15 Healthy Dinners to Lose Weight

Are you trying to lose weight? In that case, do not miss the dinners that we are going to comment on, they are healthy and do not provide too many calories, which allows to improve body composition.

Written and verified by el nutricionista Saúl Sánchez.

Last update: 08 July, 2023

When your goal is to improve your body composition, then you have to do two things. The first one is to increase physical activity. The second is to improve your diet. With this objective, we are going to bring you a number of healthy dinners to help you lose weight, as, at the end of the day, it’s important to ensure the intake of nutrients, but without overdoing the calories.

Keep in mind that losing weight does not mean stopping eating. It doesn’t even mean you go hungry. It’s only necessary to adjust the diet and ensure that all the elements your body needs to function optimally are provided. Otherwise, complex pathologies could develop in the medium term that would affect your overall health.

Healthy dinners to lose weight

Let’s start looking at our healthy dinners to lose weight. Keep in mind that they must be introduced in the context of a varied diet. The rest of the meals of the day must be correctly scheduled, in order to satisfy the body’s requirements. If you have any questions, you can always consult with a nutrition professional to give you better chances of success.

1. French omelet

We start with one of the best dinner ideas at the end of the day, the French omelet. It’s a dish that admits different variations, since the preparation can be filled with other products such as tuna, spinach, cheese, ham… The options are many according to the tastes of each person.

Thanks to the eggs, protein is ensured at dinner. It should be borne in mind that these nutrients are essential in order to prevent the loss of muscle mass induced by the catabolism of lean tissue. Nutrition guidelines advise a daily intake of more than 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in sedentary people. This is evidenced by a study published in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism.

The requirements are further increased in the case of regular strength physical exercise. In these cases, the needs can be tripled in order to promote muscle gains. Be that as it may, it is recommended that at least half of these nutrients come from animal protein, to ensure a high biological value.

Eggs are able to provide other important essential nutrients. Among them, special mention must be made of vitamin D. This compound helps to improve overall health. Deficits are related to an increased risk of developing complex pathologies, according to research published in the journal Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders.

The best way to ensure that your vitamin requirements are met is to get frequent sunlight. Radiation stimulates its endogenous synthesis. However, this isn’t always possible, so it’s essential to guarantee a certain dietary intake. Thanks to eggs you can get a dose of vitamin D on a daily basis.

2. Scrambled eggs with prawns, spinach and mushrooms

Regarding the benefits of the eggs already mentioned, we must add the antioxidants and micronutrients contained in this recipe. Scrambled eggs are popular with almost everyone; they’re simple and quick to prepare and allow a multitude of variations. They’re wonderful for losing weight, since they provide protein in a low-calorie context.

In this case, spinach has a large amount of phytonutrients with antioxidant capacity inside. These neutralize the formation of free radicals and their subsequent accumulation in the body’s tissues. Thanks to this property, aging and associated pathologies are prevented. It is important that antioxidants appear in your diet on a daily basis.

As if this weren’t enough, spinach also contains other micronutrients. Special mention must be made of the duality between iron and vitamin C. The mineral is decisive to prevent episodes of anemia that create a situation of chronic fatigue, affecting well-being. However, the absorption rate of this element is generally very low.

This is where vitamin C comes into play, a nutrient capable of enhancing the bioavailability of iron. When they are administered together the effect is more powerful, so the prevention of anemia becomes more efficient. This is indicated by an investigation published in the journal JAMA.

In addition, this vitamin has many other functions in the body. On the one hand, it also generates an antioxidant effect. On the other, it helps to increase the efficiency of the immune system. Maintaining adequate levels of the nutrient helps to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases.

3. Chicken and vegetable stir fry, an easy to make healthy weight loss dinner

Stir-fries are also quick to prepare. They have a wide variety of foods in their potential ingredients, so they are considered very healthy. As long as they are prepared with little oil, they will provide a moderate number of calories, so they can be optimal for losing weight.

Keep in mind that it is essential to ensure that you consume several different vegetables. In this way, more different antioxidants are obtained, which improves the state of health and facilitates the functioning of the different organs. However, it is always beneficial for these ingredients to be combined with a protein source of high biological value. Chicken meat fulfills this function.

Also, when preparing stir-fries, it’s advisable to use culinary spices such as curry or turmeric. These elements stand out for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics, as stated in a study published in Drug Design, Development and Therapy. Its consumption is related to a better state of health.

