Stop reading if you want to stop crashing and burning while trying to eat clean in a crazy life. 🥗⏰ You’re not alone! “low calorie meal prep” Many of us bow to fatty fast food selections in times of scrambled advancements. That being said, what if I were to tell you there was another way that would free you from the day-to-day struggle and still allow you to eat delicious meals without feeling like a deprivation?
Meet your new best friend in all of your healthy meal prep needs; the low-calorie variety. It is possible to eat healthy without giving up flavor and spending all day in the kitchen, all you need are the right strategies. To be on track with your weight loss or simply know you can eat all the colors and nutrition of the rainbow but not have any stress, calorie-free meal prep is a huge must!
In this blog post, we share 5 top tips to change the way you look at meal prep for good. You’ll find everything from how to select the best ingredients to how to add the most flavor without added calories here. Get ready to learn how you can cut prep time AND record-breaking calories with Delicious Meal Prep the rest of the week!
The key to low calorie meal prep is choosing the right ingredients. Creating delicious meals that are high in nutritional value but low in calories is possible when you make wise choices.
Add your meal prep in with lean protein such as butcher meat, chicken breast, mince, turkey, fish, and tofu. These alternatives are decent options and contain many necessary nutrients, will not make you fat, and keep you full. One 3-ounce (85 g) serving of grilled chicken breast contains just 140 calories and provides a whopping 26 grams of protein.
Eat plenty of veggies like broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, and cauliflower Rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, these low-calorie powerhouses are godsend for healthy eaters. This increased the size of your meals to make you full, using fewer calories. Roast a medley of beautiful veggies for a tasty side dish.
Whole grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, and oats — instead of refined grains. Whole grains are another source of carbohydrates that are your body’s primary energy supply, but they have higher fiber and nutrient content which will keep you full. One half-cup of cooked quinoa rings in at about 110 calories, along with 4 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fiber.
Spice it up – low calorie meal prep ideas Don´t worry you can still flavor your meals- and, if you opt for this rather than sauces, you will add them without increasing the calories. Flavors such as those of fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, and parsley) can bring a dish to life with tutorial spice blends like cumin, paprika, turmeric, etc. Altogether, these ways of adding flavor can be low-calorie – giving you the flexibility to create tasty and satiating dishes without having to load up on calories.
If you focus in on these low calorie meal prep ingredient choices, you’re already 99% of the way to successful meal prep. Now let’s look at 9 practical steps to help you master portion control which will bring us nearer to your low calorie meal prep.
Why Portion Control Is Key To Successful Low Calorie Meal Prep If you use methods like these, eating healthy food as part of a calorie-controlled diet can be an enjoyable process.
You can also control the portion with dedicated containers. Buy Some Meal Prep Containers of Portion Sizes Most of these containers come loaded with servings for the different food groups in the form of compartments. When you fill each compartment according to the guidelines of your meal plan, you know that your meals will always be balanced with the correct portions or under calories.
Ruler-measuring apparatus While measuring tools are great, they’re not always something you use at every meal! This is, of course when the skill of eyeballing comes useful. Practice using real objects to estimate serving sizes. For example, a portion of protein should be the size of your palm while vegetable portions should be larger and roughly equal to two cupped hands. This is something that will come in handy when eating out or making quick meals at home.
The dimensions of your plate also affect the amount you consume. When serving low calorie meal prep creations, use smaller plates. It will make your plate look fuller, so this little tip can help you feel more satisfied with less food. Serving food on smaller dishes has been shown to reduce how much people eat, so it is a simple but very effective trick for portion control.
You have to learn the tricks to portion control, and in this article, we will be discussing 11 cooking hacks & tips that would make your low calorie meal prep even better.
Now that we have portion control addressed the next thing is how some smart cooking methods can help you cut down a lot of calories from your meals without losing amazing flavors, taste, and nutrition.
Two of the best grilling or roasting is low in fat (without butter and oil) while enhancing the taste buds; unnecessary fat added to a dish only adds more calories. The methods that are oily just like the frying release more fat from greasy meals which will be cooking, resulting in the healthiest and slim contents. For some quick low-calorie options, grill up chicken breasts or roast vegetables with a light spray of oil.
Steaming: It is a great way to cook vegetables while keeping their precious nutritional value and colors. This process does not any extra fats and sweats veggies beautifully providing crisp texture. Get yourself a steamer basket or use a microwave-safe container with some water for fast and simple steamed sides.
Non-stick cookware makes a big difference when it comes to preparing meals low in calories. That means you get to cook with very little or no oil, drastically cutting down the calories in your food. Instead of oil, use a little cooking spray or broth to prevent food from sticking when sautéing or stir-frying.
