Healthy south Indian meal plan for weight watchers
South Indian dishes are known for their moderate use of spices and oil which at times can make them high in the calories.Although it is a healthy food option, people who are watching their weight need to keep a tab on their calorie intake. To help limit your calories, here is a healthy south Indian meal plan for weight watchers.
Start the day morning with a seasonal fruit and 10 pieces of almonds which are soaked overnight. The fruit will improve the immunity and kick start the day in a healthy way; the almonds, on other hand, are a rich source of the antioxidants, proteins and essential fats and help in maintaining the cholesterol levels.
Calorie count:
1 fruit – 70
10 almonds – 78
Next, move on to the breakfast. You can opt for 1 cup of sambhar and 2 teaspoons of dal chutney with 2 to 3 idlis, and either 1 cup of upma or 1 vegetable uttapam. This is the high-fibre and protein-rich breakfast which helps in building the immunity and muscle mass.
Calorie count for breakfast:
1 cup sambhar – 121
2 tsp chutney – 25
2 to 3 idlis – 133
1 cup upma – 247
1 vegetable uttapam – 250
Having small frequent meals is better than 3 large ones. So, mid-morning, have the glass of banana shake. It would provide your body with an instant energy and beat hunger pangs as well in the healthy way. You can also eat bananas in morning to keep hunger pangs at bay.
Calorie count for mid-day snack:
1 glass banana shake – 220
For lunch, start with the bowl of salad as it is rich in vitamins and fibre. Do not add heavy dressings like mayo, etc to it. Keep it raw or sprinkle some olive oil or vinaigrette. Eat 2 to 3 chapattis or one-and-a-half cup of rice both without ghee with a seasonal vegetable and either dal, sambhar, rasam or egg curry. Finish with the glass of chhaas or moru or buttermilk or a cup of curd.
Calorie count for lunch:
1 bowl salad – 20 to 30
2 to 3 chapatis – 135
1.5 cup rice – 260
1 cup seasonal vegetable – 50 to100
1 cup dal/sambhar/rasam/eg curry – 150 to 300
Curd – 90
In the evening, you can have a small snack of mixed spouts chaat or an egg omelette. This will make sure that you donot reach out for biscuits or packets of crisps. Here are some more healthy snack options for the evening.
Calorie count for evening snack:
Sprouts or egg omelette – 100
Keep dinner light as it will be easier for your body to digest it. You can even avoid eating chapattis altogether at night and stick to only a bowl of salad, and a cup of dal, sambhar or rasam with a dry vegetable. You can try this healthy methi leaves sambhar recipe.
Calorie count for dinner:
1 bowl salad – 20-30
1 cup dal/sambhar/rasam – 150-300
1 cup seasonal vegetable – 50-100
You can have a glass of milk before bedtime as it induces sleep, is rich in calcium and protein and clears your bowels in the morning.
Calorie count:
1 glass milk – 120
Apart from these meals, make sure you drink at least 6 to 7 glasses of water every day and engage in physical activity like walking, running, etc for 30-45 minutes. This will ensure a healthy lifestyle.
Photo credit: Urban Mixer / Foter / CC BY-NC