At the end of a busy, hectic workday, the last thing you want to do is come home and spend hours in the kitchen trying to come up with healthy dinner ideas that fit into your weight loss and wellness goals. Fortunately for you, these three quick and easy meals will add healthy recipes to your repertoire of healthy, go-to meals for busy weeknights.
In addition to healthy dinner ideas, we’ve got some great resources that will help you chart your course to healthy living. We recommend you start with The Basics of Keto, The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Keto vs Low Carb Diets, The Ultimate Keto Grocery List, and Understanding Hunger: Learn How to Resist False Alarms. Each of these is full of helpful information and useful tips to keep you on track and set you up for success.
Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa
Mahi-mahi is technically a protein, but it’s much more than that. It is also rich in thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and iron, and has just 93 calories for every 3 ounces. That makes it an ideal go-to for easy, healthy meals. This mahi-mahi recipe combines this mild-flavored fish with the vibrant, low-calorie flavors of fresh mango, red onion, and lime juice, and quickly turns a basic mahi-mahi fillet into a fiesta of delicious flavors.
MANGO SALSA INGREDIENTS
● 1 mango, diced
● ½ red onion, diced
● 3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
● 1 lime, juiced
● ½ teaspoon sea salt
MANGO SALSA INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- For best results, prepare the salsa in the morning and let it refrigerate throughout the day to let the flavors meld together.
MAHI-MAHI TACO INGREDIENTS
● 1 lb. mahi-mahi
● 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
● 2 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
● 2 Tablespoons olive oil
● 8 whole grain tortillas
● shredded cabbage
MAHI-MAHI TACO INSTRUCTIONS
- Brush fish fillets with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cajun seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for two minutes.
- Add fillets to cook, without moving, for three minutes on one side.
- Flip and cook for an additional three minutes, until fish is cooked through.
- Remove from heat, flake the meat with a fork, and set aside. (Note: If it doesn’t flake easily, it’s not finished cooking.)
- To assemble the tacos: warm whole-grain tortillas in a skillet for 10-15 seconds on each side, then fill them with fish, mango salsa, and shredded cabbage.
- Serve immediately.
Is Mahi Mahi Good for Weight Loss?
Fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous benefits, like keeping your brain and heart healthy. Many fish are also light on calories and low in fat, which makes them a good choice for weight loss. Mahi-mahi is a great option if you’re trying to lose weight. A four-ounce portion contains only 99 calories and 1 gram of fat, but still packs nearly 160 milligrams of omega-3s. That’s a lot of fish, for not a lot of calories.
What Kind of Fish is Best to Use for Fish Tacos?
When you make a fish taco, it’s best to use a lean, flakey white fish. These kinds of fish are generally light on fishy flavor, and they are quick and easy to cook. Some popular fish taco choices are mahi-mahi, halibut, tilapia, snapper, cod, bass, and catfish.
Do I Leave the Skin on Mahi Mahi?
Unless you’re grilling or broiling your mahi-mahi, you should remove the skin before cooking. Generally, skin is left on fish as a means of holding the meat together while it cooks. However, mahi mahi holds up to cooking and stays together fairly well. This eliminates the need to leave the skin on while you cook it.
Power Dogs Recipe
Hot dogs may be one of the most beloved snacks in America, but with around 150 calories, 25 mg of cholesterol, and 450 mg of sodium in the hot dog alone, they are far from healthy. While regular hot dogs may be off the table in your healthy lifestyle, these power dogs are a fun riff on the idea of a hot dog. We switch the bun out for a healthy and carb-friendly chicken breast, fill it with three to four high-fiber asparagus spears and a handful of protein-rich mozzarella, and tie it all together with three slices of tasty bacon for a “hot dog” that will keep you on a health-conscious track.
Power Dogs INGREDIENTS
● chicken breasts
● asparagus
● turkey bacon
● mozzarella cheese
● olive oil
● salt and pepper to taste
Power Dogs INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn your grill onto medium-high heat and cover the grilling surface with olive oil to prevent the rolls from sticking.
- Use a meat tenderizer to flatten each chicken breast to a thickness that allows it to be easily rolled up.
- After the chicken breast has been tenderized, place it on top of three slices of turkey bacon.
- Add the asparagus, cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Starting on one side, roll the chicken and turkey bacon around the asparagus and cheese “dog.”
- Place on the grill and cook for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
Traditional beef can be high in saturated fat and acidity, but ground turkey is low in fat, yet rich in iron, zinc, potassium, and phosphorus, making it one of the best sources of protein you can get. Turkey is also a great source of vitamin B6 and niacin, which helps fuel the body’s energy production and lower cholesterol levels. By making the beloved meatloaf with turkey and implementing sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, you can introduce your family to a delicious, healthy meal that’s sure to become a new weeknight favorite.
Turkey Meatloaf INGREDIENTS
● vegetable cooking spray
● ½ cup plain bread crumbs
● ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
● ¼ cup garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
● 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
● 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
● 2 Tablespoons whole milk
● ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
● 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
● 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
● 1 pound ground turkey
Turkey Meatloaf INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, placing the oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray.
- Combine bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, feta, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Add turkey and fold into the mixture, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Pack the meat mixture into a pre-greased pan.
- Cover with tinfoil and bake about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the tinfoil for the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
- Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest for five minutes before transferring to a cutting board, slicing, and serving.
What Can I Put in Meatloaf Instead of Breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs act as binding agents to keep the meatloaf together. If you don’t want to use breadcrumbs, or if you don’t have any on hand, there are some alternatives. Crushed up crackers, rolled oats, cornflakes, potato chips, pretzels, or shredded coconut will also do the trick.
How Do You Keep Meatloaf Moist?
Keeping a meatloaf moist is always a concern, but when you’re working with ground turkey, which tends to be drier than beef, it becomes an even greater challenge. One key to keeping your meatloaf moist, is to cook it covered. This allows the moisture to be trapped and steam cook the meat, which keeps it tender. But the biggest secret to a juicy meatloaf is in not overworking the meat. Mix all the ingredients together just until they are combined, but be careful not to squish or smash them. When packing the meat into the pan, keep it loose. Compressing the meat too much increases the cooking time, which will dry it out.
Is it Better to Cook Meatloaf Covered or Uncovered?
Should you bake a meatloaf covered or uncovered? That’s a trick question, because the answer is, both! Covering the meatloaf with tinfoil helps keep the moisture in while it bakes most of the way through. Then, when you remove the tinfoil towards the end, the top of the meatloaf gets a nice texture in the remaining time.
If you like these healthy dinner recipes, bookmark our Systems Recipes and System Resources pages to stay up to date on all the Xyngular dinner recipes. If you need more assistance boosting your health and meeting your weight loss goals, check out Xyngular’s amazing wellness products. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more great Xyngular meal ideas, tips, and Xyngular product announcements.
Three Xyngular Recipes To Try This Week...
