Posts Tagged ‘healthiest low calorie foods’

Low Calorie Foods for Yummy Snacks!

June 17th, 2009

It’s important to eat 5 times a day to keep your metabolism burning.  I believe the food pyramid should be an inverted triangle with breakfast being the largest meal, and then eating less and less throughout the day.  In between meals, low calorie food snacks will keep your engine running, but be sure to  eat nutritious low calorie foods, not junk food.   The healthiest low calorie foods seem like they would be boring,  but I’ve  put together a list of diet low calorie foods that are anything but boring.  Snacks should ideally be around the 100 calorie mark if your intending to lose weight.  Protein low calorie food choices are always  good because they willact as an appetite suppressant to definitely keep you full longer.  Here is my low calorie food list of healthy, great snacks to aid in weight loss.  Combine these with daily exercise for the fastest way to lose weight.   Enjoy!

 Air popped popcorn,  3 cups ( the lowest calorie foods)

 String cheese

grapefruit

banana

Hummus and veges (2 tablespoons)

1 cup yogurt with fresh blueberries or strawberries

6 high-fiber, fat free crackers

1 hard boiled egg

10 almonds Frozen blueberries (blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity)

 Apple – The high fiber content of apples help curb cravings and shrink your waist!

Whey High protein smoothie

Protein Bar Recipe

 turkey meat rolled with mustard and a pickle inside

Celery with 2 tablespoons peanut or almond butter

1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese with pineapple

 2 Clementines

Fruit Salad

Hermit Cookies. This cookie is shock full of nutients and is great for a snack or for breakfast on the go.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

 1/2 protein powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground mace

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

 1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup olive oil

 1/2 cup agave nectar

4 egg whites

1/2 cup unsulphered black strap molasses

1/2 apple sauce

1 tbsp vanilla

 2 tbsp plain low fat yogurt

 1 cup sultana raisins

1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

1 cup unsalted, raw, slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Sift all dry ingredients and spices together in a large mixing bowl.  Cream olive oil and agave nector together until smooth.  In a seperate bowl, beat egg whites together and add olive oil mixture.  Mix well.  Add molases, applesauce, vanilla and yogurt.  Mix well.  Add raisins, cranberries and almonds.  The dough should form a ball.  It’s okay to use hands.  Wrap ball of dough with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Use a spoon to make small balls and line the cookie sheet.  You can use a fork to press down gently.  Bake 10 minutes until lightly browned. Each cookie has 90 calories and 5 grams of fat.

 Bon Apetite!

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Nutritious Low Calorie Foods for Dinner

June 14th, 2009

Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day, but full of nutritious low calorie foods.    When it’s cold, I love warm homemade soups.  In the summer,  grilled organic vegetables with salmon or chicken breasts. Light and simple.  You are preparing your body to rest for the night.  If you overburden your digestive system with heavy food, then you get heartburn and any unused calories  end up stored away as fat.    A good rule of thumb is to stop eating anything but fruit after a certain hour.  When I’m good, I don’t like to eat past 7 pm.  In the summer, It’s easy to get in the habit of eating late because the sun stays out so long.  The later you eat, the lighter it should be.  Be sure you use healthy low calorie foods like the ones listed below.

Here are some of my delicious low calorie foods  for dinners that I love to eat!

Grilled Vegetables with Wild Alaskan Salmon.  There is no better way to eat your veges than to grill them.  I love to slice zucchini, sweet onion, asparagus, and tomatoes or any high fiber low calorie foods you have in the fidge.   I coat them with olive oil, then grill them slowly for 20 minutes or so.  While I’m grilling my vegetables, I marinate the salmon.  I like to use Makoto’s ginger dressing for a spicy, sweet gingery flavor, or sometimes a dressing made with fresh squeezed lemon, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt.  . When the vegetables are finished, I grill the salmon.   I like to garnish with a few bits of crystallized ginger on top.   That’s it!  Simple and easy.   Even my 7 year old son loves this meal!

