When it comes to dieting and weight loss, it is important for you to learn how to balance diet with exercise. Many people go on diets, but they do not really know how to diet effectively. The number one rule to follow when dieting is to fully understand just how much you are eating; how many calories you are consuming daily and with each meal and drink that you consume.

For most people, their food is far heavier and contains far more calories than they expect it to. It is these foods that make it hard to lose weight and sabotage our diets. So today, I am going to teach you how to make low-calorie low-fat meals that will help you while dieting to lose weight. Foods made with these ingredients will not sabotage your weight loss goals; they will actually help you reach them.

Lemon and Lime

Lemon and limes are so versatile, and can be used to flavor and enhance an array of dishes; they are especially good for seasoning vegetables like asparagus and broccoli. Lemon seasoning and lemon juice can be used on lettuce as a replacement for salad dressing as well. One whole lemon is only around 12 calories, but those lemon and lime juices that you find bottled in stores are 0 calories. To season small meals or a bowl of salad, you will only likely need a half of a lemon to make your foods taste delicious and be more filling. A half of lemon only adds around 6 calories to the whole meal.

Limes, on the other hand, tend to be more tart and sour than lemons. Lemons tend to be sweeter and softer on the palate, but both are still great for cooking. One whole lime is around 10 calories, and like with lemons, a small meal will likely only need half of a lime, which is around 6 calories. Limes are great for foods that are designed to be more tart, such as curry dishes and sweet and sour foods.

Lemons and limes are packed with vitamins and minerals, and they are natural appetite suppressants, so they are great for dieters trying to lose weight. Lemons and limes contain protein; they are packed with vitamin c, which is great for colds and viruses, and they contain antioxidants, iron, citric acid, calcium, polyphenols, copper, thiamine, fiber, potassium, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins B1, B2/riboflavin, B3/niacin, B5, and B6.

Ginger

You can cut up ginger fresh, which is around 2 calories per teaspoon, or you can use ground ginger powder, which is around 6 calories since it is more concentrated. Fresh ginger is great when creating Asian dishes, as well as for seasoning things like duck and soups. Ginger powder is great on things like salad.

Ginger is so good for the body; it really helps boost the immune system and it is great for things like colds and viruses. Ginger contains the same great vitamins and minerals as lemons and limes, as well as protein and fiber.

Onions and Onion Salt

Onion salt contains 0 calories, and it is made with granulated onion and garlic, kosher salt, green onion, dried chives, and minced onion. Onions are great for enhancing the taste of just about any food. Onions are especially great for beef and chicken dishes. Fresh chives can be cut up and used in salads, soups, and stir fry; they are also only about 1 calorie per tablespoon. Onions are one of my favorite seasonings, and onion salt in particular is my favorite seasoning for shrimp burgers and asparagus.

Like lemons and limes, onions are packed with vitamin c, fiber, minerals, and other vitamins.

Red Pepper and Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is 0 calories, and hot chili peppers are about 17-18 calories. You can use red pepper or cayenne pepper in numerous spicy dishes from Indian cuisine, salsas, soups, to making spicy protein dishes, especially beef, chicken, and fish. Red pepper is most commonly found cut up or in the form of crushed red pepper or ground cayenne pepper. Crushed red chili pepper is better and more commonly used for things like pizza, but ground cayenne pepper is more concentrated and spicier, so it is great in things like soup, Asian cuisine, and for creating spicy meat dishes.

The great thing about pepper is that it makes meals keep you full longer and you get full faster on less food because of the capsaicin. Capsaicin is great for weight loss because it makes you feel fuller faster, and it also helps clean out the body. Pepper also helps protect you from some food poisoning, which can also cause you to gain weight.

“Consuming capsaicin extract can help speed up metabolism and reduce fat tissue, as well as curb your appetite…(the) consumption of a minimum of 2 mg of capsaicinoids before a meal reduced energy intake by 74 calories during the meal…researchers found that capsaicin intake at 2 mg per day lowered the waist-to-hip ratio at six weeks compared to high-dose capsaicin intake or a placebo” (Cathy Wong, 2020, “Can Capsaicin From Chili Peppers Promote Weight Loss?” Verywellfit).

