PERFECT Pecan Pie (lower calorie, lower fat)

3 secrets for perfect pecan pie (with fewer calories and less fat!)

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

I love the expression "Why fix what isn't broken?" I use this phrase when it comes to my time-honored Thanksgiving recipes. So why am I throwing out my old "perfect" pecan pie recipe this year in place for something new? Because the Maple Pecan Tart that recipe developer and makeover queen Katie Webster made for EatingWell is so much better.

After trying her version in the Test Kitchen a few months ago, I realized that I needed to ditch my old "perfect" pecan pie recipe. Not only does this new version taste better than the original, but it's healthier too. Find out the three tricks to making better pecan pie.

Trick 1: Replace corn syrup with maple syrup
Corn syrup doesn't have a lot of flavor. The only thing it has to offer is sweetness, which is pretty boring. But it's the cornerstone of traditional recipes. So to perk up the flavor, this Maple Pecan Tart uses maple syrup in place of the corn syrup. From a nutritional perspective, sugar is sugar, but from a flavor perspective, maple syrup is much tastier. The buttery flavor of the syrup plays up the nuttiness of the pecans. If you have a choice, opt for grade B or dark amber syrup. It has a richer flavor than lighter varieties.

Trick 2: Use nuts in the crust
Plenty of pecan pie recipes call for an already prepared crust, or if you're ambitious you make your own from scratch. Either is fine, but the crust can be a hidden source of calories and fat from loads of butter and/or shortening. In this Maple Pecan Tart recipe, we incorporate pecans in the crust to deliver a nuttier flavor that can't be matched by a store-bought crust. And pecans have less saturated fat than butter: 1/4 cup of pecans has only 2 grams saturated fat vs. butter at 29 grams per 1/4 cup! Pecans also contain more antioxidants-compounds that sweep up tissue-damaging free radicals-than any other tree nut, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Pecans also provide notable amounts of zinc, a mineral most often found in animal-based foods.

Trick 3: Cut back on sugar
Pecan pie has a reputation for being sweet. That comes from the collective 2 cups or more of sweetener (corn syrup, sugar) that some traditional recipes call for! My teeth hurt just thinking about it. This Maple Pecan Tart recipe uses only 1 cup of sweetener (maple syrup and brown sugar)-half of what you would find in a traditional recipe. Plus, the filling gets an extra punch of flavor from chopped dried cherries. Unconventional-yes. But they deliver more sweet flavor with just a hint of sour so you won't miss the cloying sweetness from that extra cup of sugar.

Maple Pecan Tart

Makes: 10 servings
Active time: 40 minutes | Total: 2 1/4 hours
To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Serve at room temperature. | Equipment: 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom

This pecan tart gets added tang from dried cherries. Instead of corn syrup, which is found in most pecan pie recipes, we've opted for maple syrup. If you can find it, choose dark amber or grade B, because it has the richest maple flavor. The crust, made with heart-healthy pecans and canola oil, couldn't be easier to whip together. Just blend it in the food processor and pat it into your tart pan.

1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon water
2 cups pecan halves, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons dark rum (optional)
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400�F. Generously coat a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.
2. Combine egg yolk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, oil and water in a small bowl. Process 1/2 cup pecans and sugar in a food processor to the consistency of coarse meal. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until combined. Drizzle the yolk mixture through the feed tube while pulsing and pulse just until the mixture is combined.
3. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and just beginning to brown on the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, rum (if using), the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mixture to a small bowl. Chop 1/2 cup pecans and add to the medium bowl. Stir in cherries. Mix the remaining 1 cup pecans with the reserved maple mixture.
5. Remove the tart crust from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350�.
6. If there are any cracks in the crust, sprinkle with a little flour and use a dry pastry brush to "seal" the flour into the cracks. Evenly spread the filling in the crust. Arrange the maple syrup-coated pecans decoratively on top and drizzle with any remaining maple mixture.
7. Bake the tart until it no longer jiggles in the center when gently shaken, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan (use a butter knife to gently loosen the tart from the pan sides if it sticks in spots). Let cool completely, about 40 minutes more.

