Quick Low-Fat Dinner Ideas

Living in such a fast-paced world, it's difficult to eat healthy, but just avoiding processed food and cooking with fresh ingredients goes a long way. Delicious meals that are balanced and low in calories can be made at home in under 30 minutes.

Baked Chicken Curry

Baking chicken is substantially better for you than frying. Try chicken curry. Simply coat chicken breasts with a sauce made of ginger, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Add a few vegetables of your choice. Serve with rice.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Grilled chicken is another low-calorie option. Marinate the chicken in lemon juice, garlic and a bit of olive oil overnight for best effect, or just 10-15 minutes before cooking. Grill on medium heat, basting over the chicken occasionally. Serve with vegetables and rice or baked potatoes. You can also cut the chicken up to make kabobs with peppers and onions.

Apple Glazed Pork Chops

Brown pork chops with salt and sage in canola oil. Transfer chops into a baking pan. Add 2 to 3 tbsp. of flour, 1/2 a cup of chicken broth and 1 tbsp. of apple vinegar to the pan of oil. Boil and stir for about two minutes. Pour sauce over pork chops and garnish with apple slices and a touch of brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with steamed spinach or broccoli.

Sauteed Scallops

Heat olive oil in a pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on scallops and add them to the pan. Cook two to four minutes, turning each scallop once. There are a variety of garnishes and sauces you can add, including lemon juice, cilantro, shallots or tartar sauce. Serve with a vegetable and/or side of rice or pasta with alfredo sauce.

Tofu Stir Fry with Vegetables

Saute tofu, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers or any vegetables you like in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add teriyaki or soy sauce. Stir in a few tablespoons of flour and 1/2 a cup of water or beef broth. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over white rice.

References

• Lemon Chicken
• Chicken Curry
• Glazed Pork

Resources

• CookingLight.com