Healthier Calzones

I LOVE my homemade calzones, and so does my hubby. The problem with them, though, is that they are high in fat, and hence high in calories, too! So while I was making them the other night, I was dreaming up ways to improve on them. Here's what I've come up with to keep all the flavor and lose some of the fat, and to improve the healthiness of the finished product!

Start with 1 pound of whole-wheat bread dough (instead of the white bread dough). Divide it into 4 portions. Turn each portion into a 4-inch-diameter circle.

Mix an 8-ounce package of low-fat (neufchatel) cream cheese (in place of regular cream cheese) with 1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (in place of regular mozzarella cheese). Stir in Italian seasonings to taste. Divvy up into 4 portions and spread on dough rounds, leaving about 3/4" around the edges.

Top with low-fat ham, red bell peppers, and diced pineapple (in place of fattier meats like pepperoni or sausage).

Fold each round in half over the filling and seal the edges with a fork to make the calzone. Brush the top with extra-virgin olive oil (a healthy fat). Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Brush with more extra-virgin olive oil. Bake another 10 minutes or so until it is browned to your liking. Enjoy! (Makes 4 calzones)