Per serving: 353 calories; 22 g fat (4 g sat, 11 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 20 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 136 mg sodium; 157 mg potassium.

By Hilary Meyer

EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.

STARTS TODAY! Nov. 1-21 -- New 21 Days to Fitness with 2 options: Headstart and Follow Me

TODAY'S THE DAY! Nov. 1-21 New "21 Days to Fitness" with 2 OPTIONS! HEADSTART FOLLOW ME Do you love yourself enough to make a commitment for 21 days?

I bet you think I'm confused about which holiday it is, huh? I know it's November! But I chose these RED HEARTS because I want you to make a commitment to LOVE yourself for 21 days! I have added a new section to "21 Days to Fitness." It is called: SET UP FOR SUCCESS Click here to see the new section, it is only 3 web pages: http://videohealthcoach.com/21days/21days-email-1.html Please write back and tell me if you LOVE IT! I LOVE YOU! Your Fitness Coach Anita

"21 Days to Fitness" -- Getting set up for success -- Step 3

STEP RULES OF THE GAME Do your kids play football? I have two boys, and for the last two years, we've had both of them in football! They have had to learn the rules of play, the names of each position on the field, and what it means when they go "out of bounds." Staying on a FITNESS PLAN works much the same way. I can't help you until you learn the "RULES OF THE GAME." For example, you need to know which foods are carbs and which are proteins. You need to know how a fat cell delivers fat for energy, and what sugar does to your bloodstream. I found it was much easier to "diet" when I knew the "science." Once I knew that white flour became like a pasty "glue" in my intestines, I didn't want to eat it as often! example of a white flour food As you go through the "21 Days" program, you will learn more about each of these rules and how they apply to the game. You will receive an email EVERY DAY for 21 days, starting on Day 1. Each email will have videos and a written lesson. Please take time to read the written lesson! Also, please email me if any of the videos do not play, or if the written lessons do not click through correctly. I make all of my own websites, and it is very easy to make a mistake! Please DO NOT get discouraged about the RULES! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 21 DAYS! My goal is to teach you the rules, and then as you learn to apply them for 21 days, you will likely keep on following them after the program is over. Even if you only follow the rules half the time, wouldn't you be better off then you were before the program started? Sure! Everyone goes "out of bounds" at times. Our goal is to minimize our "out of bounds" habits and MAXIMIZE our successful habits! All of the rules apply to both the "HEADSTART" and the "FOLLOW ME" programs.
RULES OF THE GAME 1. Eat breakfast with at least 20 grams of protein. We, as members of Team Beachbody, think a Shakeology Shake is the best breakfast in the world. I was not a breakfast eater! But if you are a "breakfast eater," if you like eggs and toast, then by all means stay with that good habit. Your Shakeology Shake can easily be a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. To learn more about Shakeology, click here. There are very few other products on the entire market, worldwide, that compare to Shakeology. It is not cheap. In nutrition products, "you get what you pay for." If you cannot afford Shakeology, I will give you some other less expensive options to choose from as the program goes along. However, if you are buying cups of coffee at Starbucks and cans of Red Bull at the gas station for $3 each, YOU CAN AFFORD SHAKEOLOGY! 2. Exercise every day. Unless you are pregnant, over 65, or have a serious illness (such as heart disease), WALKING IS NOT ENOUGH EXERCISE. Walking is movement, and movement is good. But it is not enough to lose weight at the pace that we want to lose it. If you are happy with losing 1-2 pounds a month, walking your dog and riding your bike are great. But when I was dieting, I lost 10 pounds a month, every month, until I got down close to my goal weight, and then the weight only came off at around 5 pounds per month (that's normal). I'll give you more details on exercise later. 3. No white flour (or as little as possible). Stay away from white breads, pastries, white rice, white potatoes, cereals, and potato chips. Buy "100% WHOLE WHEAT" bread only (if you like rye or pumpernickel, those are even better). If the bread does not say "100%," do not buy it. Don't be fooled by "whole grain," or those breads with little oatmeal flakes glued to the top. 4. No fried foods. Really, you should do this for the rest of your life even if you aren't trying to lose weight. There are some healthier oils that you can fry food in at home, but TRUST ME, the restaurants do not use them! Why would a restaurant pay more for a healthy oil when they can use the cheapest ones possible? 