Fish for the Calorie Conscious

I'm not big on dieting.  Diets just don't work for me.  I'm lucky, however, that there are many low calorie meals that I just love.  A broiled fish or pan fried fish dinner really hits the spot for me.  When I go to one of the local cafeterias like Luby's, everyone is getting chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy (which I love too), and I'm getting fish of some type.  I just love fish and prefer it over just about everything (except maybe shrimp).

I'm not a nutritionist, so all of the below calorie counts are just guesstimates (big time guesstimates!).  I've never been a calorie counter, but one thing that I've learned from this little journey into calorie counting is that Ranch Dressing is evil for the dieter, really evil.  I would have never believed that the Ranch Dressing that I tend to put on most of my salads is actually higher in calories that Knorr's Hollandaise Sauce. 

             

Broiled Catfish and Steamed Broccoli with Hollandaise

~A Whopping 326 Calories~

1 catfish filet -  130 calories        
One catfish filet (5-1/4" x 2" x 3/8") is 116 calories.  Mine may be a little bigger than that, so I upped the count.       
Lemon pepper - no cal's
1 pat of butter - 40 calories
The juice from 1whole fresh lemon is about 12 calories, so maybe 6 calories

1 C of steamed broccoli florets is 24 calories, so we'll say 2 cups and call it 50 calories
3 T Knorr's Hollandaise (prepared accordding to the pkg with unsalted butter and 2% milk) 100 calories

Pan Fried Tilapia With Mixed Green Salad

~A Whopping 403 Calories~ 

Tilapia Filet - 130 calories
AP Flour for dredging - 25 calories (1/4 cup is 100 calories.)
Vegetable oil - 60 calories (1T is 120 calories.)
Lemon juice - 6 calories
1T capers - 2 calories

1 cup of mixed salad greens is about 10 calories, so I'll estimate about 20 calories
Artichoke hearts - 10 calories  (1/2 can of drained artichoke hearts is about 35 calories.)
2 T ranch dressing is 150 calories.   

Broiled Catfish with Mixed Green Salad

~A Whopping 486 Calories~

I must have been really hungry this night!
2 catfish filets - 260 calories
Lemon pepper - no cal's
1 pat of butter - 40 calories
Lemon juice - 6 calories

Mixed green salad - maybe about 30 calories with the olives added
2T Ranch dressing - 150 calories

Pan Fried Flounder with Mixed Green Salad

~A Whopping 266 Calories~

1 Flounder filet - 150 calories
AP flour for dredging - 25 calories
Vegetable oil - 60 calories
Lemon Juice - 6 calories

Mixed green salad with tomatoes - 25 calories

I'm sure that I put some type of dressing on that salad after I took the picture :) as I almost never eat a salad with no dressing.  Dressing is what makes the salad good!      

Pan Fried Catfish with Asparagus and Hollandaise

~A Whopping 331 Calories~

1 catfish filet - 130 calories
AP flour for dredging - 25 calories
Vegetable oil - 60 calories

1 cup of asparagus is about 40 calories, so maybe 50 calories
2 T Knorr's Hollandaise - 66 calories