5 delicious no-cook recipes for weight loss

One of the reasons we fail miserably with our weight loss diets is that these often require us to cook meals at home, which can be time consuming, especially for those who are not used to cooking frequently on a regular basis.

What happens then? Close to lunchtime or randomly between-meals hunger pangs, we end up eating the fastest thing available, which is mostly processed and packaged foods.

In order to eliminate this unhealthy habit, here are some simple, effortless recipes to add to your weight loss diet which do not require using the stove at all.

This recipe is delicious, healthy and effortless. Take a mason jar and add 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup nonfat milk and 1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt. Chop a small or half of one big apple. Add the chopped layers into the jar. Sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon chia seeds and drizzle some honey. Refrigerate overnight or you can also prepare it in the morning and eat it as a filling evening snack.

Including salads in your everyday diet is one of the best ways to lose weight without cooking. For this delicious kachumber salad common in almost every households, you need one chopped cucumber, half chopped onion, and two chopped tomatoes. Combine the three and add ½ cup of chopped coriander leaves, 1 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp black pepper powder and 1 tsp salt. Serve immediately.

Take a bowl and add 2 tbsp hung curd in it. To this add 1/2 chopped cucumber, 1/2 chopped tomato, 1/2 chopped capsicum, and 1/2 chopped onion. Now, add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp chaat masala, and some salt and pepper. Mix well. Add this in good quantity on a slice of toasted bread, prefer whole wheat or multigrain bread. Close the sandwich with another piece of bread on top. Cut into two pieces and enjoy.

Take a large bowl and add in it 60g chia seeds and 400ml unsweetened almond milk or hazelnut milk. Now add 3 tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder, 2 tbsp maple syrup and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, also add a pinch of salt. Cover the bowl with cling film wrap and leave to thicken in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or best, overnight. Enjoy once set.

Take 8-10 strawberries and dice them. Add these to a blender along with 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 2 tsp vanilla extract. You can add some sugar if required, but it is best to avoid for better weight loss results. Add a few ice cubes if needed. Blend till smooth. Enjoy with a plain toasted slice of bread for a filling and healthy combo.