Your Dot Name

Archive for the ‘Healthy Food’ Category

Most people have a junk food snacking habit. If you want to slim down, you must change this habit. Here you will learn about the foods that are worthy substitutes.

They’ll add different tastes and textures to your meals and provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and other vital nutrients. Each food is high in fiber, low in fat and safe when it comes to sodium content.

List of Low Calorie Foods

1. Berries. They are perfect weight-loss food. Blueberries have 81 calories per cup, blackberries 74, raspberries 60 and strawberries 45. There is enough fiber in them so you will absorb fewer calories.

2. Broccoli. This is America’s favorite vegetable. A cup of cooked broccoli has only 44 calories. In addition, it has loads of fiber and cancer fighting chemicals. And there is no fat.

3. Cabbage. Only 33 calories are found in a cup of cooked shredded cabbage. It was discovered that eating cabbage once a week can protect against colon cancer.

4. Carrots. A medium-sized carrot has 55 calories and is full of powerful cancer-preventing nutrients.

5. Figs. There are 48 calories per medium dried fig and 37 per raw fig. They are very good at contributing to a feeling of fullness and preventing overeating.

6. Kiwi. It has only 46 calories per fruit. It’s very rich in vitamin C and potassium.

7. Lettuce. It should be part of every weight-loss plan. There are only 10 calories per cup of raw romaine. And it’s full of vitamin C, too.

8. Tomatoes. A medium tomato has a mere 25 calories. They are rich in fiber, high in potassium and low in fat and sodium. People who eat them every week rarely die from cancer.

9. Oats. Only 110 calories is found in a cup of oatmeal or oat bran. They will help you lose weight. A 12-year study found that you can lose three pounds in 8 weeks simply by adding 100 grams of oat bran to your daily food intake.

10. Melons. They are a real example of low-calorie foods! One cup of cantaloupe and honeydew balls has 62 calories, one cup of watermelon balls has 49 calories and one cup of casaba balls has 44 calories. They are super rich in fiber and vitamins A and C and potassium.

11. Leeks. They are almost calorie-free since there are a mere 32 calories per cooked cup.

Low calorie meals don’t have to taste like cardboard

Worried that your foods are also low on flavor? Think again. New recipes for low calorie meals have more flavor than ever. With a little preparation, you can serve great-tasting dinners every night of the week!

Most weight loss foods feature lots of vegetables. Veggies are good for you. Think green. Asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, spinach and all green vegetables are great side dishes for your weight loss diet. Just remember to prepare your vegetables without oils or fats, like butter.

You don’t have to go without meat to prepare excellent meals. Plenty of recipes use pork and even lean beef. However, most entrees for weight loss lunches are either fish or poultry. With unusual spices, your low food will taste great.

Fresh fruit is always the perfect choice for dessert for weight loss dinners. Angel food cake is low in calories, too. Low calorie and sugar free sweetners, whipped cream and cookies can sometimes create new desserts.

Plenty of tasty condiments exist to take some of your high calorie favorites and turn them into weight loss dinners. Try salsa on your baked potatoes. Use low-fat sour cream, cheeses and tortillas in your chicken enchiladas.

If you don’t have time to cook, check your grocer’s frozen food section for healthy dinners. Low fat prepared entrees can easily be paired with a great bagged salad and fruit for nutritious, low calorie meals.

Don’t be afraid to experiment when you prepare healthy dinners. Tofu is a low-fat, highly nutritious alternative to meat and can be prepared in hundreds of tasty dishes. Try vegetables that you may not serve a lot, like turnips, bok choy or beets with your low fat meals.

When folks decide to lose weight by going on a diet, they often find that they’re constantly dealing with hunger, threatening to force them off the diet. To lose weight, your daily expenditure of calories must exceed your intake. But how can you avoid those gnawing hunger pangs all day long without binging?

These filling foods are all low-calorie, and they should help you through the day without hunger pangs or overeating.

1. Fish – 150 to 200 Calories / Serving

Count on fish to do a good job of filling you up while providing a nutritious, low-calorie meal. Of all the meats available to you during a diet (or anytime!), fish is the most filling. Fish also have fewer calories per ounce than other meats like chicken, pork or beef.

