If spinach isn't your thing, here's another recipe for egg bites, again from the NYT Cooking section, that features different optional vegetables and mix-ins. The NYT recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese; I cut it back to 1 cup to lower the fat, calories and WW Points. You can add bacon or sausage, which will minimally increase the calorie & WW Point count. Whatever your choices, these make great high-protein breakfasts or afternoon snacks. They keep in the fridge for

Egg bites are basically tiny frittatas baked in muffin tins. This recipe, from the NYT Cooking section, is mostly spinach and green onions held together by egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan. Frozen spinach is very good for you. It's packed with iron, calcium, folate and antioxidants. In fact, it’s often more nutritious than fresh spinach that's traveled many miles to the supermarket. The NYT recipe calls for two 10-oz. packages of frozen chopped spinach but I found that to be

This is the chicken breast recipe for those of us who are becoming tired of healthy, low-fat, diet-friendly (yawn) chicken breasts. Several factors contribute to its success: lemon-pepper seasoning, fresh lemon juice and butter. Yes, you read that right, butter. The recipe, adapted from the NYT Cooking section, calls for 3 Tbsp. of unsalted butter. The butter combines with fresh lemon juice to make a delectable sauce to serve over the chicken. I cut the butter down to 2 Tbsp.

According to knowledgeable food forecasters, the vegetable of 2026 will be cabbage, the lowly vegetable that in the 1950’s became famous (and infamous) as the main culprit in the Cabbage Soup Diet. The Cabbage Soup Diet became popular as a fast way to lose pounds. Most recipes included dry onion soup mix (high in sodium) and lots of chopped cabbage. Dieters were instructed to follow the diet for one week, during which they could eat as much soup as they wanted. I'm pretty sur

Eating Black-eyed peas on New Years is an old Southern tradition believed to bring good luck in the new year. Black-eyed peas symbolize coins or pennies and are said to guarantee financial prosperity. This recipe comes from MediterraneanDish.com and is seasoned with Greek spices such as cumin, oregano and paprika. Canned black-eyed peas are used for convenience, but you can use dry beans and cook them in a slow cooker (click on the link above for instructions). Black-eyed p

Pasta Fagioli is a hearty Italian soup made with pasta and beans. It was once eaten only by the poor, but it was also Dean Martin's favorite Italian dish. He even sang about it in his hit song, "That's Amore." He called it Pasta Fazool. On a recent snowy day, I made a big pot of Pasta Fazool. Due in part to the frigid weather, I would describe it simply as a "bowl of comfort." Actually, the warm temperature of soup sends signals to our brains that trigger a calming response.

Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman adds the works to her tortilla soup. Make this your own with your favorites! I am a big fan of the Smitten Kitchen website, created by a young New York City woman who is married with two kids and has no professional culinary training. She is simply a brilliant cook with three best-selling cookbooks under her belt. I have to cherry-pick Deb's recipes because many of them are calorific. (Yes, it's a word.) In other words, Deb has way more fun cook

Turkey is on everyone’s mind these days as Americans prepare for Thanksgiving. Turkey and lots of high-fat, must-make family sides like Grandma’s stuffing, Aunt Harriet’s green bean casserole and — read it and weep— 23 WW Points-per-serving pecan pie. I suggest that we try something different before the big day (from Weight Watchers, no less) that will knock your socks off without adding to your sense of holiday indulgence. It’s completely different from the usual holiday far

Thanksgiving is a cherished annual holdiay where we give thanks for our blessings and then dig into a veritable food fest. Potatoes always appear in some rich, calorific form, aka mashed potatoes steeped in lots of butter. Here's a suggestion for potatoes that won't break the calorie bank: baby potatoes well seasoned and roasted until browned and crisp. They're utterly delicious, and what's more, you’ll have room for a slice of pecan pie! Life is about moderation, not depriva