Three easy-to-make low-calorie lunch recipes

We're always taught that in order to lose weight we need to eat less.
But...
The "eat less" tactic is a bit more complicated than that.

Studies have shown that for us to feel full, we need to eat the same amount of calories each meal. 

This means that when we eat smaller portions, we also reduce our calorie intake. Which is good for losing weight and shedding fat, but we might start feeling hungry very quickly again and start looking for snacks.

So what's a better way to overcome this problem?Eating volume food - foods that have a lot of volume to them, but are typically low in calories.

So today we're giving you 3 easy to make lunch recipes you can make at home. High volume, low calories, full of water and fibre content.

Recipe 1: Chicken & Veggies Light Minestrone

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 white onion
• 100 g of chicken breast
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 carrots
• 200 g of green cabbage
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 100 g of peas – frozen
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Dry parsley
• Dry marjoram
• Dry basil
• Black ground pepper
• 400 ml of chicken stock
• 100 g of whole wheat pasta – dry
• Fresh parsleySalt

Directions:

• Finely chop the onion and sauté it in olive oil over medium heat until it starts to golden.
• Add chunks of chicken breast and stir fry for 3 minutes.
• Chop your veggies and add it to the pot. Stir, cover and let it cook for 3 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, finely chopped garlic and spices. Stir it constantly over a medium fire until the spices release their aroma.
• Add hot chicken stock and bring everything to a boil.
• Add pasta, bring the heat to a minimum and cook as long as instructed on the pasta box or to your taste.
• You can enjoy it right away, or let it cool down and reheat it tomorrow. Refrigerated in an air-tight container it will last up to 3 days.

One serving = 182 cal

Recipe 2: Tomato soup

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 100 g of fresh tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 shallot
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• Dry basil
• Dry thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 dl of veggie stock
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Wash the tomatoes and cut a shallow X into them at the bottom. Place in boiling water for 30 seconds, then take them out and shock them with very icy cold water.
• Start peeling the tomatoes at the Xs and cut them into chunks.
• Finely chop and sauté the onions in a pot over medium heat.
• When onions start to get translucent, add a low-calorie sweetener, stir, and add crushed garlic and spices.
• Add fresh and canned tomatoes, cover with the lid and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add veggie stock and season it to your taste.
• Cook for 30 minutes.
• Use a hand blender to liquefy the content of the pot. If you like bigger chunks blend in pulses and check consistency regularly.

One serving = 130 cal

Recipe 3: Chili maple and lemon glazed salmon

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of mustard
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of tamari
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
• ½ a lemon
• 2 100 g salmon fillets

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
• In a small bowl whisk together cayenne pepper, lemon juice, mustard, onion powder, tamari sauce, and maple syrup. Set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place salmon fillets on top –  4 cm apart.
• Drizzle the spicy maple sauce over the fillets - some of the sauce will drip on the parchment paper and create a mini spicy puddle, but don't worry about it.
• Cut 2-6 thin lemon slices and place them over fillets.
• Put salmon in the oven and bake for 15-19 minutes.
• Serve with a big bowl of green salad or grilled vegetables.

One serving = 140 kcal