Healthy Low Calorie Meals

The ideal way to keep your metabolism revved up is to eat small-frequent meals, which in turn makes it much easier to lose weight! Eating small, balanced meals of approximately 300 calories each, will help you to assure your weight loss and assist you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

One of the easiest ways to cut the extra calories out of the diet is to cut out the empty calories. Empty calories are found primarily in soft drinks, juices and even alcoholic drinks. Regular consumption of these drinks usually account for all the daily calories required for simple day to day survival. Stick with water and low fat milk!

Here are some tasty foods you can eat on a low calorie meal plan.

poultry (no skin, chicken breast, turkey breast, ground turkey, etc.)
white fish
eggs
lean meat
fresh fruits and vegetables
skim milk
rice
low fat cheese
baked or boiled potatoes
whole grain bread
whole grain pasta
low calorie/low fat salad dressing
sugar free foods

Take the time to measure out a serving size. It will make meal planning and calorie counting a lot more productive and enjoyable.

Here is a breakdown of how to distribute your caloric intake throughout the day for a 1300 calorie per day diet. As long as you stay within your intake (of course with little to NO fats) you can choose just about anything you would like to eat.

Breakfast:400 calories
Morning Snack: 100 calories
Lunch: 400 calories
Afternoon Snack: 100 calories
Dinner: 200 calories
Evening snack: 100 calories

Fun Healthy Snacks for Kids

Kids love snacks. After school, in the late evening, or just about anytime, kids want snacks. You may be struggling with snack ideas for your kids that are healthy and inexpensive.

Here is a list of healthy snacks to give your kids.

Some of the healthy choices for kid's snacks are unsweetened
applesauce, bottled water, fruit cups or snacks, raisins and other dried fruits, granola bars, low fat or fat free milk, and pure fruit juice.

Meat and Cheese: Low fat lunchmeats such as chicken, turkey, and ham make fun snacks when rolled around a small slice of cheese or on whole wheat bread, cut into finger size sandwiches. Cheese and low fat or fat free crackers served with low-sodium pickles are favorites as well as turkey hot dogs with mustard.

Fresh fruit: Kids love fresh fruit peeled and sliced into bits size pieces with some low-fat yogurt on the side for dipping. Peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread with a little sugar free jelly are great ideas for a healthy snack that your kids will enjoy.

Fresh veggies: Fresh vegetables cut into bite size chunks with some low fat salad dressing are fun snacks that your kids will love and not even notice that they are healthy.

Finding healthy snacks that your kids will actually eat is not
impossible. Give your kids healthy choices and arrange the various food items in a fun, colorful way on their plates as extra incentive to enjoy the healthy foods.

Childhood obesity is a major problem in our society. Make sure your kids eat healthy, fun snacks that give them some nutritional benefits and set an example of healthy eating from a young age.

List of Healthy Foods to Eat From Your Local Supermarket

The list of healthy foods to eat is extensive and includes easily obtained foods from your local supermarket.

The categories of good health foods include raw vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, and good lean protein such as meat or eggs. However, the majority of your daily food consumption should consist of raw vegetables and fresh fruits.

Daily Nutritional Needs

A major component of your your daily diet should include a healthy portion of whole grains.

Whole grains have been found to help lower blood sugar while aiding in avoiding some of the causes of child obesity.

The list of whole grains is long. But of more importance to you is the list of healthy foods available in your supermarket that contain them.

Healthy Diet Menu

Many inexpensive healthy recipes can be used to make delicious meals from the list of healthy foods in the whole grain category.

The list of ready-to-eat whole grain products includes:
* Whole grain breads containing whole wheat, oats, or spelt, among others.
* Whole grain cereals such as oats, corn, or whole wheat products.
* Whole grain pasta made from whole wheat or spelt.
* Corn meal that has not been degerminated. If it is degerminated it is no longer a whole grain.
* Corn chips made from the entire kernel of corn.
* Brown or wild rice (or mixes of both).

It is not difficult to begin consuming larger quantities of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains if you begin to slowly integrate them into your daily meals. It's easy.

Once you look beyond fast foods and begin making healthful food choices the list of healthy foods to eat begins to seem almost endless.

Pasta Salad As A Healthy Alternative

Pasta has always been associated with weight and a heavy feeling. True, pasta is rich in carbohydrate, a food group most often than not, shunned by weight watchers. However, there are still people who find it hard to avoid this altogether. And they are right in thinking so.

Although it tends to add weight if taken in excess, carbohydrate is very important because it gives the body the energy it needs to enable it to do its work properly. So for those who cannot give up pasta, there is an alternative.

