The journey to personal wellness goals such as weight loss often begins with small, simple steps. It doesn’t—as many people seem to expect—require grand gestures and epic preparations; a firm commitment here and a small change in habit there, is easier to manage and sustain in the long run.
Eating healthy is one of those small steps. And apart from boosting immunity, strengthening the bones, and in general nourishing the body’s systems, it is one of the most sustainable ways to manage weight loss.
ReCulture exists to inspire, encourage and support every person who wants to live better. So in this article, we wanted to share our take on a quick and easy meal prep for weight loss.
But before we dive into the meal plans, below are some things to note during your weight loss journey.
Decrease Time Spent in Sedentary Activities
The number of calories consumed through food or drink impacts weight. Specifically, when the body burns the same number of calories it consumes, weight stays stable. However, when it consumes more than it burns, weight goes up and vice versa.
As such, we recommend reducing the amount of time spent in sedentary activities and more time on activities that involve movement or exercise, be it hobbies, house cleaning, dancing and more.
Build Healthy Eating Habits
Generally, eating plans geared towards managing weight while promoting weight include a variety of healthy foods. Instead of cutting out entire food groups, we recommend eating smaller portions. Singapore’s Health Hub suggests incorporating the Quarter, Quarter Half strategy to provide the body with all the vital nutrients it needs to function well.
The Quarter, Quarter, Half method entails a quarter plate with whole grains, a quarter plate with good protein sources and a half plate with fruit and vegetables.
With that said, below is our quick and easy meal prep for weight loss:
Quick and Easy Meal Prep for Weight Loss
Recipe 1: Chicken ‘Bruschetta’
This simple dish consists of fresh vegetables served on a bed of chicken breast. It is a low-carb recipe that is versatile and can be consumed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
(For chicken ‘Bruschetta’)
- 100g boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
(For salad topping)
- 1 cup roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoons yellow onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
- ⅝ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 lettuce leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- ⅓ tablespoon olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
- Start by combining all the ingredients for the salad topping, except the lettuce leaves. Give it a good toss and store the mixture in the fridge.
- Next, wrap the chicken breast in cling wrap and lay it on a flat surface. Pound until the chicken is 1-2 cm thin. Season with the salt, pepper and dried basil.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and grill the chicken breast until it is browned: at least 5 minutes on both sides.
- Place the chicken breast on a plate, lay the lettuce leaves over it and top with the chilled salad mixture. Enjoy!
Recipe 2: Pan Seared Salmon and Mixed Salad
Here’s a recipe that’s more substantial and suitable for a principal meal like dinner. Here, you’ll see the incorporation of dairy, in the form of Greek yoghurt that provides both probiotics and prebiotics for your digestive system, helping weight loss.
Ingredients
(For pan seared salmon)
- 198 grams Salmon
- ½ teaspoon dill
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
(For mixed salad)
- 2 cups fresh mixed salad
- 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons Greek yoghurt
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix together the dressing for the mixed salad. Stir together the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and celery seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in your mixed salad greens and toss to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare your salmon.
- Start by patting your slab of salmon fish dry on both sides with a paper towel. Then mix the herbs, garlic powder, and seasonings for the salmon in a small bowl. Sprinkle and rub both sides of the salmon with the seasoning mixture.
- Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat it over medium heat. Sear both sides of the salmon for about 3 minutes each. Turn on your oven to broil at about 289 degrees Celsius and leave to broil for about 8-9 minutes.
- Take your salmon out of the oven and plate it with the mixed salad that you prepared earlier. Serve your salmon with a squeeze of lemon.
Recipe 3: Sundried Tomato Omelette
Here’s a simple omelette recipe made entirely from egg whites, effectively eliminating the cholesterol found in egg yolks. Sundried tomatoes add a flavourful punch to this dish. Tomatoes are also rich in carotenoids which have antioxidant properties.
Ingredients
- 1 cup egg whites
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, julienned and drained
- 1 cup spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon basil leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
- Whisk together the egg whites, sundried tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano and seasonings. Spray a pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat. Pour the whisked eggs onto the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until fully cooked.
- Line one side of the omelette with the spinach leaves and fold the omelette over, covering the spinach leaves. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Serve hot with any salad greens of your choice.
Final Thoughts
Our curated meal prep aims to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to function well while facilitating weight loss efforts. If you’ve been struggling with building healthy eating habits, we recommend signing up for our ReCulture 60 Programme.
The ReCulture 60 programme is designed to help individuals cultivate a lifelong habit of eating healthy. Some of the key aspects of the programme include:
- A comprehensive health scan of the body’s 10 systems, with a list of recommended supplements tailored for optimal health and suggestions for exercise or simple changes in activity to maximise health.
- 24 days of lunches and dinners geared towards meeting the body’s specific needs.
- A detailed guide including step-by-step instructions on how to eat mindfully, a meal maintenance plan with recipes and guidelines to ensure sustained progress, and more.
- A dedicated wellness coach to guide you through each step of the programme.
If you’d like to learn more about the ReCulture 60 Programme, you can drop us an email at hello@reculturelife.com