Salads are tasty additions to any meal; plus, they’re rich in vitamins C and A, as well as certain antioxidants. In fact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), people ideally should consume vegetables each day to ensure optimum health. On average, females need from two to two-and-a-half cups of vegetables per day, and men, from two-and-a-half to three cups. This recommended daily allowance, however, is “approximate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs” (mypyramid.gov).
The Best Meals for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss Include Salads
As established by the USDA, healthy diets include vegetables, and adding salads to meals, or eating them alone as meals, is a good way for people to consume more vegetables. Moreover, besides being nutritious, salads are naturally low in calories and fat, which means they are the perfect diet food for fast weight loss, at least as long as dieters don’t load their salads with high calorie ingredients like bacon bits, chunks of cheese, and rich calorie-laden dressings.
On the other hand, the Caesar salad below has plenty of “goodies” in it, making it surprisingly filing, and even includes olive oil, yet it contains only 150 calories per serving. Then again, if dieters should opt to return for seconds, they won’t have to worry about sabotaging their diets. Plus, there’s an accompanying recipe for homemade low-calorie croutons, so high-calorie store-bought croutons will forever be a thing of the past.
Diet Recipe for Low Calorie Caesar Salad for Quick Weight Loss
Although the recipe below doesn't call for tomatoes, they can be added without significantly increasing the calorie count.
Ingredients:
- 1 large or 2 small heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
- Baked croutons (See recipe below)
- 2 medium boiled eggs
- 1/4-cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into halves
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic, cut into halves
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- Rub large wooden bowl with cut garlic (If desired, allow a few pieces of garlic to remain in bowl).
- Mix olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard, and pepper in bowl.
- Add romaine lettuce.
- Toss until lettuce glistens.
- Slice boiled eggs and add to salad; then toss again.
- Squeeze lemon over salad and toss again.
- Sprinkle croutons and cheese over salad and toss yet again.
Servings: 6
Calories: Approximately 150 per serving
Easy Diet Recipe for Low Calorie Homemade Croutons
Many people enjoy croutons on their salads, but most store-bought croutons are high in calories unlike these low-calorie baked croutons. Plus, although intended to accompany the recipe above, these croutons can used with other salads as well.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices light whole-wheat bread
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon light margarine
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Trim crust from bread.
- Lightly butter both sides of each slice.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown.
Servings: 6
Calories: 30 per serving (If consumed separate from the salad)
Dieters who enjoyed these recipes might also enjoy the following two recipes:
- “Low Calorie Muffin Recipes for a Healthy Diet”
- ”Easy Low Calorie Low Fat Chicken Casserole Recipes for Dieters”
Source:
United States Department of Agriculture: How many vegetables are needed daily or weekly? Retrieved June 7, 2010 from mypyramid.gov
Carol Rzadkiewicz - Carol Rzadkiewicz has taught college English for over 14 years and is the author of three published novels and numerous short stories.
