Minimalist Weight Loss Meal Guide: Low-calorie, Healthy Recipes for a Fast-Paced Workplace

Many weight-loss meals are light and simple. These are especially suitable for lunch when you're short on time, as they are quite easy and quick to prepare, and low in calories. You don't need to spend all your time cooking. Below are detailed recipes for various dishes:

Celery and Lemon. 1 lemon, 1 head of garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped. Season with sea salt, fresh black pepper, and red chili pepper. This is probably the easiest dish to make. If you want to thicken it, first add the cornstarch to the dish, then add the red chili pepper, and wait until it thickens to a sauce consistency before adding the seasonings. When eating this dish, you can also add some carrot chunks, celery stalks, green and red bell peppers, etc., and it can also be eaten with bread, oatmeal, or oat biscuits.

Avocado Salad. Although avocados are high in fat, they are unlikely to cause weight gain. You can eat this dish with bread or oatmeal cookies. Ingredients: One large ripe avocado, 1 block of tofu, the juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of cold-pressed sunflower or grapeseed oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Peel and core the avocado, then cut it into small pieces. Chop the tofu and place it in a bowl. Mix everything together until well combined. Serve with cooked carrots, etc.

Sunflower Seed Salad. 125g sunflower seeds, 1 head of garlic, 1 stalk of celery (chopped), and the juice of half a lemon. Combine all ingredients, add cornstarch slurry, and stir quickly. Add a little mineral water if you want a juicier, smoother salad.

Tofu. This dish is mostly a festive dish, generally served at banquets or gatherings. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable juice, 1 small onion, peeled and chopped, 1 block of tofu, 125g tartare, 1 tablespoon olive oil (a little white wine can be added if desired), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley, sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Heat the vegetable juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring slowly until softened. Remove the saucepan from the heat. In a large bowl, mash the tofu and mix in the onion and garlic. Add the tartare, olive oil or wine, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for one to two hours.

Cheese and Walnuts. Although this book discourages dairy products, the cheese mentioned here refers to low-fat cheese made from skim milk, which is harmless. 225g cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 shallot, chopped, or 1 teaspoon minced shallot, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 50g walnuts. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir quickly until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add some low-fat milk or mineral water and stir again.

Braised Eggplant. While eggplant tastes great in dishes, it's time-consuming to prepare. But it's worth the extra time for this delicious dish. Ingredients: 1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants, 1 lemon (juice), 1 head of garlic (peeled), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the eggplant for 1 hour, or until tender. You can check if it's tender with a fork. Remove the purple skin from the eggplant, then combine all ingredients in a container with the sauce. Stir quickly until well combined, then freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Of course, you can also eat it immediately.

Mixed Vegetable Sauce. This sauce can be eaten as a dish or served with salads and oatmeal cookies. Ingredients: 1 celery stalk, chopped; half a cucumber, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; half a teaspoon dill; 125 grams cheese; sea salt; fresh black pepper. Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a container with a thickener and stir quickly until a smooth sauce forms. Note: This sauce will not be as smooth as a typical jam.

Asparagus Yogurt. This is a healthy dish with simple ingredients, requiring only asparagus and cream. Ingredients: 1 shallot, chopped, or ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ head of garlic, chopped and peeled, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tub of low-fat yogurt, and a large handful of asparagus. First, mix the shallot, garlic, lemon juice, and yogurt. Then, chop the asparagus and boil it in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and serve with the yogurt mixture.

Cheese Sausage. This dish uses vegetables to make a sausage that requires no cooking and can be served with a salad or as a light meal. Ingredients: 125g nut, almond, or other nuts; 225g cheese; 3 tablespoons chopped parsley; 1 small onion, finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon onion powder; salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whole breadcrumbs, for use as the crust. Instructions: Combine nuts, cheese, parsley, onion, and seasonings in a large bowl. The mixture should form a dough. Divide the dough into 4 portions, shape them into sausages, roll them in the breadcrumbs, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Mixed Salad. This is a famous salad that rivals Indian stir-fries. Half a cucumber, chopped; salt; fresh black pepper; 1 teaspoon wormwood seeds; 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped; 2-3 shallots, chopped; 1 can of low-fat yogurt. Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately.

Mushroom Salad. 150ml water, 2 cloves garlic, peeled, 2 lemons juiced, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 bay leaf, salt, freshly ground black pepper, 350g mushrooms, 1 tomato, peeled and chopped, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Place all ingredients except the parsley, mushrooms, and tomato in a pot and heat for 5 minutes until boiling. Add the mushrooms, reduce heat, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chopped tomato. Sprinkle the parsley over the salad. Let cool and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Stuffed Tomatoes. Stuffing tomatoes isn't too difficult, and this dish is delicious. You can also stuff them with other vegetables or rice fillings. Ingredients: 4 large, firm tomatoes (not soft ones), 125g breadcrumbs, 125g cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, salt, freshly ground black pepper. Parsley, reserved as a garnish. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carefully squeeze out the juice and seeds, being careful not to damage the skin. Finely chop the ingredients and mix them in a bowl. Add the seasonings to the filling (do not add parsley), then stuff the tomatoes with the filling, garnish with parsley, and top them off. Serve immediately.