I have a new sample menu for you today that includes a low calorie chicken and cheese casserole recipe. As with many of my previous menus this one can be enjoyed as is for approximately 1200 calories or modified to fit a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet.
I like trying new recipes. Discovering new ways to prepare simple, healthy, and tasty food is fun! AND I want to provide YOU with as many ideas as I possibly can to encourage you to expand the list of healthy low calorie food you enjoy eating. There are thousands of ways to enjoy healthy food. It bothers me when I hear someone talk about eating healthy food as if it were some sort of punishment! The hardest part of a healthy diet is the portion size! Not the taste.
Did you have a chance to read my previous article on 10 Healthy Recipes to Try? I have yet to test those recipes because I have so many to choose from! My new recipes for this week included Blueberry Maple Muffins, Zucchini Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Raisins and Walnuts, and a variation of Keshi Yena, a delicious chicken stuffed cheese dish from the Caribbean Island of Curacao. I’m including the later recipe in my sample menu today.
I normally hesitate to choose a dish with as much cheese as called for in the Keshi Yena recipe (the modified recipe can be found on my Chocolate Veggies website). However, I learned that I had only to make a few minor modifications such as reducing the cheese a little and remembering to take portion size into account. Because the sodium content still comes up quite high I made a conscious decision to limit sodium (and saturated fat) for the rest of the day’s menu.
(Planning healthy menus can be fun. I do my menu planning with the help of MyFoodDiary.com If you would like to learn more about how I go about planning a menu you may want to read: Planning a 7 Day Diet Menu.
To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below.
1200 Calorie Sample Menu
Breakfast
3/4 cup Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal (110 calories)
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (55 calories)
Snack
1 Mini Babybel Light Original Cheese (Laughing Cow, 50 calories)
Lunch
Quinoa and Black Beans Quick Salad (301 calories, see recipe below)
1 medium peach
1 Starbuck Cafe au Lait w/nonfat milk, grande (70 calories)
[To prepare Quinoa and Black Beans Quick Salad:
The secret to making this a quick and easy recipe is to prepare is to make the quinoa ahead of time. Quinoa is not actually a grain but is considered to be one in the culinary sense. It is easy to prepare. I'd encourage you to cook up a dry cup of quinoa at the beginning of the week. That will make 3-4 cups cooked that you can keep refrigerated and use during the week in multitude of different ways.
To learn more about quinoa read: Healthy Low Calorie Quinoa Recipes . If you prefer not to give quinoa a try (it's really quite good!) you might substitute whole wheat couscous or brown rice.
Mix one cup of the cooked quinoa with 1/2 cup of canned black beans, rinsed. Add 1/2 cup chopped tomato and 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper. Add whatever herbs and spices you would like; however, I urge you to skip or go very easy on salt because there is already more than enough sodium in the dinner recipe.]
Snack
1 mini food bar Cherry Pie (Larabar, 90 calories)
Supper
1 serving Keshi Yena (Chicken Stuffed Cheese, 289 calories)
Tomato Avocado Salad (95 calories)
1 Kiwi fruit
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
(Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.)
Total Calories = 1210
Total Fiber = 29.4 g
Fat = 27%
Carbs = 52%
Protein = 21%
(U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%)
Calcium = 1100 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day)
Iron = 11.7 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg)
1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu
This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, it is a little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with another serving of a low fat milk product. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). The menu is also short on iron for women between the ages of 19 and 50.
Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. (I encourage you to read my article on how to determine the minimum SAFE caloric intake for you: 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started! or How many calories a day do I need? )
Hope you enjoy the low calorie chicken recipe I created from a great Caribbean dish. Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food!
