Evening meals that are 400 cals or under?

CatholicUK · July 2012

I'm stuck for ideas... please share with me your favourite dinnertime meals! If you're American, please let me know of clean recipes, because we don't get very much of your food over here in the UK. Apart from McDonalds, KFC and Burger King... yeah thanks for that!

Also if they are adaptable that would be a great help, hubby and I are on the diets but our 5 year old will need more than 400 cals in his evening meal so anything that can be added for him to a recipe is always a good 'un!

Thanks in advance!!

Marie xx

sozzell · July 2012

Thai red curry using low fat coconut milk and turkey breast, have with steamed veg instead of rice

Shep. pie using turkey mince

Lasagne using low fat cheese in the sauce and again turkey mince

aimeelambert88 · July 2012

Use quorn instead of meat, shepards pie, bolognaise, chilli, curry.
The mince and chicken style pieces are great and really low cal

Hendrix7 · July 2012

Baked sweet potato with tuna filling.

LittleNicci · July 2012

just made an awesome low cal tilapia tonight

2 4 ounce fish fillets
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup crushed cornbread stuffing mix (dry)
seasonings to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
(tonight I used Weber brand Mango Lime Seafood. Weber brand is AWESOME and usually cheap!)

preheat oven to 450, spray nonstick on baking sheet, rinse and pat dry fish, add stuffing mix to bowl with butter and melt in microwave about 30 seconds (or until butter is completely melted), stir well, use half the stuffing mix on each piece of fish, bake for 10-13 minutes (or until fish is done)

ends up being under 200 calories!

if you ever need any ideas let me know, i just got an amazing lowcal cookbook last month :-D

ive also used flax oil on a 4 ounce piece of salmon, coated it with the same weber seasoning on both sides (or the new orleans cajon one too!) and threw it on the george foreman = NUMMY!

robynj88 · July 2012

Try this one:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1088636/superhealthy-singapore-noodles

I cooked this last week and it was amazing! 362 calories per serving, so filling and tasty!

CatholicUK · July 2012

just made an awesome low cal tilapia tonight

2 4 ounce fish fillets
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup crushed cornbread stuffing mix (dry)
seasonings to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
(tonight I used Weber brand Mango Lime Seafood. Weber brand is AWESOME and usually cheap!)

preheat oven to 450, spray nonstick on baking sheet, rinse and pat dry fish, add stuffing mix to bowl with butter and melt in microwave about 30 seconds (or until butter is completely melted), stir well, use half the stuffing mix on each piece of fish, bake for 10-13 minutes (or until fish is done)

ends up being under 200 calories!

if you ever need any ideas let me know, i just got an amazing lowcal cookbook last month :-D

ive also used flax oil on a 4 ounce piece of salmon, coated it with the same weber seasoning on both sides (or the new orleans cajon one too!) and threw it on the george foreman = NUMMY!

Sounds delish, but what is cornbread? Or cornbread stuffing? xx

wetsel23 · July 2012

This is what i had for dinner tonight. Awesome!!

Chicken Fajitas

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 whole-wheat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced

1.Preheat the broiler. Put chicken breasts in a shallow nonaluminum dish and sprinkle with lime juice, salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.

2.Whisk together yogurt, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeño and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and set aside.

3.Place the chicken and onions on a lightly oiled baking sheet and broil for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken and stir onion. Broil until the chicken is no longer pink inside, 3 to 4 minutes.

4.Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and place on the rack below the baking sheet.

5.To assemble fajitas, thinly slice the chicken. Fill each tortilla with the chicken, onions, lettuce and tomato slices. Top with the reserved yogurt mixture and roll up the tortilla and filling. Serve immediately.

To heat tortillas:
Microwave: Wrap in barely damp paper towels and microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds.
Oven: Wrap in foil and bake at 300ºF until steaming, about 5 minutes.
Steamer: Wrap a stack of 12 tortillas in a clean, heavy towel, place in a steamer over 1/2 inch of water, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When steam is released, time 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Held in a very low oven, the tortillas will stay warm and moist for an hour or more.

