5 Easy Diet-Friendly Recipes For Weight Loss

Getting back in shape is more than just about keeping up with your exercise routine. Eating the right diet also plays a vital role in ensuring you achieve your dieting goals. If you’re uncertain about what constitutes a healthy recipe for weight loss, simply follow our simple meal plan below! Many of these recipes are recommended by nutrition experts whom we’ve interviewed — so you can be assured they are tasty and packed with the nutrients you need without busting your calorie count! 

How many calories do you need a day?

Before you start whipping out the delicious and healthy recipes below, we suggest you find out your recommended daily calorie intake first! Everyone’s calorie intake is different depending on your gender, age, lifestyle as well as height and weight. Knowing how many calories you need a day can help you to better portion your meals and avoid overeating. Psst, you can easily find out your optimal calorie count with the Health Hub Calorie Calculator! 

• Healthy recipe for weight loss: breakfast

1. Egg souffle

Going on a post-festive diet doesn’t mean starting the day on an empty stomach. Give yourself the boost you need to get through the day with this light and fluffy egg souffle healthy recipe for weight loss! It’s rich in protein and completely flourless — great for keeping your calories low while you’re on a diet. 

Recommended by nutritionist: Nana Wu, SGFitFam Pte. Ltd.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: about 196kcal/serving

Recipe ingredients:

• 3 large eggs (yolks and whites separated)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Recipe instructions:

1. Put egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Using an electronic mixer, such as the Cornell 4.2L Stand Mixer 600W CSM-EL688R (available on Cornell Singapore Official Store), beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar
3. Add half of the egg whites into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites in until they are incorporated into the egg yolks. Your mixture should look light yellow and fluffy.
4. Pour olive oil, such as the Naturel Pure Olive Oil (available on S-Mart by Shopee Official Store) into the skillet. While the skillet is heating up, add in remaining egg whites to your egg yolk mixture. Quickly, but gently fold in until egg whites are mostly incorporated.
5. Heat the Tramontina Non-Stick Skillet (available on Tramontina Singapore Official Store) up and pour the batter in. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the surface of the skillet. Cover skillet with a lid.
6. Cook until the bottom of the omelette has turned a light golden brown and the surface of the egg is just set. Cover with lid and cook for an additional minute.
7. Carefully slide the egg onto a plate. Use a spatula to fold omelette in half.

• Healthy recipes for weight loss: lunch

2. Zucchini basil parmesan soup

Feel like eating something hot and creamy for lunch? This zucchini basil parmesan soup will warm up your belly in no time! With only a few ingredients and a relatively quick cooking time, this is one of the best healthy recipes for weight loss when you’re on a time crunch. You can even make a bigger pot and reheat for later as part of your meal plan for weight loss.

Recommended by nutritionist: Sheeba Majmudar, Sheeba the Nutritionist Pte. Ltd.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: about 169kcal/serving

Recipe ingredients:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 garlic clove
• Butter
• Fresh basil leaves
• Parmesan cheese
• 0.5L water or soup stock

Recipe instructions:

1. Chop the zucchini (available on GrocerKing Official Store) up into 2cm pieces
2. Slice the garlic finely and sauté it with some butter for five minutes
3. Add zucchini pieces to the mix and cook for two minutes
4. Throw in a handful of basil leaves (available on LHH Vegetable) and continue to cook for a minute
5. Add soup stock or water into the mixture and allow it to boil
6. Pour in a handful of parmesan cheese
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Then, blend the mixture in the Mayer 2 in 1 Blender & Chopper MMBC19 (available on Mayer Official Store)
8. Heat up the soup to serve

3. Quinoa salad

Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and rich in vitamin B, E and other nutrients. This is why quinoa is always used as a great substitute for rice and other carbs in weight loss diets. Whether it’s for lunch or a mid-day salad break, this quinoa salad is a healthy recipe for weight loss that’ll make eating your greens more enjoyable than ever! 

