Healthy Soup Recipes For Weight Loss

Dieting doesn’t mean you cannot eat tasty foods or that you must skip meals to notice a dip in the weighing scale. You can be on a diet and nourish your body with wholesome and delicious meals. The idea is to make sure that meals are low in calories, rich in nutrients, and portion controlled.

And, when you think of low-calorie tasty meals, what’s better than soup recipes? From lentil soups to tomato turmeric soups, the choices are endless. Stirring up weight loss soups becomes easy when you know the right ingredients. 

Use any of these following recipes to enjoy your weight loss journey without having to feel deprived. Each of these soup recipes can be easily made at home and stored to be eaten whenever you want. You are guaranteed to enjoy the taste and shed pounds at the same time; isn’t that a win-win situation?

Lentils soup:

Use the Instant Pot to whip up this mouthwatering meal when you are serious about reducing your daily calorie intake. Add veggies like carrot, onion, tomatoes, and celery to the Instant Pot along with lentils and garlic. Now, add some Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and thyme to it. You can pour the broth into this and stir to blend it well. After about 20 minutes of cooking at high flame inside the pot, it will be done. Add spinach once done and serve with Parmesan.

Pumpkin and carrot soup:

This creamy, luscious soup is rich in texture and flavor. The turmeric, chili flakes, and curry are excellent for spicing it up further to get a sweet and delicate taste. It can be a perfect addition to your winter salads and entrees. To make this vegetable soup, you simply sauté onions in oil and add spices and garlic to it. Next, you add carrots, pumpkin, salt, and pepper and stir this well. Finally, you must pour over the veggie broth and coconut milk and let it cook for some time. It is best served with croutons or crusty bread and garnished with seeds and chili flakes.

Vegan kale and white beans soup:

This low-calorie weight loss soup has cannellini beans, fresh kale, everyday vegetables, and seasonings. It is loaded with nutrients, especially fiber, and budget-friendly too. You are going to need canned tomatoes, white beans, carrots, onions, kale, celery, green beans, paprika, oregano, bay leaves, veggie broth, and tomato paste. You start by slow cooking the carrots, diced onions, and celery. To this, you must add paprika, garlic, and oregano and stir in all other ingredients except fresh kale. After cooking for 20 minutes, add the kale and cook further.

Turmeric tomato soup:

To prepare this healthy and delicious-looking soup, you need cut cherry tomatoes, diced tomatoes, low-sodium vegetable stock, onion, garlic cloves, coconut oil, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, pepper, nuts and seeds, and dried basil. After heating coconut oil, you can fry the garlic and onions before adding cherry tomatoes and turmeric to it. Once tomatoes become soft, you can add the vegetable stock, basil, apple cider vinegar, and bring this mix to a boil. Let it simmer for a while before moving it to a blender where you pulse this to get a creamy soup. Finally, use salt, pepper for seasoning and mixed nuts and seeds for garnishing.

Each of these soup recipes are packed with nutritional elements and easy-to-make at home anytime. Try these and you will realize that dieting isn’t that challenging or frustrating as people think it is.

Nighttime Smoothie For Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, eating anything post-dinner may seem absurd to you. One of the biggest reasons for putting on weight is nighttime snacking habits while watching the television.

So, why should you eat at night to bring down your weight? The truth is there are some healthy smoothies which have the power to burn fat while you sleep. 

Now, you may wonder; smoothies should be had for breakfast, right? But there are a few recipes which when consumed at bedtime can accelerate fat-burning. These are perfect for people who have busy work lives and cannot take time out to exercise. 

So, the idea that eating anything before you sleep will make you fat may actually be incorrect! Here are some of these effective smoothie recipes:

Ginger-Aloe Vera smoothie: Why should you drink a smoothie before bed? Only if you can be sure this will help your body lose weight and burn fat. Belly fat is the most stubborn fat of all, and the combination of aloe vera and ginger works wonders in fighting it. Make this by mixing water, cucumber juice, lemon juice, grated ginger juice, and aloe vera juice with parsley or cilantro in a blender.

Green smoothie: The color green suggests this smoothie recipe includes vegetables as its main ingredients. Kale is most commonly used to prepare green smoothies and may have a bitter taste. This is why bananas and pears are used to make this smoothie more palatable. Not only do they add more flavors to it but also offer more nutritional value. This ideal nighttime smoothie provides us with a healthy dose of vitamin K. To make it, add water, kale, apple/pears, bananas, orange juice, flax seeds and ice cubes in the blender and blend until you get a smooth puree.

