One of the factors to be considered a staple in your diet is low-calorie meals. It is a basic fact of weight loss that you need to take in fewer calories than you burn to lose excess pounds. This can be achieved through increasing your daily exercise or by decreasing your daily caloric intake.
However, reducing daily caloric intake is easier said than done. It basically means eating less food. This can leave you hungry and cranky, subject to cravings for unhealthy junk food. Thankfully, there is an easier way. There are plenty of ways to eat low calories without sacrificing taste or a feeling of fullness.
Eating low-calorie meals and snacks is a great way to reduce daily caloric intake without feeling hungry. You can eat these meals at your regular mealtime, responding to your body’s psychological need for food while still keeping your overall calorie intake low. There are even some snack ideas that have almost no caloric value!
Low-Calorie Recipes
Create an easy low-calorie meal by combining a main dish of lean meat or fish with a steamed vegetable. Open the meal with a salad to fill up before you get to the main course, and you won’t even notice the lower-calorie value of your meal.
Arugula greens are a great choice for low-calorie meals. You can use them in salads, soups, or even in sandwiches. They provide a peppery, leafy crunch at just four calories per cup!
In addition to weight loss, asparagus can have beneficial effects when you have a hangover. It helps your body to metabolize alcohol and other toxins more quickly. You can eat them raw in a salad or as a crunchy snack, or lightly steam them as a side dish. This tasty vegetable contains just 27 calories per cup.
Another secret weapon in the dieter’s arsenal is clear broth. It can be based on beef, chicken, seafood, miso, or vegetables. Adding some low-calorie vegetables to the broth makes for a filling meal that should be considered on any menu of low-calorie meals. At 10 calories per cup, broth is the ultimate in high-volume foods, filling you up without adding calories to your diet. Be careful of sodium content, however.
Low in calories but high in vitamins, Brussel sprouts are a great choice for any dieter. Some people give Brussel sprouts a bad name because they don’t like the taste, but when lightly fried in seasoning, they can be an exceptional meal. These tasty little morsels come in at just 38 calories a cup.
Another choice for a low-calorie meal is cabbage. It can be used in salads or boiled into a tasty soup. It is also a powerful anti-cancer agent. You can eat as much cabbage as you want at 22 calories a cup, and you’ll improve your health without putting on a single pound.
Cut calories by trading beef for poultry and seafood. Many delicious low-calorie dishes can be created from fish or chicken. In many cases, you won’t even notice that it wasn’t even beef in your food, such as in tacos, chili, or slow-cooker meals.
It’s important to rotate meal ideas and content. You can quickly become bored with eating the same things repeatedly and turn to other high-calorie sources of tasty food. Adding different fresh vegetables to go along with your meals will add variety without adding a whole lot of calories.
You can spice up any low-calorie meal by adding a baked potato. It is low in calories but high in fiber and other nutrients. There is lots of bulk in a potato, so you will feel full longer without having to eat more food.
Quinoa is another choice for healthy meals. It is an ancient grain known to civilization for much longer than wheat or corn. This highly versatile grain tastes delicious and has a wonderfully crunchy texture.
Don’t let time constraints cause you to go off your diet. You don’t have to order takeout or heat up a frozen pizza to have a quick dinner. You can whip up a fresh and tasty salad from the ingredients mentioned above in less time than it takes to call the local Chinese delivery joint, and you will be much healthier for it. Low-calorie meals don’t have to take a lot of time to prepare, and they can taste just as good or better than fatty meals.
Losing weight doesn’t have to be a fight against your own cravings. You can simplify the whole thing by replacing high-calorie junk food with low-calorie snacks and meals. You can add many tasty vegetables to your nightly dinners, either fresh and raw or steamed, that will satisfy your need for taste without causing you to gain weight. You have to be willing to try them.
