I think at some point in our lives, we’ve all made the following google search: “ recipes under X calories” or “low calorie recipes” and of course been met with a plethora of results…over 190 million results to be a bit more precise. You start clicking on links only to find that these recipes are not low calorie or healthy, boasting a multitude of ingredients that really don’t need to be there, only adding to the calorie count. So here’s a long list of easy, low calorie main meals with complete recipes of 300kcal or less, designed with portion size in mind, so you can eat your low calorie main meals and not be reaching for the snacks an hour later. These are all healthy recipes for weight loss.
1. Hash Brown Bake
Hash browns always have and always will hold a special place in my heart, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. This healthy and low calorie hash brown recipe will blow you away and it’s so quick and easy to make. Bulking this recipe out with vegetables turns this potato side dish into a whole meal of its own. What’s more is that this recipe is oven baked meaning no frying or adding unnecessary calories from oil. You can enjoy this meal for 300kcals.
2. Sushi
Sushi is a super yummy Japanese dish consisting of rice, seaweed and various fillings. One roll of sushi (which could be cut into roughly 10 pieces) is more than enough to keep you full all evening. Stick to low calorie fillings like vegetables and you can have the entire roll for less than 300kcal! Low calorie main meals.
3. Mediterranean Vegetable Wrap
This is a surprisingly simple, wholesome lunch option for two made completely from scratch. Impress your lunch date with healthy homemade wholemeal tortilla wraps that take less than 15 minutes to make! I used a selection of Mediterranean vegetables because I think they’re perfect all year round, hearty and warming in winter yet also perfectly suited to barbequing in summer and they can also be cooked in so many different ways, slow cooked, roasted, grilled, and in this case, lightly fried. 170 kcals per wrap.
4. Broccoli Cheese
The traditional mac and cheese is without a doubt one of my favourite meals, unfortunately, it’s a very unhealthy meal. I’m all for a bit of what you love, in a healthier way and that’s when replacing the macaroni with broccoli was inspired, I really love this low calorie alternative. Of course the obvious option would be to do a cauliflower cheese recipe but as much as I admire cauliflower I think it spends enough time in the spotlight and broccoli really deserves some time to shine. This is also a great way to get kids eating those little trees for just 300kcal per portion. Low calorie main meals .
5. Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a middle eastern recipe with two main ingredients, tomatoes and eggs. I’d really like to visit somewhere in the Middle East one day and see how the original recipes differ from my own. The word ‘Shakshuka’ comes from the Arabic meaning ‘all mixed up’ and that’s certainly a good description for this one pan delight. It’s a dish that undoubtedly works as well for breakfast as it does for dinner and honestly I could eat poached eggs all day long! It’s a super easy dish to make even if you suck at poaching eggs, like me! This recipe is just 246kcal for the 2 egg version or 318kcal with 3 eggs.
6. Vegetarian Courgette Lasagne
A healthy, lower calorie lasagne is something I’ve been attempting to create for many years and failed many many times. The trouble was that I was trying to make it too similar to classic Italian lasagne by using meat substitutes and tortilla wraps instead of pasta. Yes, you read that right, I used wraps instead of pasta, and no, it was NOT good. So I went back to basics and focused only on the layering theme of lasagne and completely blocked the original ingredients from my mind. I created a mushroom and tomato Ragu style sauce, a herbaceous cream cheese sauce and bought a mandolin specifically for the use of thinly slicing strips of courgette instead of a pasta layer. And of course, no Lasagne style dish would be complete without a topping of cheddar cheese. This lasagne is just 300kcal per lasagne. Low calorie main meals.
7. Lemon & Thyme Roasted Vegetables
I love encouraging people to eat more veggies. As someone who has at least 3 types of vegetables with every single meal I often need to get creative with my meal plans but this recipe is as simple as they come. I’d really recommend you try this recipe on your next Sunday roast but I quite often just have these veggies as a main course on their own! This entire dish of veggies is less than 100kcal.
8. Cheese And Onion Potato Cakes
These cheese and onion potato cakes make for a super yummy meal and are really easy to make. There is just 120kcals per potato cake so you could pair two potato cakes with some salad for just 260kcals for an entire plate of food! Low calorie main meals.
9. Courgette Parcels
This is a recipe I am particularly proud of, it feels like a real treat but it’s so healthy. Not only do these make a fulfilling main but they also make great party food due to their small, compact design, just make sure to serve them warm either way. Initially I intended this recipe to serve 2 but these are just so good it’s hard to share them, so no shame if you eat all four yourself! I served mine with steamed broccoli but they would work really well with rice too. 2 parcels with broccoli will be around 310kcals.