4. Toast with guacamole and smoked salmon

If you have a little more time you can prepare a homemade guacamole. It isn’t difficult or laborious to complete this elaboration successfully. It’s also a dish with many health benefits. It stands out mainly for its content of fatty acids from the omega-3 series, compounds that have been shown to exert positive effects on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Smoked salmon is the element capable of providing proteins in this case. It also has a lipid profile with a prominent presence of omega 3, which will help keep the body’s levels of inflammation under control. Although in general it’s a more caloric recipe, it doesn’t have to cause weight gain if it is introduced in the context of a varied and slightly energy-deficient diet.

Now, the key to the recipe is the good choice of bread for toast. It is essential to avoid refined varieties, made with low-quality wheat flours. You should always use bread prepared from sourdough. The best option is bread made from whole wheat flour. If you include other types of seeds inside, even better.

5. Fresh cheese beaten with oats and fruit

You may not have much time to cook late in the day, but you need to prepare a nutritious and healthy dinner to lose weight. In that case, you can open a jar of fresh whipped cheese, add a few tablespoons of flaked oatmeal and chop your favorite fruit to include it in the bowl.

With this mixture you will get a lot of high-quality nutrients. And, best of all, it’s not too high in calories. In addition, we must highlight the function of oats, the highest quality cereal that we have in our diet. This ingredient stands out for its concentration in fiber. It has been shown to be able to avoid situations of constipation and to create satiety.

The presence of the fruit shouldn’t be underestimated. Some nutrition experts recommend not eating this food at night. The truth is that the body’s ability to properly metabolize sugars is reduced. However, you can eat fruit as long as it is introduced into a preparation that has fiber inside. This reduces the impact of fructose on blood glucose levels.

6. Mixed salad, another one of our healthy dinners to lose weight

Mixed salad is one of the most classic dishes to include in a weight loss diet. It is a great option for dinner, especially when you don’t have much time. However, you must be sure to include a protein source of high biological value. The most advisable thing is to add tuna in olive oil if you can.

Not everyone digests lettuce in the same way. For some people, it causes an increase in gas production, which can be annoying when going to bed. You should check out your tolerance to this food in advance to ensure that it doesn’t cause you any problems.

When it comes to dressing, it’s recommended to avoid vinegar creams, as they contain simple sugars. It’s best to use a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a little apple or wine vinegar, and some lemon. Of course, culinary spices can be included to taste.

7. Beans with egg and cooked potato

Beans are vegetables that stand out for their antioxidant and fiber content. They’re recommended in almost any diet. They increase satiety and improve digestive health. All this without adding too many calories. However, its taste may not be pleasant for everyone. For this reason, they can be accompanied by other foods that improve the organoleptic characteristics of the dish.

Boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, and a portion of crushed tomato are a great option to combine with the beans and get everyone to eat these vegetables. In addition, with this mixture of ingredients a much more complete nutritional contribution is achieved, so the overall state of health will also be improved.

Keep in mind that tubers are one of the best sources of carbohydrates that can be found. The sugars that they contain are complex. They don’t alter blood glucose significantly or cause high stress in the pancreas.

8. Grilled beef with salad

There has been an intense debate about the consumption of red meat in recent times. The truth is that there’s no solid evidence that this food can create health problems in the medium term, as long as it is consumed unprocessed. However, you should avoid all prodects made from processed red meat, since they contain harmful components, such as nitrites.

One of the benefits of red meat has to do with its essential micronutrient content. For example, veal stands out for the presence of iron inside. This is a mineral with a much higher bioavailability than its counterpart of plant origin. For this reason, the inclusion of foods of animal origin in the diet is a good strategy for the prevention of anemia.

9. Sautéed chickpeas with spinach and mushrooms

Most nutrition experts advise regular consumption of legumes. These products must appear in your diet at least a couple of times a week. One option is to include them in healthy dinners to lose weight. It doesn’t matter if they are bought natural or canned, since in the latter case the food has only undergone a cooking process. It won’t contain additives, and is, therefore, considered a healthy ingredient.

However, you have to be aware that legumes sometimes generate heavy digestions. This has to do with its fiber content. To avoid producing excess gases, it’s advisable to cook them over a low heat for a long time. Thus the fibers soften and ferment less in the digestive tract.

