Need a healthy dessert for the holidays? We asked a few health-minded chefs to create lighter, healthier versions of classic pies. Here are the results, from apple to pumpkin and all your favorite fillings in between.
By Emily Dorn
Blueberry Mint Pie
Chef Tyson Podolski of Summer Winter Restaurant in Burlington, Massachusetts, has created a pie that will transport you to a midsummer's day. But the best thing about this recipe is neither the seasonal association nor the fact that it is low in fat and calories. It is simply just as delicious with frozen berries found in any supermarket as with fresh. Plus, its gorgeous midnight blue filling provides a striking contrast to the creamy -- yet healthy -- yogurt dolloped on top. A diet-friendly show stopper.
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Low-Fat Crust
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled oil (canola or olive oil)
1 extra-large egg white; lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, either white wine or apple cider
Ice water as needed
Blueberry Filling
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Healthy Whipped Cream
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon orange liqueur or any flavored liqueur that you prefer
Directions
To make pie crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Carve a small well in the middle of the flour and add chilled oil to it. Mix with fork until dough is crumbly. Mix in beaten egg white and white wine vinegar. Using your hands, form dough into ball, adding ice water to the dough if it is still a bit crumbly. Dough should hold together well. Refrigerate until very cold (1/2 hour). Roll dough on a floured surface until 1 inch thick. Drape over 9-inch pie pan, being careful not to tear the dough. Trim off the excess pieces and discard. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
To make filling: In medium saucepan, combine 2 cups blueberries with both light brown and granulated sugar, flour, margarine, lemon juice, spices, and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in remaining 2 cups of blueberries and the chopped fresh mint. Pour into prepared pie crust and let entire pie cool.
To make whipped cream: If there is liquid in the yogurt container when opened, drain off liquid. In a very cold small bowl, whip the whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in drained yogurt and orange liqueur. Dollop over pie when ready to serve.
Nutrition info: 281 calories, 4g protein, 43g carbohydrate, 11g fat (2g saturated fat), 2g fiber, 132mg sodium
Sweet Potato Pie
Trust us, now you can polish off a plate of comfort food -- like this sweet potato pie -- and still feel svelte. The version here proudly touts the merits of its main ingredient: tubers so perfectly sweet that the need to camouflage them with butter, sugar, and whole milk is a nonissue.
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Low-Fat Crust
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled oil (canola or olive oil)
1 extra-large egg white; lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, either white wine or apple cider
Ice water as needed
Sweet Potato Filling
16 ounces sweet potatoes, baked till soft, with skins removed
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
12-ounce can evaporated skim milk
Directions
To make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Carve a small well in the middle of the flour and add chilled oil to it. Mix with fork until dough is crumbly. Mix in beaten egg white and white wine vinegar. Using your hands, form dough into ball, adding ice water to the dough if it is still a bit crumbly. Dough should hold together well. Refrigerate until very cold (1/2 hour). Roll dough on a floured surface until 1 inch thick. Drape over 9-inch pie pan, being careful not to tear the dough. Trim off the excess pieces and discard. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
To make filling: In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour into the prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Nutrition info: 221 calories, 6g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 2g fiber, 125mg sodium
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Instead of having to choose between baking either pecan or pumpkin pie, this fantastic recipe from Deborah Racicot of Gotham Bar and Grill in New York rolls them both into one, and in a unique twist, transforms the pumpkin layer into a light cheesecake filling. If that's not enough to tempt you, consider that there is no refined sugar in the whole shebang, and the cream cheese is low-fat. Note: This treat is best served at room temperature or cold. Factor in lots of cooling-down time before serving.
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups low-fat graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Splenda
4 egg whites
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Pecan Filling
1 large egg
1/2 cup agave syrup (such as Wholesome Sweeteners, available at health food stores)
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons Splenda
2 tablespoons almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bourbon
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Directions
To make crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put the cookies into a plastic bag and with a rolling pin crush them until fine. Place them into a medium bowl. Melt butter and pour it over the cookie crumbs. Mix it well with a spoon until all the crumbs are coated completely with butter. Press the crumbs over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let crust cool completely.
