Are you on a diet? If you are, you would know that resisting the temptation of eating rich, delicious food takes a lot of willpower. Does that mean that since you are on a diet, you will have to give up those tasty dishes?

No you don’t have to. That’s because there are a lot of low-fat recipes that you can acquire from the net or from cookbooks. These low-fat recipes are not only healthy; they are also inexpensive and easy to cook.

Let us start with a classic meal starter—soup. One of the best low fat recipes that involve soup is vegetarian skillet chili, a rather thick soup.

For this dish, you would need one tablespoon of olive oil, a chopped onion, two green bell peppers that are seeded and chopped, two tablespoons of chili powder, a cup of water, two fifteen-ounce canned pinto beans (drained), two fifteen-ounce Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, and three cups of shredded fat-free Monterey cheese.

To make the soup, heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet. When the oil is hot (you can tell it is hot when it smokes), sauté onion and bell peppers. Stir the vegetables from time to time until they are lightly browned. Add the chili powder and cook for one minute.

Next, pour the drained beans, tomatoes, and water into the skillet. Boil the mixture over high heat, stirring occasionally. When the soup boils, turn the heat to low and simmer until the liquid is thick. This will take approximately around twenty minutes. Take the skillet out, sprinkle the chili with cheese, and broil it in the oven for two minutes or until the chili is melted.

Let’s move on to the entrée. A good low fat recipe would be Asian stir fry. This is quite a delicious dish that serves six and only has 153 calories.

The ingredients are three-quarter pounds of thawed salad shrimp; three

minced large garlic cloves; three-quarters cup of sliced onion; a quarter teaspoon each of salt and cayenne pepper; a tablespoon of canola oil; one and a half cups each of snow peas, chopped red pepper, carrots, and broccoli; and two tablespoons each of vegetable broth and lemon juice.

Prepare the dish by placing the shrimp in a bowl. Add the salt and cayenne pepper to the shrimp and toss until well mixed. Set aside.

In a large heavy skillet or wok, heat the oil on high. Once the oil is smoking, sauté the shrimp for five minutes, stirring frequently. When done (when the shrimp turns pink), place the shrimp back into the bowl. Do not throw away the liquid in the cooking vessel.

Saute onions and garlic for three minutes. Then add the peas, vegetables, and broth. Lower the setting to medium heat and cook the vegetables for four minutes until they are crisp and tender. Place back the shrimp into the wok and cook for one more minute before serving.

After the entrée comes the salad. Here’s a nice low-fat recipe for salad—tomato salad with balsamic vinegar. For this fifty-four calorie dish, you would need four cups of fresh tomatoes, two bunches of green onions complete with their tops, half a tablespoon of olive oil, half a teaspoon of salt, a cup of balsamic vinegar, half a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, a cup of chopped fresh basil, and a yellow pepper.

Preparing this low-fat recipe is easy. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, slice the green onion thinly, and toss the vegetables together with chopped basil. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. When mixed well, pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture, and set it aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.

After two hours, cut the yellow pepper in half and remove the seeds. Fill the cavity with the salad mixture. Pour the remaining mixture on a small bowl.

To serve, place the yellow pepper halves on either side of the salad.

Bon appetit!