It’s true!
Carolyn Kylstra / BuzzFeed / Via skinnytaste.com / nutritionstripped.com
Calorie counting is not for everyone! And that’s OK. But if you have certain body-related goals, like building muscle, leaning down, or losing weight, then being mindful of how much you’re eating can be super helpful to you.
Something else that’s super helpful is making sure that the foods you eat are high in nutritious value. Macronutrients like protein, fiber, and fat can take a while to digest and help you feel satisfied for longer — meaning fewer cravings and lower general hangry-ness. (Here’s some more information about , in case you’re curious.)
These dinners are all tasty and healthy, and they come with about 500 calories or less. Some may not work with your personal diet (the lower-calorie ones, in particular, may be bad choices for people who only eat three meals a day with no snacks). But you may just find something on this list that you like.
Lentil Pasta with Arugula Pesto
Nom nom nom. Get the recipe here.
397 calories 19 g protein 20 g fat 28 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 1 g sugar)
Crock Pot Cauliflower Chicken Chili
432 calories 46.6 g protein 18.3 g fat (4.5 g saturated) 22.6 g carbohydrates (7.5 g fiber, 9.5 g sugar) 575 mg sodium
Sweet Potato Burger with Creamy Avocado
Jenny Sugar / Via popsugar.com
367 calories 12.6 g protein 13.9 g fat (2.1 g saturated) 54.4 g carbohydrates (11.5 g fiber, 7 g sugar) 574 mg sodium
Turkey-Basil Meatballs with Collard Greens
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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478 calories 31.2 g protein 23.1 g fat (4.8 g saturated) 37.1 g carbohydrates (9.9 g fiber, 12.7 g sugars) 726 mg sodium
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Get the recipe here. Nutrition info is for four boats.
464 calories 48 g protein 14 g fat 44 g carbohydrates (12 g fiber, 18 g sugar) 1,640 mg sodium
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Shallots and Fried Eggs
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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395 calories 20.2 g protein 26.6 g fat (7.2 g saturated) 20.7 g carbohydrates (4.3 g fiber, 5.3 g sugar) 336 mg sodium
Pan Seared Smoky Steak and Eggs
Get the recipe here. Nutrition info assumes that you’re sharing this dinner with a friend:
404 calories 38.2 g protein 26.7 g fat (12.7 g saturated) 1.4 g carbohydrates 1,265 mg sodium
Spicy Tamari Shrimp Lettuce Cups
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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396 calories 32.6 g protein 22.7 g fat (3.2 g saturated) 17.4 g carbohyrdates (3.8 g fiber, 4.6 g sugars) 1,167 mg sodium
Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg
Lauren Zaser / Justine Zwiebel / BuzzFeed / Via
This tasty dish is from the . .
403 calories 22.8 g protein 22 g fat (7.7 g saturated) 31 g carbohydrates (8.1 g fiber, 8.4 g sugars) 205 mg cholesterol
Shrimp Arugula Salad with Avocado
328 calories 23.4 g protein 24.1 g fat (4.1 g saturated) 9.2 g carbohydrates (4.4 g fiber, 1.4 g sugars) 214 g sodium
Slow Cooker Paella
467 calories 27 g protein 12 g fat 58 g carbohydrates (7 g fiber, 7 g sugar)
Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup
thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com
416 calories 24.2 g protein 8.4 g fat (1.5 g saturated) 64.3 g carbohydrates (22.6 g fiber, 8 g sugar) 1,082 mg sodium
Veggie “Sushi” Rolls
Get the recipe here. To get the nutritional info down to around 500 calories, adjust the recipe to just 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon of Tamari sauce. It’s just a touch over 500 calories… but it’s close enough.
512 calories 14.2 g protein 40.9 g fat (8.5 g saturated) 33.1 g carbohydrates (19.2 g fiber, 6.7 g sugar) 1,321 mg sodium
Slow-Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken with Cauliflower Rice & Green Beans
Lauren Zaser / Justine Zwiebel / BuzzFeed / Via
Here’s a tasty dinner from . .
358.7 calories 32.8 g protein 8.2 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat) 33.2 g carbohydrates (9.1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars) 860 mg sodium
Stuffed Winter Squash & Quinoa, Cranberry and Pistachio
thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com
Get the recipe here. Nutritional info is for each half-squash.
443 calories 11.4 g protein 18.2 g fat (2.4 g saturated) 63.8 g carbohydrates (8.8 g fiber, 7.7 g sugar) 18 mg sodium
Roast Chicken Bowl with Quinoa and Kale
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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379 calories 34.8 g protein 10.6 g fat (1.4 g saturated) 38.6 g carbohydrates (5 g fiber, 1.4 g sugar) 677 mg sodium
Simple Roasted Salmon with Green Beans and Lentils
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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334 calories 40.1 g protein 5.1 g fat (0.8 g saturated) 31.9 g carbohydrates (11.9 g fiber, 3.1 g sugar) 926 mg sodium
Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry
Get the recipe here. This one is also not quite under 500 calories, but that’s because we calculated nutrition info by doubling portion size recommendations.
536 calories 82 g protein 14 g fat 20 g carbohydrates (6 g fiber) 874 mg sodium
Black Bean Chili with Greek Yogurt and Zucchini Ribbons
Yael Malka / BuzzFeed / Via
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358 calories 20.2 g protein 7.7 g fat (1.1 g saturated) 58.5 g carbohydrates (18.5 g fiber, 21.1 g sugar) 823.2 mg sodium
