You are what you eat. Losing belly fat doesn’t mean not eating well, and it doesn’t mean not enjoying what you eat. As a matter of fact, one way to keep your metabolism quick and effective is to eat frequent healthy meals throughout the day. 4 delicious recipes that will help you to lose belly fat include:
Squash, Tomato, Chard, And Chickpea Soup
This low-calorie soup is chock full of fiber, full of flavor, and full of bright nutritious vegetables. Fiber helps to keep you feeling full for longer, so you’re left feeling satisfied as a low calorie count helps to tackle belly fat. The best part is that the soup only takes less than 30 minutes to prepare – making it an instant weeknight hit.
To make the soup, you will need:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped butternut squash
- ¾ cups sliced parsnips
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh grated ginger
- 6 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
- 15oz can of stewed tomatoes
- 3 cups of chopped rainbow chard
- 15oz rinsed chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
In a large heavy-bottom pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in the squash, onion, and parsnips, stirring for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Once softened, add in garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Stir the mixture for about 1 minute for fragrance to develop.
Once fragrant, add in broth and stewed tomatoes, bringing the temperature to high until the pot reaches a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow soup to simmer for around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add in chard and chickpeas, stirring for about 2 minutes until chard turns a bright green color. To finish the soup, add the apple cider vinegar and top with chopped parsley before serving.
Avocado With Salmon Salad
Either for a light dinner or a hearty lunch, avocados with salmon salad is a refreshing, filling, and nutritious option. It’s rich with healthy fats, a high protein level for a satisfying meal, and there’s no cooking required. For this recipe, you will need:
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 5oz cans of cooked prepared salmon
- 2 avocados
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- Chopped chives
To begin this no-cook recipe, mix yogurt, celery, parsley, lime juice, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Once mixed, add in the cans of prepared salmon. Halve both avocados, removing the pit carefully with a spoon. Once the pit is removed, remove about 1 tablespoon of flesh from each avocado, adding it to the salmon mixture. Once added, use a fork to mash the avocado into the salmon mixture, then stir until fully combined.
Once you have the completed mixture, scoop about ¼ cup and place inside each avocado center. Once you have four mounds of mixture in the four avocado halves, top with the chopped parsley.
Shrimp Scampi On Zucchini Noodles
With 19 grams of protein, just under 400 calories per serving, and just 6 grams of carbohydrates, Shrimp Scampi on Zucchini Noodles proves that comfort food can be as healthy as it is delicious. For this recipe you’ll need:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped shallot
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp white cooking wine
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 lb large, deveined shrimp
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
- 6 cups of spiraled zucchini
- 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
To begin this recipe, heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallot and stir for about 3 minutes or until the shallot has softened. Once shallot is soft, add garlic, stirring for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chicken stock and cooking wine to mixture, allowing the skillet to simmer until reduced or for about 2 minutes.
After simmering the shallot sauce, add in the shrimp, half of the salt, and the pepper, and allow to cook for around 3 minutes, turning once halfway through. Once cooked, remove just the shrimp from the skillet, leaving the shallot sauce in the hot skillet.
After removing the shrimp, add in the cherry tomatoes along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the tomatoes to cook for about a minute undisturbed, then add the zucchini to the skillet alongside the second ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss the mixture to combine, and then re-add the shrimp to the skillet mixture. Once the shrimp is warmed up in the mix, about 1 minute, remove from heat and add in 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
This recipe makes 4 servings, and once set in your bowls or on your plates, top with remaining grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Eggs, Sausage, And Tomato Aioli
Filled with kale, eggs, and sausage, this is a comfort “breakfast for dinner” dish that boasts fiber, protein, and a well-rounded collection of vitamins and minerals. Taking just 20 minutes from start to finish, it’s a healthy quick-dinner, quick-brunch, or breakfast that is as satisfying as it is guilt-free. For this recipe you will need:
- 1 clove of garlic, halved
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 slices of whole wheat or whole grain bread
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz of hot Italian sausage, turkey sausage, or breakfast sausage, casing removed.
- 2 sliced scallions
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 8 cups chopped kale
- Pinch of ground pepper, to taste
Take your sliced garlic clove half and rub the cut side of the clove over all 4 slices of bread. Toast the bread and set aside for later. Mince or grate the remaining garlic clove half. Add grated garlic clove to a small bowl with mayonnaise, tomato paste, lemon juice, and 1/8 tsp of salt, stirring to fully combine. Set aside along with the garlic hinted toast.
Heat your vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium high, adding in sausage once pan is hot. Cook the sausage, breaking up any large pieces, until almost fully cooked or for about 3 minutes. Once sausage has cooked some, add in kale, scallions, water, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Stir this mixture occasionally until sausage is fully cooked and kale has wilted, or for about 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan and split between 4 bowls or plates.
In the now empty skillet, crack 4 eggs and sprinkle with a small dash of salt and pepper. Allow the eggs to cook for about 1 minute uncovered, then cover and continue until whites are no longer transparent. Once the eggs have finished cooking, place them on top of the kale mixture, top with the mayonnaise and tomato paste aioli, and serve with garlic toast on the side.
