Affordable Recipes under 400 calories

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yelito76
yelito76 Posts: 23 Member
edited October 2015 in Food and Nutrition
I've been looking for healthy recipes under 400 calories, but most recipes I find have ingredients that you can't find in most produce aisles or really expensive ( and bad tasting ) stuff . Also salads, I do like salads but most dressings have more calories than a pork chop ( ok, just exaggerating ) and the same could be said about Olive Oil. So...if you have tips and/or recipes you wanna share that are healthy, that fill you up, affordable and great tasting feel free to share. Thanks!

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  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Eating well has a bunch of chili recipes under 400 calories that are very filling. Instead of anchio peppers I sometimes just add extra bell or poblano peppers.
  • jenmsu83
    jenmsu83 Posts: 185 Member
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    Check out www.skinnytaste.com, there are a TON of delicious recipes on her site and a lot of them are under 400 calories and pretty easy to make.

    A few I have tried and like are the turkey pumpkin chili, chicken taco chili, lighter eggplant parmesan and lasagna roll ups.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    You should check the recipe section! Lots of great recipes there!

    You can buy just about any ingredient online. I don't know about produce/perishables, but everything else is available online. My grocery stores are older, small-town kind of deals, so I order a lot of stuff online. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    jenmsu83 wrote: »
    Check out www.skinnytaste.com, there are a TON of delicious recipes on her site and a lot of them are under 400 calories and pretty easy to make.

    A few I have tried and like are the turkey pumpkin chili, chicken taco chili, lighter eggplant parmesan and lasagna roll ups.

    Yum^

    Lots of good stuff there.

    Cooking Light.com is another good source.

    Some salad dressings are better than others. Newman's Sesame Ginger makes a mean grilled chicken Asian salad. You might be able to make dressing using Greek yogurt & milk (ie: dry ranch seasoning).

    I like stir fries. Some frozen veggies are okay in stir fry.....but celery and peppers are best fresh.
  • yelito76
    yelito76 Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks!
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    On salads I go for just red wine vinegar with no oil because I like it that way!

    Do you like soups? I make beef barley and it's very hearty and filling and a serving is only around 330 calories. It's a great lunch.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
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    Skirt steak (on sale) is about $12.99/lb or a family pack ($9.99/lb or less), a couple of green (or other color) bell peppers, and an onion, mixed with fajita flavoring mix (or taco mix, I like it both ways). Saute them all chopped up and you've got a great tasting fajita for like a week. I forgot the fajita wraps if you're into that. I go low carb, so I just munch out on the meat. :smiley:

    Chicken in that works too, but I'm a beef eater.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    You control salad dressing by portioning it carefully. You still want a little oil in your vinegar to complete that salad and fill you for longer.

    Lots of "diet recipes" may ask for fancy ingredients but you can substitute ordinary ones with very little change in texture or nutrition. Beans and lentils are always cheap, filling, and nutritious. One fancy food I keep on hand are dried shiitake mushrooms. They keep forever and I only have to add a little. I also don't skimp on my EVOO or my unsalted butter.

    Sun-dried tomatoes - roast your own tomatoes in the oven
    Bok Choy - cabbage
    Almond/Cashew/Soy milk - milk
    Fresh herbs - dried herbs
    Cilantro - parsley
    Green onions - onions and a little celery, or dried onion reconstituted

    Here's a mix and match stir fry that can be made with the vegetables on hand.

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/361132463846616991/
  • Erfw7471
    Erfw7471 Posts: 242 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Yesterday I made a chicken casserole because I'm wanting some warm comfort food in the cold - super fast, cheap, filling, good on macros. Exactly what I was craving. It is a little high on sodium but I just drink more water.

    1 lb BS chicken breast, boiled & shredded
    1 can mixed vegetables (add whatever else to extend recipe as well)
    2 cans Healthy Request cream of chicken soup (add water, milk or chick stock to thin if you want)
    2 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese
    lots of chopped onion (50 g for counting purposes but I really just throw a bunch in)
    poultry seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, fresh herbs

    350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes
    4 srvgs, 284 cal/srvg
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    A McDonald's cheeseburger is just $1.00 and it's about 350 calories.
  • RunRachelleRun
    RunRachelleRun Posts: 1,854 Member
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    A serving and a half of brown rice with about 3/4 of a ounce of cheese on top (it melts when placed on the hot rice) topped with salsa for flavour is just around 400 calories. I use a cheap rice cooker to make the rice, just put it on and come back 50 minutes later - done!

