Low calorie meal ideas please

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ejdutton
ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
in Recipes
hi, I'm looking for some help for some low calorie meal ideas that are tasty and filling. If anyone has any suggestions please can you let me know? I love most foods so I'm open to anything!
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  • Gracious_Plum
    Gracious_Plum Posts: 19 Member
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    My meal for tonight is Spaghetti Bolognese, it works out at 494 calories per serving.

    -250G lean mince beef (fry and drain off excess fat)
    -add a beef oxo cube (just crumble over meat)
    -add 1 chopped onion
    -add 1 grated carrot
    -add a handful of button mushrooms
    -add a handful of olives
    -add 1 jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce
    -Stir, simmer and serve with pasta!
    You could make it a bit healthier by using wholemeal pasta but I'm not keen on the taste.
    Enjoy!
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
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    These are 2 of my favourite sites for good low cal meals http://www.skinnytaste.com and http://www.scalingbackblog.com.

    The Scaling back blog has been awesome, I've made the cauliflower "alfredo" sauce, cabbage salad with spicy peanut dressing and lemongrass chicken with rice noodles in the last 2 weeks and loved them so so much I've made most of them again! "Dad's Creamy Cauliflower Soup" on Skinny taste is good too but I added roasted red peppers and roasted the cauliflower first. I've been trying at least 1 new recipe a week to expand my healthy eating meals and these 2 sites have been a great resource so far.
  • Boobietrap1337
    Boobietrap1337 Posts: 195 Member
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    personally I love anything from Hungry Girl. What I love about her meals is that they are huge portions, because the majority of the meal is veggies. It tricks your brain into thinking it's eating more, but you're just getting more veggies. I love it. My dinners are usually around 300 calories.
  • usflygirl55
    usflygirl55 Posts: 277 Member
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    I too have been looking for ideas. I will have to try some of these.
  • ejdutton
    ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
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    Brilliant! Thanks so much guys, this is going to be a massive help to me!! I
  • srrashdi
    srrashdi Posts: 1
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    One of my favorites is a cabbage wrap. Take a leaf of cabbage, fill it up with sauted chicken and vegetables, add salt, black pepper, and roll it up. Steam it for two minutes so the cabbage gets soft, and enjoy!
  • jessicanorgaard
    jessicanorgaard Posts: 4 Member
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    We have a routine taco salad Tuesday. Use lean ground chicken with all the good spices (chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and oregano). Standard 1lb pack is good for 4 or more portions. Fill a large bowl with spinach (2 cups). Add chopped veg (e.g. tomatoes, avocado, green onion, peppers, celery, cucumber, anise, mushrooms, zucchini - 1-2 cups). Add 1 tbsp low fat sour cream or plain yogurt and 2-3tbsp salsa. Add flair with chili peppers, cilantro, cheese... usually all of that is around 400 calories.
  • ejdutton
    ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
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    Wow jessicanorgaard that sounds delicious! Will give that a go!
  • hanzibobs931
    hanzibobs931 Posts: 47 Member
    edited January 2015
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    this is something I invented when I was at uni and poor.

    its called sweet and spicy sticky rice and its amazing (verified and all sorts)

    1.00 tbsp(s), Honey
    1.00 cup(s), Rice - White, long-grain, regular, cooked
    1.00 chicken breast
    1.00 g, Peppers - Sweet, green, sauteed
    1.00 teaspoon, Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes


    280 cal per serving

    cook chicken (I roast it)

    cook the rice

    then transfer rice to a frying pan dry fry and add the spices honey and chicken

    make sure you move it around or it will burn and stick

    allow the honey to reduce a bit (5 mins) and then eat its so yummy



    it works well with fish and just veggies as well as meat


    its really filling as well my partner loves it and he isn't even on a diet :P
  • mynameistrish
    mynameistrish Posts: 16 Member
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    Here is a pretty basic meal that I make. The quantities are very easily variable.

    Quinoa
    Chicken Breast/Hamburger/Pork/Venison (basically whatever floats your boat)
    Black Beans
    Frozen Sweet Corn
    tomatoes
    Hot peppers

    Cook the meat, drain off any grease. Add the tomatoes and peppers. I have browned the meat in a skillet, I have baked chicken or put it all in a crock pot. It is really versatile.
    Cook the quinoa and mix all ingredients and bake for a bit until cooked through or put it all in a crock pot.
  • PaulaPalooza
    PaulaPalooza Posts: 137 Member
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    Vegetable lasagna using Zucchini as the noodles.
    http://cleangreensimple.com/2011/02/la-la-la-la-lasagna/
    I basically followed this recipe, using mushrooms and artichokes as well (but no olives because I hate them with a fiery passion). And instead of tofu, I blended 1.5 cups 1% cottage cheese with about 5 ounces of cauliflower and it had a great ricotta texture. Also threw in about a cup of other cheeses I needed to use up: bit of a mozarella ball, some italian blend. And then I sprinkled the top with sliced almonds. It was friggin great.
    Like 220 calories for a sixth of my 12 in x 5 in pan. And high in protein, too.

