Canadian sisters Greta and Janet Podleski have a mission to make Americans feel better, look better and cook better. They self-published a cookbook (“Looneyspoons”) that was on the best-seller list in Canada for 85 weeks. Their second cookbook, “Crazy Plates” was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Cookbooks, and helped launch a Food Network television show. For Americans, they have revamped measurements and ingredients and have a new cookbook, “Eat, Shrink & Be Merry” (Granet Publishing; $25.99).

“We've always loved to cook,” said Greta. “We started with the Easy-Bake oven as a birthday gift. Janet loves to write and has a great sense of humor. We combined our love of healthy eating with humor and laughter. Our goal is to make healthy eating and cooking fun.”

They go beyond lowering the fat in favorite recipes. (“Anyone can do that,” said Janet, a registered nutritionist.) “We want to make sure food tastes good as well. The spice rack is a healthy cook's best friend. If you're only using salt and pepper and three-year-old oregano, it's hard to get good-tasting food.”

The two also do creative substitutions to lower the fat and sugar in food — fruit purees, healthy yogurts and even evaporated 2 percent milk in a can for cream. To make a lower-fat cheesecake, they blend 2-percent cottage cheese to replace cream cheese. “Our chocolate cheesecake actually ends up having more protein (10 g) than fat (9 g),” said Janet. “Texture in lower-fat foods is important as well. We wanted to end up with a rich, decadent, mouth-watering cheesecake. You don't expect that with low-fat foods.”

To add fiber to dishes, they often use oat bran, ground flaxseed or wheat bran.

They have found eating habits in Canada and America to be similar. “In both countries, people struggle with portion distortion, cleaning our plates and eating too much processed foods,” said Janet. “We find if people will cook more often, they can control the amount of trans fat, sodium and MSG. Our mission is to get people back into the kitchen.”

WINNING QUESTIONS

Q: I've read reports online that canola oil is dangerous, is that true?

A: No, canola oil is quite safe. Yet, despite research to the contrary, the stories about canola oil's health risks keep circulating on the Internet. The false reports stem from claims that the oil contains high levels of erucic acid (a fatty acid that can be toxic at high levels), but in reality, canola plants actually contain low levels of the compound. Canola oil is a heart-healthy choice that can help lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.

In addition, canola is one of the oils lowest in saturated fat. Like olive oil, it mostly contains monounsaturated fat, although it has a small amount of the plant version of omega-3 fat (linolenic acid). Omega-3 fat is important to keep our body's inflammatory system in balance; it promotes heart health and may play a role in cancer protection. Canola oil has a mild flavor, so it's a great choice for baking, for salad dressings or for use in foods where the stronger taste of olive oil is not desired. Use it for stir-fries, too, but note that high temperatures can cause it to smoke. — American Institute for Cancer Research.

WINNING RECIPE

Here is a recipe for Shocklate Cheesecake from “Eat, Shrink and Be Merry” by Janet Podleski and Greta Podleski (Granet Publishing; $25.99).

SHOCKLATE CHEESECAKE

1 box low-fat browning mix

2 cups 1-percent cottage cheese

1 cup light sour cream

1 (8-ounce) package light cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup all-purpose flour

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate squares melted and cooled slightly

1 cup fat-free egg substitute, or 4 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate sauce for drizzling (optional)

Yields 16 servings.

Spray 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Prepare brownies according to package directions, baking in springform pan instead of regular cake pan. Brownies should bake about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and reset temperature to 325 F.

Set aside brownie crust to cool slightly.

To make filling, blender cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese in a blender until perfectly smooth. Scrape out mixture into large mixing bowl.

In small bowl, sift together sugar, cocoa powder and flour. Gradually add sugar mixture to cream cheese mixture and beat on medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add melted chocolate and beat again. Add egg substitute and vanilla. Beat just until eggs are incorporated into batter.

Before pouring batter over crust, lightly grease sides of pan to prevent cheesecake from cracking. Pour batter over brownie crust and smooth top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cake will be puffed up and center will jiggle slightly. Turn off oven, open door halfway and leave cake in oven to cool for 1 hour.

Remove from oven, run knife around edge of pan and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, remove sides of pan, slice thinly and drizzle chocolate sauce over individual pieces, if desired.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 291 calories, 10 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 9.3 g fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 1.3 g fiber, 208 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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