Easy Low-Calorie Meals

Easy low calorie meals can help you to maintain and/or lose weight. These meals are simple, quick, healthy and low calorie - just what you need for your weight loss or maintenance plan.

Chili made with kidney beans is extremely filling, is loaded with fiber and is flavorful. To make chili even lower calorie, add vegetables and use either extra lean ground beef or forgo the beef altogether.

Other bean soups and stews such as black bean soup and lentil soup also make high fiber, low calorie meals. Best of all, they can all be made in the crock pot, so you can mix up your recipe the night before, put it in the crock pot in the morning and return home in the evening to a ready-to-serve meal.

Fish is low calorie and easy to cook. It can be grilled or baked without much extra added fat and served with low calorie sides like steamed vegetables and rice.

An extra, added bonus, fish is loaded with highly nutritious Omega-3 fatty acids to help fight inflammation and keep you healthy.

Salad doesn't need to be just a side dish. It can be your entire meal. Healthy salads filled with dark green leafy vegetables and other vegetables and then topped with a lean grilled meat such as chicken or shrimp offer vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.

To keep calories low, select a low calorie salad dressing with a citrus or vinegar base, or drizzle your salad with flavorful balsamic dressing and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Kebabs make an easy low calorie meal, and they don't need to be just for summer. Indoor grills such as the George Foreman grill make it easy to enjoy grilled flavors all year long.

To make healthful, low calorie kebabs, choose a lean meat such as chicken or turkey breast, shrimp or lean beef, marinate and then skewer with a variety of healthy vegetables.

Soups of all kinds make easy low calorie meals. Better yet, they can typically be made in one pot, or even in the crock pot. Choose soups with a clear broth and lots of vegetables, and then use lean meats sparingly to make a healthy, warm and satisfying meal.

There are a number of pasta dishes that are easy low calorie meals, such as spaghetti marinara and puttanesca. Using whole grain pasta adds fiber and can make the dish more filling and satisfying. Adding more vegetables to the sauce pumps up the nutritional profile.

Avoid cream and butter based sauces. Instead, opt for fresh tomato based sauces for a fresh and delicious low calorie meal.

Instead of a sandwich with two caloric slices of bread, try making a wrap using a low-calorie, whole grain tortilla. Tortillas wrapped around healthy ingredients like lean proteins and vegetables can make a quick, light meal that is great on the go or at home.

Low fat tortillas can also be wrapped around kidney, pinto or black beans and topped with salsa for a quick. flavorful burrito.

The trick to a healthy, low calorie stir fry is to use minimal oil, a lean protein and lots of vegetables. When combined with brown rice or buckwheat noodles, stir fries can be an excellent and quick low calorie meal option.

Low calorie meals don't have to be difficult to make. With a little planning, you can make quick, delicious low calorie meals that will keep you winning the battle of the bulge. For more information see:

• 1200 Calorie Diet Plan
• Low Calorie Food that Fills