Vegetable soup. There is nothing like a warm bowl of soup to fill your tummy on  a chilly evening.  This recipe is my weight loss special.  It’s on the top of my healthiest low calorie foods list.   I love to eat it for snacks too.

Saute 2 onions and 3 carrots in garlic and olive oil until slightly tender.  Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil.  Add chicken bouillon,   2 diced potatoes (skins off),  1/2 shredded cabbage, 2 cans dices tomatoes and a little bit of tomato paste.   Add the zucchini last for a filling low calorie dinner.

Taco salad. This is one of my favorite high energy low calorie foods. Brown turkey and add  taco powder.  Make a salad of shredded  romaine lettuce , red leaf, or whatever kind you prefer.  Top with a 1/2 cup taco meat, 1/4 cup salsa of your choice, a dollop of low-fat sour cream and sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese for a filling low calorie dinner.    Delicious!

Greek Lentil Salad. This is the most nutrient dense low calorie foods I make.  Everything is so good for you!  Mix 1/2 cup drained canned lentils with 1/4 cup each of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion.  Dress with 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of oregano and 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese.  This Salad is shock full of filling low calorie foods!

Bon Apetite!

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Healthy Low Calorie Foods for Lunch

June 13th, 2009
Green coral lettuce
Image by kerryj.comvia Flickr

If  breakfast is the most important meal of the day, lunch definitely comes a close second!  It’s almost midway through the day, and it’s important to re-fuel yourself, but not to eat too heavy that you want to fall asleep at your desk.  I love to eat big salads with protein for the healthiest low calorie foods.  I like to stay around 350-400 calories or so for lunch.   Here are some of my healthiest low calorie favorites!

Garden salad with lean protein. I love to mix baby spinach with arugula.  I add celery, tomatoes, carrots and about 3-4 ounces of lean chicken, salmon, or tuna.  Don’t skimp on the spinach or vegetables becasue they are the lowest calorie foods. Salads are some of the most nutritious low calorie foods you can eat.   If you like , you can add a tablespoon of goat or feta cheese for added flavor.  I dress it with a mix of  olive oil, crushed garlic clove, Celtic sea salt to taste and a lot of fresh squeezed lemon juice. I’ve gotten use to salad dressings without vinegar.   Fresh Lemon alkalizes your body.  I use it on almost everything!

Fresh Vegetables with Hummus.    Yum, yum, yum…what else can I say about hummus!  .  Hummus is not that high in fat.  It’s got the good fat – olive oil.  I eat about 1/2 cup at lunch with all the fresh, filling low calorie vegetables I have on hand.  Crisp celery, sugar snap peas, carrots, or just about any vegetable you prefer is delicious.  This is soooo easy and provides lots of high fiber low calorie foods for lunch!

Vegetable sandwich on Eskiel bread.  Eskiel bread is my all time favorite!  It’s loaded with fiber and made from sprouted grain full of enzymes my body needs.    I prefer the sesame. I keep it in the freezer and toast it to make sandwiches.   I know in Weight Watchers each slice is 1 point.  I like to spread the bread with mustard , then layer lettuce, sprouts, dill pickles, sweet onion, tomato and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Every now and then I’ll add avocado if I have some and can afford the extra calories.   The whole sandwich is 4-6 points, depending if you have the avocado or not.

Quinoa with lightly steamed vegetables.  Quinoa is considered a perfect protein.  Quinoa is a South American grain.  It’s been around for over 6000 years.  The Incas considered it sacred and called it the “mother of all grain”.  I like to cook quinoa in chicken broth.  When there’s about 5 minutes left to cook, I throw in  cut up vegetables to soften them a bit.  I like to use celery, asparagus and zucchini, or any healthy low calorie foods of your choice.   I eat it with fresh squeezed lemon and often a tablespoon of humus mixed in.  Simply divine!

Bon Apetite!

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