Air fryers are all the rage right now — and for good reason! It rotates a blast of hot air to keep an even temperature, conducting heat in a manner that ensures crispy textures without dousing food in gallons of oil. While “fried” chicken (and a lot of fried foods), frying vegetables will give you that nice crunch that we all love, but with fewer calories no deep-frying!
Incorporating these intelligent cooking techniques into your calorie-counted meal prep planning will help you whip up delicious meals that are also quite satisfying. Here, we will discuss how planning can help you plan out your low-calorie eating adventure and transition into a new lifestyle that can be maintained for the long haul.
Low calorie meal prep success is a whole different ball game when you have this stuff premade and ready to go. I recently discovered the power of preparing my meals a few days in advance, and it makes eating healthy a cinch during the week.
Begin by planning your meals for the week ahead. Then, you will be less tempted to consume high-calorie foods throughout the day if your diet is on track. Think about your time constraints and go for a fast fast-packed snack. That way, your meals are healthy and you do not get bored because now you have a variety of proteins, vegetables, and whole grains to include in the recipe.
Save yourself some time and energy by cooking more versatility-friendly foods in larger batches. Grill some chicken breast, make hard-boiled eggs, or bake tofu. Make whole grains in big batches (quinoa, brown rice…) WEEKLY STAPLES: Include these items in your meal OR snack prep throughout your week to take full advantage of them being low-calorie.
We can save time during the week by washing and chopping up our veggies beforehand so they are ready to go. Airtight containers of resealable bags also work great to store pre-cut veggies. These healthier meal replacements save time, and provide people incentive to eat more nutritionally dense low calorie meals.
Don’t forget about snacks! Use section-controlled bits of low-calorie nibbles like cut natural products, crude vegetables with hummus, or a small bunch of nuts. I always have these healthy options in the house so that I do not reach for anything loaded with calories when I am hungry between meals.
Put these planning and prepping strategies into action and you will know exactly how to stick with your low calorie meal plan for the week ahead. Having healthy choices on your plate will guide you to eat better so that you reach your goals faster. Earlier we dove into the importance of PLANNING, now let’s dive into ways in which you can GET THE MOST FLAVOR WHILE EATING AS LITTLE CALORIES AS POSSIBLE.
Marinate in a tasty but light mixture Take your healthy eating meal prep to the next level and marinate proteins. Flavor meat with herbs, spices, and acids such as lemon juice or vinegar—chain food tasteful without surplus calories. Marinate them with garlic and herb for chicken, or a ginger-soy blend for fish.
Prepare your low calorie sauces & dressings to mix fun flavors into your diet. Whip up a creamy herb dressing made with Greek yogurt, or salsa with those fresh tomatoes that no longer have to sit beside the bananas, dulling in color and flavor. They may turn simple prepped meals into culinary delights that allow you to stay within your calorie goals.
Add umami to your dishes for a savory punch. Mushrooms, tomatoes, and seaweed are all low calorie and high-flavor-density. For an additional hit of flavor, try dusting with a bit of nutritional yeast or dashing in miso paste while keeping your calorie total very low.
TANGY CITRUS BOOST up YOUR LOW CALORIE MEAL PREP! Lemon or lime can turn the most boring vegetables, proteins, and grains into a burst of sunshine. Use citrus zest One more no-calorie way to strengthen taste and smell is by using citrus zests on your prepped meals.
Add a variety of fresh herbs in your meal prep to make it refreshing and bring a nice fragrance. Chances are (just an educated guess) your cooking is not the most interesting, but some chopped herbs like basil, cilantro, mint, or parsley can take a boring meal to another level. Adding herbs, which make your food taste better, can also increase the nutrient content of your meals without increasing calories.
Utilize these flavor maximizing methods and make bold low calorie meal prep options that are anything but boring. You can rest assured that with these marination and workflow principles of creative sauces, umami ingredients, citrus offsets as well as freshness with greens and herbs your prepped meals are going to be fulfilling while being low in the calorie department. Summary: How to Make Low Calorie MealsFinally, we will go over what has been discussed earlier to ensure your successful low calorie meal preparation.
If you master the art of low-calorie meal prep, your life is pretty much made when trying to keep up dieting. Healthy Cooking — Focusing on ingredient choices, portion size, cooking techniques, and tips for cooks to prepare meals that use fresh ingredients wisely while they maximize tastebulled with little added calories. If you follow these 5 tips, you will be well on your way to successful meal prep that benefits your health and holistic fat loss journey.
When meal prepping it is important to be consistent. Apply one or two of those tips at first and then introduce the rest as you get more comfortable with this process. Low-calorie meal prep is a skill like any other, and with practice, you will build up your skills and be able to focus on staying on target with your nutritional goals while eating delicious meals all week long. Start getting healthy today using these ultimate hacks and regain complete control over your health.