Given the major benefits of pepper, it is a must-have for dieters.

Garlic

Garlic is important for adding flavor to food, and it can be added to any dish to make it flavorful, fragrant, and delicious. There are three main ways to eat garlic: You can cut up a fresh garlic clove, which is only around 4 calories. You can use sliced granulated garlic, which is 0 calories, or you can use dehydrated garlic powder, which is often 0 calories a teaspoon.

Garlic powder is great for when you are short on time and can not cut up the garlic fresh; it can also be used to lessen the strength of the garlic taste to be more subtle for those who are sensitive. Powdered garlic and granulated garlic is great for things like soup and salad. Fresh garlic on the other hand is much stronger in taste and flavor, so it is best for denser foods like mashed potatoes, meats, and bread. In lighter foods like salad, freshly cut up garlic cloves can take over the taste and be overwhelming, so I recommend using garlic powder or granulated powder for these lighter foods.

Garlic is great for the body and it has many healing and medicinal uses. Garlic contains vitamins and minerals, including vitamin c, B1, and B6, fiber, manganese, selenium, calcium, and other nutritious nutrients.

Old Bay

Old bay is amazing on fish, shrimp, and chicken. It also has 0 calories a teaspoon, so it allows you to make simple, easy, and quick delicious meals with it. Old bay seasoning is made with celery, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika. The pepper in the old bay helps curb your appetite and makes your food more filling. You also get the healing benefits of celery. Even if you do not add anything else to your food like garlic or onion, old bay and a little salt are enough to enhance your foods greatly and make them very flavorful and satisfying.

Salsa

Salsa is spicy, so like pepper, it helps you feel full, it curbs your appetite, and it tastes delicious. Salsa can be as little as 4 calories a tablespoon, and a whole cup is only around 40 calories. You can get many different kinds of salsa though with different levels of spiciness. Green and red salsas are low in calories. There is also corn salsa, queso, and salsas made with avocados, guacamole, and peanuts.

If you want to make salsa at home fresh, it is very easy to make, and it is very healthy for you since it generally contains garlic, lime and/or lemon juice, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, jalapenos, and salt. When you eat salsa, it gives you all of the healing health benefits of its ingredients, so while dieting, make or buy your salsa with simple ingredients. Try to avoid salsas with cheese, peanuts (which are around 160-170 for an ounce or 32 nuts), and avocados (depending on the size, they can vary from 200 to over 300 calories for one avocado) while you are dieting and trying to lose weight, or trying to maintain a small size. Some beans and corn (which is around 132 calories per cup) salsas can also be high in calories, so be careful when choosing salsas made with them.

Cocktail Sauce

Cocktail sauce is great for shrimp, and since it is only around 15-30 calories a tablespoon, it is a great safe option for dieters to enhance their foods. Cocktail sauce is delicious, it is very flavorful, and a little goes a long way, so it is great for family get-togethers, special events, and when snacking. Shrimps are low in calories, while still allowing you to feel full, so shrimps with cocktail sauce make a great snack for in between meals. Eating seafood too often is not good for you, but sometimes, it is very refreshing to eat shrimp with cocktail sauce or with lemon, garlic, and pepper.

Black Pepper

Black pepper is not very healthy for you, but from time to time, it is okay. I love to use black pepper for flavoring seafood, though I do not eat seafood often, as well as for flavoring potatoes, pasta, and boiled eggs. Black pepper is also great with vegetables like asparagus, and meats like beef, steak, and chicken. Black pepper is 0 calories, and since it adds a lot of flavor to your food, it can be great for cooking flavorful meals.

Check out this diet and nutrition video posted to our Youtube channel: “9 Best Seasonings Ingredients For Weight Loss To Create Low Fat Low-Calorie Meals”

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