    Egg White Quiche with a Cauliflower crust
    Cauliflower crust recipe: http://ofthehearth.com/cauliflower-crust-for-quiche/
    Egg White Quiche:
    choose your veggie, any veggie (I've done spinach, mushroom and artichoke, broccoli... whatever you like)
    1 - 1.5 cup veggie (it just depends on what your using- more with spinach, less with something that won't shrink down)
    2 cups egg white
    1 cup cottage cheese (2% will be thicker, but I use 1% and like it fine)
    .5 cup cheese of your choice (I used feta with spinach, italian blend with mushroom and artichoke, and am planning to do a swiss one soon)

    Bake the quiche at 375 just until the whole thing has solidified. It's usually like 50 ish minutes. Some times a bit more.

    Your filling will make a little too much for the pan. You can either reduce to .75 cup egg white and .8 cup cottage cheese OR put the leftover filling in a souffle dish for a mini crust-less quiche.

    Either way: 1/6 of the pie will be 150 calories and close to 20 grams of protein. If you're a meat eater, add some meat and protein will boost a bit more. You can eat a half of one of these babies for 450 calories. How amazing is that?
  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
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    i used to eat a lot of pasta and rice. On a whim I bought a "vegetti" that works kinda like an old pencil sharpener-meets-mandolin; you run zucchini or cucumber through it to get pasta-like strands. I got it for ten or fifteen bucks at a local department store, and it has made adopting a significant change quite a bit easier.

    Simply replacing pasta with zucchini has been a HUGE help in maintaining filling portion sizes while dramatically reducing calories. i'm basically cooking recipes i've always enjoyed, and eating similar portions, but for way fewer calories.

    I have also taken to replacing rice with quinoa; it's similar in net calorie, but provides more fiber and protein than rice, has some healthy fats in it, and gives a subtle nutty flavor.
  • rlahaise
    rlahaise Posts: 1 Member
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    Try this site. Lots of great recipes!
    Eatingwell.com.
  • mittudomen
    mittudomen Posts: 1
    edited January 2015
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    Thanks, useful ideas!
  • mandykent111
    mandykent111 Posts: 81 Member
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    I use epicurious to find healthy dinners!
  • ejdutton
    ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
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    wonko221 wrote: »
    i used to eat a lot of pasta and rice. On a whim I bought a "vegetti" that works kinda like an old pencil sharpener-meets-mandolin; you run zucchini or cucumber through it to get pasta-like strands. I got it for ten or fifteen bucks at a local department store, and it has made adopting a significant change quite a bit easier.

    Simply replacing pasta with zucchini has been a HUGE help in maintaining filling portion sizes while dramatically reducing calories. i'm basically cooking recipes i've always enjoyed, and eating similar portions, but for way fewer calories.

    I have also taken to replacing rice with quinoa; it's similar in net calorie, but provides more fiber and protein than rice, has some healthy fats in it, and gives a subtle nutty flavor.

    That's sounds great! I saw one on eBay the other week and bought it, just waiting for it to come her from China!
  • ejdutton
    ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
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    Thanks everyone! You've been so helpful. Certainly lots of ideas so my dinners will be a pleasure now rather than a nightmare! Good luck to all of you on your own journeys.
  • Hardenton
    Hardenton Posts: 136 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Scrambled eggs, black bean burrito for breakfast.

    2 eggs with 1/2 spoon sour cream
    1/4 cup black bean sauteed with chopped green bell pepper
    Served on whole wheat tortilla with salsa
  • ejdutton
    ejdutton Posts: 329 Member
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    Hardenton wrote: »
    Scrambled eggs, black bean burrito for breakfast.

    2 eggs with 1/2 spoon sour cream
    1/4 cup black bean sauteed with chopped green bell pepper
    Served on whole wheat tortilla with salsa

    Thanks for this
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
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    I make a great vegetable beef soup, but I am looking for some ideas to give it more flavor. I currently use a low sodium beef base along with my stew meat, but it still comes out fairly bland. I tried organic steak and chop seasoning, but that only made it too peppery for me. I am looking for something that will replace any butter, or sour cream to give it more flavor. I want flavor, not fat and calories, and I am really working hard at my food plan. I have little experience with herbs, and I don't want to over do it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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