You Can Have a Healthy Valentine’s Day Meal

While Valentine’s Day is all about love, it’s hard to keep those romantic feelings alive when you’re scrambling for reservations and standing in line at the movie theater for an hour, just to be told tickets are no longer available for the new rom-com. Then you finally do get a seat at your favorite restaurant or movie, you end up sacrificing all the hard work you put into your weight loss and giving into to decadent, scrumptious calorie-rich foods you’ll regret eating in the morning. At the end of the day, you’ll probably be asking yourself:

“When did Valentine’s Day become so difficult?”

The truth is, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be difficult at all. You just need to plan for it and ensure every move you make fits into your healthy and clean lifestyle.

 

 

Healthy Valentine’s Day Ideas

You don’t have to give up a romantic evening with your loved one simply because of the temptation to overindulge. Win your way into his or her heart with a romantic and delicious meal at home.

• A Red Dinner- Red is the color of love on Valentine’s Day, so why not make it the theme of your dinner. Natural red foods are healthy for you; for instance, crimson foods like cherries, strawberries, and beets are jam-packed with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, antioxidants and lycopene. Love spicy foods? Red peppers can actually boost your metabolism.

• Indoor Picnics- What’s more romantic than a picnic? An indoor picnic, where you can sit in front of a roaring fireplace, feed each other fruit dipped in melted dark chocolate, and not have to worry about ants ruining the fun.

• Cook Together- Many people think that romance requires wine, candlelight, and music to sway to. The truth is, when it comes to love, romance can be found almost anywhere- especially in the kitchen. Cooking a new recipe together can be an intimate affair, because it pushes both of you out of your comfort zones and allows you to explore each other’s creative sides. In addition, it’s also much easier to ensure your meal is healthy if you’re the one in charge of the ingredients.

 

A Healthy Valentine’s Day Meal

 

Looking for the perfect, romantic meal to make for Valentine’s Day? Take a look at this entre, side dish, and desert you can make together.

Main Dish: Maple Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

• 1 T low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 T maple syrup
• 2 t lemon juice
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1 t minced ginger
• ¼ t ground pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To make this main dish, whisk together the soy sauce garlic, ginger, pepper, syrup, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add chicken and coat evenly. Leave the chicken sitting in the marinade for two hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken over medium heat until the thickest part is heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This generally requires three to five minutes on each side. While the chicken is cooking, poor the marinade that was used into a small pan and let simmer over medium heat for about four minutes. When the chicken is fully cooked, baste it with the reduced sauce.

 

Side Dish: Mashed Squash

Ingredients:

1. 1 halved and seeded acorn squash
2. 1 t butter
3. ¼ t ground cinnamon
4. ¼ t salt
5. 2 T maple syrup

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the acorn squash, cut side down, in the pan and bake for 50 minutes or until soft. Once it is cool, scrape the squash into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Mash with a fork until smooth.

 

Desert: Mango and Raspberry Sundaes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup frozen raspberries, thawed,
• ½ mango, diced
• 2 T chopped nuts
• 1 T sugar
• ¼ t lemon juice
• 2 scoops of vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

Using a blender, puree the lemon juice, sugar, and raspberries. Pour over scoops of frozen yogurt and top with nuts and diced mangos.

Lose Weight Fast- Despite Valentine’s Day

Think that Valentine’s Day will wreck your weight loss in Orlando? Don’t let it. Stay in for a romantic and healthy night of fun and delicious food that won’t add to your waist line. Need more help deciding what meal to prepare for your special day? Follow Svelte Medical Weight Loss on Facebook for expert tips and information.