Best dinner party ideas for low calories

lemmonie21
lemmonie21 Posts: 11 Member
edited December 21 in Recipes
I’m cooking for four adults.
Looking for low calorie ideas for main meals please.

Replies

  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    I just made shrimp scampi with spaghetti squash; that might be good! Most of the calories come from the butter and olive oil (yum!), but you get good protein from the shrimp and lots of nutrients from the squash (and far fewer calories than if you’d used pasta). Pair it with a big salad.
  • spilledmilk
    spilledmilk Posts: 83 Member
    Lettuce cups with filling of chicken breast, veggies, small portion of rice, soy sauce dressing.
    Lean cut of steak with side of roasted veggies.
    Grilled fish on a bed of greens.
    White chili with chicken breast, white beans, top with small green salad.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    Low-calorie main course dinner-for-4
    • Grilled meat of choice, with seasonal vegetables and quinoa salad [Easily 300 calories per serving]
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    Filet mignon, fresh vegetable, grain or starch. Maserated fresh berries topped with some sweetened Greek yogurt and maybe a cookie or graham crumble for dessert.

    Now I'm hungry 😋
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    Is everyone you're cooking for interested in low calorie options? If not, cook a normal meal and just eat less of it.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    I make this Greek chicken dish from Bobby Flay for guests and everyone seems to enjoy it. I usually use boneless chicken breast instead of whole just to make it easier for guests to eat. I also skewer grape tomatoes and grill because it's easier.

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/butterflied-chicken-greek-style-recipe-1941166

    For summer dinner parties, I also like to grill chicken breasts and serve with grilled flat bread and a bunch of toppings like roasted red peppers, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, hummus etc. so everyone can build their own sandwiches. I serve with quinoa or orzo salad.

    If I am looking for something a little fancier, I go with filet and grilled shrimp, a nice salad and a bunch of roasted vegetables.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I would do build your own spaghetti-bar. Have low-cal options. I have been enjoying edamame pasta, for example. Have regular pasta, an alternative (spaghetti squash, edamame), 2-3 sauces (tomato sauce is lower calorie than alfredo, but people can add what they want), baked chicken shredded/chopped, roasted broccoli and carrots, cheese on the side for people to add as they want.

    Have a side salad as well with the dressing not combined (so people can control their own). For dessert, do a sorbet or gelato to keep in the theme.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,003 Member
    Roll your own Vietnamese summer rolls.
    https://lycheeandplum.com/fresh-vietnamese-spring-rolls/
    I use a main filler of half grated carrots with half chopped up cooked bean vermicelli or rice vermicelli. You don't need the fancy chicken treatment in the recipe below because most of the flavour is the dipping sauce. Any grilled or poached protein works. Seared rare steak sliced thin, poached or grilled chicken breats sliced thin, poached prawns. I also provide herbs such as basil, mint, coriander. Baby spinach leaves are a good green to use, because unlike lettuce, the edges don't turn brown sitting around on the table.

    Roll your own Japanese hand rolls.
    https://www.thespruceeats.com/temaki-hand-rolled-sushi-party-tips-2030925
    I typically provide ingredients for California rolls (fake crab sticks, sliced avocado, pickled daikon, chives, cucumber sticks). If you don't mind the expense, raw tuna and salmon are a nice addition. Japanese omelet is a cheap protein to add.
  • mashemup
    mashemup Posts: 2 Member
    I love a big hearty salad with freshly grilled steak or chicken on it. Lots of garlic bread on the side for those that want/need it. For a chopped salad, use something like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, walnuts, scallions, kale, red pepper - all chopped into small pieces. For a leafier salad, romaine, spinach, arugula, pepitas(pumpkin) or pine nuts, yellow pepper diced, cherry tomatoes, avocado, dried apricots or cherries or cranberries. For either, optionally add crumbled feta or goat cheese. Add as much protein as each person wants, and a vinaigrette.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,003 Member
    Another primer on the Vietnamese summer roll dinner party.
    http://iamafoodblog.com/vietnamese-steak-summer-rolls-party/
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Roll your own Vietnamese summer rolls.
    https://lycheeandplum.com/fresh-vietnamese-spring-rolls/
    I use a main filler of half grated carrots with half chopped up cooked bean vermicelli or rice vermicelli. You don't need the fancy chicken treatment in the recipe below because most of the flavour is the dipping sauce. Any grilled or poached protein works. Seared rare steak sliced thin, poached or grilled chicken breats sliced thin, poached prawns. I also provide herbs such as basil, mint, coriander. Baby spinach leaves are a good green to use, because unlike lettuce, the edges don't turn brown sitting around on the table.

    Roll your own Japanese hand rolls.
    https://www.thespruceeats.com/temaki-hand-rolled-sushi-party-tips-2030925
    I typically provide ingredients for California rolls (fake crab sticks, sliced avocado, pickled daikon, chives, cucumber sticks). If you don't mind the expense, raw tuna and salmon are a nice addition. Japanese omelet is a cheap protein to add.

    I do the ‘summer roll DIY buffet meal’, but I use spiralized daikon radish for the ‘noodles.’
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