Low-calorie side dishes for meat, fish and chicken - 10 simple and tasty recipes with photos

Hello! A low-calorie side dish for the main dish is an important rule of proper nutrition. Did you know that side dishes come in light and heavy varieties? Heavy side dishes lead to overeating and weight gain. A light side dish for the main dish improves the functioning of the digestive system, is rich in nutrients and diversifies your diet!

In this article, I will share with you a list of 10 delicious and healthy side dishes that you can eat every day for lunch or dinner and still lose weight. All recipes for dietary side dishes are simple and quick, consisting of available products: anyone can prepare them.

I cook often, and I’ll tell you my little secrets of preparing and preparing dishes. And for those who count calories, I have prepared a convenient summary table with the calorie content of each side dish. All side dishes from my top ten contain no more than 100 calories per 100 g, and the leader has only 23 calories. So let's begin!

How I choose low-calorie side dish recipes

When choosing side dishes for my top ten, I am guided by several principles:

1. calorie content - no more than 100 kcal per 100 grams
2. availability of ingredients - all products can be bought in a regular store
3. ease of preparation - almost all recipes for low-calorie side dishes consist of one product and are prepared very quickly
4. the taste of the dishes and the reliability of the recipes - all the recipes have been tested by me personally, the side dishes turn out very tasty.

Ten is presented in the form of a countdown: closer to the finish line - fewer calories.

Side dishes at PP

As a rule, pp side dish raises many questions. If it is not so difficult to decide on the main dish - it is often lean meat, then choosing a low-calorie side dish is not so easy for a person who has never followed proper nutrition before. But not everything is so bleak! There are a lot of dietary side dishes that you can safely include in your weight loss menu.

Boiled buckwheat

Buckwheat is one of my favorite side dishes, and the only representative of cereals in the low-calorie top ten. Why? It contains 100 kcal and is a dietary product, a source of vitamins B, P, E, macro- and microelements. On a plate it goes well with any meat and chicken. Can be served with some fish dishes. I also consider boiled buckwheat a self-sufficient dish. This is a complex carbohydrate, I ate buckwheat and I don’t feel like eating for a long time. It would seem: what could be easier than cooking buckwheat? But this cereal has its own quirks, I’ll tell you about them.

Number of ingredients: 2 Cooking time: 30 minutes Calories per 100 g: 100 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 5.9 / 2.5 / 30.6

Ingredients:

• Buckwheat – 1 cup
• Salt to taste

In the store, I choose dark-colored cereals with whole grains, without excess husks and small particles at the bottom of the package. There is no need to sort out such grains before cooking.

Products for preparing buckwheat porridge

I rinse it briefly, drain the water a couple of times, and that’s enough. During labor lessons at school, the teacher said that buckwheat is one of the cleanest grains; it doesn’t need to be washed. But I wash it anyway.

Now the proportion: the cereal is filled with water, the volume of water is 1.5-2 cm above the surface of the buckwheat in the pan. If I’m afraid to miss by eye, then I cook according to the generally accepted proportion: one part buckwheat to 2 parts water.

I cook in a saucepan with a thick bottom; buckwheat will increase in size by 3 times during cooking, so I take the correct size of dishes.

I pour buckwheat 1-2 cm

I fill the cereal with cold water, put the pan without a lid on maximum heat, add salt, and bring to a boil. I use iodized salt and am stingy with my salt: less salt equals healthier food.

Cover the buckwheat with a lid after boiling

After boiling, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and leave to cook for 20 minutes. I keep an eye on the time: it’s better to undercook buckwheat than to overcook it.

Shortly before it’s ready, I check whether there is enough water in the pan: you can hear it in the gurgles and you can carefully check it with a spoon. If the water has boiled away, you can add a little boiling water to prevent the buckwheat from burning. I don't mix buckwheat because... The integrity of the grains is very easy to break. If I constantly open the lid and stir the dish, my crumbly buckwheat will turn into a messy porridge.

After 20 minutes, I remove the pan from the heat and leave it to simmer for 5-10 minutes. The microclimate inside the pan and the thick bottom help with this - it gives off heat.

Then I mix it very carefully with a spoon.

I put crumbly buckwheat on a plate

OK it's all over Now. Boiled buckwheat is ready: a crumbly, aromatic, low-calorie and tasty side dish!