Oats-Strawberry smoothie: Just like oatmeal makes for an excellent weight loss addition to your breakfast menu, this smoothie is a great bedtime choice. It tastes fabulous if you can add ripe raspberries to it. Instead of a full-course dinner, you can drink this before bedtime to keep your stomach feeling fuller for longer and facilitating weight loss at the same time. Blend plain oats, a cup of strawberries, unsweetened almond milk, and honey to make this smoothie.

Banana smoothie: This can satisfy your sweet cravings like no other. Bananas are mixed here with pomegranate juice, Greek yogurt, and pistachios to provide more antioxidants. The smoothie is low in calories because of the yogurt and can satisfy your taste buds. It is rich in proteins and fiber making it perfect for reducing your midnight cravings. To make this smoothie, blend pistachios, frozen and chopped bananas, pomegranate seeds, Greek yogurt, and ginger juice.

Mixed Berry Smoothie: For the berry lover, this smoothie takes the cake. Berries are excellent sources of vitamin C, increasing serotonin levels. This converts into melatonin which releases unwanted stress in our bodies. So, you can sleep better. At the same time, it can burn fat and help you lose weight.  You can make it by adding frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, ice cubes, and coconut milk for more antioxidants.

You will find many such healthy and tasty smoothie recipes that you can consume at night without a worry. What can be better than making your body burn fat while you sleep?

Healthy Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List

Do you know that it’s a good idea to have a weekly meal plan? It’s the best way to ensure you eat healthy foods and stick to your budget. When you know how much the expenses are for every meal during the week, you can set aside money for that. 

Healthy weekly meal plan with a grocery list:

Monday:

For breakfast, you can have egg sandwich and oranges made with whole grain English muffins. For lunch, you can have lettuce wraps and milk. Snacks during the day could be peanut butter with apples. For dinner, you can make rotisserie chicken with roasted veggies. 

Tuesday:

For breakfast, you can have fruit with oatmeal. Cook the instant oatmeal with milk/water and add frozen berries before serving. Lunch can be chicken sandwiches with tomato soup. Dinner can be vegetarian tacos. 

Wednesday: 

Breakfast can be cereals with fruits like bananas and apples with soy milk or cow’s milk. Lunch may be simple egg sandwiches and grapes using whole wheat bread, eggs, Dijon mustard, lettuce leaves, etc. For snacks, you can have air-popped popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate. Dinner can be pasta with turkey, veggies and tomato sauce. 

Thursday:

Whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, with banana makes for a sumptuous breakfast. Lunch can be pasta salad with red onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red wine vinegar, honey, and olive oil. The vegetables must be raw and mixed with cooked pasta. Boiled eggs with celery sticks can be a good daytime snack. Dinner maybe burgers made at home with French fries. Use ground beef and hamburger buns with cheese slices, tomatoes, lettuce leaves, onion, pickles, sauces, and mayo.

Friday:

Breakfast with fruits and cottage cheese gives a healthy start to your day. Make mini-pizzas for lunch with whole wheat English muffins, tomato sauce, pepperoni, and shredded cheese. Fruit smoothies are packed with nutrients and perfect for snacking. Dinner can be stir-fried tofu served with brown rice.

Saturday:

Breakfast can be baked frittata made with eggs, baby spinach, broccoli and shredded cheese. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and have these with fresh strawberries. Turkey roll-ups are good snack ideas. Homemade chili is an excellent dinner idea containing ground beef, red kidney beans, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce, beef broth, shredded cheese, and cayenne pepper.

Sunday:

Brunch is a good way to begin your Sunday with family. Prepare French toast with fruits; make sure to use whole wheat bread of course. Use cheese and crackers for snacking in the afternoon. Dinner can be delicious quesadillas made with soft-shell tortillas, boneless chicken breasts, onion, red bell pepper, avocado, shredded Cheddar and taco seasoning.

Grocery list for the week:

Fruits/Veggies:

Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, celery, baby spinach, Bibb lettuce, oranges, large English cucumbers, ginger, strawberries and blueberries, kiwis, bell peppers, matchstick carrots, avocados, broccoli, onions and red onions, garlic, large carrots, Yukon Gold potatoes, frozen berries, bananas, grapes, black olives, and orange juice.

