How to make it
1. Preheat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet on medium high. Halve the bananas lengthwise, being sure to leave each half in the peel. Coat the exposed banana flesh with the brown sugar, using your fingers to press the sugar in. When the skillet or grill pan is hot, place the bananas in the pan, cut side down. Cook them until the surface caramelizes to a deep brown, about 3 minutes.2. Let the bananas cool briefly, carefully remove the peels, and place each piece in the bottom of a rocks glass or a small bowl. (You can break the pieces in half if that works better.) Top each portion of banana with a scoop of ice cream along with equally divided portions of warmed chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.
(Makes 4 servings)
Estimated average restaurant ice cream sundae
Calories: 840
Fat: 55 g
Sugars: 95 g
Our ice cream sundae
Calories: 314
Fat: 13 g
Sugars: 37 g
SAVE 526 calories, 42 g fat, and 58 g sugars!
Mac & Cheese
Think about comfort food and you'll probably conjure up an image of a bubbling crock of mac & cheese. The problem is, short of mayo straight from the jar, you'd be hard-pressed to find a food with more calories per gram. But we believe that a creamy but relatively healthy mac & cheese is an inalienable right of every American—and we've cracked the code.More: 5 Delicous, One-Pot Meals for Athletes
The Fix: Many restaurants use low-cost, high-calorie cheeselike substances of the Velveeta variety. Instead, swap in bechamel—an easy, creamy white sauce. Add flavor-packed sharp Cheddar, along with lower-calorie Swiss and mozzarella for more meltability. To finish, top with Parmesan and panko, and broil for a crunchy crust. (There are 46,000 foods in the average supermarket. How to choose what to put in your cart? Here's your shopping list: The 125 Best Foods.)
Healthier Macaroni & Cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni, fusilli, or cavatappi pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or other Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pepper to taste