Delicious, Guilt-Free Ways to Satisfy Winter Cravings

MISSION, KS--(Marketwire - Dec 8, 2011) - (Family Features) When cold weather hits, so do comfort-food cravings. And although comfort foods like cookies and quesadillas taste great, they're not so great for your waistline.

To help you satisfy your cravings without winter weight gain, here are some tasty tips from "Hungry Girl" Lisa Lillien's new book, Hungry Girl Supermarket Survival: Aisle by Aisle, HG-Style!

• Check out the seasonal options of tea bags that pop up during the holidays, such as candy cane or sugar cookie. You'll get sweet satisfaction without all the calories.
  
  
• Dunk-a-fruit. Grab some orange segments and dip them in a sugar-free vanilla pudding snack cup. Or, plunge some apple slices into no-sugar-added caramel pudding.
  
  
• Portion-controlled cheeses are ideal for protein-packed snacking on the go. Mini Babybel® Light cheeses come in a protective red wax that makes them perfect for tossing into your purse to fuel your various shopping excursions.
  
  
• It's easy to overdo it when pouring dressing straight from the bottle onto your salad. And those calories add up fast if you double or triple the serving size. So portion out a serving first, and consider using the dip-don't-pour method to make it go further.
  
  
• To make the most of a single serving of brown rice, stir in tons of diced veggies, fresh or thawed from frozen. Peas, carrots, bean sprouts, broccoli, coleslaw, shredded cabbage and finely chopped cauliflower are all great for this. Another tip? Don't make rice your main course. Fill your plate with lean protein and veggies and then enjoy a serving of fluffy rice on the side.
  
  
• For a spreadable, meltable, super-creamy and deliciously mild snack, try The Laughing Cow® Light Cheese Wedges, each with 35 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat. They can be spread on apple or pear slices or even used in a gooey-good quesadilla recipe.
  
  

For more tasty ideas to keep you satisfied, visit www.thelaughingcow.com and www.hungry-girl.com.

Hungry Girl's Hey Mambo! Veggie Italiano Quesadilla
Makes 1 serving

1/3		cup canned cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1/4		teaspoon Italian seasoning
1		large low carb/high fiber tortilla with about 110 calories
1		wedge The Laughing Cow® Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil cheese
1/4		cup sliced zucchini
1/4		cup sliced red bell pepper
1/4		cup chopped onion
1		piece Mini Babybel® Light cheese, chopped
		Optional toppings: low-fat marinara sauce, fat-free sour cream

Place beans in blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon water; blend until mostly smooth. (Or place beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon water and mash with fork.) Add Italian seasoning and mix well.

Lay tortilla flat; spread half of the upward-facing side with bean mixture. Spread cheese wedge on other half; set aside.

Bring skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on stove. Add veggies and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to side of tortilla spread with cheese wedge.

Top veggies evenly with chopped cheese. Fold bean-covered side of tortilla over other side and press gently to seal, forming quesadilla.

Remove skillet from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and return to medium-high heat. Place quesadilla in skillet; cook for about 2 minutes per side, until outside is toasty and inside is hot.

Cut into triangles and, if you like, top or serve with marinara sauce or sour cream.

Per Serving (entire quesadilla): 295 calories, 8g fat, 858mg sodium, 44.5g carbs, 11g fiber, 5g sugars, 18.5g protein

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