Certain diets require meal preparations you may not have the time for. Why waste time in the kitchen when you can lose weight with fast meals? Fast meals can help you lose weight as quickly and effectively as meals that take a long time to prepare. A bowl of cereal, a plate of salad and a tuna lunch are meals you can whip up fast to facilitate better eating habits and stay on the path to losing weight.
Step 1
Eat cold cereal for breakfast. Some cereals are low in calories, and many are a good source of fiber that fill you up with less caloric intake.
Pour skim milk on your cereal, or have half an oat bran bagel for breakfast with 1 tbsp. of jam and 1 oz. nonfat cottage cheese. Have 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt with 1 tbsp. jam mixed into it, or mix ¼ cup fresh blueberries into your yogurt. You can also enjoy a toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 tbsp. fat-free margarine spread on it to lose weight.
Step 2
Open up a can of tuna in water for lunch. Drain off all the water and mix 1 tbsp. of fat-free salad dressing into it for flavor. Have a couple of pieces of Melba toast with your tuna. Wash and eat a fresh tomato with your tuna lunch, or slice it and pour fat-free dressing on it. Make a sandwich using two slices of whole wheat bread and a slice of low-fat Swiss cheese, or put three slices of fat-free chicken breast on the bread along with a leaf of Romaine lettuce and tomato slice. For even less calories, omit the cheese and chicken breast and add more lettuce and tomato to the sandwich, recommends the Centers for Disease Control.
Step 3
Make a large salad for dinner using an assortment of lettuces, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, red onion slices and some chopped fresh red and green peppers. Chop the vegetables in advance and keep them in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator so they are ready for you to use when you are in a hurry. Flavor your salad with fresh herbs such as dill and some fat-free salad dressing. Toast a bagel while you are making your salad and enjoy it with your meal. You can also saute a sliced garlic clove in ½ tbsp. olive oil and add ½ cup drained kidney beans to a pan and mash the beans for a fast meal. Mix and serve the mashed beans with 10 baked tortilla chips and some salsa.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Tipsheet: Healthy Eating Starts With Healthy Food Shopping
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cutting Calories
- MyPyramid.gov: Why is it important to eat grains, especially whole grains?
- General Mills: Cereal and Breakfast
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