You still have to eat responsibly, of course. Fish and ships, for example, is not a healthy option when you’re on a weight loss diet. The breading and batters that are used when frying fish add appreciably to the calorie count of fish, and should be avoided. For a hot meal, cook fish by broiling, baking or grilling it, with a minimum of added fat. A delicious cold alternative is a health light salad sprinkled with bits of cooked or canned tuna or salmon. Added flavor is easily obtained from the judicious use of spices and seasonings.

2. Oranges and Apples – About 40 Calories / Serving

This may seem like a surprising choice – fruits aren’t generally thought of as low-calorie, filling foods. Fruit isn’t usually a dieter’s first choice when they feel hungry. Low in calories, high in nutrients, vitamins and dietary fiber, these natural foods are excellent snacks for all, not just dieters.

Dieters looking for a low-calorie, filling snack should choose round fruits because they carry about half the calories of non-round fruits like bananas while making you feel just as foll.

3. Grapes – 50 Calories / Serving

Grapes are excellent snacks in a weight loss diet for the same reasons as apples and oranges. A great deal of fiber is concentrated into a compact, bite-sized form. Excellent snacks all day long, grapes will do a much better job of keeping you feeling comfortably full than, say, a candy bar full of processed sweeteners.

4. Whole Wheat Pasta – 300 Calories / Serving

Hungry people crave pasta! Don’t misunderstand – this isn’t an invitation to binge out on mac and cheese or stuffed shells. For one thing, I’m talking about whole wheat pasta, which will leave you feeling much more satisfied than the processed white pasta most commonly available.

Whole wheat pasta is more healthful because it hasn’t had so many of its nutrients processed out, which is the case with white pasta. Whole wheat pasta also has more dietary fiber. Because overeating pasta is so easy to do, it’s critical that you watch serving sizes. To fill up and feel comfortable until your next meal, try a portion of pasta about the size of your fist.

5. Steak – 300 Calories / Serving

Yes, this really is an article about low-calorie, filling, nutritious food! There’s nothing wrong with steak as an occasional component of a nutritious weight-loss diet. What is wrong is the habit some people have of smothering a steak in sauces that are high in calories. Atkins Diet devotees have long been aware of this. Frankly, steak is one of the best meats available for a weight loss diet, second only to fish in terms of its desirability as a weight-loss food. Lean cuts of beef, of course, are preferable because you will reduce your fat intake.

Controlling the size of your servings, of course, is crucial to the success of using low-calorie foods like these. You’ll feel full faster, and the feeling of fullness will lat longer, with these delicious low-calorie foods, but be careful – resist the temptation to have seconds and thirds! And of course, from time to time it’s alright to eat other foods as well. You should always keep control over your portion sizes, though. Soon, instead of always wearing the shape-concealing clothing, you’ll be looking for excuses to strip down and let people see the slim, trim new you!

Do you have a sweet tooth and are also trying to diet? Do you feel you must give up great taste in order to achieve your diet goals? No, not necessarily so. Enjoy many of your favorite desserts by improvising a few ingredients. Also, most important is presentation, presentation, presentation.

Many times when you try to diet, you feel you must give up your favorite desserts. Also, many diets do not offer an ample selection of sweet treats. But, rest assured you now can enjoy many of your favorites without the guilt. Low fat, low calorie does not have to mean low taste. Now, before you give up on your diet, try these few suggestions.

Many recipes that include gelatin can be substituted with the sugar free version. A favorite is one small sugar free orange gelatin mixed in the dry form with one small frozen whipped topping. Use your imagination to add your favorites to this basic recipe. Some examples may include fat free cottage cheese, mandarin oranges, or pineapple.

Also, take advantage of the different artificial sweeteners that are available. Make a great tasting pie by mixing one 8 ounce low fat cream cheese with artificial sweetener. Add one 8 ounce sour cream and low fat frozen whipped topping. Pour mixture into a baked, cooled pie crust and enjoy!!! Experiment with this basic recipe by adding fresh fruit or nuts.

Finally, do not skip one of the most important steps in cooking; which is presentation. Even if you are only cooking for yourself, make sure that your dessert is dressed for dinner! Presentation plays a big part in the psychological aspect of any diet plan. Simple garnishes, such as fruit slices, chocolate sauce, or fruit puree can make a dessert that would other wish seem plain become transformed into one more pleasing to the eye and psychologically to the mind. Therefore, also allowing you to enjoy sweet treats without the guilt.

Good luck and enjoy.

