300 Calorie Dinner Ideas?

MAPLE-BALSAMIC GLAZED FISH WITH SPINACH SAUTE

1 lb fresh or frozen skinless fish fillets (sea bass, halibut, salmon, swordfish or tuna)
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar (i used more )
1 to 2 teas dijon mustard
1 recipe spinach saute

thaw fish, if frozen. pat dry with paper towels. for glaze, whisk in small bowl- syrup, balsamic & mustard

place fish on greased unheated rack of broiler pan. broil 4 inches from heat 8 to 12 min. - unitl it flakes easily. carefully turning once halfway through broiling. brush with glaze during last 2 to 3 min of broiling.

meanwhile make spinach saute. makes 4 servings.

spinach saute- lg skillet, heat 1 Tbs olive oil over med-high heat. add 1 lb. fresh spinach. cook & stir 1 to 2 minutes until spinach is wilted. remove from eat. stir in 3 Tbs chopped toasted walnuts; 1 Tbs worcestershire sauce; 1/4 teas salt & 1/8 teas pepper. (serve as a bed under the fish)

250 cal, 10g fat, 1g sat fat, 46mg choles, 25g protein, 17g carb, 3g fiber, 386mg sodium

OR: another good one
SEARED FISH WITH LEMON-TARRAGON SAUCE

1 1/2 lbs fresh or frozen whitefish (like tilapia- for those who will eat it )
1 teas seasoned salt
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine or reduced sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 teas dijon mustard
1 teas fresh or 1/4 teas dried tarragon
parika
1 recipe spinach orzo

thaw fish, pat dry. sprinkle all sides of fish with seasoned salt. in lg skillet heat oil over med heat. add fish in single layer. cook for 2 min. use wide spatula carefully turn fish over and cook 2 more min. transfer to platter, cover, keep warm.

for sauce, add wine and lemon juice to skillet. use a whisk, scrape up any crusty bits in the skillet and whisk in mustard & tarragon; heat through.

spinach orzo: prepare 8 oz dried whole wheat orzo pasta & drain. return to hot pan; immediately toss orzo with on package of fresh baby spinach ( 5 -6 oz) 1 Tbs olive oil, 2 teas finely shredded lemon or orange peel, and 1/4 teas salt. & season to taste w/ freshly ground pepper

serve fish with the spinach orzo. Sprinkle fish with parika and pour sauce over fish. Makes 6 servings.

294 cal, 7g fat, 1g sat fat, 57mg choles, 28g protein, 28g carb, 7g fiber, 448mg sodium

Or another
CURRIED CHICKEN SKILLET

lg. onion, chopped
2 teas curry powder
1 1/3 c water
2/3 c whole wheat couscous
2 c chopped cooked chicken breast (about 12 oz)
1 c frozen green peas
lg red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 c light mayonnaise
3 tbs bottled mango chutney

lightly coat an unheated non-stick skillet w/ cooking spray. Put on medium heat, add onion, cook & stir until onion is crisp-tender. stir in curry powder; cook 1 more minute. add water & couscous to skillet; bring to boiling. stir in chicken, peas sweet pepper, mayo, & chutney; return to boiling. remove from heat. cover & let stand 5 min. makes 6 servings.
287 calories, 9g fat, 2g sat fat, 47mg choles, 20g protein, 33g carb, 5g fiber, 244mg sodium

A great recipe resource I use is cookinglight.com! I find lots of great low cal recipes there and many of them are around or under 300 calories. Also many of the recipe's calories and nutrtion facts are already loaded into the MFP database which makes it super easy to keep track. Just type cooking light into the database to see if the recipe you want to make is already there.

Here is a great snack:

1 Can of Progresso Chick Peas (Drain water)
6 Tblsp of fat free sour cream
1/4 of a box of frozen chopped spinach
touch of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor.

Serve with an english cucumber sliced...with a dash of salt on CC. The total above is about 500 calories & 5 1/4 cup servings. I make in advance and eat a 1/4 cup serving when watching American Idol or when preparing dinner.

you can never go wrong with a wrap. its quick to throw together for a breakfast, lunch or dinner. take a low-cal tortilla, pita, or flatbread. (i use 100 cal. FlatOut brand), stuff with any veggies, and throw in some type of protein. these are combinations i most commonly use.

'Breakfast Burrito'
1 flatbread
1/2 cup egg whites
chopped spinach
chopped bell pepper
chopped onion
salsa

'Classic chicken wrap'
1 flatbread
lettuce
chicken strips
various chopped veggies
any salad dressing

added proteins: hummus, beans, sunflower seeds, cheese, avacado
sauces: salsa, salad dressing, teriyaki sauce, vinigarette, olive oil

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opps, posted twice

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Here is a great snack:

1 Can of Progresso Chick Peas (Drain water)
6 Tblsp of fat free sour cream
1/4 of a box of frozen chopped spinach
touch of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor.

Serve with an english cucumber sliced...with a dash of salt on CC. The total above is about 500 calories & 5 1/4 cup servings. I make in advance and eat a 1/4 cup serving when watching American Idol or when preparing dinner.

YUM! I was just thinking about cucumber the other day, thanks for the great idea!

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh.... my first bump!

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all these bumps are crazy!

I frequently make flat-out pizza....

flat-out tortilla
1/4 cup of marinara
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
turkey pepperoni
VEGGIES

toss in the oven until the cheese is melted and voila! five minutes to tasty, and you get to eat the whole "pizza!"