Recommended by nutritionist: Veronica Cavallini, Andrea’s Digestive Colon Liver And Gallbladder Clinic
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: about 271kcal/serving

Recipe ingredients:

• 50g uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 30g baby spinach, chopped
• ½ chicken breast fillet, cooked and diced
• 20g finely chopped fresh basil
• 16g coarsely chopped walnuts
• 20g shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• A pinch of black pepper
• ½ avocado

Recipe instructions:

1. Prepare Nature’s Superfoods Organic White Quinoa Seeds (available on Nature’s Superfoods Official Store) according to the package instructions. Once cooked, allow the quinoa to cool slightly before fluffing it with a fork.
2. In a large bowl, stir and combine the quinoa, tomatoes, spinach, chicken, basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese and garlic together
3. Whisk lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl to create the dressing for the salad
4. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir
5. Slice up half an avocado and add it to the salad before digging in!

• Healthy recipe for weight loss: dinner

4. Roasted chicken with vegetables

Craving for something meaty while on a diet? Our nutrition expert suggests making a roasted chicken instead of giving in to the temptations of fried chicken. Roasted chicken contains less fat than a fried one and is a good source of protein. If you’re determined to keep the fat content as low as possible for this healthy weight loss recipe, simply remove the chicken skin.

Recommended by nutritionist: Ashley Tay, Ashley Tay Fitness
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 3-4
Calories: about 276kcal/serving

Recipe ingredients:

• Whole chicken
• 1 tbsp Cajun spice
• 1 tbsp paprika
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp tarragon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 potato
• 1 carrot
• 100g sweet peas
• Dipping sauce of your choice

Recipe instructions:

1. Line a baking tray with foil and place the Fresh Whole Chicken (available on Market Boy) on the tray. Marinate the chicken with cajun, paprika, Masterfoods Oregano Leaves (available on S-Mart by Shopee Official Store), salt, pepper and three tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Preheat the oven to 220-degree Celsius before placing the marinated chicken in for 10 minutes at 200-degree Celsius
3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Wash and chop the potatoes and carrots into chunky slices. Place them on a baking tray with the sweet peas and season with salt, pepper and one tablespoon of olive oil.
4. After the 10 minutes is up, place the vegetables into the oven and continue cooking for another 35 minutes at 200-degree Celsius
5. Serve the roasted chicken and vegetables with a dipping sauce of your choice, such as the Nando’s Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce (available on S-Mart by Shopee Official Store)

5. Spicy salmon and salad

Many associate dieting with bland foods that are not appetising. But that’s not true! This spicy salmon and salad healthy recipe for weight loss features tantalising spiciness with a subtle toasty taste — perfect for a flavourful meal to end the tiring day. Just be sure to marinate the salmon in advance. Pro tip: Marinate it and store it in the fridge for an hour before cooking for it to soak in all the delicious flavours!

Prep Time: 75 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: about 220kcal/serving

Recipe ingredients:

• 500g salmon
• 1 tbsp spicy cornish sea salt
• Olive oil spray
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 yellow peppers, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• ½ cucumber, diced
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 16 nocerella olives, pitted and quartered
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Recipe instructions:

1. Slice the salmon into four quarters and sprinkle the surface with spicy cornish sea salt, such as the Cornish British Cornwall Lemon Pepper Sea Salt (available on Selection Food & Goods)
2. Leave the salmon in the fridge for an hour
3. In a bowl, whisk together the Biona Organic Red Wine Vinegar (available on S-Mart by Shopee Official Store) and olive oil to create a salad dressing
4. Season the salad dressing with salt and black pepper
5. Toss the vegetables in the salad dressing
6. Preheat the oven to 220-degree Celsius. Line a baking paper on a baking tray and place the salmon, skin-side down.
7. Spray with Naturel Ex Virgin Olive Oil Spray with White Truffle (available on S-Mart by Shopee Official Store) and bake for 10 minutes
8. Serve with the salad to complete this hearty meal!

Couple these healthy recipes for weight loss with the right lifestyle

Create your own simple meal plan for weight loss with these healthy and easy recipes! To make sure your dieting plan is effective and successful, read up on these experts’ diet tips to lose weight fast. You’ll find useful suggestions on diet-friendly food to order at hawker centres as well as personal dieting tips shared by four nutrition experts! Thereafter, give your dieting plan a boost by breaking out a sweat with our easy 15-minutes home workout routines. Be sure to keep up with your dieting and workout plans and you’ll achieve your desired results in no time!