Low Fat Healthy Food Recipes

Pinterent September 20, 2023 Comment

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.

Best Low Fat Recipes

Not only is Broccoli one of our favorite low-calorie foods, but it's incredibly versatile as well. Seared in a skillet like steak and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, this is broccoli you eat with a fork and knife.

Whether you're sticking to a 1, 200 calorie diet plan or just trying to incorporate more fish into your dinners, this easy sheet pan fish is light, flavorful perfection.

A yogurt marinade pretty much guarantees juicy, tender chicken legs in this tandoori spiced recipe. Plus, air frying gets you crisp, golden-brown skin with a fraction of the oil used for roasting.

Healthy Low Calorie Thanksgiving Recipes

This deconstructed sushi bar classic keeps the calorie count low with a combo of brown rice and crisp Boston lettuce as the base.

With tons of fiber from the chickpeas and lean protein from the chicken breast, this one-pan dish is a meal in itself — though you can totally serve it with rice or couscous if you prefer.

Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.

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Low Calorie, High Protein, Meals For Dinner Tonight

When it comes to healthier meals, we LOVE a veggie for pasta ingredient swap. Cauliflower and zucchini are forever faves, like in our cauliflower mac and cheese or zoodle burrito bowls, but we’re branching out into other veggies too, like spaghetti squash and butternut squash. We swear, you’ll barely miss the pasta (and can enjoy multiple servings no problem.) Don’t worry, we’ve also included a ton of pasta recipes too, with lightened up sauces or added greens and veggies.

We’re a big fan of the ease of Mexican-inspired tacos, quesadillas, and tostadas for simple weeknight meals. You can fill them with pretty much anything, like in our fish tacos or black bean tostadas, and every member of your household can add as few or as many toppings as they like. Another great option? Rice bowls. All you need is a great sauce, like peanutty buddha sauce or herby green goddess, some rice (brown, white, or cauliflower all work), some protein, and any combination of vegetables. Add some crunchy nuts or seeds and you'll have a solid, satisfying dinner. Bonus: they’re GREAT for cleaning leftover ingredients out of your fridge.

You don't really need a recipe to make this insanely popular Mexican dish, but if you want some guidance, we got you!

The Dash Diet Health Plan: Low Sodium, Low Fat Recipes To Promote Weight Loss, … Von John Chatham Als Taschenbuch

The classic combo of Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and basil lends itself to a recipe that’s easy to whip up for breakfast for dinner.

Minimal prep and minimal cook time means these can be on your dining room table FAST. Serve with your favorite (or homemade!) tortillas.

In our attempt to copy the fan favorite, we flavored ground chicken with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, and sesame oil. Yum!

Quick & Easy Low Fat Recipes

Topped with fresh green onions, crispy bacon, and creamy avocado, this beanless stew is sure to please any crowd, keto or not.

If you're on keto, you know there are a lot of no-nos in classic mac & cheese. This version takes out all the trouble children (ahem, PASTA)

Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at , otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.