When you are dieting or sticking with a strict eating plan, gathering for summer parties can be a real let-down. After all, you certainly don’t want to be socially out of the loop, but each indulgence can really begin to cut into your eating plan, causing you to backslide. Luckily, you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. There are plenty of company-worthy dishes that can be prepared on a fire pit or grill, while still being calorie-conscious. These aren’t exotic fare, either. Go into any grocery store and you can find low-calorie choices that are ideal for grilling. If you throw the party, you can fill your menu with these options and no one will be the wiser. However, even if you are just guest, bringing one of these choices for a potluck offering will ensure that you always have an appropriate food choice available.

Poultry

Poultry is the healthy diner’s best friend. Of course, in order for a poultry dish to qualify as low-calorie, you have to select the best cuts of meat, as well as pay attention to the preparation methods that you use. The breast meat of both chicken and turkey are the best choices for a low-calories poultry dish. When using a fire pit, you have to be extremely careful, however, not to dry out the meat. Using a marinade can be distinctly helpful. Select options that do not use excessive oil, however, to keep the calories count down. Poultry, surprisingly, can be tenderized by soaking in milk; the enzymes break down the meat fibers making it extremely tender for grilling or cooking on a fire pit. A milk marinade can be coupled with a dry spice rub to make a dish that will wow even the most discerning meat-eater.

Fish

Fish is another low-calorie choice that does very well in a fire pit. Depending on what your finished dish is, there are several ways that you cook a lean fish recipe. Some people place the fish in a square of tin foil, adding seasoning right to the mix. When the packet is closed up, it can be placed right on the coals and steamed. Again, go easy of the butter and oil- just a little for flavoring is sufficient. If you grill the fish on the fire pit grate, always place it skin side down and grease the grates liberally. Cod, haddock and sole are lower is calories than fish such as salmon.

Healthy Meal Ideas

As more people are growing concerned with a healthy diet, more people are starting to look for healthier meal ideas. Healthy meals do not have to be complex or taste terrible. Here are some healthy meal ideas featuring a variety of foods to make your meal planning easier.

Fish Based Healthy Low-Calorie Meals

Fish is an incredibly healthy meat option because of the necessary Omega 3 fatty acids. For those who enjoy it, there are several options for a healthy meal based around fish.

Check out:
• Grilled Tuna Steaks with Salad
• Salmon with Asparagus and Steamed Potatoes
• Tuna Steaks with Cous Cous and Corn on the Cob
• Grilled or Steamed Salmon Seasoned to Taste and Served with a Vegetable Medley

Chicken and Turkey Based Healthy Meals

Chicken and Turkey are far healthier than red meats, and are great alternatives for the people who do not enjoy fish based meals.

Check out these ideas:
• Grilled Chicken with Whole Grain Rice and Steamed Vegetables
• Turkey Casserole with Tomatoes and Sweet Corn
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
• Chicken or Turkey Wraps with Baked Potato
• Chicken or Turkey with Pasta and Steamed Vegetables

Healthy Vegetarian Based Meals

Vegetarian meals are a wonderful way to eat healthy. Even people who are not strictly vegetarian can make a more affordable meal by leaving out the meat component. Since protein and other nutrients found in meat can also come from produce, you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition or taste.

Check out these ideas:
• Stir Fry with your choice of vegetables
• Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice
• Fettuccine Alfredo (provided you still eat cheese products)
• Macaroni and Cheese (provided you still eat cheese products)
• Vegetable Soup
• Spaghetti with Marinara

Healthy Meal Tips for Dessert

Even when eating healthy, we are still going to crave sweet foods. This is where fruit salads, yogurt, and healthy whole grain cereals can come in handy. Freeze plain yogurt and top with a fruit medley to mimic ice cream. Try a Jell-O Pudding Snack, or making your own Jell-O parfait.

When choosing your healthy meal options, remember that fruits and vegetables are important. You can eat lots of them without worrying so much about your calorie intake. Consider low fat and low calorie alternatives to things such as butter and whipped cream. This will make your meals more healthy without having to sacrifice on taste!

If you want to get healthy meals on a budget, consider using a wholesale club to purchase your meat items in bulk. This will cut down on the price per pound and you can purchase several nights worth of meals at once.

To save time cooking, you can prepare all the meat together, freezing it until you are ready to use it. Steamed vegetables are available frozen and will steam in the microwave in the bag, so when you’re in a pinch you can thaw your cooked chicken, turkey, or fish, and serve it with the microwave steamed vegetables for a healthy snack in a hurry.