Low-calorie meal ideas

Natalie is making great strides in her quest to reduce fat gained during pregnancy. Congratulations to her and the team of nutritionist, weight-management experts and counsellors.

An additional arsenal any busy woman can use in a weight-management programme is having healthy meals which are easy to prepare. Too often these programmes are put in jeopardy at the point of food preparation. If in addition to your very busy workload at home and in the corporate world, you can spare an hour or two on the weekends for food pre-preparation, it can pay big dividends.

Marinated chicken breast

Cleaned chicken breasts are now available both whole and in fillets. These are easy to prepare and marinate. A marinade can be made from your favourite flavoured vinegar and a bit of garlic and ginger. Plastic wrap them individually and then store in a freezer bag. Place in the refrigerator the night before you plan to use them.

Chicken breast, along with one to two teaspoons olive oil, your favourite fresh herbs and seasonings, a mix of your favourite combination of leafy greens and other rainbow of vegetables such as bell peppers, squash and mushroom, can make a delicious, healthful, filling and low-calorie main course. Serve this with a small portion of starch and you are good to go.

Turkey/chicken/beef/bean burger

You can purchase ground chicken, turkey breast or prime ground beef which is lower in fat. Prepare and make your own burger patties with your choice of fresh herbs. The same can be done with beans. Shape and place between squares of wax paper and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to prepare. These can be prepared on a grill, in your toaster oven or in a non-stick pan lightly greased. This served on a small whole-wheat bun along with a large vegetable salad makes a filling and healthy meal.

Fresh salads

There is a bounty of fresh salad ingredients available both in the farmers' markets and supermarkets right now. Get creative with ingredients of all colours, delicious cherry and grape tomatoes, bell peppers and a wide range of lettuce. Add your favourite fruits such as apples, grapes and other flavours such as purple onions. A toss of slivered almonds available in supermarkets and/or wedges of grilled chicken breast can turn a salad into a meal with a serving of starch.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.