Low-calorie salads - general principles of cooking
Beautiful slim figure - the dream of every girl, and the representatives of the stronger sex too. Everyone knows that for this it is necessary to fulfill two conditions: exercise regularly and eat healthy and wholesome food. With regard to the latter factor, many people think that they will have to starve themselves and limit the consumption of various goodies. Far from it - there are a lot of tasty and healthy dishes that do not harm the figure. One of these dishes is a low-calorie salad.
For the preparation of low-calorie salads, only dietary, low-fat products with low nutritional value are taken. These are mainly various vegetables, white chicken meat, shrimps, mushrooms, low-fat cheeses, some fruits and greens. For refilling, any vegetable oil (olive, sesame, linseed, etc.), lemon juice, vinegar is usually used. You can also take low-fat mayonnaise, yogurt, or low-fat sour cream.
All low-calorie salads are prepared completely differently. Some must be consumed immediately after preparation, others must be brewed for several hours. In some recipes, all components are mixed with dressing, in others - products are laid out in layers or in small slides.
Low-calorie salads - preparation of products and dishes
Most often for the preparation of low-calorie salads used raw vegetables that need to be thoroughly washed. After that, the products are cut into cubes, slices, straws, etc. If heat treatment is necessary, it is recommended to boil, stew or cook vegetables for a couple, since such cooking methods preserve vitamins and trace elements. Frying in butter is not recommended, as this increases the calorie content of the dish. White chicken or turkey meat is thoroughly washed, then boiled or cooked in a double boiler. Shrimps are usually boiled in salted water for about three minutes. After all the products are prepared, you can start cutting them directly into a salad.
From the dishes you will need a standard set: salad bowl, saucepan, cutting board, grater, knives, garlic press. You may also need a small bowl to make a dressing for a low-calorie salad.
Recipes for low-calorie salads:
Recipe 1: Low-calorie Salad
Very light and tasty diet salad. Appetizer can not only be consumed during the diet, but also cooked every day to saturate the body with vitamins.
Ingredients Required:
- 4 peeled walnuts;
- Brussels sprouts - 12 heads;
- Green apple - 1 pc .;
- By a quarter cup of dried cranberries and grated Parmesan cheese;
- Apple cider vinegar - 1.5 tbsp. l .;
- Olive oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
- Dijon mustard - 1 tsp;
- Pepper and salt.
Cooking method:
Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, mix vinegar, oil, mustard and salt with pepper. Chop the nuts and fry a little in the pan (3-4 minutes is enough). Cut cabbage into halves, cut apples into thin slices. Put cabbage on the dish, then apples and grated cheese. Sprinkle with cranberries and nuts on top of low-calorie salad and pour over dressing. It is recommended to eat the dish immediately.
Recipe 2: Low-calorie salad with cauliflower
This diet snack is a real find for all the fair sex who wish to be slim and beautiful. The salad is very light, tasty and sweet, they can eat at any time of the day.
Ingredients Required:
- Packing cauliflower frozen - 400 g;
- 1 grapefruit;
- Celery stalk - 1 pc .;
- 1 apple;
- A handful of hazelnuts;
- Natural unsweetened yogurt - 130 g;
- Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. l .;
- Dijon mustard - 1 tsp;
- Pinch of nutmeg.
Cooking method:
Peel the hazelnuts, chop them and lightly fry in a pan until a pleasant aroma appears. Apple cut into thin slices, celery cut into strips. Cabbage slightly steamed (enough for about 4-5 minutes), cut into large inflorescences, small ones can be left and so. Peel the grapefruit, cut it into slices, remove the film and cut each lobule into 3-4 parts with a sharp knife. Put all the ingredients in a salad bowl. Separately prepare the sauce: mix yogurt, soy sauce, nutmeg and mustard, whip thoroughly. Low-calorie salad pour sauce and sprinkle with nuts.
Recipe 3: Low-calorie salad with shrimp
This delicious savory dish can be safely offered to guests - no one even guesses that you are on a diet. In general, such a salad is useful not only for those who are afraid of getting better, but is simply recommended for maintaining health in general.
Ingredients Required:
- 3 tomatoes;
- King prawns - 320 g;
- Bunch of green lettuce;
- 2 cucumbers;
- Sea salt - to taste;
- Fat-free mayonnaise - to taste;
- Sesame seeds - 3 tbsp. l .;
- Ground black pepper - to taste;
- A half of red dried pepper;
- Half a lemon;
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp. l
Cooking method:
Wash vegetables and herbs. Cucumbers and tomatoes are not cut into too small, randomly tear the salad with your hands. Add black and red pepper, salt, half lemon juice and olive oil to water. Bring to a boil and put the shrimp in the pan. Boil about 5 minutes after boiling. Peel the boiled shrimps, add to the vegetables. Salad fill with fat-free mayonnaise and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe 4: Low-fat salad with chicken and oranges
This low-calorie salad is invented just for those who do not want to part with different goodies. The dish is very satisfying and elegant, so it can be offered to guests and served at the festive table.
Ingredients Required:
- Chicken fillet - 400 g;
- Soft cheese - 200 g;
- 2 oranges;
- 4 chicken eggs;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- Dill;
- Low calorie mayonnaise.
Cooking method:
Boil chicken fillet until ready in salt water, cool, disassemble by hand into fibers. Put the meat in a salad bowl. Boil eggs hard-boiled, add water to cool, peel and chop finely. Peel oranges, cut into slices, remove films and cut each part with a sharp knife into small pieces. Add oranges and eggs to chicken. Finely chop the garlic, grate the cheese on a medium grater. Cheese and garlic put in a bowl to the rest of the ingredients. Salad dressing with low-calorie mayonnaise and sprinkle with finely chopped dill.
Recipe 5: Low-calorie salad with salmon and carrots
This delicious salad is cooked very simply, but for it you need to take only the best ingredients. It is desirable that the salmon was homemade pickling, but you can also buy purchased fish.
Ingredients Required:
- Lightly salted salmon - 160 g;
- 2 celery stalks;
- 1 medium sized carrot;
- Olive oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
- Ground black pepper, salt;
- Lemon juice.
Cooking method:
Remove the skin from the fillet of salmon, remove the small bones and cut the fish into small cubes. Fold the salmon in a deep salad bowl. From celery stalks, cut a hard edge, chop the vegetable into small cubes and lay out to salmon. Wash carrots, peel and cut into thin oblique circles. Add to bowl to other products. Salad pepper, salt, add olive oil and lemon juice. All as it should be mixed. if the fish is too salty, you can not add salt.
Low-calorie salads - secrets and tips from the best chefs
All the benefits of low-calorie salads are in the right products. The body during the diet and so is under stress, so all vegetables and fruits should be ripe, fresh and of the best quality. Do not use sluggish, rotten or damaged vegetables. Meat should also be fresh. If there is cheese in the recipe, it is better to give preference to low-fat varieties: feta or goat cheese. To prepare a low-calorie salad, it is advisable to use vegetables with a low starch content: tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, radishes, onions, cabbage, and various greens (lettuce, parsley, dill, basil, lemon balm, nettles, etc.). If you decide to cook a low-calorie salad, of course, do not use smoked meats, pork and sausages.
