Gardens - Better Homes and Gardens Calorie-Smart Meals: 150 Recipes for Delicious 300-, 400-, and 500-Calorie Dishes

Copyright 2015 by Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa.

All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to trade.permissions@hmhco.com or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-544-56982-9 (pbk)

ISBN 978-0-544-56984-3 (ebk)

Book design by Waterbury Publications, Inc., Des Moines, Iowa.

Better Homes and Gardens Calorie-Smart Meals

Editor: Jan Miller

Project Editor: Shelli McConnell, Purple Pear Publishing, Inc.

Contributing Editor: Ellen Boeke

Contributing Copy Editor and Proofreader: Terri Fredrickson, Gretchen Kauffman

Test Kitchen Director: Lynn Blanchard

Test Kitchen Product Supervisor: Carla Christian, R.D.

Test Kitchen Home Economists: Sarah Brekke, Linda Brewer, Juliana Hale, Sammy Mila, Jill Moberly, Colleen Weeden

Contributing Photographers: Karla Conrad, Jason Donnelly, Andy Lyons, Blaine Moats

Contributing Stylists: Greg Luna, Sue Mitchell, Dianna Nolin, Jennifer Peterson, Charlie Worthington

Administrative Assistants: Barb Allen, Marlene Todd

Special Interest Media

Editorial Leader: Doug Kouma

Editorial Director, Food: Jennifer Dorland Darling

Art Director: Gene Rauch

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publisher: Natalie Chapman

Editorial Director: Cindy Kitchel

Executive Editor, Brands: Anne Ficklen

Editorial Associate: Molly Aronica

Managing Editor: Marina Padakis Lowry

Digital Managing Editor: Rebecca Springer

Production Director: Tom Hyland

Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Design Director: Ken Carlson

Associate Design Director: Doug Samuelson

Production Assistant: Mindy Samuelson

Our seal assures you that every recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Calorie-Smart Meals has been tested in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. This means that each recipe is practical and reliable and meets our high standards of taste appeal. We guarantee your satisfaction with this book for as long as you own it.

Pictured on front cover:

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You want a strong, healthy body, so you need to take care of it. A big part of that effort starts with how you fuel your body. Calorie-Smart Meals is loaded with thoughtful, tasty recipes that are nutritionally balanced so they do more than just meet your bodys caloric needs.

Recipes are conveniently grouped by calorie level, giving you a simple tool for meal planningwith recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in each level. In addition to main meals, youll find nutritious snacks and delicious desserts under 250 calories. Youll also find basic information on important nutrients such as carbohydrate, fat, protein, and fiber to help you make good food choices throughout the week.

Your body only needs so many calories per day to function properly. The key to losing weight is to consume fewer calories and/or to exercise more to burn the extra calories youve consumed.

To get you started, we created two weeks of menu plans for you to use as a calorie-managing tool for balancing your calorie intake throughout the day and during the week. Use these menus as a guide to get you started on healthful eating habits for life.

Each recipe in this book is within a reasonable range of calories, fat, and sodium and with extra attention given to fiber and protein content.

Look for icons indicating that a recipe meets the following criteria:

GLUTEN-FREE*

No ingredients contain gluten.

MAKE-AHEAD

All or part of the recipe can be made in advance.

HIGH-FIBER

Recipe contains 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.

30-MINUTE

Recipe can be ready in 30 minutes or less.

VEGETARIAN

No ingredients contain meat or meat products.

*Gluten-free: These recipes can successfully be prepared with all gluten-free ingredients and may be suitable for people with celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities. Check the ingredient lists on all foods you use in these recipes to ensure they do not contain gluten.

Does eating well make your head spin? With all the latest research and new diets available, deciding what to eat can be overwhelming. Cut through the confusion and learn how to eat for optimal health. From calories to carbs, become oh-so-savvy at selecting the healthiest foods.

If only we could eat unlimited amounts of everything and stay slim and healthy. Unfortunately, this is not reality. But you should remember: Calories are not the enemycalories fuel the body.

You need to understand how calories affect your body and how to maximize your bodys potential by eating the right ones. Dont simply count calories. Make the calories you eat count.

Where to start? Consider the following guidelines for figuring out how many calories your body needs. Once you settle into a healthy way of eating, you can adjust calories up or down to better meet your goals.

Keep in mind calorie guidelines are simply that, GUIDELINES. Calorie needs will vary from person to person and can be affected by these factors: activity level, age, genetics, sleep, and stress level.

When it comes to weight loss, calorie quantity has been the gold standard for developing an eating plan. The number of calories youre eating is important.Whats more important, however, is overall calorie quality. Our minds may crave unhealthy foods, but our bodies really crave the good stuff (such as whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and cheeses, beans and legumes, and nuts). Our bodies run more efficiently on healthy food, maintain a good weight more easily, and are better able to ward off conditions such as diabetes, digestive ailments, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Losing weight does not mean you have to feel hungry and deprived. When you eat the right highquality foods, you can eat robustly, feel satisfied from meals and snacks, and nourish your body with the nutrients it needs.