Healthy Dinner Ideas For Weight Loss

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If you’re following a popular diet like Paleo or keto, there are very specific rules that govern the foods you can eat. But those rules aren’t much help for people who are trying to lose weight simply with regular exercise and healthy eating.

We all know the types of foods you should generally avoid when trying to lose weight: fast food, soda and fruit juices, cake and candy, beer, ice cream, French fries and potato chips, and packaged foods with added sugar. [1]

And ever since our parents lectured us about healthy eating when we were young, we’ve been familiar with many of the foods that are good for us: leafy green vegetables and some fruits, fish and chicken, yogurt and whole-wheat bread. [2]

That knowledge is somewhat helpful when you’re dieting and making dinner, but there are only so many times you can eat easy meals of plain chicken breasts or fish with a leafy green salad (even if you reward yourself occasionally with healthy smoothies) before you’re ready to give up and call for takeout.

What you really need are some yummy, healthy dinner ideas that can make you look forward to your low-calorie, low-carb or low-fat meal – while keeping you on track for your weight loss goals.

We happen to have some right here.

Even though we’ll be starting with chicken and fish recipes, you’ll see that the range of choices is much greater than you might have thought. Thanks to leanjumpstart.com, eatthisnotthat.com, eatingwell.com and fitnessmagazine.com for recipe inspirations.

Chicken and Turkey Weight Loss Recipes

White meat poultry is always a go-to choice for healthy dinner recipes, but there are an enormous number of twists you can put on chicken or turkey to create unique and delicious meals.

  • Crispy stuffed chicken breast, filled with baby spinach, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, prosciutto and mozzarella, lightly breaded and sautéed in olive oil
  • Grilled Mexican chicken, marinated in olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, garlic and red chili flakes before grilling, served on tortillas
  • High-protein chicken curry with cauliflower and sweet potatoes, made with tomato puree, curry powder, light coconut milk and rainbow chard, served over quinoa
  • Greek yogurt chicken salad with red grapes, celery, green onions, non-fat milk, honey and almonds, served with whole-grain bread
  • Turkey, kale and pepper pasta, made with sweet turkey sausage (no casing), onion, red bell peppers, chopped kale, garlic and a small grating of parmesan cheese, served with whole-wheat pasta
  • Pineapple turkey kebabs, made from boneless turkey breast, red onion, fresh pineapple, and zucchini (or other veggies of your choice), served over brown rice

Fish and Seafood Dinner Ideas for Weight Loss

Fish and seafood are always great choices when you’re trying to lose weight – the problem comes when they’re cooked in tons of saturated fat or served with cream sauces. Here are some tasty ways to eat these healthy proteins when on a diet.

  • Sweet and sour fish fillets, made with a firm-flesh white fish coated with flour and sautéed in olive oil, with a vinaigrette of olive oil, white vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, berries, sugar and bay leaf
  • Grilled salmon with mustard and mixed herbs, baked with lemon and garlic, served with side dishes of steamed green beans and lentils
  • Shrimp with spicy garlic soba noodles, made with seared shrimp, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, snow peas, bell pepper, scallions, sesame seeds and sriracha
  • Grilled swordfish skewers with pesto mayo, with grilled tomatoes and onions, and a low-calorie mayo mixed with pesto

Lean Meat Healthy Meals for Weight Loss

Even lean cuts of meat can sometimes be fatal to a diet. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy meat once or twice a week when you’re trying to lose weight, though; you just have to be careful to choose the right proteins to use.

  • Chipotle-glazed roast pork tenderloin, with grape jelly and chipotles for the glaze, cooked with white wine and red grapes
  • Asian beef and broccoli stir-fry, made with strips of lean sirloin, scallions, garlic, ginger and chicken broth, served with brown fried rice
  • Chipotle beef tacos with tomato-avocado pico de gallo, made with 93% lean ground beef (or ground turkey), onion and garlic, and served on corn tortillas
  • Thai beef salad with lightly-grilled lean steak, carrot, tomato, and green beans served in lettuce cups, with dressing made from fish sauce, chili sauce and lemon juice

Vegetarian and Vegan Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss

If you love traditional proteins but aren’t afraid to eat vegetarian or vegan a few times a week, the number of fabulous weight-loss meals you can add to your diet is enormous.

  • Creamy avocado and white bean wrap, with the beans and avocado blended with a little sharp cheddar cheese and onion, with a spicy slaw made from cilantro, red cabbage and chipotle chile served in tortillas
  • Hummus with slow-roasted vegetables, made with tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapenos roasted on a sheet pan, and home-made hummus made from chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and garlic, served with warm pita bread
  • Black bean chili prepared in a slow cooker, with peppers, roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic, chili powder, cocoa powder and cumin added to the black beans, topped with cilantro and scallions

Healthy Meals for Weight Loss – Without All the Work

Those weight-loss recipes sound fantastic, and they are. Most are also a lot of work, requiring huge amounts of meal prep time that you may not be able to spare on a weeknight. But what if there was a way to come home from work and have a healthy meal already made for you, ready to go right into the oven or microwave?

There is.

Factor is the premier meal plan delivery service for those trying to eat healthy. While not designed specifically for weight loss, many can achieve weight loss with their meals. Factor delivers pre-made, healthy meals designed by nutritionists and prepared by expert chefs from high-quality, fresh ingredients. You choose the week’s meals from an online menu featuring a rotating variety of delicious options, many of which also satisfy specialty diets like Paleo, keto and dairy-free.

Their team of dietitians are also on-hand to answer any questions you have! They even offer a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation for all new or prospective customers.
Every meal arrives fresh, never frozen, and ready to be cooked with no prep time required. Factor’s menu choices are all gluten-free with no refined sugars or GMOs; proteins are high-quality, grass-fed and pastured with no hormones or antibiotics. The entire Factor approach is based on using the best ingredients to create nutrient-dense meals which will help you eat healthy while enjoying lunch or dinner – instead of dreading it.

If you have plenty of time on your hands, our sample dinner ideas should keep you full and happy. If you don’t, Factor’s fully-prepared meal delivery service will do the very same thing, for a reasonable price with satisfaction guaranteed.

To learn more about how Factor can help with your meal planning, click here.

Sources:

[1] http://www.heathline.com
[2] http://www.health.com/food

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