Aiming For Inch Loss? 5 Recipes For Not-So-Cheat Meals

Weight management is very important for the overall well-being of an individual. However, due to their unhealthy lifestyles, most people have put on extra weight. To get rid of it, we do a lot of things, from spending hours in the gym to leaving our favourite food behind. Weight loss requires consistent effort along with cutting calories. However, at some point, we get bored of eating healthily and crave some flavourful and delicious food that may not be ideal for weight loss. 

In this situation, it becomes difficult to pick one of them. But what if we say that your cheat meals will not affect your weight loss journey? Yes, all you need to do is look for ideal recipes that will not increase your calorie count. Cheat meals need not always be junk food like pizza, burgers, and cakes. There are many healthy and protein-packed ingredients that can be transformed into delicious and flavourful dishes.

Banana Walnut Brownie

Video Credits-FoodEssence/YouTube

Total Time: 35 minutes 

Servings-9 

Ingredients 

• 3 bananas 
• 3 eggs 
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup almond butter 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup coconut flour 
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• Pinch of salt 
• 4 oz chocolate bar 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line an 8 x 8 " baking dish with baking paper. 
• In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, coconut oil, nut butter, and vanilla extract until fully combined. 
• Add the coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt to the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts using a spatula.  
• Reserve some of the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts for later. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved chocolate chunks and walnuts.  
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 - 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.  
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before cutting the brownies. Enjoy.

Egg Tikka 

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Servings-2 

Ingredients 

• 4-5 boiled eggs 
• 2 tablespoons hung curd 
• 1 tablespoons butter 
• 1 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste 
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
• 1 teaspoon garam masala 
• Salt to taste  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon besan 
• 1 teaspoon Kastoori methi 
• 1 tablespoon besan 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method 

• Take a large container, add hung curd or yoghurt along with dry spices, salt, lemon juice, oil and gram flour and mix well.  
• Cut the eggs into two halves and then dip all the eggs in the batter, mix gently and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180- 200-degree C. 
• Grease a baking tray with melted butter or ghee, place the eggs on the baking tray. Garnish with onion rings and serve with green chutney and lemon wedge alongside.

Baked Bread Pakora 

Total Time: 45 minutes 

Servings-2 

Ingredients

• 1 cup besan  
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds  
• ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder 
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder 
• Salt to taste 
• ¼ teaspoon chaat masala 
• 5 to 7 bread slices (brown/multigrain)

Method 

• In a bowl, mix besan, ajwain, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ½ cup water and salt. Mix these ingredients well to make the batter with even consistency. 
•  Slice the bread into triangles or rectangular slices.  
• Preheat the oven for 10 minutes and then bake them at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes. 
• After taking out the bread pakoras from the oven, let them cool for a minute and then add chaat masala on top of them to serve.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries 

Total Time-35 minutes 

Servings-4 

Ingredients 

• 2 sweet potatoes 
• 3 tablespoons soybean oil  
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 
• ¼ teaspoon paprika

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Position rack in upper third of the oven. Grease a baking sheet. 
• Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1x3-inch wedges. Place wedges and soybean oil in a large bowl; toss lightly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. 
• Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 18 to 24 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

Sprouts Tikki Chaat 

Total Time: 40 minutes 

Servings-2 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup moong sprouts 
• 1/2 cup cooked rice  
• 1 teaspoon green chilli paste 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
• Salt to taste 
• Soyabean oil for greasing and cooking

For the topping 

• Chaat masala 

For serving 

• Tomato ketchup 
• Green chutney

Method 

• Blend the moong sprouts in a mixer to a coarse mixture, without using any water. 
• Combine all the ingredients, including the sprouted moong mixture, in a deep bowl and mix well. 
• Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape each portion into a 50 mm. (2") diameter flat, round tikki. 
• Heat a non-stick tawa and grease it lightly using a little oil. 5. Cook the tikkis on a medium flame using a little oil, till they turn golden brown in colour on both sides. 
• Sprinkle a little chaat masala on top and serve immediately with tomato ketchup and green chutney.