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Diet Recipes - easy to make, fast and appetising diet recipes to help you lose weight

Diet Recipes

Dieting doesn't mean having to eat boring food. One of the secrets to a successful calorie controlled diet is to eat food that appeals. If you try and cut down by eating unappetising food, you're much more likely to go off the rails and start snacking.

Think smaller portions of foods that you enjoy eating and changing the way you prepare and cook your food. Here are a few suggestions, apply them to whatever recipe you are preparing for a head start in the healthy eating stakes.

Meat and Poultry

Trim all the visible fat from meat before you cook it.

Don't buy mince, make it yourself in a food processor - after you've trimmed all the fat off.

Try not to use fat to cook - grill, steam, bake, boil, microwave, barbecue, toast, steam, coddle or poach instead. If you do fry ( some recipes need it) use one of the low-cal spray oils or just a little olive oil (a good oil containing lovely omega 6 - not too much is the key)

Go for reduced fat options if you really crave processed meats - try turkey slices instead of bacon and reduced-fat sausages - look for meat content and opt for the top meat content you can (80% is better).

Atkins Diet Recipes

GI Diet Recipes

Weightwatchers Recipes

Zone Diet Recipes

2010 Diet Plan Recipes

Fishcakes

Serves 4 - makes 4 large cakes or 8 small - 210 calories per serving

450g or 1lb potatoes peeled
450g or 1lb uncooked fish (cod/haddock/salmon)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
grated zest of half a lemon
1 egg beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
115g/4 oz breadcrumbs
2 tbsp oil for frying

Boil potatoes for 20 mins and mash until smooth. Poach fish by just covering with water, bring to boil then simmer for 5-10 mins until cooked. Drain and remove any skin and flake when cool. Mix fish, potato, herbs and seasoning together. Form into cakes, roll in flour, dip in egg then roll in breadcrumbs.Chill in the fridge for 30 mins. Fry for 5 mins on each side.

Fruit Smoothie

Fresh fruit is low in calories, so avoid dried - use these low cal options : blueberries, strawberries, apples, papayas, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries, pineapple, lemons, melon, satsumas, tangerines, etc

For a low-calorie base choice use pear/banana or natural yoghurt - fresh or frozen.

Blueberry Burst

1 cup of blueberries -fresh or frozen
1 banana
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
4-6 ice cubes
1 cup of water or orange juice or skimmed milk - depends how many calories you are consuming
Mix up in a blender until creamy and serve.

Chilli Chicken and Broccoli

Serves 4 - 298 calories per serving (served with a portion of rice noodles add 100 extra calories)
1 onion chopped
2 chillies chopped and de-seeded
2 heads of broccoli
1 red pepper chopped
1 tbsp olive oil for frying
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp soy sauce

Heat the oil and fry the chicken strips, add garlic, onion, chillies and red pepper. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes until browned, add soya sauce. Meanwhile steam the broccoli for 7-10 mins and drain. Mix together and serve with noodles.

Tiger Prawns

Serves 4 - 285 calories per portion

24 tiger (or King will do) prawns (6 per person)
1 chilli finely chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of a lemon
fresh chopped parsley to taste
2 tbsp low calorie mayonnaise
black pepper to taste

Marinate the prawns in the olive oil, chilli and garlic in a covered dish in the fridge overnight. Preheat grill medium-high heat.
Place marinated prawns onto skewers and cook for 5 minutes until cooked, alternate with pepper and onion chunks if wanted. Mix a splash of lemon juice, black pepper and parsley with the mayonnaise and serve as a dip. Serve with warmed pitta bread and iceberg lettuce.

Herby Chicken

Serves 4 -280 calories per portion

4 chicken thighs, skinned
3 garlic cloves crushed
bunch of fresh tarragon and thyme
olive oil
tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper

Chop the fresh herbs and add to 2 tbsp of olive oil and the soya sauce, rub the chicken thighs with the mix and then cover and put in the fridge overnight to marinate.
Season and cook in a pre-heated oven at 190C /375F/Gas mark 5 for 30mins or until juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. Serve with a rocket salad and a small portion of crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices.

Spicy Tomatoes

The good news is that a luscious vine tomato is only 14 calories per 100g

4 large ripe vine/ plum tomatoes
1 garlic clove crushed
1 fresh chilli finely chopped
fresh basil finely chopped
lemon juice
olive oil (Extra Virgin tastes the best)
soy sauce to taste

Skin tomatoes by placing in a bowl of boiling water for 4 mins.

Chop and mix with chilli, garlic and basil. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and a dash of soy sauce - mix well and serve.

Savoury Rice

Cut 3 onions, 6 tomatoes, 2 peppers or pimentos into small pieces and fry together in olive oil.

In another pan fry a cup of rice in a very little olive oil.

After the rice has browned a little, add the two together, steam or boil gently until the rice is tender.

You can substitute a can of tomatoes for the fresh ones for convenience. Cooking time and preparation time - half an hour.

More easy to cook diet recipes

Emma's Daily Diet Tip

Buy a pedometer and try and do a few more steps every day.