Easy Recipes for Weight Loss - 2 Recipes Under 200 Calories!

I'm sure you've all just had a wonderful Xmas, and probably eaten far too much. As the New Year and 2011 rolls in, are you planning on losing all that Christmas fat?

The truth is that losing weight is easy. Sorry, but someone had to say it! It's really quite simple, and let me explain to you - if you eat more energy than you use, you will get fatter. That means eating a healthy, balanced diet, and getting lots of exercise. There is no miracle pill, and nor should there be. Given that there are only two factors to weight management - food and exercise - you either need to do MORE exercise or eat LESS food - or BOTH!

Of course, since this is a recipe article, I'd like to introduce you to 3 easy recipes that contain less than 200 calories. Bear in mind that the average human needs about 1800 calories a day - so aim for a total less than this if you want to LOSE weight. Have these instead a big sandwich or burger for lunch everyday, and you'll be well on your way.

Also, I'll let you in on a few more HUGE dieting secrets just because I'm feeling very festive and giving right now. I know a lot of you will say these dishes simply aren't filling, but we can fix that. First, simply drink a full glass of WATER before every meal time. You will feel full quicker. Second, CHEW your food a lot, don't just gobble it down. Chewing your food releases chemicals in your brain to let it feel like it's satisfied. So eating the same amount of food can feel satisfying simply because you're chewing it more.

Anyway, that said - on with the recipes!

Chicken and Mushroom Soup:

This is a delicious recipe to make 12 servings, so you can split it up and store in the freezer for another day. A single serving is just less than 200 calories. Just because the recipe makes so much doesn't mean you can have more!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup celery and 1/4 cup carrots, chopped
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
3 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 dried thyme
1 pinch dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Saute the mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery with the butter until tender. Sitr in the flour, add the broth and season, and mix well.

Bring the broth to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the chicken, cream, parsely, lemon juice, and salt. Do another 5 minutes on low.

Serve with some fresh whole grain bread, not that horrible white stuff from the supermarket!

Savoury Sweet Potatoes:

These make a great snack instead of potato chips as you sit down to watch some of the great TV on at Christmas! And only 120 calories per serving (recipe is for 4 servings - which means TO SHARE!)

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into French Fries, rinsed and dried)
1 tbsp Rosemary
1 tbsp Tarragon
1 tbsp Parsley
1/4 tsp ground Cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients in a baking tray and toss them until covered. Bake for around 25 minutes and serve piping hot.

Hope you enjoy those. Good luck to all of you trying to lose weight in the New Year! Bear in mind though, you can't lose weight by eating alone, you need to exercise too!!!

Enjoyed these easy recipes [http://easyrecipes.org/]? If you're ready to really burn that fat, try these spinach recipes [http://spinachrecipe.net/] too, as Spinach is a super healthy weight loss vegetable!

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