Grains/Carbs:

Whole grain English muffins, instant oatmeal, whole wheat bread, macaroni, whole wheat bagels, hamburger buns, instant brown rice, mini soft tortillas, medium-sized soft-shell tortillas, whole grain crackers, and hard-shell tacos.

Dairy:

Eggs, Cheddar cheese, cow/ soy milk, feta cheese, cheese slices, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.

Proteins:

Tofu, store-bought rotisserie chicken, black beans, red kidney beans, ground turkey, ground beef, boneless chicken breasts, pepperoni and turkey slices.

Canned/Packaged foods:

Tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, hummus, cereals, popcorn kernels, peanut butter, strawberry jam and fries.

Kitchen Essentials:

Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, sriracha, honey, pepper, thyme, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper flakes, brown sugar, sour cream, taco seasoning, Parmesan, pickles, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.

Morning Breakfast For Weight Loss

Contrary to what people think, breakfast is the all-important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast to lose weight is the worst decision you can make.

Without a wholesome and nutritious meal to start the day, you will end up feeling hungry and make unhealthy food choices. When you make wrong food choices, you automatically pile on unwanted calories.

So, breakfast should be all about filling your body with the right foods which can keep cravings at bay and give you all the energy you need throughout the day.

Top breakfast food choices which can facilitate weight loss:

Eggs: Eggs are undoubtedly one of the best breakfast foods which are rich in minerals and vitamins like riboflavin and selenium. Eggs are superfoods because of their high protein content. You won’t feel hungry for hours if you can eat an egg every morning. Choose any style of cooking and try to combine eggs with vegetables for a tasty and healthy breakfast.

Bananas: Bananas are excellent fiber sources and the perfect ingredient for a smoothie. It is not high in calories and can satisfy your sugar cravings. More fiber in the body reduces hunger pangs; fiber takes longer to digest and your stomach feels full for a longer time. Unripe bananas are great sources of resistant starch that cannot be digested by the small intestine. This helps to cut down food intake and fight belly fat. The best part is you can add bananas to your morning cereal, or yogurt.

Yogurts: Yogurts should be part of your breakfast menu as they are satisfying and nutritious at the same time. No weight loss diet is complete without these. The Greek yogurt, in particular, has a high amount of protein and is deemed as the perfect food for weight loss. To prepare a yogurt breakfast, you can add chia seeds and some fruits like apples and blueberries to it.

Smoothies: Smoothies are the easiest to make especially if you must leave for work early. You can add fruits, veggies, and nuts, and protein powders to create a creamy and tasty smoothie that helps you lose weight. Smoothies can be customized according to your preferences; so, feel free to experiment with different fruits and vegetables. Smoothies are the most convenient breakfast food for increasing your protein and fiber intake.

Berries: Berries of different types, like blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, can give you a high dose of nutrients. They are low-calorie but loaded with essential nutrients and antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Being fiber-rich, berries can curb hunger pangs and help you reduce food intake.

Grapefruits: Grapefruits are low in calories but have high fiber and water content which aids weight loss. Breakfast with freshly sliced grapefruits can be a great choice; you can also add it to smoothies, salads, and parfaits.

Coffee: Coffee deserves to find a place in the list of morning breakfast items for weight loss. It has caffeine which facilitates weight loss by increasing fat burning and speeding up metabolism. You cannot only drink coffee for breakfast, but it can be easily paired with any of the other healthy breakfast items. Avoid using creamers or sugar since these are high in calories.

Kiwis: Kiwis are highly recommended as breakfast food because of their high vitamin C and K content and for being a rich source of potassium. Kiwis are fiber-rich and help to reduce food intake. They cut down cravings and are effective for decreasing weight, waistlines, and body fat. Slice kiwis and add them to your breakfast smoothie, yogurt, and cereals.

Gluten And Dairy Free Meal Plan Ideas

Did you know that the biggest food allergies are gluten and lactose? According to studies, those who experience difficulty in digesting gluten face challenges in digesting lactose too.

If you suffer from both dairy food and gluten sensitivities, planning meals can be a challenge. But it is possible to work around these and create delicious and nutritious meals.

You can continue eating well-balanced meals that are rich in essential nutrients that your body needs to function optimally. Feel free to add vegetables, legumes, fruits, and lean proteins to prepare mouthwatering dishes.

