Sweet Potato Pie

Shortcrust pastry for no crust at all

Every mouthful of crumbly, buttery pastry is another round of fat and white flour, and unless you're in it for the crust, you can spare yourself 250g of it. The custard is the star here anyway.

What it costs you. You lose the contrast of crisp base versus creamy filling. It doesn't slice into pretty wedges, and nobody is picking up a slice by hand. The pudding will slump, but it stays true to the flavour.

Evaporated milk for fat-free Greek yoghurt

Evaporated milk is delightfully creamy, but not high on protein. Greek yoghurt does a fine job of bringing body and tang, and it makes the filling set up better without the extra fat.

What it costs you. You lose an edge of caramel richness, and the tang is more noticeable. Nobody will mistake it for evaporated milk, but it works.

Butter for a smaller amount of olive oil

Butter gives glorious mouthfeel and flavour, but it's all fat and nothing else. Olive oil keeps the filling smooth and stops it drying out, and you only need a little.

What it costs you. The filling misses out on that classic buttery roundness. Olive oil doesn't bring the same warmth, but with the spices, you can live without it.

Add whey protein powder

Adding protein powder to the filling makes up for what you lose from ditching dairy and crust. Go for unflavoured, or the spices will be fighting with vanilla.

What it costs you. If anyone tastes it, you picked the wrong powder. Done right, it simply thickens the custard and leaves you smug.

Decrease brown sugar

With less fat for richness, you don't need as much sugar to feel satisfied. Sweet potatoes are doing half the job already.

What it costs you. If you like your pie very sweet, you'll want ice cream on the side now. It's still definitely dessert, but less likely to make your teeth itch.