    It's easy to mix it up by stir-frying fresh veggies (ie. mushrooms, celery, onions, carrots, bell peppers, fresh ginger, garlic) or steaming frozen ones (ie. broccoli mix).

    Sometimes I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco ($7.99 here in Canada) which I cut and weigh/portion out into little baggies for the freezer. One chicken will give me about 10 servings at 140 calories each. If you have time, you can roast your own skinless chicken breasts, etc. for lower calories and add the seasoning of your choice. I spray mine with a little olive oil, then rub in a lot of dried rosemary, sage, and fresh thinly sliced garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper - roast at 425 F approx. 20-30 mins (depending on how thick they are). Again, great with rice.

    Turkey is also a nice low-cal substitute to make your traditional ground beef recipes: turkey chili, turkey burgers (so good with a little panko and a few dried cranberries), turkey meatloaf.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Some of my favorite dinners are the easiest- Just ingredients themselves.

    Tonight I'll have baked salmon and green beans. Usually I just boil them, but if I'm feeling adventurous I'll saute with garlic, onion, a little soy sauce, add siriacha and some sesame seeds.
  • yelito76
    yelito76 Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for all those tips, really helpful...not McDonald's though!
  • justvclark
    justvclark Posts: 24 Member
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    I'm okay with salad, but it's never my number one choice. Here are a few of my "go to" recipes.


    Minestrone:
    I make minestrone using onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, wax beans, navy beans, brown rice (just make sure you have enough liquid in the soup to cook it), and low-sodium chicken broth. The combined flavors are magical. Even my 9-year old, who isn't a huge fan of all of these things separately, devours this soup. This website has a good guide to when to add veggies so that you can use whatever ones you happen to have around the house. http://www.harvesttotable.com/2012/03/making-minestrone-soup-kitchen-basics/


    Slow cooker pork tenderloin chili:
    I get the really large packages of pork tenderloin at the grocery store, split it up, and freeze whatever I'm not using right away. It ends up at a couple bucks a pound.

    1 lb. 1" pork tenderloin cubes
    16 oz. jar thick and chunky salsa (heat level is up to you)
    2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
    1/2 c. chicken broth
    1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 tsp ground cumin
    2-3 tsp chili powder, more or less as desired

    Combine everything in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork is tender.


    Slow cooker vegetarian chili:
    The sweet potatoes and cocoa make this really hearty.

    1 medium red onion, chopped
    1 green bell pepper, chopped
    4 garlic cloves, chopped
    1 Tbsp chili powder
    1 Tbsp ground cumin
    1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    salt and black pepper
    1 28 oz can fired roasted diced tomatoes
    1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed
    1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, rinsed
    1 medium sweet potato (about 8 oz), peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

    Combine and cook in slow cooker on low for 7 to 9 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
  • magtart
    magtart Posts: 161 Member
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    budgetbytes.com
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Black bean and carrot and onion soup or any variation of meals with beans are cheap meals.
  • akboy58
    akboy58 Posts: 137 Member
    edited October 2015
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    This is not only the best turkey meatloaf I've ever had, it's the tastiest meatloaf of ANY kind I've ever had. Sometimes I use quinoa prepared as called for by the recipe, sometimes I use a cup or so of leftover Near East Quinoa Brown Rice blend, sometimes I use prepared couscous. I use two eggs instead of one as a binder, and I skip the brown sugar in the glaze. The best part is that it is only 259 calories per serving -- 1/5 of the loaf! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/213211/turkey-and-quinoa-meatloaf/
  • BaldHeadedSweetness
    BaldHeadedSweetness Posts: 4 Member
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    1 cup of plain greek yogurt. Add 1/2 scoop of your favorite protein powder and mix. Drop in 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Approx 400 calories depending on brands of protein powder and yogurt....40+ grams of protein and some healthy fat.

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