Weight watchers goes veg: the perfect way for vegetarians to shed unwanted pounds

"How many points is that?"

That's a common question heard around the United States--indeed, around the world--and it has nothing to do with a game of gin rummy. It's all about the wildly successful Weight Watchers Points program, in which dieters are assigned a certain number of "points" per day that equal the amount of food they can eat. Each food is pre-assigned a "points value," and dieters keep track as they go along to make sure they stay within their allotted number. The Points program was introduced in 1997, and, since then, almost 8 million Weight Watchers members have lost more than 79 million pounds using the plan, according to Weight Watchers. If you are on a vegetarian regimen, finding a weight-control program can be more than challenging. The popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets making the rounds simply don't work for the vegetarian because there are not enough acceptable food choices. But Weight Watchers, because of its emphasis on a varied diet that concentrates on calories, fat and fiber, is completely adaptable to the vegetarian lifestyle. All foods are allowed, as long as the dieter stays within his or her point range for the day.

Weight Watchers has a history of great cookbooks that go along with its 38-year-old program. We scoured the company's Versatile Vegetarian: 150 Easy Recipes for Every Day (Hungry Minds, 2001), and found four simple recipes aimed to please even the non-dieter at your table. Give them a try--one bite, and you'll know you can keep New Year's new-you resolution.

Polenta-Stuffed Peppers

4 SERVINGS

This rich and tasty pepper filling can
also be served as a side dish.

4 red bell peppers
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup instant polenta
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 [degrees] F. Spray 8-inch
square baking dish with cooking spray.
Cut tops off peppers about 1/4 inch below
stems. Scoop out seeds and veins.

2. In medium saucepan, heat oil over
medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring
frequently, until softened, 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and garlic, and cook, stirring
frequently, until softened, 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
Slowly stir in polenta. Cook, stirring constantly,
until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato, cheese and parsley.

3. Spoon polenta mixture into peppers.
Place peppers in baking dish. Bake until
peppers are tender and polenta is
golden, about 30 minutes.

PER SERVING: 157 CAL; 6G PROT; 4G TOTAL FAT (1G
SAT. FAT); 25G CARB; 4MG CHOL; 103MG SOD; 5G
FIBER; POINTS PER SERVING: 3
Potato and Broccoli Rabe
Skillet Pie

4 SERVINGS

As the pie cooks, shake pan occasionally
so the potatoes don't stick.

1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
4 small all-purpose potatoes, peeled
  and thinly sliced

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp. oil
over medium heat. Add onion and cook,
stirring frequently, until softened, about
5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe, garlic and
fennel seeds. Cook, stirring frequently,
until broccoli rabe is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to plate. Wipe out skillet
with paper towels.

2. Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to skillet.
Arrange half the potato slices in bottom
of skillet, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkle
with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. freshly
ground pepper. Spoon broccoli rabe
over potatoes. Cover with remaining
potatoes; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and
tsp. freshly ground pepper. Cover potatoes
with heatproof plate to weight them
down. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, until
potatoes are cooked through and bottoms
are browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert
onto serving platter.

PER SERVING: 175 CAL; 7G PROT; 5G TOTAL FAT (1G
SAT. FAT); 29G CARB; 0 CHOL; 336MG SOD; 6G FIBER;
POINTS PER SERVING: 3
Caramelized Onion and
Tomato Calzone

4 SERVINGS

You can also add some chopped mushrooms
to the filling.

2 tsp. olive oil
8 medium onions, thinly sliced
  Pinch sugar
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1/2 lb. prepared pizza dough
3 plum tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup shredded part-skim
  mozzarella cheese
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over
medium heat. Add onions, sugar and 1/4
cup water, and cook, stirring frequently,
until just beginning to color, about 12
minutes. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup
water, and cook, stirring frequently, until
onions are sweet and deep brown, 30
minutes. Cool. Stir in basil and 1/4 tsp.
freshly ground pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 450 [degrees] F. Spray heavy
baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle
work surface with a little flour. Place
dough in center, and roll to coat with
flour. Knead dough briefly. Divide dough
into fourths, and roll each into a 6-inch
round. Place 2 rounds on baking sheet.
Evenly divide onion mixture, tomatoes
and cheese between 2 rounds. Cover
each with remaining 2 rounds. Pinch
edges to seal. Brush tops lightly with water.
Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
Cool slightly before serving.

PER SERVING: 384 GAL; 20G PROT; 11G TOTAL FAT (5G
SAT. FAT); 52G CARB; 27MG CHOL; 571MG SOD; 5G
FIBER; POINTS PER SERVING: 8
Provencal Lentil Salad

4 SERVINGS

You can serve this tasty salad right
away, but it gets better with time. Make
it a day before you plan to serve it.

1/2 cup lentils, picked over, rinsed
  and drained
1/2 onion, halved
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 red bell pepper, seeded and
  finely diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil over
high heat. Add lentils, onion quarters,
garlic and bay leaf. Cook until lentils are
just tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain. Discard
onion, garlic and bay leaf.

2. Transfer lentils to medium bowl and
toss with bell pepper, red onion, parsley,
oil, vinegar, sage, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp.
freshly ground pepper. Cool to room
temperature before serving.

PER SERVING: 128 CAL; 8G PROT; 3G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT.
FAT); 20G CARB; 0 CHOL; 152MG SOD; 9G FIBER;
POINTS PER SERVING: 2