Try this healthy version of fish nuggets

Consider healthy homemade fast food. These diet-worthy dishes won't tie you to the kitchen, but also won't weigh you down.

Consider having a burger night where you serve pre-made veggie burgers rather than the fatty beef ones. There's quite a variety available in the freezer section of your grocer and brands such as Boca offer great meaty-tasting versions.

Don't forget that most fast food burgers are all about the toppings, many of which can be quite healthy. Arrange a platter of tomatoes, pickles, onions, shredded lettuce and other toppings for your family to assemble their own burgers. And be sure to include some low-fat cheese and reduced-fat mayo.

If you prefer something crunchy, consider these fish nuggets with curried-mustard dipping sauce. They are made using an oven-frying technique that can give you results that are close to deep-fried, but with serious savings in fat and calories.

If you're not in the mood for fish, the oven-frying technique works equally as well for chicken.

Crunchy Fish Nuggets with Curried-Mustard Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 servings

1⁄4 cup buttermilk

3⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided

1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

11⁄4 pounds haddock or cod fillets, cut into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces

1 cup panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chili powder

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard

2 teaspoons curry powder

1. Place a rack in the top third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the fish nuggets and turn to coat evenly.

3. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the panko, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder.

4. Dredge the fish nuggets, 2 or 3 at a time, through the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides evenly. Arrange the fish nuggets on the prepared rack set over the baking sheet. Coat evenly with cooking spray on all sides.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the panko coating is golden brown and crisp and the fish is opaque at the center.

6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the honey, mustard, curry powder, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.

7. Serve the fish nuggets with the curried mustard dipping sauce.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 283 calories; 25 calories from fat (9 percent of total calories); 3 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 82 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 860 mg sodium.