These Low-Calorie Dinners Are Shockingly Filling — and Tasty

When it comes to low-calorie meals, we’re fans of recipes that go hard on flavorful, nutrient-packed ingredients like fresh seafood, colorful veg and filling whole grains. Just because a food is low in calories, after all, doesn’t mean that it’s a healthy choice. Instead of ditching dairy, carbs, and other high-calorie favorites, we love to load up our plates with high-protein and -fiber ingredients and healthy fats so we never feel deprived — because that’s not what low-calorie eating is about.

Whether you're practicing intuitive eating or simply looking to incorporate more nutritious meals into your routine, these healthy weeknight dinner recipes are the best of both worlds: low in calories and delicious. Love chicken parm? Tacos? How about Caesar salad? We’ve got it all. You can rest easy knowing that each of these meals is under 500 calories per serving, and feature small amounts of foods like steak, pasta, and — our forever favorite — parmesan cheese. We’ve also got a ton of delicious vegetarian options and vegan dishes in our mix. There’s no bland ‘diet food’ here: just nourishing whole foods, with a few treats thrown in.

Any one of these recipes can be served on their own, or with one or two healthy side dishes or healthy desserts (or both) for a heartier meal. Having a low-calorie weeknight dinner that fits into your diet plan just got a whole lot easier.