Healthy Meal Ideas for When You Want to Lose Weight

Regular physical activity is an excellent way to burn all those calories you consume. However, if you really want to lose weight and keep it off in the future, you will also need to watch your food intake. You will need to consume low-calorie yet filling meals, so you can have enough energy for your daily activities and lose weight at the same time. Here are some healthy meal ideas for you to make that happen.

Turkey BBQ Burgers

Lean protein sources are still easier to digest yet they will still keep you full and energized, so you can also build some muscles to help shed even more weight. If you are a fan of burgers, this turkey version could become your next favorite meal. Mix the meat, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Form round patties from the mixture, cook them and serve in a bun. This way, each burger will have only about 300 calories but if you add a low-calorie dressing and about 100 more, you will still be able to fit it into your meal plan.

Roasted Cauliflower with Seared Salmon

Many people tend to avoid cauliflower, saying that without some heavy dressing, it tastes bland. However, by roasting them with a sprinkle of oil and a seasoning of your choice, you can make it as tasty as you want it to be. To serve with, cook salmon with garlic and capers in a skillet, and you will have a very healthy meal full of healthy fats and proteins. Although this combination could be quite filling itself, you can also add a source of complex carbs, and you will still stay under 500 calories.

Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Combining a lean protein source, healthy carbs, and an abundance of vitamins, this meal is guaranteed to help you lose weight. Season and cook chicken to your liking in a pan, then let it cool before cutting it into bits. Combine the meat with cooked quinoa, arugula, green olives, and grape tomatoes. Make a vinaigrette from Champagne vinegar, salt, olive oil, green onions, and mustard and pour it over the chicken and the quinoa. This meal does have 500 calories per serving, but it will keep you full of energy for hours.

Italian Garbanzo Salad

This is a very quick salad to prepare as there is no cooking involved at all. You just need to toss some tomato, canned chickpeas, feta cheese, onions, garlic, fennel, and fresh basil in a bowl. Season with olive oil, black pepper, salt, and balsamic vinegar, let it sit for half an hour, and you will have a filling meal. Coming to less than 200 calories per serving, it can even fit into a 1200 calorie diet, and will still leave a little room for a healthy snack. So, if you are following a restricted diet, salads like this could be an ideal option for you.

Balsamic Steak With Eggplant and Peppers

If you absolutely can’t live without red meat even when you are trying to lose weight, you will truly enjoy this meal. It’s flavorful, and it only has about 400 calories per serving. Plus, it won’t take much more than half an hour to prepare. In a skillet, cook an eggplant, bell pepper, and garlic on a small amount of oil. Set it aside, and do the same with a seasoned steak. Finish cooking the steak with a generous amount of balsamic vinegar, let it cool, slice, and plate with the veggies.

Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Pasta

While starch-filled pasta should definitely be avoided on a diet, you can always substitute it with healthy alternatives. For example, this meal has zucchini noodles tossed in with shrimp and cherry tomatoes cooked on butter or olive oil and seasoned with parsley and garlic. As an optional, you can add in some parmesan as well, and your meal will still have slightly more than 400 calories. Leave the cheese out, and you will have an even lighter meal that will still leave you sated for a long time afterward.

As you can see, your meals don’t have to be boring and tasteless in order for them to be healthy. In fact, the more color you add to your plate, the more vitamins and minerals you will get in, all of which will help you get in shape. Foods that contain these are usually more filling as well, which means that they will keep you from reaching for a snack soon after eating them. With a little bit of organization, too, you won’t have to spend too much time in the kitchen preparing them either.