These healthy 500 calorie meals are so easy to make! Create a low calorie meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.
500 Calorie Meals
Looking to cut down on your daily calorie intake? If you’re trying to lose weight or you’re on a reduced-calorie diet, it can be hard to find options that are tasty, healthy and filling. These 500 calorie meals will fill you up without going overboard on the calories! From filling breakfasts to light lunches and healthy meals, I rounded up some of the best 500 calorie breakfast, dinner and lunch ideas that don't compromise on flavor.
Looking for even more 500 calorie meals? My meal prep app Dinner Prep Pro has over 400+ healthy and delicious recipes and meal prep instructions, too! Don't forget to check out my healthy dinner recipes roundup as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
The average daily calorie intake depends on a variety of factors including your age, gender, weight and physical activity level. It's normally recommended that women consume about 2,000 calories a day and that men consume about 2,500 calories a day.
There are plenty of foods you can eat that contain less than 500 calories, as long as you're eating whole and healthy ingredients that contain good vitamins and minerals. You can enjoy protein like chicken, beef and salmon or vegetarian options like black beans, tofu, edamame, etc. Try to stick to whole grains like quinoa, cauliflower rice and brown rice, and make sure to add lots of vegetables to your dish! As long as you're following good portion sizes, you should be able to stick to under 500 cals.
Yes! 500 calories is a good amount for one meal, as long as the meal is made up of healthy ingredients and contains some protein.
All of these meals under 500 calories are healthy and filling. They're pretty much all packed with protein and healthy ingredients, so even though you're not consuming a ton of calories, you'll still feel full for longer.
If you're trying to stick to a reduced calorie diet, I'd recommend going for healthy snacks, preferably options that are low in salt and fat, and high in protein. If you're looking for inspiration, check out my list of healthy snacks.
500 Calorie Breakfasts
Starting the day off with a healthy breakfast is essential! These low calorie breakfasts will help you tackle the day. Make everything from easy overnight oats and baked eggs to pancakes, breakfast sandwiches and a sweet potato hash with homemade chicken sausage.
Baked Oatmeal Cups {5 Ways}
How to Meal Prep Overnight Oats {9 Easy Recipes}
5 Easy Baked Egg Recipes
2-Ingredient Banana Egg Pancakes {Meal Prep}
Healthy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits {Meal Prep}
Easy Sweet Potato Hash Recipe
Easy Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Easiest Healthy Acai Bowl Recipe
Starbucks Spinach Feta Wrap
5-Ingredient Egg White Frittata {Meal Prep}
Freezer-Friendly Mini Breakfast Pizzas
Meal Prep Sausage Egg McMuffin {Copycat}
500 Calorie Lunches
While I have a lot of 500 calorie lunch recipes on my site, these are my absolute favourites! They're healthier alternatives to takeout and they taste better, too. I rounded up some popular options including Big Mac salad, chicken wraps, meal prep bowls and more.
Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps
Meal Prep Buffalo Chicken Wraps
The Best DIY Instant Noodles
Sheet Pan Greek Chicken {Meal Prep}
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad {Meal Prep}
Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls {Low-Carb}
Meal Prep Low Carb Big Mac Salad Jars
Dynamite Shrimp Sushi Jars {Meal Prep}
Baked BBQ Chicken {Meal Prep}
Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls {Low-Carb}
Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad {Gluten Free}
Taco Bell Power Bowl {Copycat Recipe}
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500 Calorie Dinners
Dinners don't have to be laden with calories to keep you feeling full and satisfied! These healthy 500 calorie dinner ideas are amazing. They're packed with flavour so your entire family will love them.
If you're looking for an easy low-calorie meal, go for sheet pan dinners – throw on some veggies like bell peppers, a protein like chicken, and a sauce for flavour like lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, ginger or soy sauce.
Easy Sausage, Peppers and Onions {Skillet Meal}
Hasselback Baked Caprese Chicken
Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken {Low Carb}
30-Minute Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken
Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta {One-Pot Meal}
Super Easy Mini Vegetable Lasagna Cups
Easy Cashew Chicken {30-Minute Meal}
Kung Pao Shrimp {30-Minute Meal}
PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Copycat Recipe}
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos
Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup {So Easy!}
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 turkey sausages (1 lb of sausage)
- 1 (8oz) package mushrooms, quartered
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 1 each green, yellow and red pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp each Salt & pepper
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (cut in half or leave out if you don't like spicy)
- 1/2 cup jarred pasta sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over med-high heat in large frying pan. Add turkey sausages and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and slice when cool.
- Without wiping pan clean, add mushrooms to skillet and saute until juices start to release, about 5 minutes. Add onions and peppers, cooking another 2 minutes or so.
- Add sausages back in, along with garlic, salt & pepper and red chili flakes. Add pasta sauce. Cook mixture another 2-3 minutes until sausages are fully cooked and veggies are softened.
- Divide among 4 meal prep bowls or enjoy for dinner. Leftovers will last up to 5 days in the fridge – enjoy!
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