Any favorite low calorie recipes?
 

Well, I finally took the jump and decided to lower my calorie intake. Ugh! I know there are zillions of diet recipes out there, but I was hoping to find 'tried and true' recipes and hoping you all out there in Quilting Land could offer some good ones. At the moment I am not very fond of cooking, so does anyone know of any easy recipes to make? Any type: entrée, vegetables, dessert, etc... I am getting tired of broiled and boiled everything. Thanks in advance.

I grill almost everything! I do find Splenda a good sugar substitute in some baking/dessert recipes (but not my Christmas cookies!). When grilling either beef or pork, I season with Montreal steak seasoning - even use on chicken occasionally. Mainly for chicken though I use some olive oil then a variety of Italian seasonings and/or rosemary. I have a cast iron loaf pan in which I grill diced potatoes. Put butter; minced garlic and chopped onions in with them. Very tasty! When grilling veggies, toss them with some olive oil and whatever seasoning sounds good at the moment. I don't really follow recipes much - just kind of wing it.

Try making a yogurt (non-fat) smoothie using one of the low calorie flavored powders (like Slimfast), almond milk (30 calories a cup) and flavoring (DaVinci - 0 calories tons of flavors)....add ice and water to make a nice size amount of drink to sip on. Helps when you might be craving sweets. I have also added frozen strawberries for a great flavor boost.

Also, if you can get a spiralizer or veggetti, you can substitute zucchini noodles for pasta...major reduction in calories.

Most one pan meals with a side salad or side veggie works well.Stores have frozen,grated cauliflower,very easy to use in place of rice.Lots of recipes on Pinterest.I keep STEEL cut oats cooked in the fridge for an easy breakfast. Can add a diced apple,cranberries,blueberries.....or plain with milk & cinnamon.Egg salad using more whites than yolk with a lot of diced veggies of choice,LF mayo & mustard on lettuce or bread.Baked potato with salsa is filling."Sandwiches"using lettuce leaves with any filling you like.My smoothie uses LF yogurt,frozen fruit,ice & flavoring for 150-200 calls. Add almond milk if you want.
Try a couple of diet boards on line. Good luck.

My Dr says get 3.5 cups of fruits/veggies each day. Often I make this quick fruit salad that does not need to be made ahead of time: Mix 1 tblspoon honey with 1 tsp lemon juice and shake in some poppy seed to make dressing. Set aside. Use what fruit is in the house. I like 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange - cut up and toss with dressing. Always use an orange, cuz I think it makes better. Generous salad for 2 ppl. Chunk pineapple is good, then use the juice in place of lemon juice. Kiwi, grapes, change it up as you like. I made it for a short notice potluck at a campground and was asked by several for the "recipe" ��

TUSCAN VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE

Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings (1-1/2 cups per serving)

Really great, low calorie soup. Very easy to make too!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 cup diced Onion (about 1/2 large)
1 cup chopped Kale or Cabbage
1 cup diced Celery (about 2 stalks)
1 cup diced Zucchini (about 1 medium)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper, plus more to taste

4 cups low-sodium, fat free Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced Tomatoes, with juice

2 handfuls Baby Spinach Leaves (about 2 cups packed)

Directions:

· Heat oil in a medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Add veggies and spices (onion thru black pepper), and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes.
· Add the broth and, tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about three minutes more.

I make my own version of that diet cabbage soup that was popular years ago. It is packed full of health vegetables. Sometimes I add zucchini. I also add a can of beans, cannellini or chickpeas. The beans add fiber to help fill you and are a healthy protein alternative. I leave out the onion soup mix, it's high in sodium. Sub in more onions and low sodium broth instead. I make a big pot full and freeze some for future use.

Jennr8r, this sounds really good. I'll make it today. Thanks.