Klopsiki Meatballs in Dill Sauce

Pork mince swapped for lean turkey mince

Pork mince is tasty, but it's got a good whack of fat, and for all the flavour, you pay in calories. Turkey mince is lean, still takes on flavour and holds together well enough. You won't get that porky savour, but you do get plenty of protein without the nap.

What it costs you. The meatballs are firmer and drier. You lose the soft, melting centre you get with pork, and the taste is milder. Calling this the 'better meatball' would be a stretch, but at least you won't feel like lying down halfway through.

Soaked bread swapped for oats

White bread soaks up milk and makes the texture soft, but oats do the same with fewer calories and a bit more bite. Plus, oats don't go stale in the same way, so you can grab what you need straight from the cupboard.

What it costs you. Texture is a little chewier, and the flavour isn't quite as neutral as bread. Nobody's going to mistake it for the Sunday best version, but it's still a proper meatball, not a hunk of dry turkey.

Frying in lard skipped, meatballs are poached instead

Lard is honest fat, and frying gives the outside that brown, savoury crust. If you poach the balls straight in the sauce base, you skip the frying and the fat, with less cleaning up. The trade is flavour for fewer calories and less faff.

What it costs you. No golden-brown crust, no sizzle, and the outside's a bit plain. You save time, but if you want crispiness, you're in the wrong place.

Double cream sauce swapped for skimmed milk thickened with cornflour

Cream is decadent and makes a sauce that's as silken as it is dangerous to an office chair. Skimmed milk with cornflour gives you a pale sauce that carries the dill and lemon, but you're not getting that mouth-coating gloss.

What it costs you. This isn't glossy, and it won't cling to the meatballs in the same way. The sauce is thinner and less lush, but it's not a punishment. The dill and lemon are up front, so if you like green herby things, you're in luck.