‘Healthy eating’ chef reveals how to create low-calorie versions of your FAVORITE ‘unhealthy’ foods

A chef who prioritizes healthy eating has given all foodies a chance to enjoy their favorite unhealthy foods without the guilt. 

Chef and author of cookbook Stealth Health Tom Walsh, from Austin, Texas, frequently posts videos to his TikTok account sharing low calories versions of ‘unhealthy’ foods that you can eat even if you’re on a diet. 

And although there is no shortage of advice when it comes to the foods you should and shouldn’t avoid when trying to shed some pounds, the chef revealed you don’t have to give up the dishes you love for your diet.

From healthy adaptations of fried chicken sandwiches to chili cheese fries to Oreo cheesecake, the clean-eating chef detailed how to transform ‘fatty’ foods into nutritious meals. 

Chef and author of cook book Stealth Health Tom Walsh, from Texas, has revealed how you can enjoy low-calorie versions of ‘unhealthy meals’

The more cheese the better? Enjoy chili cheese fries without worrying about the scale  

The chef advised viewers to ‘throw away’ their ‘plate of chicken and rice,’ and showed them how to make a delicious plate of chili cheese fries for just 675 calories

Starting off with a beloved appetizer, the chef advised viewers to ‘throw away’ their ‘plate of chicken and rice’ because the meal he was about to show them had a total of 675 calories and 68 grams of protein, and allowed you to still enjoy French fries. 

First, you will need to start by peeling one potato and slicing it into ‘fry shapes.’ 

Then, toss the potato slices into a bowl of ice cold water, and dry them off before seasoning them with olive oil, salt, garlic, onion and paprika. 

After seasoning, throw them into the air fryer until they turn golden-brown or crispy. 

After slicing potatoes, you will need to toss them into a bowl of ice water and then dry them off. Then, you will prep the ‘high-protein nacho cheese sauce’

Finish off your meal by plating your fries, and add your meat and cheese sauce on top and enjoy

Then, you will prep what the chef calls the real ‘magic’ of the meal, which is a ‘high-protein nacho cheese sauce.’ 

Combine 100 grams of two-per-cent cottage cheese, 40 grams of Velveeta cheese, 30 grams of fat-free milk and one teaspoon of canned chipotles in adobo to make the nacho cheese. 

Next up, the chef recommends you ‘keep it simple’ with the beef and toss seven ounces of 96 per cent lean beef onto a pan, and mix it with ‘taco seasoning and a splash of water’ for flavoring. 

Finish off your meal by plating your fries, and add your meat and cheese sauce on top and enjoy. 

Can’t decide? Have it all with this low-cal, high-protein pizza burger 

If you find yourself debating about whether you should have pizza or burger for dinner, chef Tom revealed he may just have the answer for you – a pizza burger with 43 grams of protein 

If you often find yourself debating about whether you should indulge in a pizza or burger for dinner, chef Tom revealed he may just have the answer for you. 

His next recipe is a delicious pizza burger that totals at 490 calories and 43 grams of protein, making it the perfect low-calorie, high-protein meal. 

You will start by seasoning four ounces of 93 per cent lean beef with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, oregano, red chili flakes, basil and 10 grams of tomato paste. 

Next, you take a brioche bun and broil it at 450F for three to four minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, cheese, basil and turkey pepperoni, and cook the buns at 450F for eight minutes 

Lastly, you will plate your burger and add marinara sauce and ranch in between and get ready to bite into your low-cal, high-protein pizza burger

And for everyone’s favorite part, you will prep your cheeses. 

You will need to mix 20 grams of two-per-cent cheddar or mozzarella and 10 grams of parmesan before adding tomato sauce and your cheese to the brioche buns. 

In addition to the tomato sauce and cheese, you will also add basil and turkey pepperoni, and add the buns back into the oven to cook at 450F for eight minutes. 

Then, you cook your burger on medium-to-high heat for a minute and a half on each side. 

Lastly, you will plate your burger and add marinara sauce and ranch in between, and get ready to bite into your low-cal, high-protein pizza burger. 

The most important meal of the day! Start your day off with the ultimate breakfast sandwich 

Chef Tom even showed viewers how to get the most of their morning with the ‘ultimate breakfast sandwich’ that is complete with an oozing egg and is just 385 calories

Chef Tom showed viewers how to get the most of their mornings with the ‘ultimate breakfast sandwich,’ complete with an oozing egg and is just 385 calories. 

Before demonstrating how to make his ‘ridiculously good’ breakfast meal that has 31 grams of protein, the chef explained that he had posted the meal to his Instagram and received ‘more DMs than [he’s] ever gotten for a recipe.’ 

