3 Great Dinners to Diet For

3 Great Dinners to Diet For by Rosie Peters

What's the hardest part about a weight control diet? It's a trick question, cause you know as well as I do that the answer is basically everything; deciding to lose weight, making a plan and keeping to it, overcoming setbacks, keeping the weight off. Need I go on and on and on?

Yet another difficult thing about weight loss and diet control is wading through what you are going to eat and in many cases subject your family to in the name of healthy living.

I have noticed that very many diet cookbooks aim to attract their readers with fetching photos of scrumptious entrees and deserts as well as a huge variety of main courses. I have also noticed that weight loss magazines often endorse diets that involve you eating something different every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Have these people nothing else to do than slave in the kitchen? Do they expect you to whip up an intricate but low cal soup and an egg white soufflé each and every day? What do they think you are doing with your leftovers?

If you do not get into an easy to prepare and tasty eating pattern it's not weight you are likely to lose, but motivation.

Your time is important. Let's face it, one reason you need to drop a dress size or three (or shirt size guys) is that you can't find the time to plan your meals and to exercise every day. I want to make this easier for you.

You need to sort out what you need to eat and how much of it and stick to this like a chubby little limpet.

You don't need to eat entree. You don't need to create a low cal desert. What you need is to eat something filling and tasty and nutritious so that you can lose weight and keep it off as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Ok, I'd like to share 3 great recipes with you that are tasty, quick to prepare and either leave no leftovers or can be eaten in two distinctly separate sittings.

1. Chicken Fillet Parcels: Chicken fillets are an extremely good source of protein and should only be ignored by vegetarians. Grab a big fillet for each person, marinate it for 30 minutes or more (overnight if you like) in a mixture of ketjap manis or light soy sauce, minced garlic, chilli and ginger to taste (use the bottled variety, you have no time to waste). Oh, and use a plastic bag to marinate the meat in, so the marinade can get up close and personal with all of the surfaces of the chicken. When you have infused some flavour in the chook (some would say unkindly that flavorsome chicken is an oxymoron) wrap each fillet separately in a baking paper parcel and bake it for 20 minutes at 200°C/400° F. Serve it with some brown rice and steamed broccoli (ditch the rice if you are determined to lower your carbs at night).

2. Grilled Lamb Fillets: Again, one fillet per person. Coat your fillets with the spices of your dreams and grill to your desired doneness. Grab a premixed packet salad and tart it up somewhat with some tomato wedges, cucumber slices and a bit of low fat feta. Put some low cal salad dressing on the table if you must and if carbs are the love of your life, boil a few jacket potatoes without butter or cream or any other straight to the hips type extras. Low fat yogurt on potatoes is a great distraction for your taste buds and your body will still respect you in the morning.

3. Pork fillet (or Chicken or Lamb or Beef or Fish fillet or Tofu) Curry: Chop up enough meat/tofu for everyone. Slice an onion or two and grab a packet of frozen beans and a jar of yellow curry paste (or a curry you like better than this one). Dry fry the onion, add the meat (not the tofu) and dollop the paste on top. Fry this for a few minutes till the smell is making your stomach contract in anticipation and the meat is sealed, then add enough light coconut milk to drown the meat (it's a mercy killing). When this is bubbling again add the beans (and tofu if you are boycotting the meat) and go for a good old simmer for about 20 minutes.
In this time, you can be cooking the rice (if you use brown rice, you should start on it before the curry - brown rice must be good for you cause it takes so long to cook). Again if you are a brave and determined weight control dieter, just eat the curry without the carbs.

There you have it, 3 great meals that are tasty, nutritious and versatile.

What's for desert?
Have a go at seasonal fruit or berries in low fat yogurt. A little boy I know said to his new foster mum, "Fruit isn't desert!" to which she firmly responded "It is in this house". The wise little boy ate the fruit and decided to really love it.

It's all a matter of how you want to see it and whether you can make it suit your purpose.

Enjoy your dinner.