Healthy Tacos & Burritos
Kids love anything tacos, quesadillas and burritos. Just like they love anything muffins. Cant get away from cheese when making those. I try to use a bit less of quality natural or organic cheese. And load these finger foods with veggies, protein and wrap in whole wheat or corn tortillas. Easy and healthy!
If your midday meal is a struggle, check out these easy lunch ideas!
Easy Baked Bbq Seitan
- 1/3 c. BBQ sauce of choice
Directions:
Per serving: 138 calories, 4.6 g fat , 10 g protein, 15.6 g carb, 564 mg sodium, 4.8 g sugars, 2.5 g fiber
Recipe courtesy of Plant-Based RD.
Can Other Diets Also Be Whole Food Diets
Heres where it gets confusingyes, other diets can also be whole food diets. Eating a whole food diet is a lifestyle choice, but many other diets can exist within a whole foods construct. So, diets like the MIND Diet and Mediterranean Diet are also whole food diets.
For example, here are the foods involved in the MIND Diet:
- Green, leafy vegetables five times a week
- Five or more different colored fruits and vegetables every day.
- Berries five times a week
- Five or more servings of nuts a week
- Olive oil five times a week
- Whole grains five times a week
- Oily fish twice a week or take an algae-based omega-3 supplement
- Legumes and pulses five times a week
- White meat/mix of plant-based proteins twice a week
- No more than one glass of wine a day
- One or two coffee or tea a day max
- Two liters of water a day
Thats pretty much a whole food diet, right? As long as any meat or plant-based proteins are as unprocessed as possible, then it can be a whole food diet.
Other diets, like a vegan diet, for instance, could be whole food diets or not. It really depends if processed foods are included. Some food substitutes are really heavily processed, so its important to read labels really carefully. But its only some, not all.
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Chorizo And Bean Salad
Calories: 352
Serves: 4Cooking time: 15 mins
Perfect for those warmer, summer evenings when youre looking for something easy to cook. This lightly spiced salad boasts Mediterranean flavours like chorizo, sweet peppers, and sun-blush tomatoes. Add a dash of white wine as a treat and enjoy.
All of the fresh vegetables in this recipe keep the calories low. Chorizo alongside cannellini beans are both a great source of protein and will keep you fuller for longer. Cannellini beans also provide you with plenty of fibre and vitamin C meaning that are nutritionally beneficial too.
Pasta shells with lemon-infused crayfish
Winter Root Vegetable Tagine
Calories: 367
Serves: 4Cooking time: 40 mins
As one of our best low calorie meals, this hearty vegetable tagine has a healthy dose of vegetables and protein thanks to chickpeas. The slightly spiced Moroccan tomato sauce gives this dish plenty of flavour.
Chickpeas are a great meat replacement as theyre full of protein. A portion of chickpeas in this recipe is just 77 calories and around 19g of protein, which is just under half your recommended daily allowance. The masses of vegetables in this dish also count towards your five-a-day.
This comforting tagine counts as three of your five-a-day and takes 40 minutes to bake in the oven, which is rather quick for a slow cooked meal.
Chicken pilaf infused with chilli, garlic, and cumin
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Beef Stew In Red Wine
Picture it: It’s the dead of winter. You’ve endured a long day of injustices at the office, and you arrive home cold, wet, and famished. But when you open the front door, the smell hits you: beef and red wine and vegetables, slow-cooked into a state of deliciousness while you worked. Now that’s comfort. Behold, our classic beef stew in red wine recipe.
Get our recipe for Beef Stew in Red Wine.
French Toast Stuffed With Strawberries
Done correctly, stuffing can actually be a nutritional boon: In this recipe, it adds a dose of low-cal protein, fiber, and all the energy-boosting vitamins from fresh strawberries and honey. Plus, it’s simple enough to pull off, even on a weekday morning.
Get our recipe for French Toast Stuffed with Strawberries.
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Butternut Squash Chickpea And Kale Curry
So long as you have a few pantry essentialscoconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and curry pasteyoure all set to make this unique dish. The healthy combination you find here may not be found on the menu of your local Thai restaurant, but we guarantee it will inspire you to come up with your own tasty curry combinations.
Grilled Chicken And Vegetable Shish Kebabs
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
Per serving: 408 calories, 6 g fat , 56.7 g protein, 34 g carb, 1278 mg sodium, 24.2 g sugars, 3.9 g fiber
Recipe courtesy of Dude That Cookz.
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Grilled Buffalo Chicken And Blue Cheese Sandwich
In this healthier buffalo chicken sandwich recipe, we stay true to the flavors people love by basting the chicken in hot sauce and butter after grilling, topping with a yogurt-based blue cheese sauceâbut manage to do what no one else out there has done yet: make Buffalo chicken into one of the most mouth-watering healthy dinner recipes.
Get our recipe for Coffee-Rubbed Steak.
Processed Foods That Are Okay On A Whole Food Diet
Many brands of cereals are fortified with B vitamins, which can be hard to come by on a plant-based diet.
For example, vitamin B12 , is largely found in animal sources. It is something that those on a plant-based diet need to keep an eye on, as studies show that around 20% of us are deficient. And we also know that 65% of vegans and vegetarians dont take a B vitamin supplement.
