And don’t worry; we can still eat dessert! My favorite is the Clean-Eating Carrot Cake (here). It’s so good you won’t know you’re eating light! And go ahead—try it for breakfast!
This book is a collection of 103 favorite recipes that, with simple tweaks and twists, we can change up and make lighter, while maintaining the classic flavor and feeling. Why 103? When you come to our house, we want you to know you can always bring a friend, or two, or three. One hundred felt so rigid, and when creating recipes and sharing them with friends and family, there is always room for three more.
—Addie Gundry