Very Low Calorie Lasagna Recipe {with Zucchini!}
Check out the recipe for this gluten free, low carb, low fat, high protein, very low calorie lasagna! Made with zucchini, fat free cheeses, and 99% lean ground turkey, we have a filling dinner!
My goal with this lasagna was to lower calories to maintain my weight loss, lower the carbs, keep protein high and lower the fat. And I achieved it without compromising a thing!
How I got this lasagna lower in calories
Traditional lasagna can exceed 350 calories per slice. Some recipes are much higher than that. This one however came down to only 98 calories per the same size of a slice of lasagna. Not only that, the protein stayed high (15 grams) and the fat was low (only 1.4 grams.. FOR LASAGNA!)
Definitely a small miracle.
Using Zucchini instead of pasta
The first swap was replacing the lasagna pasta noodle with zucchini. The zucchini can serve as the pasta layers, while bringing down all of our macros. Cup for cup you
- Save 170 calories by using zucchini instead of pasta and
- Save 35 grams of carbs using zucchini. (get more ideas for replacing pasta with zucchini here)
Using fat free cheeses instead of full fat
I understand fat is not a bad thing. I understand we need fat in our diet. HOWEVER, I’d rather get my fat from other clean sources like avocados and coconuts, rather than cheese.
In addition, getting fat free cheeses drops the calories! So, for me, this is a win win! I found fat free mozzarella and Walmart, and fat free cottage cheese is everywhere. This saved a huge amount of calories and fat.
Using 50 calorie spaghetti sauce (Classico)
I turned over every jar of pasta sauce at the store, and found the Classico had 50 calories per half cup. The others had about 60 or 70, with some even more. For 3 servings, that potentially could have added 60 more calories.
Using 99% Lean Ground turkey
And the final savings came from using 99% lean ground turkey. I found this at Walmart. 85% lean ground turkey has 170 calories (per 4 ounces), whie the 99% lean only has 100 calories. Plus, you save 7 grams of fat for every four ounces.
So, that leads me to the final recipe! Go our and track down some fat free cheese and zucchini, and you can have this on your table in no time!
Scroll down to the printable recipe widget and you can get all the steps outlined in these images below!
Very Low Calorie Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini Sliced lengthwise
- 8 ounces 99 lean ground turkey
- 1.5 cups Classico spaghetti sauce (using the brand to account for the nutrition info)
- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
- 1 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
- Cook ground turkey in a skillet till browned and no longer pink. Add spaghetti sauce to the skillet to heat through. Combine cottage cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg whites in a separate bowl.
- Slice 2 medium Zucchinis lengthwise as thin as possible. Set aside
- Spray and 8X8 pan with cooking spray, and add 1/2 cup of the meat sauce to the bottom.
- Layer sliced zucchini on top of your sauce until the bottom of the pan is covered.
- Top half the cheese mixture over the zucchini.
- Spread another 1/2 cup of sauce over the cheese.
- Do all three layers one more time, ending with the last 1/2 cup of sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozarella cheese on top. Sprinkle with fresh basil (optional)
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Take foil off and cook for 10 more.
- Remove from oven and let sit at least 30 minutes to allow for it to set up. It can get soupy, so let it sit. Drain any water if necessary.
Nutrition
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where do you buy fat free mozzarella?
I’ve only found it at Walmart!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Fat-Free-Shredded-Mozzarella-Cheese-07-Oz/656234103
Oh crap! I live in Canada and I don’t think our Walmart carries it 🙁 Thanks tho!
Even knowing its at my Walmart, it still takes me 10 minutes to see it! The “fat free” ribbon on the label is NOT easy to see!
This was absolutely delicious! I almost felt guilty because it tasted like traditional lasagna, I even had to remind myself that this was okay to eat on my low-carb diet. Amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe, can’t wait to try more!
I’m so glad you liked it Helen!
Hello how many calories is it actually?
98 calories if you divide the lasagna into 9 squares of an 8X8 pan.
Can you premake it and refrigerate it for the next day?
Yes!! I actually think it’s BETTER the next day. It gives everything a chance to “set up”.
I have found that salting the zucchini as it rests, and then patting it dry helps with the soupiness.
Thanks Clarita!! Yes, that is a great way to help the zucchini dry!
I have lots of Zucchini for this!