It’s not only permissible to copycat diet delivery meals in your own kitchen, but also challenging and fun. I love trying a variety of the frozen as well as fresh diet meals, but it can be costly.
With a few simple tricks, I figured out how to make diet-friendly recipes that I could portion out into microwavable containers and freeze for later.
I love the fact that I can be as picky as I want to be by using only the seasonings and ingredients that I prefer for my copycat recipes. Diet-delivery meals are convenient, but they can also be rather generic tasting.
Chicken marsala with veggies
One of my favorite diet-friendly dishes is chicken marsala served with veggies. I prepare the chicken by sautéing it with a small amount of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. For the sauce, I add shallots and mushrooms as well as marsala wine to create a demi-glace. Instead of pasta or rice, I serve with risotto as well as broccoli or green beans. For every plastic container, I use one chicken breast, a half cup of the wine sauce and a half cup of risotto, but full cup of green vegetables.
To make my diet-friendly meat loaf, I use a blend of low-fat grass-fed beef and ground all white meat turkey breast. I mix the meat with a small amount of bread crumbs, pepper, salt, parsley, onions, green pepper, ketchup and a handful of wilted spinach. I make an entire loaf that I portion up by slicing into one inch thick servings. Each plastic container gets one slice of meatloaf topped with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and teaspoon of bacon bits. I prepare a few slices of homemade French fries and a half cup of spinach to accompany the meatloaf.
Light ham with butternut squash
Ever since I tried a diet-delivery meal that used butternut squash as a side dish, I’ve been obsessed with its texture and taste. It also complements a turkey or ham dish nicely. After carving up a light ham or turkey breast and topping it with real cranberries, I whip up my butternut squash side using butternut squash, white pepper, half and half, a small amount of real maple syrup and cinnamon. I add a half cup of rice, risotto or couscous on the side.
Most often, the simple trick when creating a balanced diet meal at home is to focus on a lean protein or meat, starch such as couscous, pasta, rice or potatoes and a larger serving of green vegetables.
Occasionally I prepare a pasta dish such as a light fettuccine with chicken and broccoli or pasta shells stuffed with light ricotta cheese, spinach, onions and mozzarella cheese. But to keep it light, I opt for rice noodles and smaller portions.
More from this contributor:
Using Leftover Turkey From Thanksgiving
Soups, Salads and Such Cookbook Review
One Pot Wonders for Winter
