Looking for 300 calorie meals that will actually fill you up? Maybe you’re following an intermittent fasting diet and need low-calorie meals for select days of the week. Or perhaps you’re just counting your calories to balance energy consumption with energy output.
Whatever your reason for wanting low-calorie recipes, it can be hard to find options that taste good and genuinely leave you feeling satisfied. So in this article, we share our top tips for minimising calories while maximising taste, along with 5 delicious recipes for you to try at home.
Top tips for deliciously filling 300 calorie meals
When it comes to satiating hunger, protein and fibre should be your new best friends. Both will help you feel fuller for longer so you feel completely satisfied after your meal and less likely to snack. Including low-fat protein sources like pulses, eggs, turkey, and chicken will make a meal more filling without adding excess calories. Avoid red meat, processed products, or fatty cuts to keep your energy intake streamlined.
Fibre will also fill you up and aid digestion too. Include lots of different vegetables in a variety of colours to maximise your intake of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Carrots, broccoli, peas, and sweetcorn are all fibre-rich veggies, with beans and pulses also being good low-calorie sources.
If you need more help with banishing hunger, taking an appetite suppressing supplement like PhenQ can also really help.
Ready to put these tips into practice? Here are 5 simple recipes for 300 calorie meals (can be used for lunch or dinners) that are loaded with vegetables and protein…
Super-simple Asian stir-fry
(257 Calories per serving)
A stir-fry is a quick, easy and delicious way to consume loads of nutritious veggies in one sitting, without consuming lots of calories. The trick to the perfect stir-fry is chopping all of the vegetables the same size so they all cook at the same speed.
Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)
- 1 onion
- 1 pepper
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 broccoli
- ½ cabbage
- 1 lean chicken breast (optional)
- Your favourite stir-fry sauce sachet (reduced sugar version)
Directions
- Peel and chop the onion, pepper, broccoli, and cabbage, shred or grate the carrot, and cut the chicken into thin strips.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and fry the chicken until sealed (there’s no need for oil).
- Add the onion and pepper to the pan and fry for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
- Add the carrot and broccoli, then continue stirring for another minute.
- Add the cabbage and fry for a further 2 minutes, then add the sauce and stir through.
- Serve immediately.
Spanish tortilla
(282 Calories per serving)
This Spanish classic is super-easy to prepare and delicious eaten either hot or cold (perfect for lunchtime leftovers). The eggs provide a healthy dose of filling protein to keep you feeling satisfied. Serve with a salad to get closer to your 5-a-day.
Ingredients (Makes 1 tortilla which provides 2-3 servings)
- 1 onion
- 1 medium potato
- 5 eggs
- Salt & pepper
- Salad to serve
Directions
- Peel and thinly slice the potato and onion.
- Microwave the potato with a little water for 8 minutes (stirring regularly) or cook in boiling water for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Beat the eggs then add salt and pepper.
- Heat a large pan, coat with 1-calorie spray, and fry the onion until soft.
- Add the potatoes into the frying pan, then pour over the egg mixture.
- Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until set, flipping gently halfway through.
Serve with salad.
Storage note: When storing, ensure that it’s completely cooled before putting the lid on. This will avoid condensation which can affect the texture.
3-Bean Mexican chilli
(284 Calories per serving)
This combination of beans and vegetables creates a super-filling meal that can be frozen too. The kidney beans, butter beans and chickpeas provide lots of protein and fibre to keep you so satisfied, you won’t need rice as an accompaniment!
Ingredients (Makes 3 Servings)
- 1 onion
- 1 pepper
- 1 carrot
- 1 broccoli head
- 1 tin of kidney beans
- 1 tin of butter beans
- 1 tin of chickpeas
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 sachet chilli con carne powder mix
Directions
- Chop the onion, pepper, carrot, and broccoli and rinse the beans thoroughly in water.
- Microwave the carrots and broccoli for 5 minutes with a little water, stirring halfway.
- Heat a large frying pan or wok and coat with 1-calorie spray. Add the onion and pepper, stirring regularly so they don’t stick.
- Add the broccoli, carrots, beans, chopped tomatoes, and chilli con carne powder mix to the pan, along with some extra water (enough to fill the empty tomato tin).
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes stirring regularly, then serve.
Courgetti bolognese
(254 Calories per serving)
Swapping pasta for courgette and beef mince for turkey will dramatically reduce the calories in your bolognese. Plus, all the vegetables provide extra fibre to keep you feeling full throughout the evening.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 150g button mushrooms
- 4 courgettes
- 300g turkey mince
- Tomato-based pasta sauce (low sugar version)
Method
- Finely chop the garlic, onion, carrot and mushrooms.
- Use a spiralizer or sharp knife to shred the courgettes into long thin ‘noodle’ strips.
- Heat a pan, coat with 1-calorie spray, and add the garlic, onion and turkey mince. Cook until the mince is browned.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms, then cook for a further few minutes before adding the tomato sauce. Place a lid on top and simmer gently on a low heat.
- Steam the courgette noodles for 5 minutes until soft and then serve with the bolognese sauce.
DIY earth bowl
(260 Calories per serving)
Earth bowls come in all sorts of varieties but usually consist of layered ingredients like rice, beans, vegetables, meat, or fish. The protein-rich quinoa makes this one of our favourite recipes for lunch on the run, but you can customise it with different toppings to make it your own.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
- 30g quinoa
- ½ vegetable stock cube
- 7-8 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cucumber portion – 5cm or 2” piece
- ½ small tin of sweetcorn
- 1x boiled egg
Directions
- Cook the quinoa in water with the partial stock cube for 10-15 minutes until soft, boiling the egg at the same time.
- Slice the tomatoes, chop the cucumber and hard-boiled egg once cooled.
- Layer all the ingredients in your bowl or storage container, starting with quinoa at the bottom.
- Dig in with a large spoon to enjoy the healthy and filling flavours.
Quick tip – You can also tailor this earth bowl by adding low-calorie salad dressing, kidney or butter beans, chopped apple or celery, mackerel or tuna flakes, baked salmon, tofu pieces, or shredded chicken.
Which 300 calorie meals will you try first?
You’ll be surprised at just how filling these 300 calorie meals can be. Increasing your intake of protein and fibre will help you enjoy more satisfying meals instead of feeling hungry and deprived. Plus, you get all the added benefits of extra vitamins and minerals to help your body function at its very best.
If you need more help with feeling satisfied, taking a supplement like PhenQ can also help. As well as boosting your fat burning capabilities, it suppresses your appetite so you eat less and crave fewer calories. Best of all, it can improve your mood and energy levels for hassle-free weight loss without the negative side-effects. Learn more about how it works here.