So in that case, choosing a cereal fortified with B vitamins would be a good option, if done wisely. By that I mean use your discretion and check the labels, as many brands of cereals are packed with sugar and additives. But you can strategically choose minimally processed foods using a whole foods mentality.
As a rule of thumb, if there are any ingredients that you cant pronounce, dont understand, or sound artificial, they probably are best avoided.
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Vegan Enchiladas With Lentils And Sweet Potato
- 12 corn tortillas
Directions:
Per serving: 217 calories, 2 g fat , 9 g protein, 44 g carb, 2397 mg sodium, 13 g sugars, 11 g fiber
Recipe courtesy of Brown Sugar & Vanilla.
Garlic Ginger And Chilli Prawns
Calories: 217
Serves: 2Cooking time: 5 mins
This garlic, ginger, and chilli prawn dish is packed full of Asian flavours and is under 200 calories. It takes just three simple steps to make one of our top low calorie meals.
The prawns in this meal are full of calcium, vitamin B12 and are an excellent source of iron, which helps boost the production of red blood cells. As this dish is well under 500 calories, you could serve with udon noodles , rice , or couscous .
This 15-minute wonder serves two and takes just three steps to make. Wed recommend making and eating this prawn dish on the same day to keep the prawns as fresh as possible.
Mexican-style pork with corn salsa served with a tortilla
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Chia Seeds Lemon Drink
Weight Loss Benefit This is the best food to eat at night to lose weight. As Chia seeds are enriched with fiber content, almost 10 grams per 2 tbsp, which helps in keeping you full and does not allow cravings.
It also comprises of an essential component known as leptin, which is useful in reducing your appetite and does not let you exceed the daily caloric intake. Apart from that, chia seeds and lemons are also useful in detoxification of the body and hence burning fat.
Ingredients
- 1 table spoon chia seeds
- 1 glass of water
- Black salt to taste
Easy Dinner RecipeFirstly, soak 1 tbsp of chia seeds in one glass water for at least 1 hour. The glass will would be full of chia seeds. Add lemon juice or salt to taste and stir well and drink it.
Also Read20 Best Home Remedies To Lose Weight Naturally.
Chilli Lime Steak Fajitas
This recipe couldnât be any more simpler. Iâve taken out the usual pico de gallo and guac to come up with an even faster solution for the night-time-getting-dinner-together-without-losing-your-mind craziness type of situation. You wonât even miss them!Recipe: cafedelites.com/chili-lime-steak-fajitas/
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Crock Pot Cauliflower Chicken Chili
- 12 leaves of bibb, butter, or romaine lettuce
- Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish
Directions:
Per serving: 297 calories, 11 g fat , 33 g protein, 15 g carb, 696 mg sodium, 11 g sugars, 1 g fiber
- 30 dumpling wrappers
Directions:
Per serving: 48 calories, 1 g fat , 3 g protein, 4 g carb, 87 mg sodium
How Many Times A Day Should You Eat To Lose Weight
Theres no hard rule on how many times a day you should eat in order to lose weight. But, when it comes to weight loss, the first change you need to be making is your eating habits. They dont say that abs are made in the kitchen for nothing!
If you want to lose weight and feel better, you need to eat nutritious food that will keep you full for longer. Protein and fiber take longer to digest and therefore keep you feeling full for longer than simple carbohydrates and sugars. Whether you eat three bigger meals or five or six smaller ones throughout the day is entirely up to you, as long as you keep in mind the number of calories you consume. Typically, a woman should eat approximately 1400-1700 calories each day to lose weight, depending on their specific bodies and nutritional needs.
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Creamy Chipotle Sweet Potato Penne Pasta
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Per serving: 456 calories, 12.2 g fat , 11.4 g protein, 76.9 g carb, 2.8 g sugars, 4.9 g fiber
Recipe courtesy of Ambitious Kitchen.
Chicken And Chorizo Filo Pie
Calories: 426
Serves: 6Cooking time: 1hr 50 mins
This low calorie dinner is infused with chorizo and topped with crisp, golden filo pastry. A rich tomato-infused sauce brings this pie together nicely. Serve with new potatoes.
Filo pastry is a much lower-fat option than shortcrust pastry and is lighter too so you wont feel overfull or bloated after eating it. The pine nuts add a bonus of nutrients including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and calcium.
Both the chicken and chorizo are an excellent source of protein meaning there will be no snacking after this dinner. This recipe serves six.
Creamy squash risotto with salty pancetta strips
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Steak And Rye Panzanella
- 1 medium red onion, sliced into rounds
- 3 slices rye bread
- 1 large bunch kale, leaves chopped
- 1 lb. sirloin steak
Directions:
Per serving: 435 calories, 23 g fat , 29 g protein, 735 mg sodium, 28 g carb, 6 g fiber
Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping.
Peaches And Kale Smoothie Bowl
You’ve heard of peaches and cream desserts. But what about “peaches and green?” OK, fine, that might not technically be a thing, but we’re willing to make it one, thanks to this easy peaches and kale smoothie bowl recipe. Smoothie bowls are easy healthy vegetarian recipes that you can make for breakfasts in the morningor even lunch!
Get the recipe for Peaches and Kale Smoothie Bowl.
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