There are days that I’m pretty sure that eating healthy is going to cause me to starve to death. It seems like I never feel full, and it makes me want to throw in the towel and cozy up with a huge helping of pasta with a heavenly, creamy Alfredo sauce, sprinkled with crispy bacon and shredded cheese. Then I can’t help but think of the caloric consequences that would bring, and I know it isn’t worth it.

My husband is a brilliant cook, and he’s worked diligently to come up with healthy, filling recipes that our whole family will enjoy. Just last week he came up with a meal that was so delicious, healthy, and devoid of calories that I could nearly gorge myself on it without feeling guilty. I loved it so much that I think it would just be mean not to share it with all of you.

You will need:

• 1 large spaghetti squash (Or any size to fit your family. We have a large family.)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large celery stalks, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 8 0z package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed (skinless and boneless)
• 3 cans of Italian stewed tomatoes
• 1 pound of turkey bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp bacon fat (or oil or ??? We used bacon fat to add a little flavor)

You can prepare the spaghetti squash any number of ways; boiled, roasted, or steamed are a few options. We boiled ours. In a very large skillet or sauce pan, melt the bacon fat and add the cubed chicken, onion, and bell pepper. Sautee until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the veggies are to your liking. Mix in carrots, mushrooms, turkey bacon, and garlic, sauteeing until heated through. Then add celery and stewed tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is heated through. Add chopped parsley just before serving. Serve over spaghetti squash just like you would regular spaghetti.

This meal is mostly made up of vegetables, but has the comforting feeling of pasta. You can change out the ingredients as you like, but be aware of the changes it will make in the calorie content. As we prepared it, the sauce had only 163 calories per serving (approximately 1 cup), and at only 42 calories per cup of spaghetti squash, I ate two, and it was ok for me to splurge a little with a sprinkle of grated parmesan on top!

Contrary to what I was beginning to think, eating healthy doesn’t have to mean being hungry. What are some of your favorite healthy recipes? What healthy exchanges do you make in your beloved comfort foods?