Nutrition

Per serving: 174 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 34 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 16 g protein; 3 g fiber; 286 mg sodium; 367 mg potassium.

MissCheese · July 2012

My dinner tonight is less than 400 calories and very filling, you could take a look at my diary but I'm basically having a haddock fillet pan fried in a little olive oil with sauteed cabbage and beans. I dice up two rashers of good smoked bacon and fry them in a pan until crispy and the oil comes out, then add inch long pieces of fine green beans and saute for a minute or two, then add shredded savoy cabbage and fry until cooked but not coloured. I'm throwing in a portion of podded broad beans tonight because they are in season and my favourite. This is a huge amount of veg so very filling. If I am extra hungry I'll have a few boiled or steamed baby potatoes on the side. It is quick to cook too.

Non stick pans are crucial when cooking with only small amounts of oil/fat.

folkoono · July 2012

Cornbread's made with polenta, I think?

I say make something veggie, or even vegan. How about a stir fry or something like that?

sozzell · July 2012

My dinner tonight is less than 400 calories and very filling, you could take a look at my diary but I'm basically having a haddock fillet pan fried in a little olive oil with sauteed cabbage and beans. I dice up two rashers of good smoked bacon and fry them in a pan until crispy and the oil comes out, then add inch long pieces of fine green beans and saute for a minute or two, then add shredded savoy cabbage and fry until cooked but not coloured. I'm throwing in a portion of podded broad beans tonight because they are in season and my favourite. This is a huge amount of veg so very filling. If I am extra hungry I'll have a few boiled or steamed baby potatoes on the side. It is quick to cook too.

Non stick pans are crucial when cooking with only small amounts of oil/fat.

Spray oil is good for low fat cooking. 1 cal per spray.

ianlikesholidays · July 2012

Hi
The secret to my weight loss is FROZEN VEGETABLES. (Peas , Broccoli, Cauliflower etc)

I microwave steam them and add to various dinners. They have very few calories and can bulk out a dinner from a tiny portion to a hearty meal. Add them to curry or whatever you are having (Probably not good with egg and bacon lol).

Good luck
Ian

Lynxie83 · July 2012

Cals per serve: 376
Recipe #3 ~ Chargrilled lamb fillets with balsamic lentils, grape tomatoes and baby spinach (Edit post)
Posted on 07/10/2012 by Lynxie83

Original is again from Taste.com: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/2571/lamb+with+warm+lentil+salad
My version:
Preparation Time
Approx. 20 minutes
Cooking Time
Approx. 20 minutes
Ingredients (serves 3)

2/3 x 200g punnet grape tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed (or pre-crushed garlic if preferred)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
20 large button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 x 400g can brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
100g baby spinach leaves
250g Lamb fillet (sirloin - from Coles) cut in half

Method
1. Drain and rinse lentils, put aside.
2. Cut a small slit in each tomato. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
3. Add the mushroom and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until mushroom and tomatoes soften. Add the lentils and vinegar and cook, tossing gently, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Add the spinach and gently stir until just combined and spinach starts to wilt.
4. Wipe the pan clean with paper towel. Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
5. Return lentil mixture back to pan to reheat through. Divide the lentil salad among serving plates and top with the lamb cutlets. Serve immediately.

yksdoris · July 2012

there's 2 that I have:

Ground beef stew (about 350 kcal per big bowl, the recipe below is enough for about 3 bowls)

300g (that's about 0,8 lb) ground beef; I use the full fat one - if you use lean then of course the cals come down.
3 or 4 potatoes peeled and chopped to squares
mix of soup veggies - about 250-300 g (so somewhere between 0,5 and 0,8 lb), the ones sold in our local store have a mix of fresh herbs and various veggies but you can make your own with 1 small onion or leek, 1 small carrot, a little bit of capsicum and parsely/rosemary/any herb you like

Put the ground beef in the pot you're going to use for the stew and fry in the pot until (almost) done. Add potatoes, stir, add the veggiemix and add water. Because my bf likes this stew thick and I like it with more liquid, I usually add only so much that you can see the water through the veggies but the water doesn't actually cover the veggies - they shrink so by the time the stew is done, they WILL be in the water. Add seasoning to taste (I do one bouillon cube and some pepper) and bring to boil. Cook until the potatoes are done. Generally the whole thing takes about 20-25 min to prepare from the moment you put the ground beef in the pot.