To make pumpkin filling: Place low-fat cream cheese in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. Add the Splenda and maple syrup. Cream the mixture well, until very smooth. Add the pumpkin puree with the spices and salt. Mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl well. With the mixer on low speed add the eggs. Mix just until incorporated. Pour into the pan and place in the freezer. Allow it to freeze so it is just firm to the touch. That way you can pour the pecan mixture on top and it will remain as two layers.
To make pecan filling: Set oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, using a whisk, place all of the ingredients together. Whisk well. Pour the filling onto the frozen pumpkin filling and place it in the oven. Bake the pie in the oven for 20 minutes. Open the oven door and rotate the pie carefully. Then set the timer for another 20 to 25 minutes. The pie is cooked if the filling does not move when jiggled. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition info: 279 calories, 5g protein, 31g carbohydrate, 16g fat (6g saturated fat), 2g fiber, 277mg sodium
Peach Ginger Pie
There are three different types of ginger in this recipe -- candied, powdered, and freshly grated -- yet somehow the flavor of these tangy ingredients doesn't overpower, but only enhances the sweetness of the peaches. Chef Jaime Sudberg of NYC's The Stanton Social usually creates decadent desserts, such as the housemade red velvet Twinkie, that cater to a late-night crowd. As a healthy alternative to hold court with the menu's rich options, her Peach Ginger Pie only tastes like it's loaded with fattening ingredients. The verdict? No guilt!
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Crisco all-vegetable shortening stick
3 tablespoons cold water
Peach Filling
4 cups peeled and diced peaches
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons diced candied ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Directions
To make crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Add Crisco in cubes until all flour is blended in to form small chunks. Sprinkle with water, using one tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fingers or fork until the dough forms a ball. Press between hands to flatten out slightly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then, on a floured surface, and with dough itself lightly floured, roll to 1-inch thickness. Fit dough into 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
To make pie filling: Set oven to 350 degrees F. Mix peaches, salt, and the three ginger ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Combine cornstarch, sugar, and water in a small pan and cook over medium heat until thick. Fold into peach mixture. Fill prepared pie crust with this mixture and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Nutrition info: 200 calories, 2g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 8.2g fat (2g saturated fat), 1g fiber, 195mg sodium
More Pies see: fitnessmagazine.com
Contains mild cartoon violence
“Plus” is a fitter version of the original Wii Fit. Yes, there are some new exercises, new modes for your friends and pets, many new and innovative games, but the real bonus is the way the software has been streamlined, making it easier for you to jump into a 30 minute routine and on to your day. What has been trimmed is the ceremony and presentation, the time you spend moving in and out of menu systems, waiting. What has been added is a new focus on burning calories and using specific exercises to achieve simple results, like trimming tummy fat, reducing arm flab, or loosening neck muscles. In day-to-day use, this is where the real plus lies.
A Faster Routine
Somehow by adding new options, Nintendo has made it easier for veteran Wii Fit fans to get down to business faster. Similar to the Trial Mode, a new Multiplayer Section lets you jump into the games with your friends without having to load a profile first. You can skip the balance tests, age results, and calendar with the new “Simple Test” and just quickly weigh yourself and move on. The Routine section lets you select a number of Yoga and Strength Training exercises to play as a group, so you won’t visit the menu in between each one, plus you can save it as “My Routine” for your regular workout. And finally, there’s the Wii Fit Plus Routines, pre-made groups of exercises designed to help you target specific fitness goals, to show you which exercises are best for which parts of your body.
This last feature is quite interesting as Nintendo uses simple images and concepts to offer something quite sophisticated. There are five categories of pre-made routines, each offering three groups of exercises. Lifestyle focuses on reducing stress, Health on reducing tummy fat, Youth on hips and lower body muscles, and Form to tone your figure. Whether these groups can have the advertised effect remains to be seen, but it helps Nintendo create a sense of variety out of the existing set of exercises, and that’s a clever move.
