Diet Food
Broccoli & Feta Omelet with Toast
This easy breakfast recipe, which takes just 15 minutes start to finish.
The broccoli provides filling fiber and just 30 calories per serving, while the protein-loaded eggs curb appetite and will help stave off those late-morning cravings.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 slices rye bread, toasted
Preparation
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add broccoli, & cook 3 minutes.
- Combine egg, feta, and dill in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, flip omelet and cook 2 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with toast.
Spiced Green Tea Smoothie
Green tea is one of the top fat burning foods, thanks to a metabolism boosting compound known as EGCG. In one study, drinking four cups of green tea a day helped people shed more than six pounds in eight weeks.
This rich smoothie is perfect if you get tired of drinking hot green tea. Flavored with cayenne spices, lemon, and agave nectar, it provides all the nutritional benefits of green tea and will fill you up, to boot.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup strong green tea, chilled
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 TBSP)
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar
- 1 small pear, skin on, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
- 6-8 ice cubes
Preparation
Put all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Drink cold.
Chocolate Dipped Banana Bites
Dessert doesn’t have to erase a healthy meal. The bananas in this easier than pie dessert all you need is a knife and a microwave are a rich source of resistant, starch, a type of healthy carbohydrate that helps you burn calories and eat less.
As an added bonus, the semisweet chocolate contains healthy fats to further rev your metabolism.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 small banana, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Preparation
Place chocolate chips in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag or small microwave safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts. Dip banana pieces in chocolate.
Banana & Almond Butter Toast
This simple yet tasty morning pick me up features no fewer than three of the best foods to eat for breakfast. The bananas and whole-grain rye bread are high in resistant starch, to help boost metabolism, while the almond butter adds hunger curbing protein and healthy monounsaturated fats.
One slice contains just 280 calories, but it’s guaranteed to keep you full until lunchtime.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 slice rye bread, toasted
- 1 banana, sliced
Preparation
- Spread almond butter on toast.
- Top with banana slices.
White Bean & Herb Hummus with Crudites
Tired of bland supermarket hummus? It only takes five minutes to whip up a batch of this flavorful, fiber rich version in your own kitchen. All you need is four ingredients: lemon, olive oil, chives, and last but not least white beans, which contain nearly 4 grams of resistant starch per serving.
Pair with assorted raw vegetables, like broccoli, to get even more fiber and fat-burning resistant starch from this wholesome snack.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Assorted raw vegetables, such as chopped broccoli florets, sliced green and red peppers, and baby carrots
Preparation
- Combine beans, chives, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth.
- Serve with 1/2 cup raw vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, broccoli, and grape tomatoes.
Middle Eastern Rice Salad
This 20-minute dish, which works equally well as a side or a stand alone meal, is filled to the brim with nutritious ingredients. When it comes to fat burning, though, they’re all outshined by the chickpeas.
Just one half-cup of these hearty beans a staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine contains more than 2 grams, and enough protein and fiber to fill you up without weighing you down.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Remove from heat, and stir in chickpeas, cumin, and salt. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine rice, onion-chickpea mixture, dates, mint, and parsley in a large bowl. Toss well until thoroughly combined. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Curried Egg Salad Sandwich
Eggs are an ideal food for dieters. They’re tasty, low in calories about 80 per egg, and filled with satisfying protein that helps curb cravings.
This egg salad recipe, a zesty twist on a classic, offers a healthy new way to work eggs into lunchtime. The low-fat Greek yogurt used in place of mayo dials down the fat and calories, while the curry powder provides a jolt of antioxidants.
Ingredients
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek-style low-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 slices rye bread, toasted
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- 1 orange
Preparation
- Combine eggs, yogurt, bell pepper, curry powder, salt, and pepper, in a small bowl; stir well.
- Place spinach on rye bread, top with egg salad, and serve the orange on the side.
Greek Yogurt Fruit Parfait
If you’re trying to shed a few pounds, this parfait might just be the perfect breakfast. Each layer nectarines, plums, nuts, yogurt, puffed rice provides a healthy dose of slimming fiber or protein.
This 5 minute dish is filling enough to have for lunch, thanks to the Greek yogurt, which is thicker, creamier, and more satisfying than regular low-fat yogurt.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups sliced mixed plums, peaches, and nectarines
- 3/4 cup puffed rice cereal
- 2 tablespoons walnuts and almonds, toasted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey
Preparation
In a tall 4 cup container or jar, layer half of the yogurt, fruit, cereal, nuts, flaxseed, and syrup. Repeat with the remaining half of ingredients, ending with syrup. (If you prefer a crunchy parfait, pack cereal separately to add right before eating.) Refrigerate up to 5 hours.