Contrary to popular opinions, finding a low-calorie meal, that is below 200 calories and is delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare is not difficult. And yes! Not those meals are bland and boring.
Using a combination of lean proteins, spices, and vegetables is one way to play around it. Spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, and zucchini noodles are all about 50 calories, you could have them with soups and spices and still have a meal below 200 calories that will leave you full and satisfied. Meals like brown rice, quinoa, farro, or beans offer only about 100 calories per serving.
We understand the ordeal of having to find foods that are under 200 calories, and more importantly, we understand how germane it is, especially when you are working with a calorie-controlled diet plan. This is the more reason we have decided to help get you some interesting, easy and quick to make, delicious, under 200 calorie meals.
Grab a glass of water while we dig through!
1. Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork
First on our list is the amazing slow cooker barbecue pork. It offers a total of 188 calories; 4g of carbs, 4g fat, and 33g of protein.
First of all, I think I should let you know that this is not your typical kind of BBQ, the pulled pork will have a different sauce. The sauce is packed with spices instead of sweet. It uses paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some chili powder. The barbeque can be consumed on its own and it can be tucked into sandwiches, in tortillas or even with salads.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin
- 1 onion bulb. (sliced)
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp of paprika
- 1.5 tsp of pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt.
- 1 tbsp. liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 tbsp. chili powder (optional)
This recipe will make for six servings.
Instructions
- To start with, add your already sliced onions into the slow cooker. Make sure it is making up the baseline of the slow cooker.
- Make a mix of all the spices and then rub the mixture all over the pork. If you are using the chili powder, which is optional, you would add it in the spice mix.
- Now, layer up your pork into the slow cooker and pour the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar. Add the liquid smoke if you will be using it, remember it is also optional.
- And finally, cook on low heat for 8 hours until it shreds easily with a fork.
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories from Fat 34 | |
| Total Fat 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 98mg | 33% |
| Sodium 286mg | 12% |
| Total Carbohydrate 4g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 6% |
| Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 33g |
2. Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortilla
The 199 calories squash and spinach Tortilla is another cheap, and easy to make a meal. The meal required just 30 minutes to get cooked.
Ingredients
- 800g butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and diced finely
- 6 eggs
- 150ml skimmed milk
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Calorie controlled cooking spray
- 150g baby spinach washed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
The ingredient above will make a meal for 4 services.
Instructions
- Boil the Squash in a large saucepan of boiling water and cook for 10–15 minutes, until tender.
- Drain off the water.
- Get a new large bowl, in it, beat the eggs, mix it with the milk and mustard. season the mix.
- Now, get a large nonstick frying pan heated and spray with the cooking spray.
- Add the squash and stir fry for a few minutes, until it turns golden. Add the spinach and stir fry for further few minutes, until wilted.
- Tip the egg mixture into the pan.
- Gently stir the mix and then leave it to cook on low heat for 10–12 minutes without stirring.
- When the bottom of the fry is golden and the tortilla is nearly set, then preheat the grill to medium.
- Slide the pan under the preheated grill for a few minutes until the top is golden and puffy and the egg is completely set.
- Cut it into four wedges and then serve.
- For the tortilla, it is necessary to keep the heat very low so that the bottom of the tortilla does not burn before it is thoroughly cooked.
3. Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
The veggie-packed low-calorie Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad is one very healthy, filling, and yummy meal. It is packed with tons of veggies and tossed in sweet and savory dressing. The meal is made with rice noodles, carrot, cucumbers, basil, and cilantro while for the dressing you’ll use soy sauce, lime juice, and rice vinegar. You can add chicken, shrimp, or tofu for a feel of protein.
Ingredients
Vietnamese Salad Dressing
This Vietnamese dressing is spicy, sweet, and savory. The basic recipe for the dressing is stated below.
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or a mixture of half soy and fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Thai red chili pepper (or 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced)
- Optional: Add some fresh or dried cilantro, mint, and basil
- Creamy version: Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter
Just make a mix of everything and keep tasting it to ensure it is as sweet or spicy as you want it. The dressing can be preserved in the fridge for about 120 to 168 hours.
Rice Noodles
- 6 oz. rice noodles
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup cucumber, julienned or sliced thin
- 1 red pepper, julienned or sliced thin
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup basil (or Thai basil), chopped
- 4 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or a mixture of soy and fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar (or honey)
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Thai red chili pepper (or 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced)
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped.
Instructions
- To start with, cover the rice noodles in cold water and leave it to soak for 10-15 minutes or prepare according to package directions.
- While the rice noodle us soaking, prepare the vegetables and the dressing.
- Drain the water off the rice noodle when it is soft enough.
- Mix the noodles with the vegetable and dressing. You could make a topping with peanuts too.
The 183 calories meal takes a total of just 20 minutes, to get fixed. 15 minutes for prepping and 5 minutes to cook.
| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories from Fat | 30% |
| Total Fat 3g | |
| Saturated Fat 1g | |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 368mg | 16% |
| Total Carbohydrate 34g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 9% |
| Sugars 8g | |
| Protein 4g |