What side dish to eat when losing weight

When losing weight, you should eat the side dish you want, taking into account and selecting it for white or red meat, fish fillet, and mushrooms. Dishes should be varied, products should be combined so that the diet is tasty and does not turn into a heavy burden. This will also help avoid breakdowns.

Healthy side dish for meat

A healthy side dish for beef, veal, that is, for meat, is, for example:

• Mix of pumpkin (200 g), carrots (1 medium size) and green peas (100 g). The first product is cut into cubes. The carrots are chopped on a grater. Add salt, pepper and 1 tsp to the vegetables. vegetable oil. Everything should be placed in the “sleeve”, shake it and put it in the oven. You need to bake for up to 20 minutes.
• Porridge with vegetables. As a basis, you can take buckwheat, bulgur or barley in the amount of 1 cup. To the selected product add 100 g of green beans, 150 g of chopped kohlrabi and a drop of soy sauce. Mix all this and put it in a slow cooker, adding water. Cooking should be done in the “porridge” mode.

• Potato. This is the simplest dish. The tubers are cleaned, cut into halves and boiled in salted water.
• Brown rice The grains are washed, placed in a pan and such a volume of water is added so that the liquid rises 2 fingers above the contents. After boiling, you need to add salt and put a couple of unpeeled but well-washed heads of garlic into the rice. The dish is cooked until the water evaporates. The garlic needs to be removed from there and discarded.

Watch this video about how tasty and healthy it is to bake vegetables with meat:

Baked champignons

I included mushrooms in my top ten for their low calorie content. Champignons can be bought all year round in almost any store: fresh, canned or frozen. This recipe is with fresh mushrooms. The dish turns out aromatic and juicy: it can be included in the holiday menu.

Number of ingredients: 5 Cooking time: 45 minutes Calories per 100 g: 77 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 4.2 / 4.2 / 5.7

Ingredients:

Set of products for baked champignons

• Champignons – 300 grams
• Onion – 100 grams
• Sour cream 15% – 50 grams (2 tablespoons)
• Vegetable oil – 5 grams (1 teaspoon)
• Salt to taste

Washing fresh champignons under running water

I dry the champignons on a towel.
I wash the champignons under cold water and place them on a towel to remove excess moisture.

I cut off the stems of the champignons and chop them finely

I cut off the legs and plates and cut them into 5 mm cubes.

Finely chop the onion

Champignons and stuffing with sour cream, onions and champignon legs for baking

I chop the onion, mix it with mushroom stems and sour cream, add salt.

Stuffed champignon caps before baking

I put the caps in a form greased with vegetable oil, and put the prepared mixture on top.

I bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 190 degrees.

Baked champignons are ready

Baked champignons on a plate

Mushrooms can be eaten with any main course. And they are also very tasty on their own!

Eggplant with tomatoes and cheese

Number of ingredients: 3 Cooking time: 40 minutes Calories per 100 g: 70 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 3.7 / 3.7 / 5.6

Ingredients:

• Eggplants – 700 grams
• Tomatoes – 200 grams
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Cheese – 100 grams
• Vegetable oil – 5 grams
• Salt to taste

Fresh washed eggplants
Wash the eggplants and cut them into long slices.

Sliced ​​eggplants are soaked in water and salt

I soak it in salted water to remove the bitterness. While the eggplants are undergoing spa treatments, I chop the garlic and tomatoes and grate the cheese.

Drying the eggplants on a clean towel

I blot the eggplants with a napkin and place them on a baking sheet. I don't add salt.

Sliced ​​eggplants with garlic on a baking sheet

I grate and sprinkle the eggplants with garlic.

I put the tomatoes on the plates.

Eggplants before baking

I sprinkle cheese on top.

I send it to bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

Baked eggplants with garlic, tomatoes and cheese

The crust was baked, but not burnt, and the eggplants were cooked well.

162 gram serving of baked eggplant

Delicious, aromatic and the side dish is ready! This serving is 114 kcal. Pairs well with meat and poultry dishes.

Wheat sprouts of goodness

Do you think a wheat side dish can’t be original? Then make it from sprouted wheat. Soak a glass of sprouts in water for an hour. Then fill them with fresh water in a ratio of 1:2, lightly salt them, cook until tender and drain in a colander. Heat 100 ml of sesame oil in a frying pan, add 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp. coriander, ¼ tsp. chili powder and a pinch of salt. Keep the mixture on the fire for a couple of minutes, cool and water the wheat sprouts. Season them with a mixture of 30 ml balsamic vinegar and 30 ml soy sauce. This spicy variation will conquer even unapproachable gourmets.

