Anyone have any low calorie meal "recipes"?

I say "recipes" because I'm a student and can't cook to save my life!

I cook things such as baked potato with beans, pasta and sauce, fish fillet with new potatoes, grilled burger and salad etc. so they're very basic, easy meals. But I'd like to have more variation since these meals are getting pretty boring!

Does anybody have any suggestions of other meals I can cook that are also very simple? Thank you so much! :D
 
How about things like chicken breast turkey breast or beef steak? You can cook them pretty quickly, wrap them in foil and chuck them in the oven until done. You could swap the beans on your jacket potato for some tuna and light mayo.

I tend to eat a lot of basic things - generally some combination of meat/fish with rice/pasta/potatoes/cous cous and veggies. But how I cook it and what I serve it with makes a huge difference. I try to have a variety of veggies, and do different things with spuds like mash, baked or home made wedges. I like to buy things like Nando's marinades. They aren't too high in cals and can just be poured onto meat/fish before cooking. I also use different stocks and jarred herbs when cooking pasta and rice to give it different flavours.

Eggs are also quick easy and healthy
 
Try switching up potatoes with sweet potatoes for a bit of variety. Yum! A simple lovely sauce I always do is a spicy tomato sauce (passata, garlic and chilli powder) with roast potatoes to make potatas bravas and it goes really well with fish.

I cook absolutely loads but my mind has gone blank, ha! Have you any likes/dislikes?
 
Hi Kay!

if u have a slow cooker (or casserole dish/over), then you can make spag Bol/chilli really easily.

For spag Bol I just chop up veg really finely(whatever u have but I normally use 2 peppers, 2 carrots and and 2 sticks of celery), add a tin of tomatoes, about a litre of beef stock and extra lean mince, whatever herbs and spices (and a little bit of sugar or tomato ketchup if its a but sharp tasting) and then cook it in the slow cooker / oven for four hours or more. After four hours I usually take the lid off for a couple of hours so the liquid reduces. I can get four big portions or 6 smaller ones. Because I don't fry the veg, it saved calories on the oil!

For chili I do the same except add a tin of kidney beans and a tin of baked beans.

i also make a fake thai green curry, which is just chicken and veg, marinaded in lime and coriander with a can of coconut cream. Although it has the cream, it's only a small can and I eat half so less calories than u think. It's a delia smith recipes so if u look on her website u will prob find it.

If ur feeling a bit more adventurous then hairy bikers hairy dieters so some amazing recipes that are not as complex as they look! Sweet and sour chicken is gorgeous!!

Let me know if u need more exact measurements (i generally chuck it all in and hope for the best)! I started cooking hen I was a student, it's the best time for experimenting!!

good luck x
 
If you're feeling lazy tesco do an amazing range of pizzas under 500 cals, they are absolutely delicious!
also slimming world chips (chip and boil potatoes for four mins, leave to cool for ten mins, shake them in the pan to fluff them up then pop in the oven for 20-25 mins @ 240 degrees c) and fake nandos chicken- a chicken breast with nandos chip sprinkle. Serve with a big salad :)
 
If you're feeling lazy tesco do an amazing range of pizzas under 500 cals, they are absolutely delicious!
also slimming world chips (chip and boil potatoes for four mins, leave to cool for ten mins, shake them in the pan to fluff them up then pop in the oven for 20-25 mins @ 240 degrees c) and fake nandos chicken- a chicken breast with nandos chip sprinkle. Serve with a big salad :)

I don't even boil my chips or wedges, I just cut them up, chuck them in the microwave for 5-10 mins then spray on some oil and salt and chuck in the oven!

ETA tescos chilled ready meals are all 400 cals or under too.
 
Try ratatouille: 1 aubergine, 2 courgettes, 2 peppers (I like red and yellow), 1 large or 2 medium onions, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, garlic, herbs de provence and seasoning.
Slice the aubergine about 1/2 inch thick and grill or griddle the slices until brown on both sides, then cut into chunks. Fry light a big pot, sweat down your chopped onion and add garlic once the onion is soft, add chopped peppers, sliced courgettes and aubergine. Stir to mix and cook for a further 3 mins or so, then add your tinned tomatoes and 1 tsp of herbs de provence. Simmer for about 30 mins, season to taste at the end. If it's too dry try adding some chicken or veg stock (from a cube and boiling water). We have this with all sorts, fish, chicken whatever and I usually make enough to freeze some for dinners another time. :)

When I was at uni I survived on spicy tuna rice: Brown rice, tinned tuna, peppers, onion, sweetcorn, garlic, mushrooms?, chillis and chinese 5 spice.
Cook the rice, fry light the chopped veg and chillis in a large pan, when they are softened and cooked add the cooked rice and tuna and a good amount of the 5 spice (to taste of course), mix together and serve with light soy sauce. Again I would freeze portions for later use, but this is very tasty, cheap, filling and healthy.

Good luck. x
 
Try ratatouille: 1 aubergine, 2 courgettes, 2 peppers (I like red and yellow), 1 large or 2 medium onions, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, garlic, herbs de provence and seasoning.
Slice the aubergine about 1/2 inch thick and grill or griddle the slices until brown on both sides, then cut into chunks. Fry light a big pot, sweat down your chopped onion and add garlic once the onion is soft, add chopped peppers, sliced courgettes and aubergine. Stir to mix and cook for a further 3 mins or so, then add your tinned tomatoes and 1 tsp of herbs de provence. Simmer for about 30 mins, season to taste at the end. If it's too dry try adding some chicken or veg stock (from a cube and boiling water). We have this with all sorts, fish, chicken whatever and I usually make enough to freeze some for dinners another time. :)

When I was at uni I survived on spicy tuna rice: Brown rice, tinned tuna, peppers, onion, sweetcorn, garlic, mushrooms?, chillis and chinese 5 spice.
Cook the rice, fry light the chopped veg and chillis in a large pan, when they are softened and cooked add the cooked rice and tuna and a good amount of the 5 spice (to taste of course), mix together and serve with light soy sauce. Again I would freeze portions for later use, but this is very tasty, cheap, filling and healthy.

Good luck. x
hi
i love the sound of that going to give that a go x x
 
If u want easy and cheap aldi tin potatoes are 17 p half a tin 100 cals you can boil then drain put back in dry pan and stir to fluff edges for a few mins then put on a baking tray spray with fry ligjt for crispy pots.

Boil then mash

Stir a tin of tuna , light mayo and green beans for a potato salad

Just dont microwave straight from the tin as the pop!

Birdseye chicken griddles are quick and easy with half a bag of tilda micro rice (you can open and microwave half and have the other half day after - make sure its in the fridge) for two griddles and the rice is 450 cals

One nest of noodles some prawns and some pieces of cook from frozen chicken pieces some mushrooms stir in some soy and sweet chilli dipping sauce

Prawns are really low in calories great for stir fry / curry good change from chicken

I have put a few on the slim fast recipe forum if you have a look.
 
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thanks tink for those recipes im going to have a look at those
 
hi tink wow there is some good stuff on there im going to give some a try thanks for the info x
 
I did a lovely quick prawn curry in the week. Dry-fried a chopped red onion, added a tin of tomatoes then some cumin, turmeric and curry powder, then added some mange tout, baby sweetcorn, mushrooms and a packet of prawns and stirred through. I had cauliflower rice but you could have the normal stuff. It took around 5 mins!
 
that sounds nice to but i do not like prawns
 
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