A New Motivation
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is still in use for setting weight loss goals, but it’s now overshadowed by a new system that focuses on burning calories to provide drive instead. After each exercise you’ll get two counters, one to measure your workout time as before, another to show you how many calories you’ve burned. You can then see these displayed on a graph after in the Wii Fit Plus section where a food guide is used to show you what the equivalent would be. If you’ve worked off 50 calories, for example, it will tell you that’s the equivalent to one tablespoon of mayonnaise or an ounce of avocado. You can click on pictures of food to create a calorie goal, so that when you exercise, it’ll show you how many calories are left to work off. This is a much better companion to the weight scale than the BMI chart.
I kinda wish Nintendo had left it there, but they’ve also introduced an “MET” system to help rate the intensity of an exercise. Sitting, for example is 1 MET, while Hula-Hooping is 4 METs. The idea is to plug this value into an equation along with your weight and time to work out a calorie goal. Honestly, who wants to do the math when the Wii won’t do it for you?
Add a new graph to the Wii Credit bank system and the number of units and systems to keep track of is getting out of hand. Whether you get these values in Imperial or Metric is now tied to which country you selected in the System Settings menu of the Wii itself. I’m Canadian and yes, we use metric, but for weight loss I prefer to shed off pounds, not kilograms, and so not having any easy way to change that is annoying.
Little Ones
While Nintendo still hasn’t come up with a way to support two balance boards for shared workouts, they have introduced new features for you to add the smaller members of your household.
Profiles created for users three and under are now given “Baby Stats” to record their details. This skips the Body Test and its related steps, and instead simply records their weight while being held on the Balance Board by a parent. When that user turns four, then the profile will change into a regular one and unlock all the other options. The idea, I believe, isn’t to push young users into obsessing about their weight, but merely to let them participate in all the fun.
Nor is this the same goal for pets, who now have their own section. It’s a similar idea, you hold your pet on the Balance Board and the software deducts your weight to find that of your pet’s and records it onto a calendar, so that you can measure changes due to medication, real world exercise, or new diet.
For many I expect the real use of the Pets will be to add a new dimension of cuteness. You can create a “Mii” version of your cat or dog, choosing from different ears, tails, and coat colours, and while they can’t use the Balance Board to perform exercises, just like the other Miis on your system, they can now populate your game worlds. When you go for an Island Run, in addition to passing your friends on the path, your pooch or kitty may show up to run alongside you to add extra support. They also appear in the Mii Plaza where it will interact with the Mii of its owner.
New Exercises And Games
I expected Nintendo to introduce a new section, Cardio perhaps, but instead we get just a small, disappointing handful of new exercises. There are three new yoga poses, including a Spine Extension, Grounded V, and Gate, and three new Strength Training exercises including the side lunge, single-leg reach, and bridge. All six are added to the advanced section of their grids, but are unlikely to play a strong role.
The games, on the other hand, have exploded. Here Nintendo’s creativity shines with juggling, skateboarding, cycling, and a driving range for you to practice your swing with. The more outrageous party-style games include a rhythm challenge where you must perform Kung Fu moves, a duck-and-toss snowball fight, a game where you ride a Segway along a beach to pop balloons and run over moles, and finally, my favorite, a game where you must flap your arms like a chicken to guide yourself to fly and hop from Island to Island, landing on targets to complete a course.
These mini-games are Nintendo’s strength and just as fun as a collection as any of their previous Wii games packages. You can argue that they alone cover the cost of purchase.
Not To Be Confused With A Sequel
Wii Fit Plus has the right name and at $25, the right price as its more as an expansion pack than a traditional sequel, which would change or take the core idea in a new direction. While the selection of just six new exercises is disappointing, the included tweaks respond to most of what fans have been asking for and the added games are hysterical, making Wii Fit a better, more enjoyable experience.