You will start by making the sauce and will need 30 grams of Greek yogurt or light mayo, 15 grams of Habanero hot sauce and a little cilantro. Mix everything together and your sauce is ready to go. 

Next, the chef gave viewers a tip on how to perfectly crisp an English muffin.  

‘For my English muffins, I like to dunk them in water, close them , give them a quick oil spray and then add to the air fryer to crisp up the exterior,’ he said, adding that he puts the muffins in at a temperature of 375F for eight minutes and flips halfway. 

Then, he adds 2.5 ounces of turkey sausage to a pan on medium heat and cooks it off for two to three minutes on each side. 

To get the perfect egg, the chef revealed he likes to use a ‘Mason jar lid’. After cooking his egg, he made the sauce with yogurt, hot sauce and cilantro

He spread the sauce on the muffin before topping it off with the meat, egg and chives 

After cooking the meat, he leaves it on the pan, tops it off with 15 grams of cheese before surrounding it with water, covering it in foil and cooking it until the cheese melts. 

To get the perfect egg, the chef revealed he likes to use a ‘Mason jar lid,’ but noted you can also use an ‘egg ring.’ 

‘Toss that egg [into the mason jar lid and surround it with] water, cover it in foil for three to four minutes or until firm to help steam it, remove the ring and you’re good to go,’ he explained. 

Lastly, add sauce to the bottom and top buns, add your meat, and top it off with your egg and some chives. And you are ready to dig in. 

Satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt with Oreo cheesecake bites 

The chef had viewers drooling over his Oreo cheesecake bites that had just 130 calories each and a whooping 12 grams of protein

If you love indulging in sweet treats, but can’t dig in without caring about calories Chef Tom has a delicious treat for you. 

He had viewers drooling over his Oreo cheesecake bites that had just 130 calories each and a whooping 12 grams of protein. 

Chef Tom explained that not only are the sweets delicious, but they are also ‘extremely simple to make,’ allowing you to satisfy your cravings without a fuss. 

You will need 600 grams of two-per-cent cottage cheese, 150 grams of low-fat cream cheese, 60 grams of whey-casein vanilla protein powder, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 120 grams of one-per-cent milk. 

Blend all the ingredients together and the mixture is ‘completely smoothed out.’ 

After making your cheesecake base with cottage cheese, you will crush Oreos inside

Using a total of 18 Oreos, you will use many in the mix and the halves on top. You will then freeze the Oreo bites overnight for for two to three hours

Next, grab a case of Oreo thins and take out 18, putting six aside for later. 

Crush up the remaining 12 and add them to your cheesecake and mix it all together. 

Then, take the six Oreo you put aside, and separate them in halves and add the cream filling to the mix. 

Fill a silicone muffin pan with the cheesecake mix and top off each cheesecake bite with half an Oreo, and add it to the freezer to sit overnight for two to three hours. 

When you’re ready to enjoy your sweet treats, either defrost them for 30 to 40 minutes or throw them in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. 

Can pasta be healthy? Enjoy a healthy and guilt-free version of chipotle chicken bacon alfredo 

Chef Tom showed viewers how to make a delicious and nutritious lunch with his chipotle chicken bacon alfredo that totaled at only 535 calories

For his next meal, the chef proved that he can turn any ingredient into a healthy meal – even pasta. 

Chef Tom showed viewers how to make a delicious and nutritious lunch with his chipotle chicken bacon alfredo that totaled at only 535 calories and a jaw-dropping 51 grams of protein, making it the perfect meal to add into your diet. 

First, you will tenderize 12 ounces of boneless skinless chicken thighs. 

‘Completely coat’ the meat with salt, onion, garlic, smoked paprika and chili powder, and toss it in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Next, you will cook your pasta. 

The clean-eating chef revealed he preferred to use 320 grams of the Barilla protein penne. 

While the pasta cooks, he makes the sauce. 

You will dice up center-cut bacon into small pieces and cook them on a pan until they are crispy. Then, add cooked pasta to a pan of sauce and chicken

Top it off with chopped chives, bacon and red chili flakes, and mix it all together before digging in

To make the pasta sauce, you will combine 168 grams of evaporated fat-free milk, 300 grams of two-per-cent milk, 50 grams of parmesan, one to two chipotle peppers, one tablespoon of adobe sauce, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. 

Next, you will dice up center-cut bacon into small pieces and cook them on a pan until they are golden brown and crispy. 

Then, using a different pan, add in the diced chicken, sauce and pasta, and mix. 

Top it off with chopped chives, bacon, red chili flakes and mix it all together before digging in. 

Not even cheat day! Make every meal a healthy ‘cheat’ meal with this honey BBQ chicken & mac and cheese sandwich 

Chef Tom showed viewers how to enjoy a honey barbeque and mac and cheese sandwich without stressing over calories and getting in a load of protein

The chef truly tested the boundaries of seemingly unhealthy foods with his next recipe. 

