4 meal ideas to help you shed the pounds
WE’VE long established that diet, not exercise, is key to achieving weight loss, especially if you’re looking to shed pounds fast. But many people fail to reach their target because they’re really not focusing on what they eat, and in what amounts, and so they’ll get frustrated. Also, many people get bored by the diet options available, and don’t think about what else is available for them to eat and enjoy.
Nutritionist Keisha Black says it’s important, if you have a weight loss goal, to focus on ingredients and intake, and shares below four meals that taste good, while being low in calories. They’re also made with local ingredients that are affordable, and will take away from the boredom of the everyday usual diet fare.
ROASTED PUMPKIN AND CARROT SOUP
This soup is usually an appetiser, but it’s good as an evening meal, especially if you have had something heavy for lunch.
Ingredients
Pumpkin
Carrots
Coconut milk
Herbs and seasonings to taste
Method
1) Place pumpkin pieces and carrot pieces on greased foil paper in the oven for 30 minutes, until there’s a nice char. Remove from oven.
2) In a saucepan, sauté onions and escallion in butter, and then add pumpkin and carrots, and cover with water or chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Bring to a boil, until the pumpkin and carrots are soft.
3) Let these cool for a bit, then place in a blender. Purée until you get the consistency you want.
4) Add this to a saucepan, add a cup of coconut milk and whatever spices you desire, and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.
5) Serve with garlic wholewheat bread.
ONE POT FRIED RICE
This meal is good with your choice of protein — chicken breasts or even veggie mince or prepared tofu. It is also very filling.
Ingredients
Cooked brown rice or quinoa
Scrambled eggs
Carrots, onions, sweet peppers, vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, pak choi)
Lightly salted butter
Protein of choice
Soy sauce or stir fry sauce
Method
In a wok, sauté your vegetables with your herbs in butter. Add protein, then rice/quinoa and mix together. Add eggs last and sauce. Continue combining until the sauce cooks in a little bit.
VEGGIE STEW PEAS
This tastes just as good as the original, and is a very filling meal that can be had with quinoa or brown rice.
Ingredients
Red peas or your beans of choice
Coconut milk
Seasonings to taste
Diced vegetables as per your taste (pumpkin, cho-cho, potatoes, green beans)
Method
Prepare peas as you would for regular stew peas, then add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer. This meal does not require a protein.
Serve over brown rice or quinoa.
STUFFED BAKED SWEET POTATOES
This meal is simple to make, and is quite filling.
Ingredients
Large sweet potato
Cabbage, carrots, raisins/cranberries and other ingredients for a cole slaw, or alternately, for a pasta salad with wholewheat macaroni shells.
Low fat butter or sour cream
Method
Bake speared sweet potato for about 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and slit down the middle. Add a dollop of butter or sour cream right before you add the slaw.
Prepare coleslaw (shred cabbage and carrots, add vinegar, sugar and raisins) or prepare macaroni salad to your liking
Heap this mixture on top of the potato and enjoy!
