Eat More to Lose Weight: 1,500-Calorie Summer Diet Plan

450-Calorie Dinner Choices

Takeout! From Applebee's

Southwest Cobb Salad: grilled chipotle chicken, shredded cheese, broccoli, diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, corn, and black beans served on a bed of mixed greens with cilantro ranch dressing

Garlic-Basil Shrimp & Zucchini Pasta

1 cup whole-wheat pasta noodles
3 ounces frozen precooked and shelled shrimp, thawed
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Make it: Cook pasta. Mix hot noodles with remaining ingredients.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Wraps

2/3 cup precooked chicken strips
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons peanuts
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix
2 whole wheat tortillas

Make it: In skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute chicken, scallions, peanuts, hot sauce, and shredded vegetables for 8 minutes. Wrap in tortillas.

Takeout! Sushi

Miso soup (1 cup)
Tuna roll (6 pieces)
Small seaweed salad

Three-Pepper Cilantro Fajitas

1/3 cup each sliced red, green and yellow bell peppers
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup canned low-fat refried beans
2 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Make it: Saute peppers and onion in olive oil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Warm refried beans; spread on tortillas. Top with sauteed vegetables and cilantro.

Artichoke & Tomato Panzanella Salad

2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup chopped canned artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons low-fat Italian vinaigrette dressing

Make it: Toast bread and cut into small squares. Add artichokes, tomatoes, white beans, toasted bread squares, and Italian vinaigrette and combine.

Hoisin Grilled Fish & Summer Vegetables

4 ounces fish, such as salmon or tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (Chinese barbecue sauce found in the Asian section of grocery stores)
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/2 cup pea pods
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup cooked brown rice

Make it: Spray a sheet of tin foil with cooking spray and place fish, hoisin sauce, yellow squash, pea pods, and carrots on it. Fold and seal. Cook packet on grill for 10 to 12 minutes (vegetables should be tender and fish should flake easily with a fork). Serve over brown rice.