Losing weight and getting fitter seems to be the mantra for many nowadays. For this, often we all browse the internet for all sorts of crash dieting options, or look for packaged easy-to-use ‘diet food’.
Did you know that doing this can cause more harm than good? Crash diets are one of the worst ways to treat your body, where you lose water and vital nutrients from your body, and of course, gain all the weight back!
Similarly, many ‘packaged diet foods’ are loaded with harmful chemicals, that is not good for the body.
Losing weight is, in fact, a gradual process that works on the simple logic of ‘calorie deficit’ which means, you take in lesser calories than you burn off, resulting in significant weight loss.
To ease the process of calorie deficit, one does not need to starve oneself, or skip meals, but instead, look for some wholesome nutritious meals that are high in nutrition and low on calories. Here are some delectable dishes that are low-calorie yet very fulfilling.
Soya Kebabs
This delicious kebab is packed with protein and fibre and can be easily made with very little oil. It is a perfect snack or even a whole meal in itself. Here is how you make it!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooking Time: 10 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Calories: About 120 calories per serving
Ingredients:
- Soya Granules: 1 cup
- Besan: 2 spoons
- Onions: ½ cup (finely chopped)
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 spoon
- Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
- Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon
- Salt: as per taste
- Fresh coriander: 2 tablespoons
- Oil: 1 teaspoon
Procedure:
- Soak the soya granules in hot water to make them soft. Drain the water and make the granules dry. In a mixing bowl, add the soya granules, and besan along with onions, ginger garlic paste, chillies and fresh coriander. Add salt and mix well.
- Now using greased palms, make small balls of the mixture and gently pat them to form a kebab-like shape. Heat a non-stick pan and brush oil on it. Place the kebabs on the pan and cook them on medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
- Serve along with mint-coriander chutney.
Cabbage Jowar Muthia
This wholesome yet delicious Gujarati recipe is surprisingly low on calories. Its spicy and savoury flavours are a treat for your taste buds and gratify your soul. This gluten-free low-calorie dish is perfect for any time of the day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 1.30 hours to 2 hours
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 146 calories per serving
Ingredients:
- Cabbage: 1 cup (finely grated)
- Jowar flour: 1 cup
- Curd: ¼ cup
- Fresh Coriander: ¼ cup
- Green chilli-1-2 (finely chopped)
- Ginger: ½ spoon (grated)
- Turmeric: ¼ spoon
- Asafoetida: ¼ spoon
- Salt: as per taste
- Sugar: ½ spoon
- Lemon juice: ½ spoon
For tempering:
- Oil: 1 spoon
- Jeera: ½ spoon
- Curry leaves: 4-5 leaves
Procedure:
- Take a large mixing bowl and add the raw ingredients like cabbage, jowar flour, curd, salt, green chillies, ginger, salt, turmeric, fresh coriander, sugar and asafoetida. Now with very little water, gently form a soft dough.
- Once the dough is formed, divide the dough into equal parts. With greased hands, take each part and gently roll it to form cylindrical rolls.
- Take a steamer and set some water in it to steam. Once the steam starts coming from the vessel, take a greased plate and place the cabbage jowar rolls on it. Place the plate on the steamer and allow it to steam for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls have a clean knife coming out of it when poked.
- Once the rolls are well steamed, take them out from the steamer and allow them to cool for some time. Once cooled, cut small coin-size pieces from the rolls to form muthias.
- To temper the muthias, take a tempering pan add some oil and heat it. Add some jeera and let it splutter. Add curry leaves and temper the muthias with them.
- Alternately, you can temper in a kadhai, and add the muthias to the kadhai and allow them to cook on slow flame until they become crunchy.
- Serve hot with mint chutney.
Steamed Moong Dal Dahi Vada
For all those who love lip-smacking food but have to curb their craving for the sake of their weight, this is a pleasant surprise! You can now relish your favourite Dahi vada chat, in all its delicious glory, without guilt! Here is how to make them.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 262 per serving
Ingredients:
- Split Moong Dal: 2 cups
- Green chillies: 1-2
- Ginger: 1 inch
- Fresh coriander: 2 spoons
- Curd: 2 cups
- Sweet Tamarind chutney: 2 spoons
- Red Chilli Powder: ½ spoon
- Salt: as per taste
- Chat Masala: ½ spoon
Procedure
- Soak the moong dal overnight. In a mixing jar, add the soaked moong dal along with green chilli, ginger, coriander and salt. Make a fine paste without adding any water.
- Once the mixture is ready, take an idli steamer and place scoops of moong dal mix in each section for idlis. Steam the moong daal mixture for 10 minutes or until the moong vadas are fully cooked.
- Now soak the moong dal vadas in water for a minute and pat them dry to remove all excess water. Place them on a serving plate. Add whisked curd (preferably cold) and tamarind chutney as per liking. Sprinkle some red chilli powder and chat masala over it. Serve chilled!
Green Peas Pancake
Whether you are looking for a healthy recipe for your young one, or looking for a healthy but low-calorie dish to eat during weight loss, Green peas pancakes fit the bill! This is an easy to prepare mouth-watering savoury dish that is packed with nutrition and loved by people of all age groups.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 92 calories per pancake
Ingredients:
- Split moong dal: 1 cup (soaked for 1 hour)
- Green peas: 1 cup
- Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
- Ginger: 1 inch (grated)
- Salt: as per taste
- Oil: as needed
Procedure:
- Boil the peas for 4-5 minutes. Take a mixing jar, add moong dal and boiled peas along with chillies, ginger and salt. Blend to a fine paste.
- Add very little water to get a dosa batter-like consistency. Take a non-stick pan, and brush gently with some oil. Pour a ladle full of the batter, and cover with a lid to cook on one side. Gently flip the pancake to cook on both sides.
- Remove from flame and serve with curd raita or green chutney.
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