Last night we had lasagna for dinner – you know that fat-filled, carb-infused Italian delight that goes great with grilled bread smothered in butter, a glass of wine, and is topped off best with tiramisu or anything that contains massive amounts of chocolate? That pasta paradise that has the word “sag” right in the middle of it?

Yeah . . . that one.

To the average diner, this probably doesn’t pose a problem; to me, however, I take one bite of lasagna and I want to don a wetsuit and jump in!

But remember how I came to the conclusion that preparation and planning are key for me? That’s what I did regarding this meal given that this week’s lesson talked about starting small with simple healthy substitutes. I made one pan of lasagna, half the regular way (for the traditional eaters in the family) and the other half I made these substitutions:

Spinach & Mushrooms for Hamburger
Fat Free Cottage Cheese for Ricotta cheese
Low fat Mozzarella for Shredded Mozzarella

The verdict? IT WAS AWESOME!

Not only did I save fat and calories with these substitutions, but I loaded up on cut vegetables and fat free dip as an appetizer and was content with one piece of lasagna – one small piece I might add! It felt weird to be content with one piece (old habits die hard) but I truly was.

I guess I’ll be saving the wetsuit for the water from now on!