Cooking at home allows you to control what ingredients you use to create a meal, which makes it easier to prepare and serve a healthy meal, according to Meals Matter. Many families are so busy they don't think they have time for this, but there are many easy and low calorie meals that can be prepared quickly so the whole family can enjoy a healthy meal at home.
Black Bean and Salmon Tostadas
Preparing tostadas made from black beans and salmon provides fiber and heart healthy fats to your diet for minimal calories. Eating Well says this recipe can be cooked in under 30 minutes and it uses several premade ingredients to make it easy. To prepare, spray 8 corn tortillas with cooking spray and bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes until they are crispy. Blend one 15-oz. can of black beans in the blender with 3 tbsp. reduced fat sour cream, 2 tbsp. salsa and 2 chopped green onions. Microwave about 2 minutes to heat. Mix together 1 can boneless salmon with 1 avocado and 2 tbsp. minced pickled jalapenos. Next combine 2 cups coleslaw mix, 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp. of the jalapeno juice. Layer each tostada with the bean mixture, the salmon mixture and the coleslaw and serve. This recipe serves 4 and each serving weighs in at only 319 calories, reports Eating Well.
Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight infection and can shorten the common cold. Peppers can be stuffed with a variety of low calorie ingredients and preparing them is easy. Meals.com recommends a stuffing made with quinoa as the base. The tops and seeds should be removed and 5 peppers microwaved for 5 minutes to soften. 1 cup of quinoa is cooked as is 12 oz. of turkey sausage with the casings removed with 1 cup chopped onion and 2 tbsp. chopped garlic. Mix them together and add 1 can diced tomatoes with juice, 2 cups fresh baby spinach and then heap the filling into the peppers. Sprinkle on 1 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F before serving. The sausage adds protein while the vegetables contain nutrients that support good health. Each of the 5 servings contains 340 calories, according to Meals.com.
Garden Tuna Wrap
USA Today recommends a Garden Tuna Wrap for a quick and low calorie meal that contains about 400 calories. This is a good meal to pack in your lunchbox for work or school and is both filling and healthy. To prepare, mix 2 tbsp. low-fat Italian dressing with 4 oz. tuna packed in water. Divide the mixture between 2 whole wheat tortillas and layer with shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers before rolling them to eat. This wrap is versatile because you can include any vegetables you want, such as bell peppers, chopped celery and tomatoes to vary the flavor and nutrient content. Canned salmon works well as an alternative. Fish is good for heart health and the whole wheat tortillas contain fiber, for healthy digestion and cholesterol.
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