Dinners under 400 calories per serving??

kayyamy
kayyamy Posts: 1 Member
in Recipes
Any ideas? I’ve looked on Pinterest and searched everywhere, only to come up with about 5 that I like, that are filling enough. I want to make a dinner calendar to have something different every week and cycle back through every month. Trying to keep meat out of my diet to lose weight.

Replies

  • soysaucekitty
    soysaucekitty Posts: 11 Member
    Taco salad made with black beans for protein instead of meat. You can have a huge portion for 400 calories. Heaping pile of lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro and black olives as a base. All for about 25-50 calories. Sprinkle on shredded cheddar. Shredded goes a long way. About 1 1/2" ounce for 150 calories. Sprinkle of black beans under 100 calories and tons of salsa for very few calories. Toss and coat it all together. Top with 100 calories pack of Wholly Guacamole and you are under 400 calories, meat free, delicious, huge and filling. Do it all the time.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited March 2018
    If you choose portion sizes carefully, and roast or steam vegetables, then any protein and veg dish would work.
    Not sure what to suggest other than tofu for the protein, given that you're attempting to lose weight by giving up meat, so tofu and veg.
    May I ask why meat?
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    A lot of bean or lentil based soups are pretty low calorie.
    Not part of a recipe but add a salad or pile your plate with vegetables to help fill you up.
    Generally protein, fats and fiber are what satisfy people.
    If you are not getting protein from meat you might try eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, quinoa, beans, lentils, peas, edamame, seitan, tempeh, tofu, spinach, broccoli, chia seeds, milk alternatives.

    http://www.skinnytaste.com
    https://www.allrecipes.com/search/results/?wt=400 calorie&sort=re
  • cheerleadingchick2001
    cheerleadingchick2001 Posts: 5 Member
    So I recently bought ground flax seeds for my shakes. It has a lot of great benefits! Plus you just add 2 tablespoons to whatever you eat. I cant even taste it in my shakes. I believe it has a lot of fiber and a good source of protein.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I'm confused on the avoiding meat to lose weight comment...
  • peartree99
    peartree99 Posts: 13 Member
    I ate at 1200 calories for quite awhile and my meals were generally at or under 400 calories. If I made pasta for the family, I subbed zucchini for the pasta noodles for myself. If I made nachos for the family, I used peppers instead of the chips for myself. I make chicken soup that is loaded with chicken, butternut squash, carrots, etc. and is very low in calories. Chili is another good option if you put some thought into the ingredients. Shredded chicken (with a homemade sauce) served over zucchini or another vegetable is yummy. Stir fries with chicken, broccoli, cauliflower and mushrooms (I don't use oil) is a favorite of both hubby and I, and I can eat a lot of it before I get to 400 calories. I make cauliflower patties out of riced cauliflower (and then freeze them) so that I can eat these when I make potatoes for the family. My husband would rather eat these than the potatoes! For me, it's all about cutting out what I can and making substitutions.

    I'm not sure why cutting out meat will help you lose weight. I eat a LOT of chicken. Fish is also lean. Even ground beef can be a good option if you rinse and drain it.
  • Aplant77
    Aplant77 Posts: 112 Member
    I eat the exact same things as I did before mfp but I make sure my portion sizes fit my calorie restrictions. So basically I eat less of the same foods I loved before.
  • wilkinson_katrina
    wilkinson_katrina Posts: 2 Member
    An easy meal for just under 400.
    Half a bag of low-sodium chicken Ramen. One cup of sliced mushrooms. 2 cups of spinach. 4 ounces of turkey burger. Throw in a pot, just cover with water and mix in seasoning. Cook until extra soft to absorb flavors.
    I have it saved to my meals I don't know how available those things are.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    I'm having a salad tonight with ground turkey, spinach, onions, mushroom and a sugar free BBQ sauce.
  • tess5036
    tess5036 Posts: 942 Member
    I stir fry, a couple of squirts of coconut oil them a mixture of veggies, my favourite is onions, green and/ or red peppers, baby corn and beensprouts. Add seasonings you like, I also add a protein.
  • DeviatedNorm
    DeviatedNorm Posts: 422 Member
    edited March 2018
    Skip the starch and cheese and it's super easy.

    Tonight I'm having roast turkey with mole sauce with roasted potatoes & root vegetables. Nearly 5oz of turkey, the mole sauce is pretty dense and I'm still only going to be at 400 calories or so.

    A common go-to for me is an entire bag of frozen veg mixed with a frozen protein. I like quorn, which is a tasty fake meat. But it also works super with seafood like shrimp, tilapia or scallops. Those meals tend to run about 200-300 calories depending on my protein and that's for like 5 cups of food!

    Salads. Pile up the greens, fruit and veg, throw on some protein and stay away from croutons, nuts and dried fruits. For dressings I often will just use a squeeze of an orange or some flavored vinegar. Greek yogurt with lemon if I need something creamy. Those meals tend to be about 300 calories for a HUGE salad.

    Basically, eat your veggies.
  • ChipChocolatePancake
    ChipChocolatePancake Posts: 77 Member
    Skip Pinterest and go straight to skinnytaste! The whole goal of the blog is to make classic recipes with fewer calories :)

    https://www.skinnytaste.com/recipe-index/
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Almost everything I make is under 400 calories per serving. It helps a lot to have more protein and veggies, and go easy on the carbs.

    However, you don't have to stop eating meat in order to lose weight. You just have to eat fewer calories than your body burns, and you can do that with or without meat...and I say this as a 13 year vegetarian. People choose not to eat meat for a variety of health and/or moral reasons, and if you have one of those reasons, that's great. But if you're just looking to lose weight, then feel free to eat meat.
  • UltraVegAthlete
    UltraVegAthlete Posts: 667 Member
    Two baked spaghetti squash with tomato paste and seasoning.
  • Love_2_Hike
    Love_2_Hike Posts: 103 Member
    Ive been looking at a recipe website called www.slenderkitchen.com.
    You can pick the recipes by calories. Its got some great recipes. This week Im making Lasagne Soup, Thai Chicken Tray Bake and Sheppard Pie mince filling!

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