Alfredo: butter, cream and cheese, then 377 calories off.
Alfredo is pasta with butter, cream and parmesan, and the sauce is the whole recipe. Swap the cream for lowfat half and half, cut the butter and measure the cheese, and a plate goes from 869 to 492 kcal.
- 492 kcal a serving, down from 869 for the classic, with 20 g protein, 69 g carbs and 15 g fat
- 4 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 48 g a serving
- 4 servings, weighed at 1,500 g when finished, from 8 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same fettuccine alfredo, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 4 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 869 | 492 | −377 |
| Protein g | 25 | 20 | −5 |
| Carbs g | 67 | 69 | +2 |
| Fat g | 56 | 15 | −41 |
| Saturated fat g | 34.8 | 8.5 | −26.3 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Use lowfat half and half, not heavy cream
−201 kcal, −23 g fat, −14.8 g saturated fat a serving
The same 300 g of lowfat half and half saves 201 kcal and 14.8 g of saturated fat a plate.
2. Melt 25 g of butter, not 100 g
−135 kcal, −15 g fat, −9.6 g saturated fat a serving
A little butter still carries the garlic. The extra 75 g was 135 kcal and 9.6 g of saturated fat a plate.
3. Measure 70 g of parmesan, not 120 g
−49 kcal, −5 g protein, −3 g fat, −1.9 g saturated fat a serving
Parmesan is strong, so less goes further. The other 50 g was 49 kcal a plate.
4. Thicken with a little cornstarch
+8 kcal, +2 g carbs a serving
A spoonful of cornstarch gives the lighter cream its body for 8 kcal a plate.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 20 g protein and 492 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Toss in 500 g of grilled chicken breast
+150 kcal, +28 g protein, +3 g fat, +0.7 g saturated fat a serving, making 48 g protein a serving
Weighed raw and grilled, 500 g of breast adds 28 g of protein a plate for 150 kcal.
Add 400 g of shrimp
+85 kcal, +20 g protein, +0.1 g saturated fat a serving, making 40 g protein a serving
Raw shrimp sauteed for three minutes adds 20 g of protein a plate for 85 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasta, dry, enriched | 335 g | 1,243 | 44 | 250 | 5 |
| Butter, salted | 25 g | 179 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Half and half, lowfat | 300 g | 216 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Parmesan, hard | 70 g | 274 | 25 | 2 | 18 |
| Garlic | 10 g | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Cornstarch | 8 g | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Parsley, fresh | 10 g | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Black pepper | 2 g | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 760 g | 1,966 | 80 | 274 | 58 |
| Per serving (4) | 375 g | 492 | 20 | 69 | 15 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Alfredo is a good recipe to build because it has only a few ingredients and each one is dense. A plate depends on how much butter, cream and cheese went in, and all three are easy to weigh.
What to weigh
Weigh the pasta dry, as the library entry describes it. It takes up water as it cooks, so the sample bowl weighs 1,500 g from 760 g of ingredients and a plate is 375 g.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food, choose Create a recipe and name it, then choose Add ingredient and search "pasta dry". Choose the dry enriched entry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter the weight in grams. The sheet shows 1,243 kcal for the pasta, most of the plate.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the butter, half and half, parmesan, garlic, cornstarch, parsley and pepper, then enter 4 servings and 1,500 g. One plate comes to 492 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the plate or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Whisk the cornstarch into a splash of cold half and half before it goes in. It thickens the lighter cream so the sauce still coats the pasta.
- Add a spoon of the pasta water if the sauce tightens. It loosens it without more fat.
- A plate is about 375 g. Log by weight when you are measuring, since pasta bowls vary a lot.
Go further
- Making the classic version? Save a second recipe with 100 g of butter, 300 g of heavy cream and 120 g of parmesan.
- Adding chicken or shrimp? Log them as separate foods, or use the protein options below.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Fettuccine Alfredo questions.
How many calories are in fettuccine Alfredo?
It depends on the cream and the butter. The sample comes to 492 kcal a plate made lighter, with 20 g protein, 69 g carbs and 15 g fat, against 869 kcal with heavy cream, 100 g of butter and 120 g of parmesan.
Does lowfat half and half make a thin sauce?
It can, which is why the sample adds a little cornstarch. The page shows what that spoon adds to a plate.
Should I weigh the pasta dry?
Yes. Dry weights repeat; cooked weights vary with how long it boils.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own italian favourite in Nutrition.