5. Do not go out to eat. I know it will be hard for me to sell this one. I have a whole video on it in the program. It is SO IMPORTANT. Without going into further explanation, just trust me on this -- you will LOSE MORE WEIGHT if you eat at home. 6. Do not watch TV. I don't watch TV at all unless it's on while I am doing something else, like getting ready for work or eating my lunch. And when I do have it on, it's usually an educational show (I watch "Your Health with Dr. Richard Becker" almost every day during lunch) or "Enjoying Everyday Life." I only allow POSITIVE TV in my mind. The sole purpose of commercials on most TV shows are to show you how inadequate you are without the greatest "new product" they are trying to sell to you. Don't fall for it! Besides, you won't have time for TV anyway, because you are going to be too busy CREATING THE NEW YOU! 7. Eat dinner early and DON'T EAT AT NIGHT. This is so important, I have a whole video on it in the program. For years now, I have eaten dinner with the kids shortly after they get home from school. (If your husband doesn't understand, tell him to give me a call and I'll be happy to talk to him!) If your husband is overweight too, OR if you are on a "late" work schedule, then follow this rule -- lean protein, vegetables (non-starchy), and 1 bread ONLY for dinner. I have a video in the program on how to cook 'light' dinners, such as soups, chili, etc. 8. Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. How to do this: Write down the time you need to get up in the morning, such as 6 a.m. Subtract 8 hours. Lie down in your bed at that time. >> I know that's complicated, but you can do it! You will be tempted to skip over this one, but I can assure you it is important. I have an entire lesson on "sleep" in the program! 9. Keep fat low. Count your fat grams every day. According to the American Heart Association, no more than 25% of calories per day should come from fat, and less than half of that can be saturated fat. Everyone is different, so you may not know how much fat you "can" eat every day to maintain your weight, or how much you have to restrict it to lose weight. For women, start with around 30 grams of fat a day. For men, start with 50. If, by the end of the week, weight is dropping off of you like crazy, then you can probably raise that number up a bit. I have a lesson on good fats vs. bad fats in the program. 10. Keep protein above 50 grams for women, 100 for men. Count your protein grams every day. This is a little more difficult than counting fat, but you can do it. Remember, we are only doing this for 21 days. The range for women should be approximately 50-130 grams, depending on height and how much you exercise. The range for men starts at 100, but can go up to as much as 200+. I eat somewhere between 80 and 120, and I am about normal height (5'5"). If you are very short, or if you are above 65 years old, you may have to play with that number a little bit, but never eat less than 40. A NOTE ABOUT CALORIES..... Everyone's caloric needs are different. I have to eat much less than the "charts" say I can, according to my height. It depends on metabolic rate, how active you are, and many other factors. I usually recommend that women start at 1200-1600 calories per day, depending on height and age. Men can start at 1800, and go up from there. Calorie counting used to be hard! Now, if you have a smart phone app, it's easy. If you haven't invested in the smart phone yet, you can still use the computer. How do you know if you are eating the correct number of calories? If the weight is dropping off faster than you can count it, then you can have more calories!
EXERCISE: "HEADSTART" I named this program Headstart, because it will give you a headstart on your journey to fitness. It will get you going in the right direction, with some structure. In the Headstart program, you will receive ONE FREE PERSONAL TRAINING SESSION (if you live in my area) After that, you will take responsibility for your own exercise. It would be a good idea to buy some of the Beachbody exercise DVD programs to use at home when you cannot go outside because of weather. I strongly suggest being a member of a gym. If you have babies or small children, there is NO BETTER BREAK than for you to drop them off at the gym's childcare and go take an aerobics class. Then you can take a shower (in privacy!) before you go home. It's the cheapest babysitting you will ever find! And the healthiest! Don't worry about your kids "catching colds" at the gym's childcare center. If they don't catch them now, they will be sick again anyway when they start pre-school or Kindergarten. Colds are necessary for immunity. My kids "grew up" in the childcare at the gym, and look at them now -- big, strong athletes. If you want to switch to the FOLLOW ME program at any time during the 21 days, you are welcome to!	