Many diet plans want you to believe that dieting is so complex that you must purchase their pre-made meals or cooking plans to succeed. Losing weight does not have to involve complicated recipes or specific food combinations. Easy diet menus may require a little planning and pantry-stocking, but can be put together quickly for a meal at home or on the road. Consult your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet.
Features
Diet meals should feature good nutrition. Foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy and unsaturated fat make up the bulk of a healthy diet plan. Stock your pantry with "convenience" versions of these foods. Opt for cans of low-sodium beans and diced tomatoes. Purchase pre-portioned skinless chicken breasts, frozen single fillets of fish and extra-lean hamburgers. Bags of pre-washed lettuce, baby carrots and cut-up vegetables make fresh produce easy. Stash a few bags of microwavable, steam-in-the-bag veggies in the freezer for quick prep --- stick to non-starchy varieties like broccoli, green beans and cauliflower. Buy quick-cooking brown rice, or opt for frozen versions that cook up in the microwave in minutes. Whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain bread and wholewheat couscous are other easily prepared whole grains. Keep eggs, fresh fruit, 8-oz. cartons of plain, non-fat yogurt , deli meat and low-fat string cheese on hand.
Strategies
For easy meals at home, serve a broiled 3-oz. portion of a lean protein with ½ to 1 cup of grains and a generous side salad drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. At restaurants, look for words like grilled, steamed, broiled or poached and ask that sauces be left off the entrée, and that any starch be replaced with a serving of plain vegetables or a dinner salad --- dressing on the side. If you find yourself stuck in your car or with little time between meetings, stash a low-fat string cheese, handful of almonds and a banana in your purse to make a quick and easy 350-calorie meal.
Unconventional
Your meals do not have to be conventional. Scrambled egg whites with whole-grain toast and an orange comprises an easy diet dinner. Heat up that leftover chicken breast from dinner and eat in a whole-wheat pita with salsa for breakfast.
Quickest Options
Keep a few frozen, low-calorie dinners on hand for nights that you want a cooked meal, but simply cannot bear to work in the kitchen. Look for meals that feature low sodium, as many contain overwhelming amounts, the American Heart Association cautions. Enhance them with extra vegetables --- from one of your frozen bags or pre-washed salads. Knowing that you have food at home may help you avoid the drive-through.
Sample Meals
An easy diet menu might feature oatmeal with berries and soy milk for breakfast. Another option is a wrap made with a whole-grain tortilla, banana and a tablespoon of almond butter. Brown-bag a turkey sandwich on whole grain with a tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese and tomato. Toss in an apple and a few whole-grain crackers. Another easy lunch option that keeps calories under control is a dish of low-fat cottage cheese with applesauce an a whole-grain roll. For dinner, sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with a salad and whole-wheat pasta you boiled while the salmon cooked. Alternatively, pick up a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin from the breast and shred with pre-washed romaine lettuce, a ¼ cup of canned black beans and salsa. Have with two corn tortillas. Prepackaged, no-sugar-added fruit cups, boxes of raisins, 1-oz. servings of nuts and natural energy bars with fewer than 200 calories make easy snacks, which are important to help manage hunger and prevent binging, the Mayo Clinic explains.
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