6 Mouthwatering Recipes Under 300 Calories
Whitney Hatcher
| 7 min read
Do you want to eat your favorite foods, without feeling guilty about the calories? You can, if you swap out the not-so-healthy ingredients. Simple food swaps can help you maintain a healthier diet and eating healthier is a breeze when you have the right recipes. Here are a few, easy recipes that are less than 300 calories.
From My Recipes
Pizza is an oven-baked flat bread usually topped with tomato sauce and cheese. But with this recipe, it’s low in calories, and healthier. This BBQ Chicken Pizza has just 14 calories per slice.
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
- 3/4 cup tomato chutney
- 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
- 2/3 cup diced plum tomato
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Place crust on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 3 minutes. Remove from oven; spread chutney over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Top chutney with chicken. Sprinkle diced tomato, cheese, and green onions evenly over chicken.
- Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut pizza into 10 wedges.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 10 servings) 6.3 g fat, 99 mg sodium, 86 mg potassium, 15 g carbohydrates, 12.6 g protein, no sugar added.
From Two Healthy Kitchens
An egg casserole is the perfect breakfast dish and includes everything you need to start your day. This delicious casserole is just 277 calories and it’s packed with plenty of protein.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
- 1½ cups diced sweet onion (from about half a large onion)
- 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (sometimes labeled “country style”)
- 2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup diced green pepper (from about 1 small-medium pepper)
- 2-3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (to equal about 1 – 1¼ cups)
- ½ cup chopped green onions (from about 6 onions)
- 12 eggs
- 1¾ cup non-fat milk
- 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, onions, mushrooms, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink and mushrooms have given off some of their liquid, about 10 minutes. Throughout cooking, stir to crumble sausage and break up mushrooms. (You can leave the mushrooms in larger slices or break them into almost unnoticeable little pieces as you crumble the sausage.) Drain the liquid.
- In a 9×13 pan coated with cooking spray, layer potatoes (there is no need to thaw them), sausage mixture, 1-cup cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, and green onions.
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, parsley, salt, basil, and pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add remaining 1 cup of cheese and whisk again. Pour egg mixture evenly over other ingredients in baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Alternately, you can bake this casserole immediately.)
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake casserole, uncovered, for about 60-70 minutes, or until egg in middle is just set and edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 10 servings) 16.9g fat, 523 mg sodium, 300 mg potassium, 8.3 g carbohydrates, 23.2g protein, 5.1g sugar.
From Savory Sweet Life
Chicken marsala is an easy weeknight, comfort meal and it has 251 calories per serving. If you love sautéed mushrooms, this yummy dish is just for you.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (corn starch for gluten-free option)
- Up to ½ cup olive or vegetable oil
- 8 ounces container of mushroom, sliced and cleaned
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sweet Marsala wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup sherry or dry white wine
- Optional: 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Garnish with chopped parsley or oregano
Directions
- Split each chicken breast through the middle to make 2 pieces.
- Place plastic wrap over them and pound each one flat using a meat tenderizer/mallet until they are about a quarter inch thick.
- Season a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides of each piece. Place some flour on a plate and dredge each piece of chicken in it.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat and when the oil is hot fry each piece of chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown (this may require you to do this in 2 batches).
- Remove chicken and place them on your serving platter covering them with foil, carefully soak up any remaining oil with paper towels and discard.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add butter and mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms for 4-5 minutes making sure to season them with salt and pepper lightly.
- Add Marsala wine, sherry, cream, and chicken stock allowing the liquid to reduce slightly – approx. 3 minutes.
- Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken and serve.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 4 servings) 8.1g fat, 116 mg sodium, 333 mg potassium, 19.2g carbohydrates, 15.7g protein, 3.5g sugar.
From Cooking Classy
Vegetable soup has so many nutrients packs a zesty taste. This soup has 164 calories per serving.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
- 2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 4)
- 1 1/4 cups chopped celery (about 3)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (not drained)
- 3 cups peeled and 1/2-inch thick diced potatoes (from about 3 medium)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chopped frozen or fresh green beans
- 1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté 3 – 4 minutes
- Then add garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in broth (if you want lesser ratio of broth use 3 cans, and then only 3/4 cup of the 4th can.
- Add tomatoes, potatoes, parsley, bay leaves, thyme and season with salt and pepper
- Bring to a boil, then add green beans
- Reduce heat to medium-low
- Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 – 30 minutes
- Then add corn and peas and cook 5 minutes longer. Serve warm.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 10 servings) 4.0g fat, 68 mg sodium, 392 mg potassium, 27.4g carbohydrates, 5.5g protein, 5.5g sugar.
From Martha Stewart
This dish does not disappoint and it’s incredibly easy to put together. Not only that, its just 211 calories. Serve this dish to family and friends and they’ll love you forever.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 baking potatoes (about 1 pound total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
- 1 pound large peeled and de-veined frozen shrimp, thawed
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high.
- Add potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Add scallion whites, and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate (reserve skillet).
- Add remaining teaspoon oil, shrimp, and curry powder to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return potatoes and scallion whites to skillet, and toss with shrimp; season with salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with scallion greens.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 4 servings) 8.4g fat, 304 mg sodium, 398 mg potassium, 16.3g carbohydrates, 20.2g protein, 0.8g sugar.
This avocado salad is delicious and only has 250 calories per serving. Combining mango, with avocado and crunchy walnuts, creates a fabulous flavor combination.
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe mango
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 oz soft goat cheese
- 8 cups mixed field greens
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (1 tbsp set aside)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp pure honey
Directions
- For dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, 1 tbsp walnuts (finely chopped), and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble lettuce onto four plates.
- Top with thinly sliced avocado and mango.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and crumbles of goat cheese.
- Drizzle with dressing.
Nutritional information per serving (yields 4 servings) 20.1g fat, 304 mg sodium, 392.8 mg potassium, 16.5g carbohydrates, 5.4g protein, 10.6g sugar.
All of these meals are less than 300 calories, to make your calories count, join the FDA to learn how to manage calorie intake. To get your personalized nutrition and physical activity plan, track your foods, physical activities, to see how they stack up, visit Super Tracker.
To learn more about calorie intake, checkout these posts:
Let us know, how you like the recipes. Share your thoughts and comments below!
Photo Credit: Soup & Salad
