Recipe: Skinny Fish Sticks

Who doesn't love the taste of a good, deep fried fish stick?! Well, rather than deep frying these scrumptious sticks, we used a skillet with a touch of canola oil so you can enjoy the same crave-worthy taste without all the added fat and calories. We've also traded the doughy breading for a crunchier, much healthier coating of flax meal and bread crumbs. Our seasoning secret for these delicious little fish sticks is a little Parmesan cheese. We hope you love our skinny version of this classic dish!

Recipe: Skinny Fish Sticks

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12-16 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 4 fish sticks

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds tilapia fillets
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 4 egg whites
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs
• ¼ cup ground flax meal
• ¼ cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• ¼ cup canola oil
  

*Optional:

• malt vinegar
• tartar sauce

*Optional ingredients are not included in nutrition calculations.

Instructions:

1. Cut the tilapia into sixteen 1-inch strips and season both sides with salt and pepper, then set aside.
2. Whisk the egg whites together in a mixing bowl, or shallow dish.
3. In a second mixing bowl or shallow dish combine the bread crumbs, flax meal, cheese, and Old Bay seasoning.
4. Dip each piece of fish in the egg whites, and let the excess drip off. Next, dredge each piece in the bread crumb mixture and shake off the excess. Set them all aside on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pan when it is hot, and cook half of the fish sticks in the skillet until golden and done, about 2-4 minutes on each side.
6. Carefully remove them with tongs or a fish turner, and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil.
7. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and finish cooking the rest of the fish sticks, repeating steps 5 and 6.
8. Serve hot with optional vinegar and tartar sauce.

Nutrition:
Per Serving: (4 fish sticks)
Calories: 407
Calories from fat: 190
Fat: 21g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 89mg
Sodium: 562mg
Carbohydrates: 13g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 42g
SmartPoints: 9

The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition..