When we’re trying to cut back, cooking healthy meals can seem overwhelming. But it does NOT have to be! It can be really easy to cook healthy meals, I promise.

10 Easy Diet Meals

Here are some notes to keep in mind when creating your easy diet meals.

1. Reduce Starchy Carbohydrates

Please note I didn’t say “eliminate”! Reducing total carbohydrates in the diet is significantly proven to:
– reduce your appetite
– cause faster weight loss compared to high carb diets
– boost your metabolism while losing weight if eating adequate protein

What are starchy carbohydrates? Starches include grains like bread, rice, pasta, and quinoa, and they also include starchy vegetables like beans, peas, corn, and potatoes.

Starch serving sizes are generally 120 calories – a slice of thicker bread, 1/2 cup of cooked rice, quinoa, or beans, or 1 cup starchy vegetables like corn.

When you start tracking your calories, notice how many servings of starches you’re eating. Can you eat 1 or 2 fewer servings without feeling deprived?

2. Add Non-starchy Vegetables for Volume

This is really the best trick! Carbohydrates are primarily found in both starches (listed above) and non-starchy vegetables, but you can get so much more bang for your buck by filling up on the veggies.

For example, would you prefer to eat 1/2 cup of rice, or 3 cups of cauliflower rice?

3. Follow my “Formula” for Lunch & Dinner

It’s easy to create filling and energizing lunches & dinners with my “formula” also known as #thatformula:
– 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables, like lettuces, bell peppers, broccoli, etc.
– 100-200 calories of fats, like avocado, cheese, oil etc.
– 4-5 oz of protein like chicken, tofu, beef, etc.

Most of the recipes I list below follow this “formula”!

Below are 10 easy diet meals with pictures, ingredients, directions, and total calorie amounts!

(Ground) Beef & Broccoli

323 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli, frozen

• 3 oz ground beef, 85% lean, raw

• 3 tsp sesame seeds

• 1/3 Tbsp garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp soy ginger sauce

Directions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Add in garlic. Stir fry beef and broccoli for 5-6 minutes.

2. Remove broccoli & cut into small pieces. Add back into pan. Stir fry for another 3-4 minutes.

3. Add in sauce.

4. Top with sesame seeds when ready to eat.

5. Notes: No soy ginger sauce? Use soy sauce. No beef? Use ground turkey or tofu. Fresh or frozen broccoli can be used here – whatever you have! Also, if you have another % lean meat, that is also fine, use what you have.

Arugula Salad with Pasta and Avocado

357 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leafy greens, arugula, raw

• 1 cup tomatoes, grape

• 1/2 onion, red

• 2 servings uncured bacon, slice

• 1/2 cup pasta, elbows, whole wheat, cooked

• 1/2 avocado, small

• 2 Tbsp vinaigrette, less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp

• Dash: everything bagel seasoning

Directions:

1. Cook pasta, fry bacon and cut into small pieces, halve tomatoes, dice onion, and cut avocado into small pieces

2. Add everything bagel seasoning to avocado

3. Mix all ingredients together with dressing

4. No bacon? Use turkey bacon or soy bacon. No everything bagel seasoning? Use dashes of salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. No avocado? Use extra bacon.

Bell Pepper Sandwiches with Tomato Mozzarella Salad

458 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers, green

• 1 cup tomatoes, grape

• 1/4 onion, white

• 1/2 avocado, small

• 1 cucumber, medium

• 1 oz mozzarella balls, mini

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except bell peppers

2. Cut open bell peppers, scoop out seeds and remove stems. Fill with salad

3. If making multiple servings, recommend only make for 2-3 days ahead of time to preserve freshness

BBQ Pineapple Chicken Bake

444 calories

Ingredients:

• 5 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw

• 1 cup pineapple, frozen chunks, unsweetened

• 1/2 onion, red

• 1 cup leafy greens, lettuce raw

• 1 Tbsp barbeque sauce

• 1/3 cup cheese, shredded, mozzarella

• 1 Tbsp green onions

• Dash: garlic salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Spray baking sheet or casserole dish with an oil spray

3. Add in chicken, top with BBQ sauce, 1/2 cup pineapple (per serving), cheese, a quarter of the the onion (sliced)

4. Bake for 35 minutes

5. Make sure chicken gets to 165 degrees F – use an instant read thermometer

6. Serve on top of a mixed salad of lettuce, and the rest of the onion (diced) and pineapple

Basic B Chili with Spicy Cauli Rice

366 calories

Ingredients:

• 4 oz ground beef, 90% lean, raw

• 1 cup canned, diced tomatoes

• 1 cup carrots, medium

• 1/4 onion, yellow

• 1/4 cup celery stalks, chopped in half

• 1 cup veggie noodles/rice, cauliflower “rice”, raw

• 2 Tbsp cheese, Parmesan, grated

• Dashes: chili seasoning, garlic salt, cumin, red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. This recipe works best when making 2-3 servings.

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir fry beef until no longer pink.

3. While beef is cooking, spray a pot with an oil spray. Cook carrot (chopped), onion (diced), and celery (diced) for ~6-7 minutes.

4. Add in tomatoes and beef. Add in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes. Cook on low heat for at least 10 minutes.

5. Clean the ground beef pan and spray it again with an oil spray. Stir-fry cauliflower rice for 7-8 minutes, or until you see some browning.

6. Add in Parmesan cheese, cumin, and chili powder.

7. Top cauli rice with chili and serve.

8. If you want to add a little cilantro and/or sliced jalapeno please do!

9. No beef? Use ground turkey or tofu instead. No cheese? Use a dairy-free version.

Broccoli Feta and Bacon Salad

439 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli

• 2 servings uncured bacon, slices

• 1/3 cheese, crumbled, feta

• 1/2 onion, yellow

• 1/8 cup sunflower seeds, hulled

• 2 Tbsp vinaigrette, less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp

Directions:

1. Cut broccoli florets into smaller pieces

2. Cook bacon on the stovetop (or microwave or oven if you prefer) and cut into small pieces

3. Roasted & salted sunflower seeds are fine

4. Mix all ingredients together

5. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, see supplemental materials. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon.

Burrito Bowl with Black Beans

375 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups leafy greens, lettuce, raw

• 4 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw

• 1/2 bell pepper, green

• 1/4 onion, yellow

• 1/2 cup beans & legumes, black beans, cooked

• 1/8 cup cheese, shredded, mozzarella

• 1/4 cup salsa

Directions:

1. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Slice chicken into strips. Cook chicken for 6-7 minutes, turning strips over regularly. Make sure chicken gets to 165 degrees internally (use an instant-read thermometer).

2. While chicken is cooking, spray a second pan with an oil spray. Stir-fry veggies (sliced) for 7-8 minutes. Add in beans for the last 3-4 minutes

3. Top veggies with cheese

4. Combine all ingredients into a salad

5. No chicken? Use tofu or canned tuna.

Carrot Zoodles Pad Thai

476 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups veggie noodles/rice, carrot noodles “coodles”, raw

• 1/2 bell pepper, red

• 5 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw

• 1 Tbsp scallions

• 2 Tbsp peanut sauce

• 1/8 cup peanuts

• 2 slice lime

• Dash: chili seasoning

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into small pieces

2. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken pieces for 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through

3. Spray a second pan with an oil spray. Cook carrot zoodles through, if cooking from frozen – drain away any excess liquid

4. Add in all ingredients (besides lime, scallions and pepper flakes) to the carrot zoodle pan, and heat through

5. Top with scallions and red pepper flakes, and squeeze lime wedges on top

6. No animal protein? Use tofu. No carrot zoodles? Use regular zoodles! I prefer the ones in the frozen section – they often taste better!

Cauli Mac & Cheese

428 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups veggie noodles/rice, cauliflower “rice”, raw

• 1/4 cup milk, 2%

• 1 1/2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese

• 1/3 cup cheese, shredded, cheddar

• 1/3 cup cheese, Parmesan, grated

• 1/3 Tbsp dijon

• Dash: garlic salt

Directions:

1. This recipe works best when making 2-3 servings at one time. So double or triple the ingredients above & portion into 2-3 servings.

2. Spray pot with an oil spray

3. Stir fry cauli rice for 7 minutes, stirring frequently

4. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring continuously

5. Make sure whole pot contents is heated through, serve immediately

6. Note: 1/3 Tbsp = 1 tsp.

7. Dairy free? Use dairy free cheeses or swap this meal out for something else you’d prefer.

Char and Black Bean Salad

447 calories

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup beans & legumes, black beans, cooked

• 4 oz char

• 1/3 cup cheese, crumbled, feta

• 2 Tbsp cilantro

• Dashes: red pepper flakes, salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Coat pan with 2 teaspoons oil

2. Add in Char and cover with a lid for ~8-9 minutes

3. Remove once fish is easy to flake, season after cooking with salt & pepper

4. While fish is cooking, combine beans, feta, cilantro, red pepper flakes

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