Low-calorie, healthy meals can be prepared with some prior planning. Most of the food on your plate should be from carbohydrates, including grains, vegetables and fruit. About one-quarter of your food should be from protein sources, including lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, lean dairy, and beans. Limit your fat to another one-quarter of your meal, according to the American Council on Exercise. Eat fats from primarily olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Brown Rice, Chicken and Pineapple
Pineapple may take the place of some of the complex carbohydrates in your meal, increasing your vitamin and mineral intake. Saute 4 oz. cubed chicken breast in a nonstick pan sprayed with olive oil spray. Once the chicken is cooked, add ½ cup of cubed pineapple and cook for one minute. Finish your meal by mixing ¼ cup of cooked brown rice into your chicken and pineapple. Scoop onto a plate and enjoy a meal totaling 288 calories; 45 percent of the calories come from carbohydrates, 40 percent from protein and only 15 percent from fat.
Toast, Egg and an Orange
Wake up a few minutes early to pan-fry a whole egg. Toast a slice of whole-wheat bread and smear with ½ tbsp. of all-fruit spread. Complete your meal with a medium-sized peeled orange for a breakfast of 215 calories; 58 percent of the calories are from carbohydrates, 18 percent from protein and 24 percent from fat. The fat and protein in the egg will help keep you satisfied until your next meal or snack. The fiber in the orange increases the time it will take for your light breakfast to pass through your digestive tract, further staving off hunger.
Banana, Egg and Milk
A quick breakfast can easily be put together if you purchase boiled eggs at your local grocer. Eat a large banana, one boiled egg and 1 cup of skim milk for a satisfying, yet low-calorie meal totaling 290 calories. This yields 59 percent of your calories from carbs, 21 percent from protein and only 20 percent from fat.
Chicken and Fruit Salad
Make a healthy, low-calorie chicken salad using store-bought rotisserie chicken breast. Prepare your own salad greens with 1 cup of chopped lettuce, 1 cup of baby spinach leaves and ½ cup of cilantro leaves. Cube 3 oz. chicken breast, then toss it with your salad greens, ¼ cup of diced sweet peppers, ½ cup of sliced strawberries and ½ cup of cubed pears. Pump two squirts of a low-fat raspberry spritz vinaigrette over your salad. This meal provides you with about 243 calories; 38 percent of the calories are from carbs, 46 percent from protein and 16 from fat.
References
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- "The NutriBase Complete Book of Food Counts"; NutriBase; 2001
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