Presentation is everything

Here's a bit of inspiration:

 Tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers and six olives, served with lemon juice and sea salt with a pinch of cayenne.

 Grilled eggplant with red and yellow peppers, garnished with chopped parsley and a pinch of sea salt.

Fresh fruit, consisting of pineapple, mango, blackberries and raspberries.

Ok, so what do all of these images of dishes based on fresh fruits and vegetables have in common?
I'll give you the answer: They are presented in a way that makes them look really tasty and inviting. The simplicity in how they are served also give them an exclusive touch, which may make you enjoy them more when you sit down to eat them.

If you are trying to lose weight or make your meals healthier and lower in calories, it is really important to focus on presentation. That means serving the dishes in nice ware, on pretty plates and with lots of color variety will make them more satisfying to eat. All of the dishes (or snacks) above clock in at around 100-200 calories which is very good if your goal is to shed a few pounds post holiday season. 

Zucchini pasta with cashew cheese sauce and fresh vegetables

Ok, so this is actually one of my very favorite dishes of all time. It's spiralized zucchini with chopped vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes) tossed in a very tasty creamy sauce of cashew cheese. It takes no more than 15 minutes to make and plate the food.

You need:
1 zucchini
5 cherry tomatoes or one whole big tomato, chopped
a handful of white mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

Start by prepping the veggies. With the zucchini, you either need a spiralizer, a julienne iron or even just a peeler for potatoes or carrots, depending on what texture you like your "pasta" to be. After that, you move on to the sauce.

Cashew cheese sauce:
4 ounces of cashews
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and cayenne to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender. If the blender has a hard time getting a mixture going, you may need to add more water and nuts. You want the texture to be like a thick sauce and not too watery.

Once you're done making the sauce, add two tablespoons to the zucchini (don't add the other veggies yet). Make sure that the pasta is completely covered in sauce, and then add the rest of the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Here's a closeup!

 This dish is great for both lunch and a light dinner. If you feel like you need to add more protein, throw in some chickpeas, white beans, lentils or even som diced tofu.

Bón appetit!

Welcome to Low Calorie Vegan Meals!

Hi everyone!
So, this is me in the picture, and I am the Low Cal Vegan. You might be thinking: What does that mean? Probably not what the title insinuates. You see, I love good food - absolutely LOVE things like chocolate, nuts, champagne, and all the other stuff that I think most of us do.

So why Low Cal Vegan? Well, this is my philosophy: In order to be able to eat more of the fun stuff while maintaining or even losing weight, you can always save calories somewhere else. I recognize the importance of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and with this blog I want to share with you my tips, tricks and recipes that are healthy and vegan as well as low in calories. With plenty of yummy nutrient-dense and fiber rich foods in your daily diet, you can still enjoy the things you love in moderation (God, I hate that word). So follow along with me as I attempt to inspire you all to lead a healthier vegan life with room for indulgences!