Why is a gluten and dairy free meal plan beneficial for you?

A gluten and dairy free diet offers many benefits. You can avoid having highly processed foods because these are usually the ones containing dairy and gluten. Dairy foods have inflammatory properties which can cause acne, insulin resistance, and cancers. Foods having gluten are high in the Glycemic Index that spikes blood sugar levels.

If you can eliminate dairy foods and gluten, you automatically make way for more seeds, veggies, fruits, and nuts in your meals. These are all rich sources of antioxidants that can fight oxidative stress and inflammation in our body.

Know what a typical dairy and gluten-free meal plan looks like:

Foods to avoid: The first thing you must do is make a mental note of foods to avoid. These include yogurt, cheese, milk, ice-cream, cookies, bread, cakes, and grains except for rice, millet and quinoa.

Breakfast: For breakfast, you can choose from many options like chia pudding, strawberry smoothie without bananas, green smoothies, or even almond flour pancakes, etc. Cashew and orange oatmeal can be easy-to-cook with rolled oats, water, cashews, whole chia seeds, shredded coconut and real maple syrup. Alternately, you can choose to whip up cinnamon apple waffles with rolled oats, flax eggs, unsweetened almond milk, bananas, water, cinnamon, and apple. 

Smoothie: Green smoothie is a perfect addition to a dairy-free morning breakfast. To make this, you simply need to blend plant-based protein powder, spinach, ripe banana, ground flax seeds, water, and ice.

Snacks: For daytime snacks, you can choose to binge on carrots and hummus made with chickpeas. Dip baby carrots or celery into the hummus to satisfy your midday cravings.

Lunch: Lunch can be nutritious and wholesome if you choose to eat avocado toast with black bean veggies soup. Remember to choose gluten-free bread and use only a bit of salt and red chili flakes.

Crispy chickpeas and kale Caesar salad make for a tasty gluten-free lunch. For this, you must add coconut oil, chickpeas, and sea salt on a baking sheet for 25 minutes. Chop the kale for making the salad and add lemon juice to it. Blend roasted garlic, olive oil, Tahini, with sea salt in a blender and pour the salad dressing above kale for tossing together.

Dinner: Dinner can be made interesting with sweet potato lentils made into a vegetarian shepherd’s pie and salad. You need sweet potatoes, coconut milk, onions and carrots, coconut oil, celery, vegetable stock, cloves, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

Other ideas: Alternatively, you can prepare a healthy bowl with dry quinoa, canned chickpeas, Brussels sprouts, carrots, coconut oil, avocado, and sunflower seeds. To make a salad to go with it, use organic olive oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic cloves, Tahini, sea salt, etc. You can blend ingredients to prepare the creamy salad dressing and top the quinoa with veggies and chickpeas mix, sunflower seeds, sliced avocado, and salad dressing. 

Besides these finger-licking dishes, there are plenty of other nutritious and tasty recipes for those keen to stay off dairy foods and gluten.

10 Flat Belly Smoothie Recipes For Dieting

Did you know that the fastest way to get a flat belly is by adding smoothies to your diet? Preparing a smoothie at home is also far easier than making a full-course meal.

What about diet smoothies in stores? Can you trust these to achieve your weight loss goals? 

These may work but nothing beats a homemade smoothie. You have complete control over ingredients and can choose to combine flavors that you prefer. 

Top 10 belly fat diet smoothies:

Wake-me-up smoothie: This is the perfect smoothie to kickstart your day, even when you have had a late night. Instead of running to the coffee machine, make a smoothie rich in nutrients and green tea. Use vegetables like kale and spinach, fruits like avocado, bananas, and grapes, chia seeds (rich in Omega-3 fatty acids) to add fiber and protein in your diet. Green tea is most effective for burning belly fat because it has catechins which speed up metabolism.

Orange and kale smoothie: This smoothie is rich in vitamin C that helps to regulate blood glucose levels. Oranges in the smoothie mix excellently with succulent veggies and juicy fruits. Honey is added for the sweetness in place of artificial sugars. It sounds like a light smoothie but it is actually rather filling and energizing. Almond milk provides for energy and fiber.

Green tea smoothie: Green tea is a metabolism-booster and facilitates weight loss. This smoothie is made with cayenne pepper, another metabolism booster, honey, fruits, cinnamon and Greek yogurt. It’s creamy and refreshing which can help burn the fat throughout the day.

