Tasty Low-Calorie Meal Ideas.
Have you decided on your New Year’s resolutions? The main resolution for many people in the new year is to eat healthy and lose weight! Yet many people abandon this resolution just a few months into the year. Why? Because what they were eating was healthy, but not tasty! It’s not hard to eat healthy, if you’ve got some delicious recipes in your meal plan! To help you start the new year off right, here are 15 Delicious Low-Calorie Dinner Recipes!
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I’m a big fan of eating healthy! Not just because healthy eating usually means eating home-cooked meals from fresh ingredients (which is more frugal than eating out or using a bunch of boxed mixes), but because the healthy recipes my family eats actually taste good! For example, you’ll see some zoodle recipes below. While I was skeptical at first (like most people) I now love zoodles! Having a spiralizer helps me make them fast, and they’re a wonderful noodle substitute! I’m also a big fan of using ground turkey instead of ground beef. Add enough seasonings and mix-ins (onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and you won’t miss ground beef at all!
And that’s what a good healthy recipe should be like- it should make you not miss unhealthy food because the healthy recipe just tastes so good! That’s why you won’t find any bare chicken breasts or lightly seasoned salmon below. All of these are low-calorie dinner recipes, but they’re full of flavor!
15 Delicious Low-Calorie Dinner Recipes
Cooking healthy low-calorie dinner recipes doesn’t mean you have to compromise on flavor. Making simple swaps and additions can help you reduce fat, carbs, and calories without losing out on taste. Here are some tips.
- Meat – Lean meats like chicken and turkey will have less fat and fewer calories. You can also try meat substitutes, like the Beyond or Impossible line of meat alternatives. They can be surprisingly authentic tasting!
- Pasta Swaps – Choose a whole grain pasta or swap in zoodles or squash for a healthier option.
- Veggies – Load a meal with veggies. You will get a lot of food and your meal with be both colorful and tasty.
- Dairy – You don’t have to give up dairy completely. Choose reduced fat cheeses instead of full fat options. And for milk choose 2% or skim milk, though I honestly never buy anything other than almond milk these days and find that it’s just as wonderful in cereal and in baking recipes!
1. Mexican Chipotle Beef Stuffed Peppers
A delicious way to get all the vitamins in bell peppers is to make these Mexican Chipotle Beef Stuffed Peppers by Isabel Eats!
2. Balsamic Caramelized Onion Turkey Burger
These Balsamic Caramelized Onion Turkey Burgers from The Foodie and the Fix are so juicy and flavorful you won’t even know it’s a healthier turkey burger!
3. One Pan Parmesan Tuscan Chicken
This healthy One Pan Parmesan Tuscan Chicken from It’s Cheat Day Everyday will help to curb those craving for rich, hearty food without overindulging.
4. Honey Sriracha Mongolian Beef with Rice Noodles
Forget the take out! Make this healthy, low calorie Honey Sriracha Mongolian Beef with Rice Noodles from Joyful Healthy Eats. It’s sweet, spicy, and perfect for a quick & easy weeknight meal.
5. Skinny Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake
Damn Delicious’s skinny version of Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is just as creamy as the original but it’s much lighter.
6. Pesto Zoodles with Chicken
Zoodles are a healthy substitute for pasta. This Pesto Zoodles with Chicken recipe from Bound By Food is big on flavor and light on carbs.
7. Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
You won’t miss the tortillas or time spent rolling up the enchiladas when you make this Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash from Recipe Runner.
8. Turkey Spaghetti Zoodles
This Turkey Spaghetti Zoodles from Skinny Fitalicious is pasta without the pasta! It’s a SUPER simple one-pan dinner that’s low calorie and low carb
9. One Pot Turkey Taco Skillet
This One Pot Turkey Taco Skillet from Bijoux and Bits is piled high with veggies and you’ll only have one pan to clean.
10. Sweet Potato Spicy Chicken
Sweet Potato Spicy Chicken from A Healthy Life for Me is an impressive dinner recipe that is easy, and packed full of rich flavor that is sure to make the whole family happy.
11.Greek Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Orzo & Creamy Feta Yogurt Sauce
This meal looks amazing and has so many yummy ingredients! I can’t wait to try these Greek Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Orzo & Creamy Feta Yogurt Sauce from Ambitious Kitchen.
12. Healthy Orange Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is a great way to lower your calorie and carb intake and this yummy chicken will make it delicious! Ambitious Kitchen shows you how to make this tasty Orange Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice.
13. Salmon and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal
Sheet pan meals are so great for busy families; everything goes on the pan and into the oven to cook. Time efficient and less mess in the kitchen to clean up after! That’s a win-win! Get the recipe for Salmon and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal from A Couple Cooks.
14. Easy Power Bowl
Get all the goods with this easy power bowl from A Couple Cooks! It is full of tons of good things and would be a great way to clean out the fridge.
15. Instant Pot Lentil Soup
No Instant Pot, don’t worry it could be adapted to a cooktop recipe. Love and Lemons shows you how to make this easy lentil soup.
What’s your favorite low-calorie dinner recipe?
You might also be interested in: Lemon Shrimp with Vegetable Noodles and Pasta