9 Diet-Friendly Meal Ideas You Should Try

Going on a diet usually means letting go of the food you’ve come to know and love. You have probably gotten used to cooking some of these meals, and now you want to add some variety to your new diet. The following are 9 diet-friendly ideas you can consider.

#1. Healthy Spaghetti

Okay, everyone knows how to make a pot of spaghetti, and you can still enjoy this as long as you make a few adjustments; for example, you can go for whole wheat spaghetti instead of the enriched pasta. There are also a number of healthier alternatives like brown rice spaghetti. You should avoid meatballs, and just use healthy additions like bell peppers, onions, or edamame.

#2. Filling Salad

A salad is a good meal as long as it is filling. There are a number of things you can do to make a regular salad a little more filling, like adding chopped and cooked beef cubes and quinoa. Both ingredients can hold you over until the next meal. Of course, you are going to concentrate on adding vegetables like greens, broccoli, spinach, and lettuce.

#3. Slim Pancakes

A morning needs to start right, and to do that, you need some pancakes. Having these morning cakes while dieting may seem wrong, but you can definitely have them as long as they are keto pancakes. What you can do is simply substitute some of the ingredients you normally use. You’ll be using a teaspoon of lemon zest, four large eggs, four ounces of cream cheese, and half a cup of almond flour. Fry and enjoy your pancakes with no remorse.

#4. Green Soup

Soups are a wonderful little meal to master when you are dieting because they are not only packed with nutrients; they are also filling. All you have to do is add two tablespoons of quinoa and your favorite vegetables like kale into a pot of water. Bring that pot to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked. Add chunks of cooked chicken, and let the pot cook for a little longer. Season your soup and enjoy, knowing that it’s healthy for you and won’t hurt your diet.

#5. Slim Pizza

Go ahead and prepare your pizza dough as you normally would, except this time you are going to top it off with different things. You might want to replace regular tomato sauce with a healthy hummus layer or maybe a pesto layer. After that, top with a bit of cheese. Chop up some pizza vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and garlic to put on top of your pizza. Bake for 15 minutes or so at the temperature you normally bake your pizza, and you are done.

#6. Dirty Tofu Dish

The next meal you may want to consider making is a dirty tofu dish. All you need to do is cube your tofu. You’ll need a cup of cooked quinoa. Chop up some vegetables like red pepper or green peppers. You can add cilantro and lime juice to your dish as you pan fry everything. Add salt and pepper to taste after that.

#7. Bison Burger

Burgers are not a thing of the past as long as you make adjustments to stay on your diet. Bison is not as fattening as beef, so you are already winning with this meal. You want to grill a portobello mushroom to add to your burger. Slice your onion, tomato, and any other vegetables you normally use on a burger. Of course, add the condiments you love, like ketchup or mustard. Be sure to use a healthy flat bread instead of a regular burger bun.

#8. Vegetable Tacos

Cauliflower can be a great substitute for taco meat. All you have to do is chop up your cauliflower into small pieces that resemble ground beef. Add all the ingredients you normally add when you are trying to achieve a traditional taco meat taste. This means adding things like pepper, salt, cumin, and oregano or whatever you like adding to your mix. Once you are done with your taco meat, simply load a tortilla with the mix, and add fresh ingredients.

#9. Roasted Vegetables

Another great addition to any meal plan is this roasted vegetable dish that includes a few pieces of ham. What you want to do is choose your vegetables and chop them up. You can use vegetables like onions, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and garlic. You are going to mix all of these ingredients together, and coat them in a little olive oil before placing them down on a prepared pan. Bake all of this at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, and you are done.

The Bottom Line

These are just some of the diet-friendly meals you can prepare, but there are countless more. You should also consider experimenting on your own by replacing ingredients in your favorite dishes. It would also be a good idea to talk to your nutritionist to get additional ideas. Your meal planning does not have to be difficult, and this list is going to help you make sure of that.

About Shannon Clark

Shannon holds a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer with over 10 years of industry experience.