Who said diet food had to be boring? Here fitness expert and dietician Samreedhi Goel shares a variety of yummy recipes for every meal, all under 500 calories!
BREAKFAST
Onion poha (150 calories)
Ingredients
- Rice flakes (poha), 30 grams
- Oil, 1½ tsp
- Onion, 1 large
- Mustard seeds (rye), 1 tsp
- Green chilli, 1 big
- Turmeric powder, ¾ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
~ Chop the onions and green chilli and set aside. Wash poha with water and allow the excess water to drain.
~ Heat oil in a kadai (wok) add the rye, green chilli, onions and turmeric powder cook on low flame till onions become slightly transparent
~ Add poha and sprinkle salt and lime juice.
~ Serve hot.
French toast (230 calories)
Ingredients
- Bread, 2 slices
- Egg whites, 2
- Oil, 1 tsp
- Salt & pepper to taste
~ Whisk the whites of two eggs together with salt and pepper
~ Dip the slices of bread in this mix till soaked
~ Heat 1 tsp oil on a non stick pan and place bread slices on the pan. Cook till crisp.
~ Serve with tomato ketchup.
Cereal & milk (200 calories)
This is the easiest breakfast for when you are on the run!
Ingredients
- Skimmed milk, 200 ml
- Bran flakes, 30 grams
- 1 apple or ½ banana or ½ mango
~ Add bran flakes to chilled milk top with a fruit and serve!
LUNCH
Dahi idlis (175 calories)
This dish is the perfect summer cooler. If you plan to carry this with you it would be a good idea to use very thick curds or drain the water from the curds for an hour or two.
Ingredients
- Medium-sized idlis, 2-3
- Dahi, 100 grams (1 medium cup)
- Oil, 1 ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
- Curry leaves (kadipatta), few leaves
- Salt to taste
~ Cut each idli into 4 pieces
~ Add a little water and salt to curds, beat well and pour on the idlis
~ Heat oil, add to it rye and kadipatta and pour this over the dahi idlis
~ Serve chilled.
Paneer Frankie (275 calories) **
Ingredients
- Medium-sized rotis, 2
- Paneer, 8-10 small pieces
- Onion, 2 medium
- Tomato, 1 large
- Oil, 1 tsp
- Coriander chutney, 2 tsp
- Ketchup, 1 tsp
- Chaat masala, 1 tsp
- Juice of a lemon
- Salt to taste
~ Put coriander chutney on the rotis and sprinkle chaat masala
~ Chops onions, set aside 2 tsps onion and sprinkle lime juice on them keep aside for 10 minutes then put these onions on the rotis.
~ Heat oil, add chopped onions, chopped tomato, ketchup, salt and paneer pieces
~ Once this mixture is ready, add to rotis and a little more sprinkle chaat masala
~ Roll up & serve like a frankie
Chatpata Chicken sandwich**
Ingredients
- Sandwich bread, 2 slices
- Boneless chicken breast, 25 grams
- Onion, 1 large
- Tomato, 1 large
- Green capsicum, 1 large
- Ginger garlic paste, 1-2 tsp
- Chilli sauce, 2 tsp
- Soya sauce, 1 tsp
- Oil, 1 tsp
~ Chop onion, tomato and capsicum finely.
~ Cut chicken into small cubes
~ Heat oil and add all sauces then the vegetables and the chicken, allowing it all to blend well as it cooks on a low flame.
~ Stuff in sandwich and serve or you can even grill the sandwich after stuffing.
**To add fibre to this meal accompany it with a salad made with tomato, lettuce leaves, cucumber and carrot = 125 calories (You may also drizzle 1 tsp of French dressing)
SNACKS
- 1 plain croissant: 270 calories
- 1 khakhra: 150 calories
Bhel (125 calories)
- Rice puffs (kurmura), 30 grams
- Lime juice
- Tamarind chutney, 2 tsp
- Coriander chutney, 2 tsp
- Small cubes boiled potato, 4-5
- Salt to taste
~ Mix all the ingredients and it's ready to serve.
DINNER
Green Pulao with Vegetable raita (485 calories)
Ingredients
Green paste
- Corriander, 1 small bunch
- Green chilli, 2
- Curry leaves(kadipatta), 20
- Mint leaves, 10
~ Grind these to a paste
Masalas
- Red chilli powder, ½ tsp
- Dried coriander powder (dhania), 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
- Black cardamom (badi elaichi), 2
- Cinnamon sticks (dalchini) 2
- Clove, 3
- Oil, 2 tsp
~ Heat oil in a large bowl or pan
~ To this add chopped onion and cook till brown
~ Add ginger garlic paste, masalas and chopped tomato, cook on low flame till tomatoes are soft.
~ Then add the green paste and cook for 3-5 minutes
~ Add the rice to the mix and cook till rice grains separate
~ Add two glasses water and allow it to cook on low flame till rice is done
Vegetable Raita
- Curds, 1 small bowl
- Salt and jeera (cumin seeds) powder to taste
- 1 cucumber grated
~ Beat the curds with salt and jeera powder and add the grated cucumber
~ Serve chilled
Misal pav (450 calories)
Ingredients
- Dried peas (vatana) soaked in water for 4-6 hours, 1 medium cup
- Chopped onion, 2 large
- Coriander, 1 handful
- Garam masala, 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder, 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Ginger garlic paste, 1 ½ tsp
- Ready usal misal masala, 1-2 tsp
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Oil 1-2 tsp
- Water
- Pav 2 medium
~ Pressure cook the vatana by giving 1-2 whistles then keep aside
~ Heat oil, add 1 chopped onion and cook till slightly transparent
~ To this add ginger garlic paste and cook on low flame
~ Add all masalas and the cooked vatana
~ Top with lime juice, corriander and onions
~ You can add 1 tsp of tamarind chutney if you like
~ Serve with two pav