Protein smoothie: A protein-packed smoothie is the best way to stay energized through the morning and avoid cravings. You can add kale, spinach, green tea, avocado, bananas and apple to make it. Spinach and kale can blend perfectly with creamy avocado. 

Chocolate shake: This shake made of fiber, complex carbs, and proteins will keep you feeling full for long hours. It can be a go-to solution for dieters not keen to do away with regular breakfast meals. To make it, use chocolate protein powder, ground flax seeds, unsweetened almond milk, and bananas.

Banana Split Protein smoothie: This smoothie can be an excellent choice for losing weight because it is made with fruits, proteins, and dairy alternatives. The taste is exceptional and the meal wholesome. It’s almost like a dessert with strawberries capable of fighting stomach fat. 

Wild Blueberry, flax seeds and mint smoothie: For a super blend of belly-fat fighting ingredients, opt for this easy-to-make breakfast smoothie. Blueberries have resveratrol that impacts epigenetic mechanisms causing fatty liver or weight gain. Mint also helps to fight belly fat and prevents bloating.

Avocado and Pear smoothie: This is both creamy and sweet as it contains pears, avocado, raw honey, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt. While you won’t need too many ingredients to make this at home, you can trust it to be nutritious and delicious.

Green Smoothie: Use bananas, kale, avocado, red grapes, and ginger root to prepare this healthy smoothie. Ginger added to it works like a fat burner, effective for reducing belly fat and giving you a flat stomach. Avocado makes it creamy and tasty.

Strawberry & Goji Berry Smoothie: As the name suggests, this smoothie has honey, Goji berries, and strawberries. It is perfect for dieters who find it hard to have spinach and kale in the morning.

Healthy Snack Recipes For Weight Loss

Are you worried about stepping up on the weighing scale? Maybe it’s time for you to start eating healthy. Excess pounds are usually the result of poor dietary habits and wrong choice of foods. 

The easiest way to start piling on pounds is when you binge on unhealthy snack items like cookies, chips, or fries. At the same time, you need to snack in between meals if you feel hungry. This is especially true of kids who need something to munch on from time to time. This is why snacking is an integral part of any diet program.

Here are some weight watcher snacks loaded with nutrients that you can try to make at home:

Homemade granola bars: These can be the perfect go-to snack for the family. You can prepare these at home and store them in airtight containers. To prepare these, you will need to preheat the oven and arrange for an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. You must combine the oats, maple syrup, almond flour, almond butter, raisins, vanilla, chia seeds, salt, nutmeg, and oil in a bowl. The mix is then poured into the baking pan and kept inside the oven until it turns golden at the edges. You can cool it to cut into small rectangles that make for the perfect grab-and-go snack.

Hummus: This is made using chickpeas that are excellent sources of plant proteins. When combined with vegetables, this makes for a perfect snack for weight loss. Instead of using chips with a dip for a later afternoon snack, switch to veggies with homemade hummus instead. To make the hummus, you need to blend chickpeas inside a food blender. You should transfer the mix to a bowl, add olive oil, and sprinkle some paprika onto it. It’s best to use celery sticks, baby carrots, and baby sweet peppers with the hummus.

Chocolate Covered Banana Bites: These make for delightfully tasty snacks which don’t have additives or sugar. Not only is making this simple but also healthy and conducive to weight loss because it uses only real ingredients. It has the best blend of proteins, chocolate, and sweetness; everything that you look for in a snack. You need to buy chocolate chips, banana, coconut oil, and almond butter to start preparations.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins: Here, you can mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl as these are all dry ingredients. Wet ingredients must be added to the dry ones and stirred well until perfectly blended, preferably with wooden spoons. Muffin batters are best made with hand and not electric mixers which can make it too smooth. Now, all you must do is fill three-quarters of the muffin tins with this batter and bake for about 25 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls: These are quick-to-make and tasty at the same time. They are moist and good to snack on any time of the day. You will need to buy self-rising flour, non-fat Greek yogurt cinnamon, butter spray, sugar-free caramel sauce, and Erythritol to prepare these. Mix the flour and yogurt using a hand-held mixer to make the dough. This can be rolled out into rectangular shapes and sprayed with the butter. Cinnamon and Erythritol are mixed and sprinkled over the dough. Then this is rolled up tightly lengthwise and cut into pieces for baking. Finally, they are drizzled with caramel sauce.

