These are more of my old and classic comfort food recipes, and believe it or not they're good for you. All of these are 12 g of fat or less. So enjoy with out worrying about working out to burn it all off.

Sloppy Joe's

- 12 ounces lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
- 5 plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 8 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Crumble beef into a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until it starts to sizzle, about one minute. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the moisture has evaporated, eight to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and flour; stir to combine. Stir in water, vinegar, chili sauce and ketchup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the onion is very tender, eight to 10 minutes. Serve warm on buns.

Per Serving:
- Calories: 271
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Dietary Fiber: 5 g
- Fat: 8 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sugars: 9 g

Loaded twice-baked potatoes

- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 scallions, sliced

Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Place in the microwave and cook at 50 per cent power, turning once or twice, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. (Or, use the “potato setting” on your microwave and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.) Meanwhile, brown meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, about three minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Increase heat to high, add broccoli and water to the skillet, cover, and cook until tender, four to five minutes. Drain the broccoli; add to the meat.

Carefully cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes; reserve the tops for another use. Scoop the insides out into a medium bowl. Place the potato shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup Cheddar, sour cream, salt and pepper to the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions and the potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine. Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Microwave on high until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, two to four minutes.

Per serving:
- Calories: 366
- Fat: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Sodium: 535 mg

Ultimate Beef Chili

- 1 pound beef round, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 3 onions, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 12 ounces dark or light beer
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 19-ounce cans dark kidney beans, rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, two to five minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with another 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about two minutes.

Add beer and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for about three minutes. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and reserved beef. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, one-and-a half to two hours. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Per serving:
- Calories: 235
- Fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Sodium: 456 mg
- Potassium: 582 mg