Quick, Cheap and Low Calorie. What's your favorite Recipe??

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ashleykrone1567
ashleykrone1567 Posts: 1 Member
in Recipes
I'm a full-time workin' Momma of 3! My husband works night shift so most nights dinner planning is on me! I've been eating low cal and exercising for a few months now and I'm getting sick of the same old, same old dinners. Usually when I get overwhelmed with what to make - I eat junk.

My question is - what are your favorite low calorie meals? Something I can just throw in the crockpot is a plus. (My family has no dietary restrictions.)

Thanks in advance for your help!!

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  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    What does low calorie mean for you?

    I make a lot of soups, different quesadillas, black bean burgers, protein with a veg and carb, etc. But it's hard to be more specific without knowing what you consider low calorie.

    My husband and I often cook all of our dinners during the weekend when we have more time, so we just have to reheat them after work during the week. Is that an option for you?
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
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    I love making big batches of chili or taco bowls. I use an instant pot. The great thing about both is that you can put in anything you'd like. I usually prefer bison chili but it gets super expensive, so depending on budget i'll also do beef or turkey. I usually add tomato sauce, tomato paste, bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms. You could also add beans but that will increase the calories. Toppings can be fun for a family as well, my mom used to make it a "bar" and would put out black olives, jalapenos, sour cream etc and everyone could customize their own.

    For the taco bowls, I just put rice, beans, chicken, and chicken broth and cook together. Then, same thing with the toppings - avocado, corn, etc. Totally customizable depending on preference or how many calories you have left.

    I often search "one pot instant pot meals" on pinterest and just find something that sounds good!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 8,978 Member
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    Try my "tunamato" recipe...

    1 box mac 'n cheese
    1 can tuna (or chicken/turkey)
    1 can diced tomatoes (flavored preferred)
    1 can peas

    In one pot you get every food group, it's colorful, surprisingly tasty (the flavor can be changed easily by swapping out different flavors of canned tomatoes... garlic/onion, or zesty chili for example), kids love the fact it's got mac, and the whole thing can be fixed in under 15 minutes for about $2-3 per person. Easily scalable (bigger or smaller), refridgerates nicely for leftovers.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,603 Member
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    If you are short on time, make huge batches of any braised (ie slow cooker) recipes, portion for single family sized meals and freeze in plastic containers or ziplock bags. Meats for braising are cheaper cuts.

    Braised chicken leg dishes such cacciatore, coq au vin, curries, dak dori tang. Beef and lamb stews, lamb shanks, braised pork or lamb shoulder and bolognaise sauce for spaghetti. Bean based dishes like chilli con carne, cassoulet, dutch split pea soup. For extra veg you can toss in some frozen spinach pellets or frozen peas or green beans while re-heating.

    Some oven cooked mains made with ground beef freeze well too, such as meat balls, meatloaf and lasagnas. If you don't mind that vegetarian quorn is highly processed, replacing a third of the meat in any recipe calling for mince with quorn mnce saves on calories and cost with no discernable difference in taste or texture.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
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    I have found the Trim Healthy Mama cookbook to have tons of quick, cheap and low calorie recipes in it. Here's one I like.

    Egg Roll in a Bowl - serves 6-8

    2 lbs ground beef, turkey, pork or meat of your choice
    2 medium or 1 large onions, chopped
    2-3 T toasted sesame oil
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tsp ground ginger
    1/3 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos or Bragg's aminos
    1 very large head of cabbage, cored and sliced, or 2-3 (16oz) bags coleslaw mix
    4 scallions, finely chopped
    salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

    Brown the meat and chopped onions in a very large skillet with the sesame oil. Mix together the garlic, ginger and soy sauce and add to the pan. Add the cabbage and stir well. Cook for several minutes until the cabbage is tender and wilted, stirring often. Turn off the heat and add green onions, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with optional red pepper flakes. Serve over rice or quinoa. Or use shirataki noodles/rice for fewer calories. Suggestions: if using very lean meat, add 1/4 cup chicken broth to replace the juiciness of the meat fat. Buy pre-diced onions, chopped garlic and pre-shredded cabbage to save time. Recipe can be halved or doubled depending on family size.
  • DanOutdoors
    DanOutdoors Posts: 17 Member
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    nice quick and easy, MFP brings it in at 200ish calories per serving

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/lentil-sausage-stew/
  • sonilac
    sonilac Posts: 55 Member
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    So to make cheap and healthy meals, i occasionally use rotisserie chicken from my grocery store. One dinner is the actual rotisserie chicken with steamed veggies or other quick sides. Then i get the leftover chicken and make this salad the next day: https://mediterraneanlatinloveaffair.com/rotisserie-chicken-salad-bowl/
    Then i use the carcass to make an orzo soup few days later. Each of these meals are on the healthy side, low carbs. I tend to use a lot of veggies.

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