Anyone who is trying to lose unwanted pounds should incorporate more fish into each week’s menu. because consuming fish can actually help a person shed more weight in a shorter period of time. Plus, fish can help reduce body fat and provide numerous health benefits to both the body and the mind.
Since I am constantly watching my weight, and my husband is a self-proclaimed “health nut,” I serve fish on a regular basis. The tasty fish dishes below are two of my family’s favorites. For one, they’re tasty, and, two, since the fish isn’t fried but baked, the recipes are fairly low in calories, meaning that I can go back for seconds, at least as long as I don’t overdo it on the side dishes. Then again, the first recipe includes veggies, so no side dish is really necessary.
Low Calorie Recipe for Baked Fish with Garden Vegetables
Although you can use any type fish for this recipe, I prefer perch, flounder, tilapia, or whiting for their flavor and texture. Also note that if you’re preparing the meal for only yourself or two people, you might want to halve the ingredients, because this recipe feeds five to six, depending on portion sizes.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fish fillets
- 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
- 1 cup shredded carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- 2/3 cup chopped green onion (about 6 average onions)
- 2 teaspoons seasoning blend such as Nature’s Seasons (Or use salt and pepper, one teaspoon each)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 tablespoons light margarine
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place fish fillets in an ungreased, large oblong baking dish.
- Sprinkle fish fillets with 1 teaspoon seasoning blend, or 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (if using), and paprika.
- Arrange celery, carrots, and scallions on top of the fish fillets.
- Sprinkle remaining seasoning blend, or remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (if using), over the fish fillets.
- Dot fillets with small cubes of margarine.
- Sprinkle dried parsley flakes over the fish fillets.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake until fish fillets are flaky and the vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove fish fillets and vegetables to a serving dish. Drizzle lemon juice over the fish fillets and vegetables.
Nutrition information: 225 calories (This number is approximate, since some types of fish are higher in calories than others.)
Healthy Recipe for Breaded Oven-Fried Fish
Although you can use salt in this dish, if you prefer, I opt for a seasoning blend. Even though the blend contains sodium, the sodium content is lower than salt. Just like the Baked Fish with Garden Vegetables recipe above, you can halve the ingredients if you don’t need many servings.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil, for greasing baking dish
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless fish fillets, such as perch, flounder, tilapia or whiting
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1 cup pre-packaged coating mix for baking, or dried bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons light, reduced-fat margarine, melted
- 3 teaspoons desired commercially prepared seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Lightly grease a large oblong baking pan with a light coating of vegetable oil.
- If the fish fillets are large, cut them into equal serving-sized portions.
- Place milk and coating mix or bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Working with one fish fillet at a time, first submerge the fish fillet in the milk. Coat fish fillet thoroughly with coating mix or bread crumbs.
- Place coated fish fillets inside the prepared baking dish.
- Drizzle melted margarine over the fish fillets.
- Sprinkle seasoning blend, or salt and pepper (if using), over the fish fillets.
- Bake until fish fillets flake when pressed with a fork and are golden brown in appearance on the outside.
Nutrition Information: 215 to 285 calories, depending upon number of servings
If you enjoy these recipes, you might want to consider serving fish more often. It’s an excellent food to help someone lose weight, but fish also provides numerous health benefits, so it’s a nutritious addition to anyone’s diet.
Carol Rzadkiewicz - Carol Rzadkiewicz has taught college English for over 14 years and is the author of three published novels and numerous short stories.