EXERCISE: "FOLLOW ME" I named this program Follow Me, because you will be following me to work out and doing what I do every day. Over the years, I've had sooooo many people ask me, "Just tell me what YOU DO." So I decided to start taking people with me to see what I do! You may not believe it, but I don't really work out that hard! I DON'T RUN. I DON'T SWIM. I DON'T DO BOOT CAMPS. I DON'T DO WINDOWS (but that doesn't have anything to do with aerobics!) Because I have so many school teachers in the program, I have scheduled the workouts at the times that are convenient for them. I've also chosen the CHEAPEST and MOST CONVENIENT place to work out: LA Fitness. LA Fitness is $9.95 per week. CLICK HERE to join. You must join ONLINE to get that rate. (I get no kickbacks from LA Fitness!) But it is near my house and has a good aerobics room. (There are also monthly rates available). ---> If that link does not work, just go to http://www.lafitness.com and look for the enrollment button. LA Fitness address: 1861 MAIN STREET, KELLER TX, 76248 - (817) 562-3052. Here's the plan: Monday through Friday: Meet at LA Fitness at 4:30 p.m. every day for aerobics class. If it is a class that you can't do (for example, I am a terrible dancer), then you can go over to the treadmill and the weight room. I will be available to answer questions for you after class every day. Saturday and Sunday: Exercise with your family or on your own. Planting flowers is not exercise! But I'd like for you to do LOTS of activities like that in addition to your exercise, as much as you can during the 21 days. Follow Me members will also receive ONE FREE PERSONAL TRAINING SESSION (if you live in my area)
DO YOU WANT MORE SUCCESS? During the program, we will have a Detox Day. On your Detox Day, you will eat ONLY fruits and vegetables (preferably more vegetables than fruits), and 3 protein shakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You won't be hungry, you can eat as much as you want that day! Beachbody has a Detox Weekend option called the "2 Day Fast." You don't really "fast" for 2 days, as in not eating anything. You will order the Beachbody "2 Day Fast" product, and drink it 3 times per day. How to order the 2-Day Fast: CLICK HERE Then select SHOP, NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTS, then WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. Order it from that page, it's near the bottom.
TIME TO WEIGH AND MEASURE! I hope you have already uploaded a picture of yourself on your Team Beachbody page. If not, CLICK HERE and do it now! A photo from your cell phone will be just fine. WEIGH. Let me say that again. WEIGH. OK, just one more time. WEIGH. I know you've been avoiding it. Denial only breeds procrastination. Just do it! This will make it slightly easier: weigh in the morning, before breakfast, before coffee, after going to the bathroom, with dry hair, no clothes on, clean out your ears and your belly button. OK?! MEASURE. Someone will have to help you. Go get your sewing box and find a measuring tape in there. Measure these areas: CHEST ABDOMEN (just under belly button) HIPS THIGH CALF UPPER ARM Write it down and post it on your refrigerator.
QUICK FOOD CATEGORY REVIEW PROTEINS are... meats (chicken, beef, turkey, fish) FATS are... butter, oils, nuts, avocadoes, peanut butter Peanut butter is highly allergic, I recommend staying away from it unless you have been tested and know that you are not allergic to peanuts. CARBS are... fruits, vegetables, bread, rice, potatoes, chips, grains, cereal, oatmeal, starchy vegetables such as corn & winter squash *Beans and Dairy are called combination foods. They have a mix of carbs and protein, but since they are higher in carbs, they are considered a carb food. They are dietitians' favorite foods though, because they deliver protein in addition to the carbohydrate.

Have you read my Makeover Story yet?

Your setup for success is finished!

to start 21 Days to Fitness!

On the next page, watch the video of Professor Puppet and then "sign in" on the form.
After signing in, you will receive 21 daily emails with your Lesson Plan for each day.

(If you have already "signed in" on the 21 Days to Fitness page, you do not have to do it again.)

YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY

TO THE "NEW" YOU!