Diet Designs

Carrie Wiatt started Diet Designs with a set of secret weapons: popular recipes that she'd transformed with her signature lowfat cooking techniques to score as high on health as they did on taste. Our Recipe MakeUnder demystifies healthy cooking by showing you the process in action. You'll learn how to take a recipe from favorite to fabulous – with lower fat and calories, optimized nutrition, and lip-smacking flavor.

Enjoy our current MakeUnder and come back soon to see what's new. Got a MakeUnder challenge for us in your recipe files? Submit your dish for a redo.

Even kids love broccoli when it shows up in a creamy soup laced with melted cheese. This family favorite is a great way to get your veggies -- but kids and grownups alike can do their health more harm than good with traditional broccoli-cheese soup.

Loaded with heavy cream and regular cheese, the recipe we made under packed 40 grams of fat, most of them saturated, and nearly 500 calories into a single bowl. The MakeUnder uses lowfat and fat-free dairy products to keep the rich, creamy flavor of the original while trimming the fat to a mere 5 grams and reducing the calories to 179. Add a whole grain roll for a quick, healthy lunch that the whole clan will agree brings out the best in broccoli.

Before: MakeUnder:

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 pounds chopped fresh broccoli

1 large onion,chopped

2 each garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

6 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese -- grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 pound broccoli florets

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

4 cups fat-free chicken broth

2 cups fat-free half and half

2 cups skim milk

3 cups shredded lowfat cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked basmati rice

Preparation for the MakeUnder:

1.   In a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat, saute the onions and broccoli in olive oil until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and marjoram and saute 1 minute more.

2.   Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the half and half and milk.

3.   Add cheese and rice and continue to cook until the soup is heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve at once.

Serves: 8

Per serving BEFORE Make Under:
480 Calories (kcal); 40g Total Fat; (73% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 125mg Cholesterol; 2735mg Sodium

Per serving AFTER Make Under:
179 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (23% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 10mg Cholesterol; 564mg Sodium