A key aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is when one can reach a good balance in both physical and mental health. A major part of ensuring this can be attributed to an individual’s diet, where research has shown that a low-calorie diet leads to a high-quality life.
Most diets involve reducing calories in some way or the other, by either consuming foods that contain less calories but fill you up faster, or by restricting food source options so you consume fewer items overall. A low-calorie diet is one that restricts your daily calorie intake; for men this means consuming between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day, and for women the daily calorie intake lies between 1,000 and 1,200 calories. For those seeking a diet that aids rapid weight loss, a VLCD (Very Low-Calorie Diet) can be followed which follows a strict regime of consuming no more than 800 calories a day.
Overall,it has been medically proven that following a low-calorie diet provides the benefits such as:
- Lower rates of cancer
- Reduced degeneration of the brain due to ageing
- Higher energy levels leading to greater physical activity
- Longer lifespan
This article has compiled a list of 5 healthy but affordable low-calorie foods that are readily available all year round. For each food, we have also included an easy-to-cook recipe over a range of both sweet and savory flavors to keep your taste buds tingling and your tummy happy while you cut out the fat!
1. Spinach
- Calories per cup (approx.): 7
- Nutrients per cup (approx.): 1.1g Carbohydrates, 0.9g Protein, 0.1g Fat, Sodium, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc, Selenium, Folic Acid, Beta-Carotene
It also contains disease fighting anti-oxidants that strengthen your immune system, and the phytochemical ‘Lutein’which prevents age-related muscular degeneration of the eyes.
Recipe: Sautéed Spinach
- Servings: 4
- Total calories: 41
- Prep time: 5 mins
- Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (approx.3 cloves)
- 1 bag baby spinach leaves(approx.12 oz)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Fresh ground pepper(or to taste)
- Fresh lemons
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large, deep, nonstick pan
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute
- Add spinach, salt and pepper and toss with garlic and oil
- Cover pan and cook on low heat for about 1 minute
- Cover pan and cook on low heat for about 1 minute
- Uncover pan, turn the heat on high and cook spinach for another minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the spinach is wilted
- Place spinach into a serving dish and squeeze fresh lemon all
2. Mushrooms
- Calories per cup (approx.): 15
- Nutrients per cup (approx.): 2.3g Carbohydrates, 2.1g Protein, 0.2g Fat, Sodium, Calcium,Potassium, Iron,Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Copper, Selenium, Fiber
Small mushrooms contain as little as 2 calories each, while wild mushrooms are abundant in the anti-oxidant ‘Ergothioneine’, which when cooked in red wine releases the anti-oxidant ‘Resveratrol’ that helps boost immunity. These benefits are realized in all popular mushroom types including White Button, Portobello, and Maitake; Shiitake mushrooms also contain ‘Lentinan’ which has anti-cancer properties.
Recipe: Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
- Servings: 4
- Total calories: 94
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cook time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms (stems removed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Coat a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with cooking spray
- Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan
- Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper
- Roast until tender(about 20 minutes)
- Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, oil, the remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven and top each cap with about 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture, spreading evenly
- Return to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are browned, (about 5 minutes)
3. Berries
- Calories per cup (approx.): 32 per ½ cup
- Nutrients: Vitamin C, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Anti-oxidants
Our top berry mix picks include blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, but you can choose any berry you like. They are packed with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that boost immunity and help prevent conditions of age-related degeneration such as cancer, heart disease, and memory loss. Wild blueberries, in particular, contain the highest level of anti-oxidants found in any fresh fruit as the contain a significant amount of the anti-oxidant ‘Anthocyanin’.
Recipe: Berry-GoodSmoothie
- Servings:1 smoothie
- Total calories: 130
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions:
- Combine all the smoothie ingredients in a blender
- Blend until silky smooth
- Pour into a glass and enjoy
4. Pumpkin
- Calories per cup (approx.): 30
- Nutrients: Potassium, Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Potassium, Copper
It is found to be an especially good component of ones’ diet for lowering blood pressure and treating diabetes.
Recipe: Pumpkin Soup
- Servings:6
- Total calories: 80
- Prep time:15 mins
- Cook time:25 mins
Ingredients:
- 1.5 litres (6 ¼ cups) vegetable stock
- 2 large onions (roughly chopped)
- 10 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 650g pumpkin (peeled, de-seeded, roughly chopped)
- 35g parsley (roughly chopped)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Place all ingredient EXCEPT for the pepper and oil into a large pot
- Bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover
- Cook for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft
- Blend until smooth
- Add the oil and pepper and blend again for a few seconds to make sure the oil does not separate
5. Zucchini
- Calories per cup (approx.): 20
- Nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate, Fiber, Beta-carotene
It is also known to be a “high-volume” food as it fills you up but keeps the calorie count low. Additionally, they also contain the anti-oxidants ‘Lutein’ and ‘Zeaxanthin’ which promote better vision for the long-term.
Recipe: Crunchy Zucchini Rounds with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
- Servings:8
- Total calories: 86
- Prep time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 zucchini
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (about 24)
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
- Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch-thick rounds and lay on large platter
- Season with salt and pepper
- Place a slice of sun-dried tomato on each zucchini and top with a pinch of goat cheese
- Sprinkle chopped chives and drizzle oil over each serving
