Congratulations! You have decided to take charge of your health by managing your weight. Do you know that by reducing 5 -10% of your body weight significantly reduces your blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids levels? It also reduces your risk of getting certain cancers.
Why do people gain weight? Besides genetic influence, diet and lifestyle are two important factors causing weight gain. Many times, we are eating more calories than our bodies need. This is due to the abundance of the calorie-dense food as well as bigger food portions available. Irregular meal pattern also causes overeating as people tend to eat a larger meal later when they skip a meal. Reduced physical activity lowers our energy output, contributing to weight gain.
Preparing your foods at home helps to control your calories intake as you can adjust the ingredients used in the recipes. A low-calorie diet can be achieved by cutting down carbohydrates and fats intake. Healthier U offers you detailed assessment of your current diet and identify simple ways to help you to achieve your weight loss goals.
Are you looking for healthy meal ideas that can help you to lose weight? Here are some simple low-calorie recipes that you can prepare at home.
Homemade muesli
Serving size: 12 serve
1 serving: 134kcal, 13.8g carbohydrate, 5.6g protein, 6.3g fat, 2.8g fiber
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats (200g)
- 7/8 cup almond flakes (75g)
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds (60g)
- 1/8 cup raisin (20g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey (40g)
Methods:
- Mix rolled oats with olive oil and honey, bake in preheated oven 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
- Add almond flakes and pumpkin seeds during the last 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool and stir in raisin.
- Store in an airtight container.
Overnight oats with chia seeds, sesame powder, yogurt, fruits and muesli
Serving size: 2 serves
1 serving: 225kcal, 30.3g carbohydrate, 8.5g protein, 7.7g fat, 4.6g fiber
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons oats
½ cup fresh milk
1 teaspoon chia seed
1 tablespoon sesame powder
3 tablespoons low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons muesli
2 tablespoons of cut fruits (e.g. strawberries)
Methods:
- Add 4 tablespoons oats and 1 teaspoon of chia seed into a jar. Pour ½ cup of milk into it and soak for overnight.
- Top with 1 tablespoon of sesame powder, 3 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of muesli and 2 tablespoons of cut fruits.
Banana milkshake
Serving size: 2 serves
1 serving: 139kcal, 21.7g carbohydrate, 4.1g protein, 4.0g fat, 2g fiber
Ingredients:
2 big bananas
1 cup fresh milk
10 ice cubes
1 pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Methods:
- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Yummy Yogurt Parfait
Serving size: 1 serve
1 serving: 309kcal, 46.4g carbohydrate, 12.1g protein, 8.3g fat, 7.6g fiber
Ingredients:
- 1 cup low fat plain yogurt (130g)
- ¼ cup granola/muesli (30g)
- ¼ cup strawberries (50g)
- ¼ cup blueberries (50g)
- 1 teaspoon chia seed (8g)
Method:
- Add 1 teaspoon chia seed into the yogurt and mix well.
- Layer 1/2 cup low fat yogurt into the bottom of a tall glass.
- Alternate layers of fruit and granola with yogurt until the glass is filled to the top.
- Serve immediately to keep granola crunchy.
Lemon Chicken Wrap
Serving size: 2 serves
1 serving: 474kcal, 55.0g carbohydrate, 17.1g protein, 20.6g fat, 6.5g fiber
Ingredients:
4 wholemeal wraps
1 chicken thigh (deboned)
⅟2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Italian herbs
¼ teaspoon salt
⅟2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 baby romaine (100g)
⅟2 box tomatoes, sliced (125g)
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced (100g)
1 small carrot, julienned (50g)
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
Methods:
- Marinate chicken thigh with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tsp minced garlic, Italian herbs and 1/4 tsp salt for 1 hour.
- Add some oil on the pan and pan fried the chicken until cooked. Slice the chicken.
- Prepare baby romaine, tomatoes slices, cucumber slices, julienne carrot.
- Toast the wrap for 30 seconds each side on a pan. Put the above and the chicken (sliced) onto the wrap.