Braised cabbage

Stewed white cabbage as a side dish is a classic of the genre; we have been accustomed to it since kindergarten. I love it for its familiar taste, lightness and accessibility. This type of cabbage could be at the top of the low-calorie side dish table. I tried boiling it without salt or steaming it, but in my opinion it was not tasty.

Therefore, I offer a proven recipe, this cabbage will appeal to adults and children, and is suitable for those losing weight.

Number of ingredients: 6 Cooking time: 35 minutes Calories per 100 g: 55 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 2.1 / 1.7 / 7.8

Ingredients:

• White cabbage – 500 grams
• Carrots – 100 grams
• Onion – 100 grams
• Tomato paste – 10 grams
• Vegetable oil – 10 grams
• Salt - to taste

Finely shred the cabbage
Wash and chop the cabbage.

Add water to fresh cabbage

Cabbage under a lid in a frying pan

I put it in a frying pan, add a little water, and put it on high heat. The water boils, reduce the heat and close the lid for 15 minutes so that the cabbage softens. After 5 minutes, the cabbage will be like in a sauna and will begin to release water on its own.

Shredded carrots and onions

I cut the onion into cubes and grate the carrots on a coarse grater.

Carrots, onions and tomatoes in a frying pan

I fry the onions and carrots in vegetable oil in another frying pan. As soon as the onion turns golden, add the carrots, then the tomato paste. Paste gives sourness and beautiful color to the cabbage. If there is no paste, you can replace it with tomato.

I combine a mixture of carrots, onions and tomatoes with cabbage

I combine cabbage and fried vegetables. I simmer them together for about 15 minutes. If the cabbage is not young and tough, then you need to make sure that it does not burn and you can increase the cooking time by 5-7 minutes.

Stewed cabbage in 35 minutes

A serving of stewed cabbage is 129 kcal.

The stewed cabbage is ready, you can serve it with meat and fish dishes! To my taste, it goes perfectly with chicken fillet with tomato and cheese in the oven - recipe with photo at the link.

What can you do with broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower?

These vegetables are best cooked in a steamer. They are combined with Provençal herbs and leeks. Each type of cabbage can be prepared as an independent dish, or you can combine it and make an assortment.

What would such a low-calorie side dish look like? This is stewed Brussels sprouts with broccoli, carrots and green peas. The dish is combined with chicken cutlets, meatballs or meatballs. Steamed vegetables will be juicier if eaten with various sauces. Forget about mayonnaise, it’s better to make them yourself using sour cream.

Zucchini baked with tomatoes and herbs

Number of ingredients: 4 Cooking time: 30 minutes Calories per 100 g: 41 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 0.8 / 1.6 / 5.8

Ingredients:

• Zucchini – 700 grams (3 pieces)
• Tomatoes – 300 grams (2 pieces)
• Vegetable oil – 5 grams
• Greens – 10 grams
• Salt to taste

Preparing fresh zucchini
I wash and peel the zucchini and cut it into slices.

Zucchini cut into circles and laid out on a baking sheet

Place on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil and add salt.

I put tomatoes on the zucchini

I put the tomatoes cut into slices on top. I put it in the oven, heated to 200 degrees, for 20 minutes.

Chopped herbs - dill, parsley and a mixture of Provençal herbs

I prepare the greens - finely chop the dill, parsley, add dried herbs de Provence, a little salt, you can add a few drops of vegetable oil, saved on greasing the mold.

After baking, sprinkle with herbs and put in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Baked zucchini with tomato and herbs

Greens in the oven reveal their aroma and give the dish an unusually fresh taste.

A portion of baked zucchini

But a serving of side dish is 150 grams, which is approximately 82 kcal. You can also eat supplements! Baked zucchini goes well with meat, chicken and fish. This dish is so simple, tasty and low-calorie that I included it in my selection of zucchini recipes for weight loss. The link is clickable: in the article I tell you what to cook from zucchini for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

How to choose a side dish when losing weight and eating right

In the minds of many, the only side dishes are the usual potatoes, buckwheat, rice and pasta. But this is not entirely true, because the dish is also prepared from vegetables and legumes. A sufficient portion of the side dish will saturate the body with useful substances. Eating moderate portions of cereals, vegetables or legumes prevents a strong feeling of hunger while on a diet.