Instead of having it th traditional way ( with meat and bacon, and cream and all the fatty substances), why not have it as a salad? Below are three fantastic recipes gathered from all over:

TURKEY PASTRAMI AND PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. TURKEY PASTRAMI, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

8-ozs. rotini, cooked and drained

1 14-oz can artichokes, drained and cut into quarters

1 cup carrrots, chopped (2 medium)

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)

1 4-oz can black olives, drained and sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 /2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 lettuce leaves

Instructions:

1. In large bowl, combine pastrami, rotini, artichoke, carrots, onion, celery and olives.

2. In small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss together with pastrami mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Serve on lettuce leaves.

APPLE PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 container (8 oz.) plain nonfat yogurt

1 can (8 oz.) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 tsp salt, optional

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 Tbsp honey

2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

1/2 cup shedded carrot

1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup raisins

3 cups diced, unpeeled apples (suggested: Empire, Gala, Ida Red, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Red Delicious, or Rome)

Instructions:

Thoroughly combine yogurt, pineapple, salt, spices, ginger, and honey; refrigerate. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Cool completely. In large bowl, combine all ingredients including yogurt dressing. Chill thoroughly before serving.

GARDEN PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 can (16-ozs) mixed fruit in juice or extra light syrup

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 pkg. (8-oz) spinach spiral pasta

2 tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp basil

2 cloves garlic, mincedv
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

- Romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Drain mixed fruit, reserving liquid. Drizzle fruit with vinegar and set aside. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender; drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, whisk together reserved liquid, cornstarch, basil, and garlic.

Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat; stir in mixed fruit and vinegar. Toss pasta with tomatoes, celery, and green onion. Fold in fruit and sauce; chill. Spoon onto Romaine lettuce to serve.

A Healthy Quick Dinner Recipe For Busy Families - Orange Chicken

It seems that our days are getting busier, and it's often hard to get a healthy and quick dinner recipe on the table at a reasonable time. Family dinners are an important part of the day and worth planning ahead to make sure there is a healthy quick dinner recipe available. Finding healthy recipes that are quick and easy can be a challenge, but with a little planning ahead cooking dinner can be a snap.

Plan a weeks worth of menus in advance and shop using a list. This will save you money on impulse items, and you will have a quick menu planned for every night of the week. When planning, be sure to take into account any regular weekly activities such as little league or dance lessons. Sometimes a crock pot meal or a cook ahead entrée is best for these nights.

Here is a healthy quick dinner recipe that is simple to prepare, then cooks quickly in only 15 minutes in the oven while you prepare a box of rice pilaf and green vegetable. This healthy quick dinner recipe will help solve tonight's dinner crisis and provide you with a winning entrée fit for a company meal. As a bonus, it can be halved or expanded to fit the number of servings needed and uses only one bowl and one baking dish, so cleanup is easy.

If you're a dark meat fan, you could also use chicken thighs and legs for this recipe, but you would need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Healthy Quick and Easy Orange Chicken Dinner 4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

pinch black pepper

1 cup orange juice

grated rind of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a 13x9x2" baking dish
Drizzle the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with paprika.
Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until fork tender, basting occasionally with the pan juices.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with a wild rice pilaf and green beans or a salad.

15 Minute Dinner - A Healthy Quick Recipe For Stir Fry Chicken With Zucchini

This dinner- a healthy quick recipe for Stir Fry Chicken with Zucchini and Noodles is a busy mom's dream come true. It is an extra quick and easy chicken recipe that is inexpensive to boot. The noodles cook in 1 minute once the water boils and the chicken only needs a few minutes of stir frying. The dish is low in fat and healthy, and sure to be a hit for dinner on those busy nights. Why not bring out the chopsticks and practice up on your skills.

To thinly slice the chicken, place the breasts in the freezer for a few minutes to partially freeze the meat. The breasts will then be firm but not hard and easy to slice thin. Be careful not to freeze solid however, frozen chicken is nearly impossible to slice. Instead of the ramen noodles, you could also serve this recipe over stir fried rice or alone with additional vegetables.

Stir Fry Chicken with Zucchini and Noodles

1whole or 2 halves chicken breast, diced or sliced thin

1 Tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic crushed, or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/2 cup bamboo shoots, sliced into matchsticks

14 cup canned mushroom slices

1 1/2 cups diced zucchini

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water or chicken broth

3-4 packages chicken flavored ramen noodles depending on your guests

Put on the water for the noodles. Ramen noodles cook fast, follow the package directions, but you will drain them for serving. There is no need to cook them separately, just do them all in the same pot. When the cooking time is up, take them off the heat; keep them warm until the chicken is done, then drain.
Stir fry the chicken over high heat with the garlic in a small amount of oil. When it turns white, add the soy sauce and continue stirring for a 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Continue cooking for a few more minutes
Mix the cornstarch with the water or broth. Stir into the mixture and cook, stirring until thickened.
Serve the Chicken with Zucchini over a bed of drained ramen noodles. Serves 4.