Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss

There is this trend I’ve noticed where people have started taking appetite suppressants to lose weight. Let me tell you that you don’t need to “hate” food in order to lose weight. I’m a foodie and yet, I can go on diets or I can go on days without eating just for the sake of losing weight. Recently, I’ve tried a few special meals that can help you lose weight. So, why don’t you try them out?

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Two teaspoons of cumin seeds
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Plain yogurt
• Some chili flakes
• 140 grams of split red lentils
• 600 grams of carrots, washed and finely grated
• 1 liter of hot vegetable stock
• 125 millimeters of milk
• Naan bread

Instructions on how to prepare the spiced carrot and lentil soup:

1. Start by heating a large saucepan and add two teaspoons of cumin seeds along with a pinch of chili flakes. Dry-fry for around 1 minute or you could also fry till the ingredients start jumping in the pan.

2. With a spoon, take out half of the mixture and set it aside. Then add two tablespoons of olive oil, 1 liter of hot vegetable stock, 140 grams of split red lentils, 600 grams of washed and finely grated carrots and 125 millimeters of milk. Let it simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have softened.

3. Shortly before serving, you can blend the soup in a food processor or with a stick blender until you obtain a smooth mixture.

4. Garnish with plain yogurt and season to taste with some toasted spices. Then, serve with some warmed naan breads.

Chicken and Veggie One-Pot

Ingredients you’ll need:

• 10 sliced brussels sprouts
• Eight small trimmed radishes
• One bunch of scrubbed and trimmed baby carrots
• One tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• Two tablespoons of plain flour
• Around 1.4 kilograms of chicken (with the skin)
• Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 250 millimeters of chicken broth
• Around 10-12 peeled pickling onions or shallots
• Four thymes
• 60 millimeters of pouring cream
• Three grey zucchini cut into wedges
• Micro herbs (optional)

Instructions on how to make chicken and veggie one-pot:

1. Oven should be preheated to 160C/180C. Put the flour along with the chicken in a sealable plastic bag. Season it and toss until it’s well coated. After shaking off the excess flour, heat oil in a big and heavy-based oven-resistant dish over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and let them cook for 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Next, add in the onions (or shallots) and stir for 4 minutes or until you obtain a brown mixture. Shift the chicken and vegetables to another plate and set aside

2. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil – still over medium heat – and add flour and stir for around 3-4 minutes, or until the flour mixture turns into a nutty golden color. Add the vinegar, stock and mustard in the pan and let it boil and simmer for a few seconds.

3. Transfer the chicken pieces back to the pan and now add the zucchini, radish and carrot. Spread the thyme leaves over it, cover and put it in the oven and let it bake for 30-35 minutes.

4. You can check if the chicken and vegetables are tender. It’s also time to add in the cream and spread the Brussels sprouts over the chicken. I also suggest lightly spraying some oil. Then, let it bake for some more 10-15 minutes.

5. It’s now serving time. Scatter a few extra thyme leaves over the chicken and vegetables and don’t forget to add the micro herbs.