If a person is losing weight, he must prepare main courses according to dietary recipes.

Basic rules for use and preparation at home:

1. Do not lightly cook cereals and vegetables. Products prepared in this way retain a maximum of nutrients, including slow carbohydrates. Their consumption allows you to maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time and maintain normal blood glucose levels.
2. The volume of food eaten should not exceed 300 grams. If you eat more, it will stretch the stomach walls.
3. Do not combine proteins of plant and animal origin. This will slow down the process of digesting food and contribute to the gain of extra pounds.
4. Do not fry foods that you plan to use as hot dishes. This will make them more caloric.
5. Do not eat industrially produced fatty sauces with side dishes.

What side dishes are there for those losing weight:

It is advisable to eat this side dish once a day, for lunch.

Be sure to check out:

Pumpkin baked in the oven

A few words about the benefits of pumpkin: it contains carotene, vitamin E, dietary fiber, and a lot of other benefits. This vegetable is even called healing, and I couldn’t help but include this delicious pumpkin side dish on my list.

Pumpkin 1 kg

I try to buy a ripe bright orange pumpkin - I ask the seller, or I go to a store where the largest specimens are cut into halves. Pumpkin is a seasonal vegetable; you can’t get enough of it in the fall for the whole year. Therefore, during the season, I freeze pumpkin as a semi-finished product in 500 g bags, and it can be cooked all year round.

Number of ingredients: 1 Cooking time: 30 minutes Calories per 100 g: 40 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 0.9 / 0.4 / 6.1

Ingredients:

• Fresh pumpkin (you can use frozen).

I clean out the middle of my pumpkin with a spoon
and cut it into several pieces. I clean out the middle, using a tablespoon for this.

Peeling a pumpkin using 2 tools

Peeling the pumpkin is the most difficult part of the recipe. For convenience, I cut it into smaller pieces. It is much easier to peel the thick skin from a small piece. You can use a vegetable peeler or knife.

If you come across a specimen with a particularly hard peel, I give step-by-step instructions with photos in the article on how to peel a hard pumpkin.

Cooking pumpkin without oil on baking paper

I cut the pumpkin into pieces, maybe into strips. Place in a pan on baking paper and place in a preheated oven. I don't add salt. Can be cooked with curry seasoning - a great combination.

I bake for 30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees.

If you cut the pumpkin into strips, the baking time is shorter - only 20 minutes. For large pieces, the cooking time increases to 40 minutes.

60 calorie serving of baked pumpkin

Low-calorie pumpkin side dish is ready! Slightly sweet in taste, translucent baked pumpkin goes well with meat; I like the combination with poultry dishes.

Baked sweet pepper

Sweet or baked bell peppers are a source of vitamins and microelements and contain the hormone of joy. Once our children, while playing cats, ate a piece of dry cat food. They said it greatly improves mood. I do not advise anyone to try the food. And for a good mood, I included a recipe for baked sweet peppers in the list of low-calorie side dishes. In order not to lose a lot of joy - without salt and oil.

Number of ingredients: 2 Cooking time: 35 minutes Calories per 100 g: 38 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 1.9 / 0 / 7.3

Ingredients:

• Bell pepper – 500 grams
• Greenery

Fresh bell peppers

I cut the bell pepper into 6-8 pieces.
I wash the pepper, cut off the tail and top, and clean out the middle with the seeds. I cut the bell pepper into slices.

Bell peppers before baking

I put the peppers in a glass dish and pour 2 tbsp on the bottom. water. Place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 30 minutes.

Bell peppers baked in the oven for 30 minutes

Before serving, sprinkle with herbs.

Baked bell peppers with herbs

I take out the bell pepper when the edges start to darken. The pepper has not yet become limp and cooked, and is no longer raw. Retains a slight crunch. Perfect for meat dishes. That's it, you can eat, lose weight and be happy!

Steamed green beans

Number of ingredients: 1 Cooking time: 13 minutes Calories per 100 g: 32 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 2.4 / 0.1 / 4.9

Ingredients:

• Green beans – 500 grams
• Salt to taste

Rinse green beans
I used fresh green beans in this recipe, but sometimes I use frozen ones.

