Thrive Version
Balanced Creamy Seafood Chowder
A luscious seafood chowder featuring shrimp, scallops, and fish with a balanced, creamy finish that reduces calories and saturated fat while preserving the cherished flavor and texture.
Jump to recipeBased on Creamy Seafood Chowder · spendwithpennies.com. Original source
Published by Pamela L Loveland.
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USDA estimate · per serving
Original vs Thrive
Confidence: medium
Some amounts used typical kitchen weights, like a medium onion or a can.. Numbers come from USDA FoodData Central, not from the language model. They are estimates, not medical advice.
| Original | Thrive | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 549 | 398 | Calories −151, improved |
| Protein | 33.3g | 26.8g | Protein −6.5g, not an improvement |
| Fiber | 1.7g | 1.9g | Fiber +0.2g, improved |
| Fat | 38.4g | 23.1g | Fat −15.3g, improved |
| Saturated fat | 23.5g | 13.8g | Saturated fat −9.7g, improved |
| Carbs | 21g | 23.9g | Carbs +2.9g, not an improvement |
| Sugar | 5.4g | 7.6g | Sugar +2.2g, not an improvement |
| Sodium | 989mg | 1152mg | Sodium +163mg, not an improvement |
- 8 ingredients used a typical kitchen weight (an onion, a can, a stick of butter).
Ingredient matching
Original
- ¼ cup butterButter, unsalted · 57g
- 1 medium onion (diced)Onions, raw · 110g — Used a typical piece weight of 110g for onions, raw.
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoningSpices, bay leaf · 5g
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leavesSpices, thyme, dried · 1g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flourWheat flour, white, all-purpose · 30g
- 1 rib celery (sliced)Celery, raw · 40g — Used a typical piece weight of 40g for celery, raw.
- 1 carrot (sliced)Carrots, raw · 61g — Used a typical piece weight of 61g for carrots, raw.
- 1 pound potatoes (peeled and cubed)Not counted — Kitchen tool or garnish, not counted.
- ½ cup corn kernelsCorn, yellow, whole kernel, frozen, microwaved · 120g — Used 240g per cup for Corn, yellow, whole kernel, frozen, microwaved.
- 5 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth)Soup, stock, beef, home-prepared · 1200g
- ½ cup white wineAlcoholic beverage, wine, table, white · 120g — Used 240g per cup for Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, white.
- 8 ounces white fish (like cod, salmon, tilapia or haddock, cut into chunks)Fish, haddock, raw · 227g
- 8 ounces sea scallopsScallops, sea, frozen, wild caught · 227g
- 12 ounces medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)Crustaceans, shrimp, raw · 340g
- 6.5 ounces chopped clams (canned, drained)Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids · 184g
- 2 cups heavy whipping creamCream, heavy whipping · 476g
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsleyParsley, fresh · 15g
Thrive Version
- 3 tablespoons butterButter, unsalted · 43g
- 1 medium onion, dicedOnions, raw · 110g — Used a typical piece weight of 110g for onions, raw.
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoningSpices, bay leaf · 5g
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leavesSpices, thyme, dried · 1g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flourWheat flour, white, all-purpose · 30g
- 1 rib celery, slicedCelery, raw · 40g — Used a typical piece weight of 40g for celery, raw.
- 1 carrot, slicedCarrots, raw · 61g — Used a typical piece weight of 61g for carrots, raw.
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubedNot counted — Kitchen tool or garnish, not counted.
- ½ cup corn kernelsCorn, yellow, whole kernel, frozen, microwaved · 120g — Used 240g per cup for Corn, yellow, whole kernel, frozen, microwaved.
- 6 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth)Soup, stock, beef, home-prepared · 1440g
- ½ cup white wineAlcoholic beverage, wine, table, white · 120g — Used 240g per cup for Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, white.
- 8 ounces white fish (like cod, salmon, tilapia or haddock), cut into chunksFish, haddock, raw · 227g
- 8 ounces sea scallopsScallops, sea, frozen, wild caught · 227g
- 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveinedCrustaceans, shrimp, raw · 340g
- 6.5 ounces chopped clams, canned and drainedBeverages, Clam and tomato juice, canned · 184g
- 1 cup heavy whipping creamCream, heavy whipping · 238g
- 1 cup evaporated milkMilk, whole, 3.25% milkfat · 244g
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsleyParsley, fresh · 15g
What we would not change
seafood blend (shrimp, scallops, white fish, clams)
This mix is essential to the flavor and character of the chowder
Old Bay seasoning and fresh herbs
Signature seasoning that defines the chowder's flavor profile
roux technique with butter and flour
Necessary for chowder's creamy, thick texture and mouthfeel
potatoes
Provide body and texture, a classic chowder component
white wine addition
Adds acidity and brightness balancing the creaminess
What changed, and why
¼ cup butter → 3 tablespoons butter
Reduces saturated fat and calories slightly while maintaining enough fat for successful roux formation to thicken the chowder.
Flavor: Slightly less rich but still buttery and flavorful, preserving the chowder’s signature taste.
Texture: Maintains proper roux consistency for thickening; chowder stays creamy and smooth.
2 cups heavy whipping cream → 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 cup evaporated milk
Halves heavy cream content to lower saturated fat and calories; evaporated milk maintains creaminess with less fat.
Flavor: Retains creamy, rich mouthfeel and flavor with a slight reduction in heaviness, keeping the chowder indulgent yet lighter.
Texture: Preserves creamy texture and thickness; evaporated milk blends well without thinning the chowder.
5 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth) → 6 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth)
Increasing broth volume compensates for reduced cream to maintain soup yield and lightness without diluting flavor.
Flavor: Slightly lighter broth background allowing seafood flavors to shine with less heaviness.
Texture: Keeps chowder from becoming overly thick, maintaining ideal spoonable consistency.
1 rib celery (sliced) and 1 carrot (sliced) → Optionally increase to 1.5 ribs celery and 1.5 carrots sliced
Adds fiber and volume for satiety and nutrition with minimal impact on calories or flavor.
Flavor: Enhances natural sweetness and freshness subtly, complementing the seafood.
Texture: Adds slight additional bite and texture variety without overpowering softness.
Thrive Version
10 min prep · 20 min cook
6
Per-serving USDA estimates stay the same. Ingredient amounts scale with the pot.
- 3 tablespoons butterReduced from ¼ cup to trim saturated fat while maintaining roux function
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 rib celery, slicedCan be slightly increased if desired
- 1 carrot, slicedCan be slightly increased if desired
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 6 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth)Increased broth to compensate for cream reduction and retain volume
- ½ cup white wine
- 8 ounces white fish (like cod, salmon, tilapia or haddock), cut into chunks
- 8 ounces sea scallops
- 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6.5 ounces chopped clams, canned and drained
- 1 cup heavy whipping creamReduced from 2 cups
- 1 cup evaporated milkAdded to maintain creaminess with fewer calories and saturated fat
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Cook onion in butter until tender. Add flour, Old Bay seasoning, and thyme and cook 2-3 minutes to form roux.
- Add carrot, celery, potato, corn, broth, and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in seafood, heavy cream, and evaporated milk. Cook until fish is fully cooked and flaky, and potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Taste impact: moderate.