A weight loss meal planner needs to have some tasty and healthy recipes. Meal planners for weight loss often focus on eating more salads. Some salads can be healthy, but others can be very unhealthy and caloric because of the dressing and lots of add-ins.

Weight Loss Meal Planner Low Calorie Salad

This is a healthy salad to add to your weight loss meal planner.

Salade composée is the French term for a salad whose components are arranged in separate piles rather than being tossed together (the classic example being salade niçoise). Though this looks artful on the plate, it isn’t much of a salad experience. So here’s a healthy version of an uncomposed salade niçoise, a combination of Yukon Gold potatoes, grilled tuna steak, and asparagus tossed with a mustard-lime vinaigrette.

This healthy diet Asparagus is a classic spring vegetable. Low in fat and calories, and high in fiber, asparagus provides an impressive array of nutrients such as iron, beta carotene, vitamin C, and wealth of B vitamins.

Recipe for Tuna-Asparagus Salad

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 pound tuna steak
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1/2 pound asparagus cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as olive or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 8 leaves mixed salad greens
  • 1 cup cooked white beans
  • 3 thinly sliced scallions

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar. Rub the mixture into both sides of the tuna steak.

2. In a vegetable steamer, steam the potatoes for 7 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until the vegetables are firm-tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the lime juice, oil, and mustard. Add the warm potatoes and asparagus to the dressing and toss to coat.

4. Spray a grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium. Place the tuna on the grill, close the cover, and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the fish just flakes when tested with a fork. Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing the tuna on the diagonal.

5. Add the mixed greens, white beans, and scallions to the bowl with the potatoes and toss to combine. Add the tuna and toss gently. Makes 4 servings

Nutrition (per serving)

360 calories

10g total fat

7g dietary fiber

39g carbohydrates

32g protein

This salad provides a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamin, vitamin B 12, vitamin B 6, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

Click here to add this recipe to your weight loss meal planner.