Have you been searching online for some healthy recipes to help lose weight? That’s great! Eating healthy is something that people often cannot make time for.
However, you’ve at least taken the first step in that journey. Now, it’s time to look at some ingredients that have a place in all weight loss recipes. Don’t raise that eyebrow just yet. You’ll soon understand why it’s essential to understand the ingredients first.
The great thing about any culinary recipe is that, unlike most other things, it allows you some wiggle room. There is no dish that cannot be improved upon or made healthier. With a few ingredients in your back pocket, you can add a great deal of variety to your cooking.
Read on to know more about these ingredients.
Versatile ingredients for healthy recipes
Some ingredients are specifically meant to enhance the dish’s flavour before they are removed from the final serving. While these ingredients are handy, they aren’t going to be helpful to you in any way.
Instead, you need to look for healthy vegetables and protein sources that reduce the final calorie count in a dish. You will find a few of them listed below:
Carrots
People don’t give the humble carrot the credit it deserves. High in fibre and nutrients, carrots are incredibly useful in any healthy recipe.
What’s even more helpful is that it can reduce the acidity inherent in tomato sauces. So, making some spaghetti with a tomato sauce?
Well, then drop some finely diced carrots in there. You’ll find that sauce comes out consistent and filling.
Chickpeas
If you want to substitute starch with something else, chickpeas can be a great alternative. Rich in vitamins and minerals, they make for an excellent base for any dish.
Cook it with some pumpkin if you want a sweeter dish. That removes the need for any granulated sugar or other additives. Another way to prepare chickpeas is to let them stew with some other mixed lentils. The result is a glorious, chunky and healthy soup.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds have been all the rage recently. Due to a low-calorie count, more people want to incorporate the ingredient into their dishes.
What many don’t consider is that chia seeds are great for pairing with desserts. So if you are considering making a pudding, drop some cubed mangoes into the base and top it off with chia seeds.
You now have a great healthy dessert with a texture not usually found in other pudding recipes.
Broccoli
Who doesn’t love a good salad?
They are quick and easy to prepare and end up tasting great. It’s crucial, though, that you remember not all vegetables are the same. Some may seem healthy but actually aren’t.
Broccoli isn’t among those vegetables. Additionally, it’s perhaps the most versatile one on this list. Steam them, boil them or flash-fry them in a little bit of olive oil. No matter what you do, broccoli always ends up tasting great.
An idea for a great salad recipe is to boil some broccoli and mix it in with some lemon juice. After that, you can put in whatever base ingredients you prefer. You get a tangy, delicious salad that is nutritious and which will hold you till the next meal.
Wrapping up
A recent survey in Australia shows that 60% of the interviewed subjects are trying to lose weight in one way or another. The sample size for that survey was well over 18,000. That’s not just some minor study.
Weight loss recipes would be an excellent solution for those people. After all, while exercising is always a good idea regardless of your weight, you also need a consistently healthy diet.