10. Tomato and red pepper soup
This red pepper and tomato soup is a modern twist on a timeless classic. It’s a really warming, light dish, perfect for lunch or light snacks and pairs beautifully with my wholemeal maple croutons which are just 75 calories a serving, making this dish just 210 calories with croutons or 135 calories without. This recipe is made with 100% fresh ingredients, it’s vegan and suitable for clean, oil free diets.
11. Mediterranean Vegetable Stew
Mediterranean vegetable dishes have been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager. Its a real healthy eating gem and one that I think all recipe blogs should have! The unique flavour combinations open up a world of possibilities. In this dish I used red onion, courgette, aubergine, cherry tomatoes and peppers. Because I make dishes like these so often I pre prepare my veg and freeze it into portions. This stew can be served with mashed potato, rice, or if you eat fish, salmon fillets and tuna steaks are a great source of protein to add to this dish. The stew in this dish is just 100kcal.
12. Spinach Falafel Toast
I’m so proud of this recipe, as simple as it is, I think this is a concept that has never been done before, or at least, as far as i have seen. I was inspired by my love of falafels. I usually make them up at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge so they’re ready to have for lunch, usually in a sandwich with either Tzatziki or Tomato dip and plenty of salad, but you pick up your sandwich and all the falafel falls out. I cut them in half, and even made them into cubes instead of balls but still they made my sandwich eating experience difficult, to say the least. I completely re-designed the sandwich and eventually ended up ditching the bread all together and making these Falafel Toasts. Just 80kcal per toast.
13. BBQ Beans in Courgette Boats
This smoky BBQ bean mix is everything! I use it in sooooo many recipes, this time its in courgette boats and served with baked potato but this versatile dish can be served with steamed veg, roast carrots or rice . You could even have it on its own for a smaller meal. 260kcal in 250g BBQ beans. Approx. 20kcals in each hollowed courgette. Low calorie main meals.
14. King Prawn Stir Fry
I think this was the dish that first sparked my love for stir fry’s. I fill my wok with veg at least 4 times a week because there are an endless combination of possibilities. For this one, I chose to add King Prawns, a healthy source of protein. If you don’t eat fish you can swap this for chicken or if you are vegetarian/vegan you can omit it all together as I usually do. When I first started eating stir fries I was using packet sauces for convenience, that was until I saw how much sugar goes into them! Now I make my own and I can make sure they’re all sugar free. Approx 250kcal per serving
15. Tuna Crunch Toast
Tuna crunch is probably my favourite sandwich filling, it’s full of protein and veggies and only takes 5 minutes to whip up before it’s ready to go in a great low calorie sandwich, on toast or even as a thick dip for chunky veggies. You can pre cook fresh tuna for this recipe or you can use canned like I have, just make sure you choose tuna in spring water to keep this recipe oil free. This recipe is approx 250kcal with 1 slice of toast.
16. Vegetable Frittata
Frittatas are probably the easiest way to cook eggs, no peeling shells, no arguing with frying pans, no panic of poaching just pour it all in a dish and bake it in the oven. You can put anything in a frittata but to keep it low calorie, stick to vegetable fillings and weigh out your cheese before hand to avoid over indulging. This vegetable frittata is just 300kcal per portion.
17. Chicken Fajita
This chicken and pepper fajita mix would traditionally be served in wraps but if you swap the tortilla wrap for salad then you can have this warming healthy Mexican dish for 300kcal per serving. You can also swap out the chicken for a Quorn meat substitute which would further reduce the calories. Low calorie main meals.
18. Broccoli Soup
A yummy broccoli soup! This recipe will make 3 portions of thick, filling broccoli soup at just 150kcal each. This is a great recipe to make in advance and freeze ready for use at short notice!
19. Ratatouille Baked Potato
Baked potatoes, or jacket potatoes as they’re commonly known in the UK are British staples and can have a wide variety of toppings. In this case a Ratatouille inspired mix of peppers, courgette, aubergine, tomatoes and onion provide a tasty, filling and low calorie topping for your baked potato. This meal will cost you around 250kcal depending on the size of your potato.
20. Courgette Sliders
Sliders are mini burgers and these courgette sliders are a great low calorie alternative. By replacing the mini bread buns with disks of courgette you cut the calories and make them so much healthier. Sliders are great for parties and barbeques but they also make a great mid week meal and at just 50kcals each you can afford to eat them all!
All of the low calorie main meals in this list of 20 healthy recipes for weight loss are all under 300kcal for the entire meal. All of these recipes are designed to create 1-2 portions so if you need to make more then please remember to increase ingredient quantities to suit the number of mouths you have to feed!
Check out my latest recipes too!
- Chicken And Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese Recipe
- Warm Aubergine Salad Recipe
- Chai Spice Recipe
- Chai Banana Bread Recipe
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