5 Healthy No-cook Meals

While I'm a huge fan of good, no-holds-bar-on-the-calories food, I am also a fan of keeping my body fat to a healthy level. These meals are all very low in calories and have a relatively low fat content. 

1. Breakfast: Plain yogurt + fruit

        Plain yogurt is low-fat and loaded with protein and calcium. I advise you to stay away from artificially flavoured yogurts and yogurt drinks. I just think you do not need to consume those extra calories and chemicals when you can have it the natural and equally delicious way. Appreciating plain yogurt is really all about finding the right combinations. This grape, strawberry and 1/2 cup - 1 cup of plain yogurt combo is the bomb, and I swear by all of my cooking abilities that you are much better with it than with a fake version.

         When you're in the supermarket, fill your basket up with natural and organic food and not artificial products. It may be a little bit pricier, but investing in your own health now is way better than paying for any of those hectic medical bills in the future! Keep your body full of natural, and easy-to-digest produce. 

2. Snack: Cheese + Fruit "Platter"
          A low fat cheese is a great match to a subtly sweet fruit like a pear. I think it is so much fun to look for different types of cheeses to go with a certain fruit or snack. Yeah, you all know how much I love my cheeses. I just think that the saltiness of cheese compliments certain sweet fruits perfectly. This olive, pear, and low-fat Gouda option is delicious. You can roll a strip of low-fat gouda around a slice of pear and pin it with an olive by using a tooth pick. 

3. Lunch: Lettuce Wraps
          Two words for all the dieters out there that have been craving for burritos, gyros or shawarma wraps: LETTUCE WRAPS. OH MY GOSH, I cannot get enough! Ask anyone in my home and they will gladly tell you how much I am in love with these wraps. They're quick, tasty and delicious. You can pair lettuce, tomato and onions with almost anything too! You can use canned fish, chicken breast, lean beef or pork, and even ground meat! 

          You also have an option pick your favourite condiment or sauce to go along with it. LTO does not pack many calories so you can be lenient in condiment-picking. You can use a yummy cheese sauce, an eggplant dip, or a rich tomato sauce. 
          I mixed canned tuna with cubes of processed cheese. The lettuce should be a good wrap to hold the onions and tomato. This combo is just too perfect for people who want to eat quickly, tastily and (of course) lightly. 

4. Dessert: Banana + Dark chocolate & honey dip
          This organic chocolate dip almost changed my life. If you take it in moderation it can have the ability to solve any of your chocolate cravings without giving you any of that excess weight. I admit it, I am really not a chocolate-lover, but after finding out about the benefits of dark chocolate, I learned to love the taste. Natural dark chocolate packs a ton of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. It is really good substitute for any of those milk chocolate products. 

I use Manuka honey along with my dark chocolate. Manuka honey is really good for the body as well. Sometimes if I am feeling sick, I just take a teaspoon of the honey to make me feel more energetic. It has got a lot of benefits so if you want to know more about that, visit their site at http://manukahealth.ph/

5. Dinner: Kani Salad with a twist
          There are a lot of low-fat, sugar-free dressings that you can pick from in the grocery that will go great with a kani salad like this one. For this recipe I am using a watered-down, low-fat caesar salad dressing. I make sure to mix the dressing with water before pouring it on my salad so that I get more amount and coverage for lesser calories. Dressings can get a little too concentrated anyway and I find that water can improve the taste even more. 

          Kani (Crab stick) is a surprisingly high-protein, low-fat and low-sugar ingredient. It's a great viand for people who have no time to cook because it can go on almost anything. (Wraps, rice, bread, you name it!) It may tend to have a lot of sodium in it, so make sure to still use it in moderation.
          I love this combination the most because I can eat so much of it without having to load up on fat or calories either. Remember to hold back on the mango and dressing though because too much of it is still fattening. Just keep those two ingredients in check and go crazy with the lettuce for maximum fiber. More lettuce will also fill up your stomach much faster. Happy eating everyone!