Five Meals for Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you do not know how to create healthy, low-calorie meals that are appetizing. The key to weight-loss success is meal planning, so creating a week's worth of healthy meals will prevent you from slipping up. If you get through the work week eating low-calorie foods, you will be able to splurge a little over the weekend and not jeopardize your hard work.

Monday

• Kick off your week of weight loss meals with a motivating Monday night salad. Vegetables are going to be one of your keys to weight loss success, so pack as many as you can into a salad. Salads can also include beans, nuts and seeds, but go easy on the serving size. Also choose a low-calorie dressing or sprinkle your salad with a mixture of vinegar and olive oil instead of your usual high-calorie dressing choice.

Tuesday

• Eating for weight loss is a great way to get your system healthy and back on track. When we eat unhealthy foods, our bodies do not function at their optimum level. One of the best ways to improve your body's performance and reduce the amount of food you eat is to include more fiber in your diet. Fiber helps keep your intestines working comfortably and helps prevent many diseases. Fiber is great because it reduces your risk of overeating, it slows fat absorption, it balances blood-sugar levels, it promotes digestive and bowel regularity, it lowers cholesterol and it is believed to reduce cancer risk. Tuesday's taco salad combines foods that are high in fiber and low in calories, without leaving you feeling unsatisfied. Cook half a cup of ground turkey, a small onion, a garlic clove, chili powder and salt to taste in a pan with two tablespoons of canola oil. After the meat is cooked, toss in half a can of kidney beans. Serve on a bed of whole wheat or corn tortillas with plenty of romaine lettuce.

Wednesday

• When you first begin to change your diet, you may feel a little sluggish and lack energy. By mid-week, the effects of your body changing will be apparent, so this is a good night to load up on lean protein. Protein boosts your mental and physical energy, it helps release feel-good brain chemicals and it builds muscle, helping you burn fat faster. For dinner tonight, make a grilled chicken and egg white omelet, packed with plenty of protein. Combine six egg whites with pepper, three ounces of grilled, shredded chicken and an ounce of low-fat mozzarella cheese. Serve with a side of steamed spinach and a glass of freshly brewed, unsweetened iced tea with a squeeze of lemon.

Thursday

• Today is your day to try ethnic cuisine with a healthy twist. Many dishes from other countries were traditionally healthy foods, but when Americanized, they became high-fat, high-sodium versions. This is especially true with Asian food. Traditional Asian diets feature very little meat, plenty of fresh vegetables and focus on steamed or grilled methods of preparation. Tonight is the night to satisfy that craving for Asian food with an Asian-inspired soup. Combine low-sodium beef or vegetable broth, tofu, cooked Soba noodles, Asian basil, black pepper, and cilantro to taste and as many vegetables as you can fit into your soup pot. Veggie choices are unlimited, but traditional Asian favorites include carrots, onions, bean sprouts and snap peas.

  A note about Soba noodles: They are made of buckwheat, which is high in vitamins B1 and B2, a variety of minerals, twice the amount of protein found in rice and have the bioflavonoid rutin and choline. Rutin is a powerful antioxidant and is believed to fight the free radicals that cause cancer. Choline is known to lower blood pressure and decrease cholesterol, and it increases metabolism, a must for those trying to lose weight.

Friday

• For many families, Friday evenings are traditionally celebrated with a take-out pizza for dinner. Three slices of the average take-out pepperoni pizza have 750 calories. If your goal is to lose weight, jamming what could amount to more than half of the recommended calories into the last meal of the day is going to backfire, especially since these traditional pizzas are loaded with fat and cholesterol. The good news is you can still enjoy delicious pizza, even if you are trying to lose weight. Make your own whole wheat pizza dough or find ready-made whole wheat dough at your local supermarket. Top the dough with fresh marinara sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese and a variety of vegetables you enjoy on your pizza. Mushrooms, brightly colored peppers and sliced tomatoes are some of the most popular choices. Replace your usual soft drink with fresh fruit juice and fizzy seltzer water or pair your pizza with a bottle of your favorite light beer.