Delicious dinners to lose weight

Published: 08/31/2008 - Updated: 08/13/2019

If you're dieting and you are tired of eating the same, or are vegetarian and want something special for dinner, here are these very light and easy to make dinners, low in calories and very original, made with wheat , barley , peas , vegetables that are very healthy ingredients for you to enjoy the cuisine.

Couscous (wheat salad)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 150 grams of organic couscous
  • fresh mint
  • 1 cucumber
  • Parsley
  • Pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • Salt
  • 4 tomatoes
  • the juice of 3 lemons

Preparation

  1. Peel and seed the cucumber and tomatoes and cut into cubes.
  2. Clean the peppers , remove the seeds and white parts and cut into thin slices. Peel and chop the onion . Chop the herbs , reserving some mint leaves for decoration.
  3. In a bowl put the couscous and drizzle with lemon juice . Add the vegetables and herbs and mix everything well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix again and put it overnight in the fridge.
  4. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil . Let stand half an hour and serve cool .

Serrana Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 endive
  • 100 gr of peeled hazelnuts
  • 8 grapes
  • 2 slices of bread
  • Thin slices of vegetarian ham
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of vinegar
  • Salt

Preparation

  1. Wash and dry the chopped escarole. Cut the bread into cubes and cook in a pan along with the hazelnuts.
  2. Off the heat , add two tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of paprika to the bread and hazelnuts take a little taste of paprika.
  3. Cut grapes into quarters. Come back and forth for a hot pan with oil, dry the vegetable ham slices.
  4. On a plate you put a base of endive dressed with oil , salt and vinegar and hold it with paprika crackers and hazelnuts.
  5. Top with grapes and toasted ham strips .

Asparagus in Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches of green asparagus
  • 1 cup of skim milk
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Ground white pepper

Preparation

  1. Boil the asparagus with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve heat . Then place in a pan , milk, cornstarch and mustard.
  2. Cook with low heat for 10 minutes until it forms a cream. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Locate the studs in a fountain, bathing with mustard cream leads to oven just to brown and serve hot .

Organic Barley salad with corn and peas

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup of organic pearl barley
  • 3 cups of cooked sweet corn kernels
  • ½ cup of cooked green peas
  • 1 large celery diced
  • 4 tomatoes diced
  • 3-4 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
  • 2 spring onions , sliced
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Lettuce leaves , for garnish

Preparation

  1. Bring to a boil 2 ½ cups of water in a saucepan.
  2. Stir in barley and simmer gently, covered, until the water is completely absorbed , about 40-45 minutes.
  3. Let cool barley to room temperature.
  4. In large bowl, combine barley with the remaining ingredients except lettuce. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
  5. Garnish each plate with lettuce leaves and then distributes the salad over them.

Vegetable Snacks

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini , cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup of mushrooms
  • 1 bell pepper yellow and one red, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup of tomatoes ( tomatoes ) large cherry
  • 1/4 cup of Italian dressing reduced fat sharp
  • 2 tablespoons of grated cheese
  • Seasoning to taste

Preparation

  1. Preheat grill to medium -high .
  2. Toss vegetables and tomatoes with dressing. Place in the center of a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil 18 inches long. ( Or, alternatively , use two sheets of foil regularly. )
  3. Lift the paper sides.
  4. Fold the paper twice top and end to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
  5. Cook the package, turning after 4 minutes into , 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender .
  6. Cut several slits in the foil to allow steam to escape before opening the package. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with cheese.

About the author
  • Dra. Loredana Lunadei

    Dr. Loredana Lunadei is a specialist in food, dietetics and nutrition. She studied at the University of Milan where she obtained a Master in Food Science and Technology. Subsequently, she continued her studies, completing her PhD also at the University of Milan. Linkedin.

1 Reply to “Delicious dinners to lose weight”
  • Stacy says:

    You guys always seem to have the best recipes, and again…you have not let me down. I tried the couscous recipe and it was amazing! couscous is one of my favorite side dishes, and I was glad to find a new way to try it. Next on my list is the asaparagus. I don’t like the way it makes pee smell…but that’s a tradeoff.