Lily I’m doing a quick post to share my current favorite recipe, plus a few extras that are barely recipes, but great if you (like me) are fighting stubborn Christmas pounds off. The older I get, the less I can eat and still be thin. Living with 4 hungry kids and a 6 foot tall, 200 pound husband leaves me feeling a little left out sometimes. They can all literally eat whatever they want and stay thin. Tonight, they’re eating a pasta dish I made earlier, and I’ll be eating an Anything Scramble. It is what it is, but I refuse to give in to the scale, so here are a few of my super low calories meals and snacks I’ve been eating to get back to my goal.
Vegan Eggplant Sauté:
You’ll need:
cooking spray
½ a medium sized eggplant, diced
a pinch each of cinnamon and dried oregano
1 ice cube (just wait)
1 Original Vegan Boca Burger
½ cup marinara sauce
and fresh basil.
Directions:
- Add a quick spray of cooking spray to a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the eggplant, cinnamon, and oregano. Sauté for a minute or so. Add the ice cube, and cover. Let it steam for 6-8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, microwave the Boca Burger until warm, about 1 minute. Dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the eggplant from heat. Add the Boca Burger and marinara sauce. Mix together.
- Serve with fresh basil.
- Notes: The ice cube sounds weird, but it helps to steam the eggplant, which cooks it without adding extra fat and calories. This entire dish has 180 calories, 3 grams of fat, 17 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fiber (that’s half a day’s worth). It’s also vegan and gluten free.
The rest of these aren’t really recipes, but they’re quick, easy, filling, and perfect for weight loss:
- Anything Scramble: With 1 whole egg plus 3 whites and your choice of veggies, it’s has less than 200 calories. It also has 22 grams of protein and virtually no carbs.
- Whitefish Over Greens with Vinaigrette: Toss the greens (I like baby spinach) with a light vinaigrette. My favorite is sesame ginger. 5 ounces of cod only has 115 calories and 25 grams of protein, and most whitefish are about the same. Steam the whitefish.
- Chocolate Coconut Chia Pudding: This has about 250 calories, and it may seem like a lot for a small pudding. But you’re getting 9 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. This is essentially a homemade meal replacement shake. If you want it to be drinkable, use 2 tablespoons of chia instead of 3. This will leave you at 200 calories 6 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber (still enough for a small meal).
- Whole Grain Egg McMuffin: Use Thomas Multigrain English Muffins because they have only 100 calories, and 8 grams of fiber. I make a microwave scrambled egg to go on this. All you do is spray a small bowl with cooking spray. Add one egg, salt, and pepper. Whisk lightly with a fork. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds for doneness. The egg will slide right out and fit the sliced English muffin for a little sandwich. I like topping the egg with a tomato slice to brighten it up. This meal has 180 calories, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, and 11.5 grams of protein.
- I also love snacking on pickles because they’re almost calorie free, and vinegar actually curbs your appetite. I eat at least one Oats and Chocolate Fiber One Bar per day—usually 2. I’ll have one as my breakfast, and I’ll eat one after dinner if I need something sweet. Each bar has 9 grams of fiber and tricks me into thinking I’m having a chocolate chip cookie. Pears are my go-to fruit in the winter because 1 small pear has 100 calories and 4 grams of fiber, much more than most fruit. In the summer, I go for watermelon because it’s very filling, but very low calorie.
What are your low calorie go-to’s?
