For many families, getting dinner on the table is hard enough with busy schedules, but trying to serve something low in calories in a quick amount of time can be overwhelming. Cooking at home allows you the chance to control the ingredients that go into a meal, making it much simpler to cut calories. Preparing low-calorie meals is as easy as making food substitutions and altering the methods you traditionally use to cook.
Pizza
Ordering pizza after a busy day is something that many families do, but Kids Health reports that two slices of traditional pizza often weighs in at close to 600 calories. There are also high amounts of saturated fat and sodium in restaurant pizza. Altering the recipe and preparing your own pizza at home can cut hundreds of calories and allow you to control what toppings you use. Kids Health recommends using ready-to-bake whole wheat crusts, part-skim cheese and turkey pepperoni to keep calorie count low. You can also top your pizzas with a variety of vegetables, such as bell peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, onions, spinach or anything you and your family like. Using cheese sparingly also helps you keep calories low. Finally, sticking to a single serving and filling up on salad or fruit on the side keeps you from going into calorie overload at one meal.
Salad Bar
Many families enjoy creating their own plate of food, and setting out a variety of salad fixings allows them to do so, while also filling up on a low-calorie and healthy meal. You can use romaine lettuce over iceberg to increase nutrient intake and top it with carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, broccoli, radishes, sliced onion and mushrooms in whatever combination each family member wants. Add some low-fat cheese and chopped hard-boiled eggs to increase protein intake. For a heartier meal, you can add some grilled low-fat chicken or shrimp. Use low-fat or fat free salad dressings to keep calories in control, advises the American Heart Association. To further control calorie intake, serve dressing on the side and use it as dip rather than smothering the salad in it.
Burgers
A traditional burger may be high in calories, but a few substitutions can make it a low-calorie meal your family can still enjoy. Mixing some lean ground beef with mashed beans, cooked brown rice or couscous creates a burger that is lower in calories and higher in fiber, according to Family Education. Grill the burgers on the barbecue to further reduce the calorie count that cooking oil would contribute to the meal. Put your burgers on whole wheat buns and top with lettuce, tomato slices and onions to sneak in some nutrients with minimal calories. If your family likes cheeseburgers, use reduced-fat cheese slices to control calorie content. Serving the burgers with steamed vegetables, a salad or fruit cuts the calories that french fries or onion rings would add.
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