- Add ½ tbsp mayonnaise and wrap it.
Roast chicken pie with mashed potato topping
Serving size: 3 serves
1 serving: 470kcal, 43.3g carbohydrate, 25.7g protein, 21.5g fat, 7.2g fiber
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken breast, chopped into cubes
- 100g onion, sliced
- 200g broccoli
- 60g butter
- 60g plain flour
- 300-350ml unsalted chicken/vegetables stock or water
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 medium potatos, peeled and cut into chunks
Methods:
- Place the chicken, onions and olive oil in a casserole dish and place in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes.
- Place the potatoes in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender. Mash and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly add the stock and stir constantly until it becomes smooth.
- Stir in the broccoli and cook for a 3-5 minutes.
- Add the sauce to the chicken and cover with the mashed potatoes.
- Brush with olive oil and bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Rainbow salmon skewers
Serving size: 1 serve
1 serving: 455kcal, 10.8g carbohydrate, 32.4g protein, 31.3g fat, 2.7g fiber
Ingredients:
Salmon fillet (150g)
Capsicum (½red, ½ yellow, ½green)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Methods:
- Wash salmon fillet and pat dry with paper towel.
- Cut salmon and capsicum into cubes.
- Marinate salmon with lemon juice, honey and salt for 15 minutes.
- Thread your skewers alternately with capsicum and salmon.
- Lay aluminium foil on the baking tray.
- Brush the skewers liberally on both sides with olive oil on the baking tray.
- Bake at preheated oven at 220°C for 2-4 minutes each side. May sprinkle with some ground pepper and serve.
Baked Macaroni Cheese
Serving size: 2 serves
1 serving: 688kcal, 56.9g carbohydrate, 37.1g protein, 34.7g fat, 7g fiber
Ingredients:
250g macaroni, boiled
150g Mozzarella cheese
100g minced meat
150g Bunashimeiji mushroom
3 tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Salt and Italian herbs for seasoning
Methods:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the minced meat and cook until browned.
- Stir in mushroom, tomato paste and tomato. Cook for a few minutes.
- Season with salt and Italian herbs.
- Stir in the boiled macaroni and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the macaroni to a baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 180 °C for 10 minutes.
Pumpkin chicken rice
Serving size: 4 serves
1 serving: 479kcal, 81.3g carbohydrate, 14.7g protein, 10.6g fat, 0.5g fiber
Ingredients:
150g chicken thigh (without skin, cut into small pieces)
150g pumpkin
2 cups uncooked rice, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp, chopped
5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced, optional)
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2.5 cups of water
Marinate:
1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon corn flour, some salt and pepper
Seasonings:
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, a dash of white pepper
Methods:
- Marinate chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, corn flour and some salt and pepper for 15-30 minutes.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok and fry minced garlic until fragrant. Add dried shrimp and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Stir in pumpkin and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add uncooked rice, 2 cups water and seasonings. Stir until all ingredients are coated with the seasonings.
- Transfer everything from the wok into a rice cooker pot. Add 1/2 cup water or until the water just about covers the rice. Push the “cook rice” button and let the rice cooker cook the rice.
- Once the light turns to “keep warm”, let it rest for another 15 minutes, then open the lid and fluff with a rice paddle/spatula.
Chive and pork dumpling
Serving size: 2 serves
1 serving: 369kcal, 32.6g carbohydrate, 20.8g protein, 17.3g fat, 1.7g fiber
Ingredients:
100g chive, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
100g minced pork (shoulder collar)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
20 sheets of dumpling skin
Dipping: vinegar, spicy oil, soy sauce
Methods:
- Put minced chive, minced ginger, minced meat and egg in a big bowl.
- Season with pepper, soy sauce and salt. Add cooking oil and mix well.
- Lastly, add some sesame oil.
- Put 1 tablespoon of filling onto each dumpling skin and wrap well.
- Cook the dumpling in boiling water for 5 minutes. Use a ladle to stir the water gently so that the dumplings won’t stick to the bottom.