Losing weight or maintaining a fit body does not need to be a journey ridden with starvation and too many trips to the gym. While your exercise and diet are two necessary sides of the same coin when it comes to fitness, these can be planned in a way that you do not miss out on taste and fun, even as you pound away on the treadmill or create many healthy meals.

Salads and snacks are some of the most important elements of a diet that are churned out with the help of low-fat cooking. This is due to the fact that one should have short and frequent meals in order to lose weight. In keeping with this principle, it is important to have light meals because anything heavy will eliminate the frequency of the meals. This will once again make your metabolism sluggish. Here are a few salad and snack recipes to keep you going even as you find your culinary fit with low-fat cooking.

Strawberries and poppy seeds with baby spinach: This is one yummy salad that is perfect for summer evenings. You can lightly roast the poppy seeds and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the greens. Then, add the freshly chopped strawberries for that succulent taste. You can also bring in arugula and watercress for a crunchy taste.

Chickpeas salad: One of the best parts about low-fat cooking is that you get to identify a number of ingredients that you would have ignored in the past. With a metabolism-boosting ingredient like chickpeas, you will realize that you have a perfect partner in crime when you have those snack cravings. This ingredient is a rather filling one, which has a great dose of nutrition without adding needless calories to your system. You can boil and store a batch in your refrigerator for use throughout the week. Just stir fry some with peppers and lemon juice, or create a quick salad with some greens and plenty of vinegar for a yummy meal at any time of the day.

Avocado salad: You can get some fresh avocados for this recipe. Combine with turkey slices and a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice along with salt and pepper for a yummy salad. You can also put in some croutons if you want a small dose of carbs. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil so that your metabolism does not have much to deal with, thanks to this low-fat cooking recipe.

Lime and shrimp salad: The ready-to-cook shrimps can be used for this salad along with some lime juice. Drizzle salt and pepper or even use some soy sauce if you are hungry for some Oriental fare! You can also add some cilantro or dill for a lighter salad.