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Diet Recipe: Calico Salad

Can macaroni fit into my diet plan? What about a macaroni salad? Yes it can when it's slenderized by Diet Bites!

Macaroni tends to remain taboo in most weight loss plans. It's just not on the menu. But that doesn't mean that it's not a healthy choice, particularly when the pasta consists of whole grains. Fact is - pasta can be on the menu of any healthy diet plan.

Sure, it's a bit pricey in calories - about the same caloric values of the potato and most varieties of whole grain rice. On average a cup of pasta - any variety, contains about 200 calories. That's based on pasta that doesn't have anything added. Plain, no butter, no margarine, no cheese, no secret sauces, not even tomato sauce which is actually very skinny in calorie content.

It you want to add a serving of light margarine to your macaroni (pasta) along with cracked pepper and a dash or two of sea salt, the caloric value increases to about 240 calories because the margarine contains 40 calories. For 240 calories, you've got quite a sweet treat. But let's don't stop there. Rather than adding the 40 calories worth of light margarine let's add 60 calories worth of your favorite pasta or marinara sauce. Next, let's add 3 ounces of extra lean ground beef that has been cooked with your favorite Italian seasonings for an additional 116 calories. So for less than 400 calories you can enjoy an Italian feast and have room to add a little bread to your meal for just a few calories more. And the entree is super low in dietary fat content - quite heart healthy.

Another home run when it comes to comfort food is macaroni and cheese. By golly, it really is high in calorie content as well as fat grams. BUT, by using the low fat, reduced fat and light versions of our favorite shredded cheeses as well as skim milk and light, reduced fat margarine - we can also enjoy macaroni and cheese, yes - even while dieting.

There are some boss-tasting commercially prepared macaroni and cheese selections in the dairy/meatsections at the local market these days that contain about 350 calories per serving and are very tasty, albeit high in sodium content. The cheese is naturally loaded with sodium, so expect to gain a few 'false pounds' of water weight after enjoying foods rich in sodium content. Because of this, you may be better off by preparing your macaroni and cheese at home - or just watch the rest of your sodium intake if you decide to splurge on the commercially prepared versions.

Very important: CHECK THOSE NUTRITION LABELS for caloric and fat content in the products, as well as sodium, cholesterol, fiber, sugar and carbohydrate content. Pay very close attention to the types of fat in the product. Be aware of selections containing saturated fat and Trans Fat. Your heart will thank you for this later in life.

We have the nutrition facts for both dry and cooked macaroni for your comparison below - directly following our low calorie recipe for Calico Salad.

LOW CALORIE CALICO SALAD INGREDIENTS