40 low cal recipes

Slow cooker beef chuck strips smothered in a tangy barbecue-molasses sauce with bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Dump it in, walk away, and come back to dinner.

Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker stew packs chicken, eggplant, potatoes, and beans into one hearty 8-hour meal that feeds a crowd.

Pineapple peach frappe blended with low-fat yogurt and skim milk. A sugar-free, low-fat smoothie that's diabetic-friendly and ready in 20 minutes. Kid-approved and naturally fruity.

Five-ingredient kielbasa and bow tie pasta soup with canned tomatoes and chicken broth. A quick, hearty soup that goes from stovetop to bowl in 30 minutes with smoky sausage and al dente farfalle.

A lighter take on classic stroganoff using canned tuna simmered in chicken broth with tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a creamy swirl of low-fat yogurt. Budget-friendly, low-fat comfort food that's on the table in 45 minutes.

Try something different for dessert in this Thanksgiving, this low fat and low calorie pumpkin pudding is a good pick for a light dessert.

Tuna salad pita pockets bound with yogurt and mustard instead of mayo, brightened with fresh dill. A lighter lunch option ready in 10 minutes.

Tuscan tuna salad with kidney beans, olives, tomatoes, and a zesty picante-Italian dressing served over fresh spinach. A no-cook, protein-packed lunch ready in 20 minutes flat.

Light and creamy tuna mousse blended with cottage cheese, tomato sauce, and fat-free mayo, set in a gelatin mold with crunchy celery and onion. An elegant low-fat appetizer or lunch.

Bow tie pasta with a chunky eggplant-tomato sauce simmered with basil, oregano, and cayenne in vegetable broth. A low-fat, oil-free vegan pasta that's full of flavor.

Italian baked flounder marinated in low-fat Italian dressing, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce, then baked and broiled until golden and crispy at the edges.

Crisp radish and celery salad with low-calorie French dressing, served chilled on lettuce. A crunchy, diabetic-friendly vegetarian side dish with just four ingredients and zero cooking.

Molded vegetable salad sets crunchy cabbage, carrots, and celery in tangy orange diet gelatin with celery seed. A retro low-calorie potluck classic.

A produce department recipe. Tastes high-calorie, but is actually fairly low-cal. Sauce is best served the same day as it is made.

30-minute vegetarian chili with kidney beans and great northern beans simmered in tomato sauce, spooned over fluffy rice. Quick, low-cal, and full of flavor.

Easy Mexican salsa from a can of tomato sauce, crushed red chiles, cumin, and oregano with garlic and a hit of vinegar and lemon. Vegan, low-cal, ready in 5 minutes.