Eating a balanced healthy diet and losing weight does not mean depriving yourself of a tasty and satisfying meal. If you are looking for low calorie and low fat diet ideas, start with a fantastic chili recipe.
Even if other members of your family are not trying to loose weight or are not interested in eating a healthy diet these changes will have very little effect on the flavor of your favorite chili recipes. Chili is packed with vitamins and minerals. Whether you cook a white chicken chili or a ground turkey chili with tomatoes, everyone will love having chili for dinner.
Here are 5 basic tips to make any chili recipes be healthy low calorie recipes.
Tip 1: Enjoy! Be mindful and Plan. There is nothing worse then being on a diet and eating bland food or getting hungry an hour or two later. Chili is a very tasty, healthy and filling meal. When your food has bold flavors you do not feel deprived. When you are planning your menu and grocery list always include enough ingredients to double the recipe. Freeze the leftovers in portion sizes for a lunch or dinner. That way when you are in a hurry and do not have time to cook you will not be tempted by unhealthy choices.
Tip 2: Saute any seasoning using Pam olive oil spray or rub the bottom of the pot with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Olive oil is considered a healthy smart fat but it still has calories.
Tip 3: Instead of using ground meat in your chili, substitute ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast in any chili recipe.
If the recipe calls for beef chunks substitute chunks of chicken breast.
Tip 4: Add additional vegetables to the chili recipe. Add in chunks of zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, broccoli, sweet potato, green beans, spinach, cauliflower, parsnips, etc. We should all strive to eat 6-12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. One trick to get your family to eat vegetable they do not like is to select 2 to 3 vegetables and puree them. Add 1/2 - 1 cup of the vegetable puree to the chili and freeze the leftover puree for a future use.
Tip 5: Substitute other toppings on your chili, like chopped tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, sauteed onions, salsa, etc. If you must have cheese and sour cream use the low fat or no fat versions.
Enjoy losing weight and eating a balanced healthy diet with a delicious bowl of chili!
Try a variety of delicious chili recipes at Chili Every Way It takes the mundane out of eating healthy and/or dieting. It presents fresh new ideas for delicious chili recipes that everyone will love.
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