Updated

Growing up one of my favorite comfort food was none other than macaroni and cheese. However it usually comes with the burden of 20g of fat per serving. I eliminated the guilt, but not the flavor, by using low fat milk, reduced fat cheese and a fiber rich pasta cutting the fact to 4 times less than your usually bowl. Once you try this healthier alternative, you'll never go back and neither will your kids!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup 1% low- fat milk • 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese • 1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon pepper • 1 pound Barilla Plus multigrain elbow pasta • 3 tablespoons bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. 2. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and keep warm. 3. Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain pasta and return to its pot. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish or casserole and sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. 4. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Nutritional Contents: Per Serving: 410 calories, 40g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 26g protein, 5 g total fat, 3 g sat. fat, 715 mg sodium

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor DietaC/, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being. For more information log onto

.