20 Weight Watchers Stir Fry Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you lose weight eating stir fry? ›

Yes, stir fry vegetables are a great option for weight loss. Stir-frying is a low-calorie cooking method that helps to retain the nutrients in the vegetables while also providing a delicious and flavourful meal. The key to making a healthy stir fry is to use fresh vegetables and lean proteins.

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

The key to stir-frying is to constantly stir. Your veggies must have enough room to move around in the wok. A -crowded wok will lead to veggies that are soggy instead of crunchy. If your wok is getting too full, cook your meat and then veggies in batches.

The best side dishes to serve with stir fry are jasmine rice, steamed dumplings, Hong Kong noodles, egg rolls, hot and sour soup, ramen, lo mein, potstickers, coconut rice, cucumber salad, fried rice, sesame noodles, vegetable spring rolls, wonton soup, and Asian slaw.

Take-out stir-fries tend to be loaded with sodium and may be high in refined carbs like rice and noodles. Making them at home will give you more control over the ingredients so you can enjoy a healthier stir-fry.

It's a great way to use up bits of vegetables you don't know what to do with, and to get a big dose of colorful veggies into your diet! We call this an “everyday”stir-fry, because it's such a flexible recipe, you could eat it every day, and still have variety.

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

Because stir-frying uses a very high heat, you want a cooking oil that has a high smoke point. Vegetable, canola or peanut oil are my trustee go-tos, and all have a neutral taste, so won't affect flavour. Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – use butter!

What can I add to stir-fry to make it taste better? ›

Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.

Use a whole grain such as quinoa, bulgur, couscous or brown rice in place of your potato. You can also add a whole grain roll where your potato would normally be. Whole grains contain fiber, which can help you feel full, lower blood sugar levels and may help lower cholesterol.

Precook the rice at least 30 minutes, but preferably one day, before making fried rice and keep it uncovered in the fridge. Place the rice into a fine sieve and wash with water to remove excess starch. Drain the water and place the rice into a saucepan.

It is all about what you add to it. Straight vegetables do not have all of the nutrients that your body needs. If you have some source of protein, (meat or plant based) either separately or as part of your stir-fry, and some carbohydrates (rice or noodles) it is probably a pretty healthy diet.

Because they are high in water and fiber, vegetables are ideal examples of a low-energy-dense diet. Fiber and water both increase bulk without adding calories. Vegetable-rich stir-fry recipes can aid in weight loss while providing you with enough food to make you feel satisfied.

Each stir-fry portion ends up with about 48 additional calories from flavorings, which brings your meal to 285 calories when the veggies are served over brown rice. You'll also gain extra calories from oil put in the pan for cooking, so use the smallest possible amount.

In addition to being quick and easy, stir-frying is also healthy. It results in tender-crisp vegetables that retain more nutrients than if they were boiled. And since stir-frying requires only a small amount of oil, the fat content is low.