Recipe no. 2 is for when I've been bad during the day and can't have much for dinner :P it's possible to expand by adding rice or potatoes. 1 serving as described below is about 270 kcal and a BIG plate of food.

200 g white fish
3-4 tomatoes
250 g (0,5 lb) green beans
Pre-heat oven to 180 C (sorry, don't know how much that is in F). Cut the fish into rough pieces, chop tomato also to rough pieces (quarters is fine). put together in oven dish, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste, mix, put in oven for 20 min. preferably cover the oven dish, otherwise it dries out.
While the fish cooks, boil the beans - I like them with a bit of bite so I boil them for about 12 min.

all of that togeter on one plate is a huge bit of food but very low cals

BohemianCoast · July 2012

Cornbread is made with cornmeal/polenta; I usually use fine polenta (my whole family love cornbread and it's a good option when we don't have bread in because it's very quick to make) but it's fine with a medium grade as well, and either of those are also fine for coating fish as suggested.

Meanwhile, we had a stretchy mince last night; I managed to eat 460 cals of it because i pigged out rather (that was two platefuls!), but it was basically lean mince fried up with a tablespoon of olive oil, onions, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, a can of chickpeas, half a chopped cabbage, mixed herbs and a beef stockcube, served with rice (Waitrose brown basmati, red camargue and wild rice, which is my favourite because it's incredibly filling and flavourful).

Miss_dannii · July 2012

Hi
The secret to my weight loss is FROZEN VEGETABLES. (Peas , Broccoli, Cauliflower etc)

I microwave steam them and add to various dinners. They have very few calories and can bulk out a dinner from a tiny portion to a hearty meal. Add them to curry or whatever you are having (Probably not good with egg and bacon lol).

Good luck
Ian

I do this too, and I pour over them a thickly made cuppa-soup, like leek and potato or something, gives the veg a lovely flavour x

iieee · July 2012

I agree with Ian too. What I do is smaller portion of the meal (bolognaise, chilli con carne, sausage casserole, pasta etc - most of my recipes come in around 450 cals/serving) and then have loads of vegetables on the side. You can give your son a slightly larger portion, or put a bit of cheese on top of his.

kathyms13 · July 2012

Hi
The secret to my weight loss is FROZEN VEGETABLES. (Peas , Broccoli, Cauliflower etc)

I microwave steam them and add to various dinners. They have very few calories and can bulk out a dinner from a tiny portion to a hearty meal. Add them to curry or whatever you are having (Probably not good with egg and bacon lol).

Good luck
Ian

yes id be lost without these, i buy fresh but frozen are fantastic . i love frozen mushrooms i add then to my stock pots that i live on.

MizzDoc · July 2012

http://400caloriesorless.com/

IronSmasher · July 2012

Pretty much any combination of meat/fish and vegetables with some herbs, spices or a little low cal sauce will but under 400.

Grill your spIced/herbed meat/fish and steam your veg, add a little condiments if you like.

Stir fry with lots of veg instead of noodles and add a stir fry sauce (most portions are less than 100cal for sauce).

Salad.

Why's everything got to be so complicated?

ScubyUK · July 2012

Roast Salmon Fillet or Skinless Chicken Fillet with Mediterranean style vegetables.

Throw some large chopped Bell Peppers, Courgettes, baby Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes and Red Onion into an ovenproof dish.
Place the chicken or fish on top.
Light drizzle of Olive Oil over the lot and chuck in the oven on 200c for 25-30 minutes (I never bother to preheat the oven either)

Evening meals that are 400 cals or under?

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