Lighter Cooking

I'm really bad at dieting, but with a wedding in a bit over four months, it's something I need to work on. I don't want to go crazy and lose a ton of weight, but who doesn't want to look & feel their best on their wedding day!?! I hate dieting because I love food, and putting restrictions on what I can eat just seems stupid. With that being said, I'm a firm believer of portion control and attempting lighter versions of my favorite foods. While sometimes the full fat/calorie version is obviously tastier, other times the lighter version wins with better taste and less of the bad stuff. These three recipes are perfect examples. Thank you Cooking Light. 

1. When I saw this recipe in the most recent issue of Cooking Light I knew it was a must bake. I have a strong love for both coffee and chocolate, so this muffin was right up my alley. I won't feel guilty eating this delicious muffin with my morning cup of coffee this week. 

2. I forgot the shredded cheese in this pic - but don't worry it was there! A loaded baked potato in liquid form is basically the gist of this soup. The use of lower fat milk in this recipe did not alter the taste at all - it was simply delicious and oh so comforting. Here's the recipe. 

3. This recipe for truffle mac and cheese is far better than any full fat version I've tried. I don't know what it is, but the sauce is so creamy! I added in a bit of cubed chicken pieces and sliced tomatoes on top, but I think this dish would be just as wonderful without these add ins. 

What are your favorite lighter recipes?
p.s. sorry for the awful photos via iphone.