Chef Tom showed viewers how to enjoy a honey barbeque and mac and cheese sandwich without stressing over calories, and getting in a load of protein. 

The recipe, that he calls ‘dieting cheat code,’ is only 575 calories and has a whopping 52 grams of protein to help you achieve your fitness goals. 

First, you will start by tenderizing one eight-ounce chicken breast. Season it with salt, garlic and smoked paprika before slicing it in half. 

Then, set up three different ‘stations.’ 

The first station will be flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and smoked paprika. 

For the second station, combine egg whites, hot sauce and barbeque sauce. 

And for the third station fill a plate with crushed cornflakes. 

Dip your chicken breast into the stations, beginning with station one and ending with station three. 

Dip your chicken breast into the stations, beginning with station one and ending with station three. Then, cook your pasta while you make a sauce

To make the barbeque sauce use honey, chili powder and cayenne, and coat the chicken

Then, give the meat a ‘light oil spray’ and toss them into the air fryer for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Next up, you will make your high-protein mac and cheese using 56 grams of Banza, or your pasta of choice. 

Combine 80 grams of two-per-cent cottage cheese, 40 grams of fat-free milk, 10 grams of cheddar powder and 30 grams of low fat cheddar in a blender, and blend until smooth. 

Mix your cheese sauce and your pasta together, and move onto the barbeque coating. 

In a separate bowl, combine 60 grams of barbeque sauce, five grams of honey, smoked paprika, chili powder and cayenne before ‘dunking’ your crispy chicken into the sauce until it is ‘completely coated.’ 

Grab two toasted brioche buns, and add sriracha sauce, your chicken and the mac and cheese before taking a bite.

 Don’t cut out cake! Enjoy sweets with birthday cake overnight oats

For this recipe, the chef showed users how they can make birthday cake overnight oats that taste ‘just like cake,’ and are only 415 calories and offer up 27 grams of protein

The chef shared an adaptation of everyone’s favorite dessert: birthday cake. 

For this recipe, the chef showed users how they can make birthday cake overnight oats that taste ‘just like cake,’ and are only 415 calories and offer up 27 grams of protein. 

The simple, yet delicious treat, only requires a couple of ingredients and will have you begging for more. 

First, combine 130 milliliters of one-per-cent milk, 20 grams of vanilla protein and 15 grams of Duncan Hines classic yellow, keto-friendly cake mix into a blender, and blend until it is smooth. 

First, combine 130 milliliters of one-per-cent milk, 20 grams of vanilla protein and 15 grams of Duncan Hines classic yellow keto-friendly cake mix. He then adds 40 grams of oats into a jar

After blending it all together until it’s smooth, toss it in the fridge overnight and then it will be ready to eat in the morning 

Then, add 40 grams of oats to a Mason jar and pour in your mixture and mix it with a spoon. 

Add seven grams of sprinkles and toss it in the fridge overnight. 

Take it out in the morning, and top it off with 20 grams of fat-free whipped cream and three grams of sprinkles. 

Don’t ditch the sandwich! Here’s a healthy version of a meatball sub 

The chef explained that his version of a meatball sub was ‘dramatically lower in calories and way higher in protein’

His next recipe was an adaption of one of his ‘favorite meals as a kid,’ which he explained even though he loved it, it was never the healthiest option. 

The chef explained that his version of a meatball sub was ‘dramatically lower in calories and way higher in protein,’ before revealing the meal totaled at 350 calories and had a whopping 34 grams of protein. 

First, you will start by combining one medium onion, one stalk of celery, one medium carrot, four cloves of minced garlic, 28-ounce can of tomato sauce, one tablespoon of Gochujang, salt and pepper, and blending it until smooth to make his ‘ridiculously good’ marinara sauce.

You will start by combining ingredients to make his ‘ridiculously good’ marinara sauce and blending it until smooth 

Then, mix ingredients to make the meatballs and form the mixture into 20 meatballs before allowing the meatballs to simmer in sauce for 20 minutes

After blending the sauce, let it simmer. 

Then, you will make your meatballs. 

You will need to mix one-fourth of a cup of breadcrumbs, 80 grams of two-per-cent of milk, 30 grams of parmesan, two teaspoons of salt, 1.5 tablespoons of minced garlic, chopped basil, one teaspoon of soy sauce and 24 ounces of 96-per-cent beef. 

After mixing the ingredient, roll your meat into 20 meatballs and simmer in the sauce for 20 minutes. 

Add marinara sauce to the bottom of hot dog buns along with three meatballs, parmesan and provolone before tossing them into the ‘broiler for about a minute or two’ and enjoy.