Healthy Salad Recipes For Weight Loss

Salads may seem to be the perfect choice if you want to lose a lot of weight in a really short period of time. But are all salads healthy? If you use fatty salad dressings and sauces, they can contribute more calories than you can imagine.

So, to lose weight, you need to know how to make healthy salads at home. You must choose low-fat dressings and make sure to include ingredients that facilitate weight loss. At the same time, these ingredients must be wholesome and filling so that you don’t feel hungry soon and start snacking on chips or cookies.

Here are some healthy salad recipes that you can try making at home:

Blackberry with cashew ricotta: This is a perfect summer salad rich in berries which are excellent sources of antioxidants. It is tasty and nutritious at the same time because you can add quinoa, a complex carb aiding quick weight loss. Tangy balsamic vinegar is used as dressing for the salad and it is garnished with pumpkin seeds.

Cabbage Salad with Gyoza Chickpeas: This easy-to-make salad can be whipped up in half an hour. It’s tasty, crispy, and different from regular salads. It’s low in calories and uses sweetheart cabbage and spinach which are green, leafy veggies rich in nutrients. The chickpeas offer proteins for the body and the topping can be of Parmesan cheese. That makes this a quick-to-cook, healthy, and mouthwatering salad.

Falafel Salad and Tahini dressing: This salad reeks of Mediterranean flavors.  The falafel is vegan and gluten-free; it’s light as the falafel can be cooked in the pan. You can prepare the ingredients beforehand in order to whip up an exciting salad dinner.

Northwest Salmon Salad: Salmon is rich in heart-healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. When mixed with hazelnuts and blueberries it can create the most amazing salad. The sour cream dressing works beautifully for this salad.

Tarragon Chicken & Romaine Salad: You can cook potatoes until tender and cool these well. Whisk the mustard, onion, vinegar, seasonings, and lemon juice in oil until it is well-blended. Now, you simply have to combine chicken, potatoes, celery and dressing, and place the salad on romaine leaves, topped with crispy bacon.

Garlic Shrimp & Orzo Salad: Cold salads can be delicious. Orzo is pasta in rice shape that can be mixed here with veggies like green beans and asparagus. This is a perfect salad you can munch on with pita breads or rolls.

Thai Chicken Pasta salad: You must cook the spaghetti first, adding carrots towards the end. Whisk water, peanut butter, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and red pepper until these are blended well. Now you can mix the spaghetti, chicken, cabbage, and dressing. Sprinkle peanuts and cilantro on it and refrigerate until serving.

Sweet Potato with chickpeas: To make this you need to mix sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, and oil and roast this in the oven for about 25 minutes until they are tender. In a second bowl, you can mix the potatoes with chickpeas while whisking the dressing ingredients in another bowl. The latter is then added to the sweet potatoes and served over greens, topped with cheese.

Each of these salad recipes is filled with nutritional value and can be made at home easily. If you can add these to your regular meal-plan, you are bound to see the pounds dropping.

Keto Diet Recipes For Beginners

Getting started on the Keto diet doesn’t have to be stressful. While this diet plan is restrictive and focuses on cutting down carbs, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on good meals.

So, add delicious dishes made with lean proteins and baked meals to your diet plan. Stick to simple dishes which are nutritious but low in carbs. The idea is to make your body enter ketosis to accelerate weight loss. Follow these easy-to-cook dishes and make your diet journey satisfying and effective:

Scrambled eggs with vegetables: If you have to rush out for work and have hardly any time to whip up a sumptuous breakfast, scramble the eggs and mix some veggies or meat left over from last night’s dinner.

Use chicken scraps: If you are just starting out on a Keto diet, try casserole recipes. These are comfort food and perfect when the weather outside is cold. Simply throw in the chicken scraps to make a warm low-carb soup or salad.

Keto Corned Beef with cabbage: To make this dish, you place onion, celery, pickling spices with the corned beef in a large pot. Add water, season with pepper and salt, and wait for this to boil. You can then allow it to simmer and cook for 3 hours. In another bowl, you may whisk Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, pepper, and salt. In a third bowl, mix capers, mayo, parsley, and caper brine. Simply add cabbage and carrots and let this broth cook for another hour until the cabbage is cooked. You can then remove the veggies and meat from the pot and season the corned beef with salt and pepper.

