Eating sensibly doesn’t have to be boring. Keep things on the light side, but flavorful, by adding a few spices to a seafood or chicken dish or by using low-fat yogurt to make a refreshing smoothie or a low-cal dill sauce. Hang on to taste and dump the calories. Fresh garden vegetables, especially when roasted in the oven or on the barbeque, are great low-cal options and a real summer treat.
Here are some recipes that are big on taste, but amazingly light on calories. In sharing them with you, we hope to inspire you to cook smarter, healthier and lighter. We urge you to visit the websites referenced in each recipe to find hundreds of exciting low-calorie cooking ideas.
Let’s get started with this spicy dish that weighs in right around 200 calories, is low in fat and makes a perfect lunch or light supper.
Indian-Spiced Shrimp Wrap
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 8 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Preparation
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly; stir in salt. Cool. Combine spice mixture and shrimp in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours. Then, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture; sauté 7 minutes or until shrimp are done. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/2 cup shrimp mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Information
Per serving: CALORIES 213 (14% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 24.1g; CHOLESTEROL 162mg; CALCIUM 70mg; SODIUM 561mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.3g
Check out more recipes on www.CookingLight.com
Mango-Cucumber Salad
Light and refreshing, this summer salad has so few calories you can enjoy it whenever you like.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Thai green curry paste
- 1 English (seedless) cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 small mango, chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped red radish
- 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Preparation
In a small bowl, mix vinegar, garlic, and curry paste. Put cucumber, mango, radish, onion, basil, and mint in a medium bowl, then toss with vinegar mixture to coat. Garnish with black sesame seeds. Yield: 6 servings
Nutritional Information
Per serving: CALORIES 34 (5% from fat); FAT 0.2g (sat 0.0g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; SODIUM 69mg; FIBER 1.4g; CARBOHYDRATE 7.7g
This recipe was submitted by Roxanne Chan, Albany, CA to Sunset Magazine and published in MAY 2007. Check out more recipes online at www.MyRecipes.com.
Grilled Chicken with Dill Sauce
Turn on the barb-b and get ready for a grilled chicken dish that’s light on calories and topped with a refreshing dill sauce. We found this great summertime favorite on www.cooks.com. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken breast halves (2 lbs.) skinned
- 1/2 c. reduced calorie Italian salad dressing
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Vegetable cooking spray
- Lime wedges
- Dill sauce
Preparation
Trim fat from chicken. Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and flatten to 1/4 inch thick, using meat mallet or rolling pin. Place chicken in a 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Combine next 5 ingredients in a small bowl, pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Prepare dill sauce. Then, remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Coat grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken 6 inches over medium coals for 8 minutes, turning once. Arrange chicken on a serving platter, garnish with lime wedges. Serve either warm or chilled with 1 1/2 tbsp Dill Sauce per serving.
Dill Sauce
- 1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
- 1/4 c. low fat 1% cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp. chopped green onion
- 1/2 tsp. dried whole dillweed
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
Combine all sauce ingredients and process until smooth in electric blender. Cover and chill thoroughly. Yield: 8 servings.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: CALORIES 154; FAT 3g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; SODIUM low
Tropical Fruit Smoothie
Everyone deserves a refreshing break on a hot summer day. One sip of this delicious smoothie and you’ll feel as if you’re on the warm sands of a tropical beach, enjoying the gentle island breezes. With just over 100 calories, this recipe from www.EatingWell.com packs in plenty of nutrition. So go ahead sit back, put your feet up and daydream of paradise.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed fresh or canned pineapple
- 1 banana, sliced
- ½ cup silken tofu or low-fat plain yogurt
- ½ cup frozen passion fruit concentrate
- ½ cup water
- 2 ice cubes
- 1 tablespoon wheat bran or oat bran (optional)
Preparation
Combine pineapple, banana, tofu (or yogurt), passion fruit concentrate, water, ice cubes and wheat bran (or oat bran), if using, in a blender; cover and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Per serving: CALORIES 109; FAT 2g (0g sat, 0g mono); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21g; PROTEIN 4g; FIBER 2g; SODIUM 26mg. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value); 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Enjoy your summer and enjoy light, but tasty meals. We recommend you visit some of sites we did. Many offer an Advanced Recipe Search that allows you to enter your recipe requirements: low fat, low calorie, low sodium, etc. Then, their search engines display hundreds of great-tasting recipes that make it easy to cook right and eat light – without all those unwanted calories!