Meals (sides mainly)

ambernicholewms

I have discovered the individually wrap chicken breast by perdue. My dinner consist of 1 package chicken breast - 140 calories and green giant just one vegetable tray - 40 calories and thats all I can come up with.

What are you sides or favorite low calorie meals?

lmarshel

I love, love the packages of seasoned rice or potato flakes that you just add water to cook. The Idahoan brand seasoned potatoes are so easy, just put boiling water in a bowl, stir in the flakes and wait one minute...DONE! The seasoned rice dishes from Knorr take a little longer to cook on the stovetop but are just as easy: put the package in boiling water and cook 7 minutes. Very simple and they reheat really well. So if you're cooking for one you can parcel them out by weight into the correct number of portions. Most of them run about 110-200 cals per serving...perfect side dish for dinner.

SeasideOasis

Just about any side can somehow be invented to be more low cal - Either it be the portion side or the type of food.

Steamed veggies in general are definitely my favorite. However, some Pearl Cous Cous (or regular even) cooked in a light sodium chicken stock is always yummy on the side for a carb.

I also LOVE baked potatoes with a little bit of pepper. Lower in cals since its not loaded with junk and GREAT source of potassium.

A 2 oz portion of pasta with a low sodium marinara isnt bad either.

bobie1978

I love the dressings by bolthouse for my salads. 2 tbs of ranch is 3g of fat 45 calories and tastes really good! Their balsamic (sp?) is also great and has 0 fat! My salads usually range from 2-300 calories.. and I always use romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers.. sometimes I add feta or chicken breast or both depending on how many calories I have left for the day.

mjbrenner

Veggies, veggies, veggies! I love them all. After I pan fry a steak, I will often saute greens in the leftover drippings. If I am already entering the calories for the steak, I might as well enjoy the flavorful juices and fats it leaves behind in the pan.

I will saute cabbage with olive oil, curry powder, cumin, and some salt, finishing it by putting a lid on the top and steaming. I can eat huge piles of it on my plate for comparatively few calories.

Roasted mixed veggies are another great hit - eggplant, carrots, green beans, and broccoli to name a few. Just toss with olive oil, season, and roast until soft.

I also like to make salads with lots of veggies and chopped egg and bacon on them. Using egg whites and turkey bacon could really lower the calories if that is your only goal, but I want a good deal of fat in my diet to help me feel satisfied. Alternatively, you can make a tex-mex salad by adding beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa. If you are careful with measuring your portions, you can add a lot of decadent toppings to a salad and not increase the calories very much.

hklaquadra

I absolutely refuse to eat any processed foods like those rice-a-roni sides (too many chemicals and too much sodium!) Try to stay away from those as much as possible. You are better off cooking some plain rice or better yet, some quinoa or couscous.

If you want something to go with the meat and veggies, then try mashed cauliflower or mashed parsnips. The parsnips can be peeled and cut into cubes and cooked just like potatoes. Add a wee bit of butter, some salt and pepper, mash them up and enjoy. For the cauli, I will get it frozen(no sauce) and cook it and mash it like the parsnips. You can even mix them. I also add mashed turnips to the mix sometimes because I love the extra flavor of the turnip.

hklaquadra

Oh yeah, I forgot spaghetti squash....use your favorite sauce, it's healthy and filling but better than pasta