Looking for low calorie dinner ideas!

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kbarnick
kbarnick Posts: 36
in Recipes
My fiance and I have decided that we are not eating out for the next week! So now I need food ideas! What are some of your favorite low calorie dinner meals?

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  • 42kgirl
    42kgirl Posts: 692 Member
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    I am huge fan of the crockpot. The whole fam likes this one: chicken breast, salt and pepper to taste, salsa (the fresh kind not Old El Paso or what have you), black beans. Put the chicken and salsa in the crockpot and set for four hours. About 1/2 hour before it's finished drain and rinse a can of black beans and add those. It's good without the black beans, too.
  • nyxt
    nyxt Posts: 60
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    grilled salmon!
  • KathShum2012
    KathShum2012 Posts: 31
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    Turkey burgers..low fat...quick and easy.
  • crimsoncat
    crimsoncat Posts: 457 Member
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    Orange Lemon Pepper Chicken:

    One serving = one person
    272 cal per serving (the recipe below describes one serving)

    -3 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
    -1 cup orange juice (no pulp)
    -5 tsp lime juice
    -5 oz boneless skinless chicken (raw)

    1. Thaw chicken if frozen
    2. Cut chicken into quarters and place in skillet
    3. Over medium high heat, cook chicken in orange juice, lime juice and lemon pepper until it is no longer pink on the inside. Once chicken is cooked, remove from heat or it will get rubbery.
    4. Cook down the orange juice until you've just about burned it (think caramelized). You will be scrapping and mixing it. It should be bubbling on the skillet and getting slightly burnt orange in color. When you think it's done, take it off the heat. It should be a very thick, oozing sauce. If it is too runny, put it back on and cook until it looks like the filling inside gushers candy. There will be very little sauce left, but don't worry, it packs a punch.

    Recommend serving over a cup of rice.

    Note: The chicken should finish first being cooked all the way through first. If your sauce is cooking faster than your chicken, add 1/4-1/2 a cup of water. You're going to boil all the water out of it anyways, so you're not out any taste.
  • JennsRAQ
    JennsRAQ Posts: 132 Member
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    To be honest, I don't look for low calorie meals so much as I watch my portions and just make good substitutions (such as light sour cream instead of regular, for example) where I can. This makes me feel more satisfied and feel less like I'm on a diet.

    I also load up on side veggies to help feel more full with the smaller entree portion - green beans, broccoli, a huge salad... all are perfect!
  • mrs_deg1983
    mrs_deg1983 Posts: 157
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    baby red taters,

    i like to get green beans and snap them. cook them till they are tender add some EVOO , onions and garlic yum.

    Cook up some brown rice in low cal chicken broth add onions and green peppers.

    If you want to try something out there get a whole corn on the cob and let it sit in a baggy of italian dressing and a tad of salf and grill it up.

    Get some whole wheat spaghetti noodles and cook them to how you like them. Then shock them after straining the water set them in a bowl of ice water. In another bowl add some dice tomatoes, onions, green peppers and cucumbers and use some Italian dressing just dont make it to strong then add salt and pepper to tast. Add noodles and enjoy!


    any of these with chicken or fish is great.
  • trybabytry
    trybabytry Posts: 181
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    All the low-carbies are gonna kill me for this, but: Pasta! I often eat a cup of whole-wheat pasta with tons of veggies to bulk it out: spinach, peas, broccoli, etc. and lots of garlic and onions, with tomato sauce and/or a little parmesan and balsamic or lemon. I add some chickpeas or tuna sometimes too. Throw together a salad with vinegar on the side, or some wilted spinach, and voila, easily under 400 calories per dinner serving.

    Stir-fry and curries are always a go-to for me, as well. I love low-fat coconut milk-based green curry with onions, sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, and peas. Serve it over quinoa or rice.

    Also, this website is indescribably awesome: http://www.skinnytaste.com/ -- so is http://www.emilybites.com/
  • run2jeepn
    run2jeepn Posts: 183 Member
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    Flat Iron Steaks. In a 10oz Steak. You have 375 Caloires, 0 Carbs, 53g Protein

    Add some Green Beans and your set.

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