10. Hummus with veggie crudités

Another way to introduce legumes into the diet is through hummus. This recipe is basically made up of crushed chickpeas. It should be noted that this mechanical process also generates a simpler digestion of food, since part of the fibers are destroyed.

It’s best to accompany the hummus with vegetable sticks, in addition to preparing it with several different culinary spices. In this way, a high consumption of antioxidants and vitamins is ensured, and the caloric value of the dish itself is reduced. As a general rule, these preparations should be consumed with nachos or other types of fried snacks.

11. Grilled hake with peppers

Fish is sometimes difficult to cook well. It needs to be perfectly matched and it often takes time to clean and make them. This isn’t the case with grilled hake. This product can be ordered in the fishmonger itself ready to be put into the pan. It’s cooked with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and parsley.

If the hake is of good quality, the organoleptic characteristics of the preparation will be fantastic. Of course, it must be as fresh as possible. In this case, we are speaking of a high-quality fish, also from a nutritional point of view. It contains proteins of high biological value, and minerals such as iodine.

On the other hand, it provides very few calories. It’s a frequent food in diets that seek to lose weight. It can be accompanied by very different vegetables, but some grilled peppers look great and can be prepared very quickly. They are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

12. Quinoa with tuna and vegetables

If you have done some type of high-intensity exercise before dinner, you will need to add at least one source of quality carbohydrates to this meal. Quinoa can be a good example. It manages to provide complex sugars, proteins, and a large amount of fiber. It creates satiety and stimulates intestinal transit.

To accompany it there are very diverse options. We suggest canned tuna and a variety of vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, carrots, and tomatoes. When combined, this is a fantastic mix to replenish energy and improve the recovery of lean tissue. In addition, it’s a dish that you can add many different spices to, such as turmeric, which improves its antioxidant potential.

13. Cured cheese with Serrano ham

If you don’t get tend to get too hungry at dinner time, then you could just go for a healthy snack. Cured cheese and Serrano ham are two products that provide proteins of high biological value, quality fats, and essential micronutrients. Now, in the case of ham, its origin matters a lot.

Ham that is obtained from captive pigs isn’t the same as that produced by the same animal when it lives free and is fed from acorns. In the latter case, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the final product is increased, which clearly improves its quality.

In addition, when buying ham it’s necessary to look at the labeling. The best thing is to choose one that doesn’t contain preservatives such as nitrites or sulphites. These compounds are toxic to the human body in the medium term, so their consumption must be greatly limited.

14. Grilled roosterfish with sliced tomato

Another good fish to eat at night is roosterfish. They’re prepared very easily and quickly. Very few ingredients or materials are required to obtain a fantastic result. They are also easy to eat since they don’t have too many bones or spines. They are also a high-quality protein source.

It’s important to avoid coating and frying these foods, as this is a very common practice. It’s always advisable to cook them on the grill to avoid an excessive calorie intake and toxic waste compounds such as acrylamide. Consuming these elements on a regular basis could be harmful to your health.

To accompany this fish you can opt for something as simple as a sliced tomato. This ensures the presence of sufficient antioxidants and vitamins at dinner. However, a salad is also a great option.

15. Grilled pork tenderloin with sautéed asparagus

Pork is a meat that can be considered red or white, depending on the animal’s diet. It is always preferable to opt for the Iberian varieties, since they have a higher quality at an organoleptic and nutritional level.

Pork sirloin is a very lean cut that stands out for its protein concentration. It is usually part of an athlete’s diet, although it can also be included in the diet of those who want to lose weight in a healthy way. It will always be recommended to opt for a clean cooking method, such as the griddle or the oven.

To accompany it, there’s nothing better than sautéing some asparagus with a little extra virgin olive oil. The preparation time is short and the contribution of essential nutrients of the preparation is very high. Asparagus also provide fiber, which helps improve digestive health.

Prepare healthy dinners to lose weight

It isn’t at all difficult to prepare healthy dinners to lose weight. You only need to choose quality food and opt for suitable, low-fat cooking methods. In addition, whenever possible, it’s advisable to include culinary spices in the preparation process.

On the other hand, don’t forget that the diet has to be complemented with regular physical exercise when the objective is to improve body composition. Otherwise, the expected results may not be obtained. Likewise, it’s essential to get a good night’s rest, ensuring 7 or 8 hours of quality sleep.