Hi Barbara, Good for you!  Just the fact that you are cooking real food for your family is the first (and best!) step to healthier eating (and losing weight).  As for casseroles and other baked dishes (and lots of other dishes, for that matter), here are some generals tips for lowering the calorie count and making a healthier dish: 1. Substitute whole-wheat pasta for regular pasta. This might be a tough sell for some people (like my husband!) because they just don’t like the taste of whole-wheat pasta, and it does have the tendency to become mushy. To get around that, start with dishes that are very flavorful and robust or have a hearty sauce where whole-wheat pasta will not be as noticeable. (Believe me, whole-wheat pasta with a delicate cream sauce really doesn’t cut it.) And don't overcook whole-wheat pasta; that will reduce the odds of getting stuck with a mushy mess. And be sure to try different brands; I’m sure you’ll find that you like some much better than others. 2. Watch the amount of cheese!  If the recipe calls for a lot, consider substituting reduced-fat cheese (or just use less).  This is one of the easier make-over tips. But be careful – not all low-fat cheeses are that great. You might have to experiment with different brands and styles. 3. Substitute a lesser amount of a stronger-flavored cheese. Because they pack so much flavor, you don’t need as much strong flavored cheese (like sharp Cheddar, blue cheese, and goat cheese) as you would mild cheese (like provolone, mozzarella, and American). So in a recipe with a mild cheese, try substituting a stronger cheese and using half the amount. 4. Sneak in some vegetables. I can’t think of any casserole recipe that couldn’t be improved with the addition of some vegetables.  Add cooked chopped  broccoli to mac-and-cheese. Or peas to any pasta casserole. Add red bell pepper strips to the sauce for chicken Parmesan.  Or try lots of onion in baked beans. 5. Substitute leaner meat.  Instead of the ground round  a recipe might suggest, use ground sirloin or, even better, ground chicken! Don’t like dark-meat chicken? Then definitely substitute white-meat breasts for thighs or legs. 6. If there’s any sautéing in large amounts of oil, try cutting down on the amount of oil and using a nonstick pan. So for Saucy Beef Parmigiana,  here’s what I’d do to make it over into a  healthier and less caloric dish: Round steak can be fairly fatty, so substitute slices of sirloin, or even chicken tenders. (But if using chicken, you don’t need to bake the casserole that long – 20 minutes should do it.) Then I’d sauté the breaded steak or tenders in a nonstick pan, which means I can reduce the amount of oil considerably. Parmesan is pretty strongly flavored, so you’ll want to leave that in. But do you really need 1/2 pound of mozzarella?  I’d halve the amount of mozzarella,  or use reduced-fat.  And why not saute some bell-pepper strips along with the onion and garlic?  And since this is quite a hearty dish, I’d serve the Parmigiana on whole-wheat spaghetti (but don’t overcook it!) Good luck, Barbara, with your healthy-eating plan for your family!