I am one that doesn't want to avoid eating something so I try to figure out what I can do to reduce the calories and fat and there are some recipes that you just can't adjust, but I do try.

So here is a recipe and I will put what I substitute in parenthsis

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan (I use 1/4-1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth)
• 1 pound ground sirloin (I use lean ground turkey)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 hog dogs, sliced into 1/2- inch pieces, she used huge hot dogs (I used 4 turkey hot dogs Ball Park ones have 45 calories and 0 fat per link)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 sack yellow corn tortilla chips (used baked tortilla chips)
• 1 sack, 10 ounces, shredded yellow Cheddar (fat free cheddar cheese)
• Sour cream, garnish (1 tablespoon fat free sour cream)
• Salsa, garnish (1 tablespoon but this is low cal)
• 2 scallions, chopped

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add oil (this is where I add the chicken 1/4 cup chicken broth and add more if needed and do more of a stew/poaching method) and the beef, and begin to brown and crumble with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add chopped hot dogs and continue browning, another 3 minutes. Add onions and seasonings, Worcestershire, chili powder, and cumin. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer 5 minutes more.

I skip the next step because it is hard to control the portion when it is dumped in a casserole dish.  I count out how many chips for the recommended serving found on the back of the bag.  Put on the chili mixture, top with 1 tablespoon fat free cheese, 1 tablespoons fat free sour cream and 1 tablespoon salsa.

Preheat broiler.

Arrange corn chips on a platter or in a casserole dish. Top the chips with the cooked chili dog topping. Cover the chili dog sauce with cheese. Melt cheese under hot broiler, 2 minutes, until melted and bubbly. Garnish with sour cream, salsa and chopped scallions.

The recipe as she has it is around 960 calories and 55 grams of fat

My version 429 calories and 7 grams of fat.

I can usually get 6 servings out of this recipe because 1/4 of the recipe is just to much. I take the serving size of chips, but place 1/6 of the chili mixture on top of the chips. Then I have reduced the calories even more to 355 calories and 5 grams of fat.

So take a recipe and see where you can use lower calorie/fat ingredients.  I have been able to reduce calories and fat in quite a few recipes.  There have been some recipes where I haven't been able to adjust and then I reserve that recipe to having once or twice a year where there are a lot of people to help eat it. Like deviled eggs, I don't like fat free mayo or fat free salad dressing.  They have a sweet taste to me.  So when I make deviled eggs I make it at Christmas when I have a full house and I eat just one egg half and have my guests eat the rest.