I rinse the beans under cold water.

Trimming the tails of green beans

I cut off the ponytails on both sides - this is the most difficult part of the recipe. I collect the pods in small bunches of 5-6 pieces and cut off the tails in bulk, so I can do it faster.

Steamed green beans

Place the beans in a steamer for 11 minutes. You can add a little salt. If I cook frozen beans, I increase the cooking time by 5 minutes. If you don’t have an electric steamer, no problem. In a separate article, I described how to steam without a steamer. Go ahead and read about the most unexpected ideas and devices.

Ready green beans

The beans should remain green in color and not turn brown. A side dish of green beans goes well with meat, various fish dishes and chicken.

Main conclusions

1. A side dish can be present on the menu of a person losing weight, as it is an additional source of nutrients necessary for the full functioning of the body.
2. If you are on a diet, be careful about the choice of products included in the side dish. Frying and adding fatty sauces add extra calories, and the dish becomes unsuitable for those losing weight.
3. Side dishes are prepared from legumes, cereals and vegetables. Each type of dish is characterized by special cooking rules that reduce its energy value.
4. It is advisable to serve fish and meat with dishes of cereals and vegetables. It is advisable to eat legumes with vegetables, not meat.

Do you know any interesting recipes for making side dishes for people who are losing weight? Share your method of preparing your favorite dish in the comments.

Steamed broccoli

I have a special relationship with broccoli. Imagine: a small child sitting with khaki green broccoli puree smeared all over his face. Not very aesthetically pleasing. But it is tasty and healthy - this vegetable contains a lot of vitamin C and K, microelements and antioxidant substances.

Sometimes children's preferences determine what foods are on our table. Broccoli is a universal side dish, suitable for meat, poultry and fish. I like the combination with red fish: I tell you how to cook trout in a frying pan in a simple step-by-step recipe. Follow the link, cook and eat with broccoli! I often cook broccoli dishes; the steamed recipe is very simple and quick.

Number of ingredients: 1 Cooking time: 17 minutes Calories per 100 g: 28 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 2.6 / 0.3 / 4.4

Ingredients:

• Broccoli – 1 package of frozen cabbage or kachan (flower) of fresh cabbage.

I defrost frozen broccoli.
I first leave the package of frozen broccoli for 30 minutes at room temperature so that the cabbage flowers are not frozen. I don't defrost it completely.

Cutting large broccoli florets

I cut large inflorescences. The size of each is no more than 5 cm, so the cabbage will thaw and cook evenly.

Place the broccoli in the steamer

I pour boiling water into the pan and place a colander insert with broccoli in it. I use the simplest type of steamer - a regular insert into a pan with holes.

Steamed broccoli does not lose its color

I leave it covered for 15 minutes. If I use fresh cabbage, I reduce the steaming time to 10 minutes.

Steamed broccoli is ready: it looks even tastier on a plate

That's the whole secret of preparation: in 15 minutes. the broccoli has time to thaw and take a steam bath. It does not have time to cook, and does not lose its beautiful green color and beneficial properties.

Boiled cauliflower

Cauliflower prepared according to this recipe turns out to be tender, not overcooked, and pleasant to the taste. It is even given to infants as their first meal. Boiled cauliflower retains vitamins A, B, K, a loading dose of vitamin C, and a lot of useful substances - this is a dietary dish that is included in the diet when losing weight.

Number of ingredients: 2 Cooking time: 12 minutes Calories per 100 g: 23 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 1.8 / 0.5 / 4.1

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower – 1 pc.
• Salt to taste

A head of fresh cauliflower
I wash the cabbage. I cut off the stalk and leaves.

Cauliflower inflorescences

I divide the cabbage into inflorescences. The stem of cauliflower is the toughest part; I cut the inflorescences with the thickest stem into pieces.

Cauliflower is boiled

Pour boiling water into the pan, add a little salt, and place the cauliflower in the water.

Cauliflower cooks for 10 minutes

After the water boils, reduce the heat and leave to cook for 10 minutes. I drain the water and the side dish is ready!

Serving cauliflower on a beautiful plate

Boiled cauliflower goes well with meat, turkey, and chicken.

Do you want cauliflower with a golden brown crust?