Mac & Cheese: Who said you cannot have your favorite Mac and Cheese when on a Keto diet? This dish, of course, has some necessary tweaks but the flavor remains intact. You can opt for roasting the cauliflower for the water to drain out and then caramelize this to make the Mac tastier. Add crumbled bacon to up the protein content. This meal can be stored easily in a container for about 5 days. Simply reheat it to make the topping crisp.

Fried Chicken: Being on a Keto diet doesn’t mean you have to give up on fried foods altogether. However, here you simply do away with the flour and use pork rinds instead with Parmesan. Opt for almond flour which makes for perfectly crispy chicken pieces. To make this, preheat the oven to about 400 degrees, pat dry the chicken, and season it with salt and pepper. Whisk cream and eggs in a second bowl, and pork rinds, garlic powder, almond flour, paprika, and Parmesan in a third bowl. Now, you simply have to dip every chicken piece in the mix followed by the flour mix before placing it on a baking sheet.

Keto meatballs: Meatballs are a huge favorite and can make for a delicious Keto dinner. Use ground beef to prepare the meatballs preferably, but other ground meats will also work, like pork or turkey. You need to mix beef, mozzarella, garlic, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley into a bowl. Heat oil in a skillet and cook these meatballs until golden. Then add onions that must be cooked for about 5 minutes followed by garlic, oregano, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Now, bring back the meatballs into the skillet, simmer until sauce thickens, and garnish with Parmesan.

Try any of these recipes and enjoy the experience of being on a Keto diet. You are guaranteed to lose weight without feeling deprived.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Meal Ideas

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit in the body. This will happen when you consume fewer calories, and burn more than you ingest. At the same time, you need to ensure that your body is not lacking in energy to perform its functions. What do you do in this situation? 

You turn to low-calorie vegetarian meals that will keep you satisfied without making you put on the pounds. These must be loaded with essential proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, and perfect for those wanting to lose weight by cutting down on meat.

Best low calorie vegetarian meals for you:

When you choose to go vegetarian, it can be an effective way to create a calorie deficit because these meals will contribute fewer calories. Most vegetarian meals have lean proteins like beans, lentils, and tofu, in combination with fresh veggies. They keep your stomach feeling full for longer hours and prevent unhealthy snacking.

Wild mushroom risotto: This warm bowl of risotto rice together with crispy sage and wild mushrooms can be an excellent source of healthy fats and proteins. It contributes less than 400 calories in every portion. You can choose to use almond milk instead of cheese or cream for the rice. Mushrooms are superfoods loaded with nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and proteins.

Roasted tomato and bean pasta: This vegetarian low-calorie meal will contribute about 400 calories per serving and the inclusion of broad beans makes it super-nutritious. Use whole wheat spaghetti for greater fiber. Tomatoes are an excellent option being rich in vitamins and antioxidants like lycopene and carotenoids that can cut down inflammation.

Vegetarian lasagna: This can be a preferred alternative to the regular lasagna for dieters. It is made with multiple layers of fresh pesto, green veggies like leek and kale. It is not only low in calorie-content but convenient to prepare.

Chickpea fritters: Use yogurt, zesty cucumber salad with green chilies, to prepare chickpea fritters that are great sources of proteins. This lunch meal can be easy-to-cook and low in calories.

Quorn, squash and spinach lasagna: When making this meal, prepare the sauce without sugar and salt to lower its calorie content. In this way, you can make a creamy tomato-based sauce or cheese sauce and add quorn mince. This is a perfect protein source for non-meat dieters. Use skimmed milk to prepare the sauces so that they are low-calorie.

Homemade falafel: Falafel is made using chickpeas which are healthy and wholesome. They help in weight loss and facilitate digestion. Falafels are amazing to taste being crispy golden on the outside, and warm and soft on the inside. With 370 calories in every portion, this is perfect for lunch or dinner. You can have it with whole wheat pita bread or fresh salad, as you prefer.

Garlic mushroom pasta bake: This is pasta cooked with herbs and tomatoes and infused with garlic. The latter is an excellent source of antioxidants while the spinach in the pasta offers vitamin C. Mushrooms are used for making this baked meal as it is the best vegetarian alternative to pork, beef, or chicken. They are high in protein content but not as fatty as meat.

These are only a handful of easy-to-make vegetarian meals which will hardly take up much of your time. You can be sure to maintain a healthy weight, derive energy and nutrition, and cut down on calories in order to achieve your weight loss target.