25 Dinner Recipes Under 400 Calories Per Serving (2024)

The beginning of the year is always a time for reflection and setting new goals or resolutions for the coming year. If you’re anything like most of the adults living in the United States, then you’re probably setting some sort of health goal for the coming year.

That’s why I compiled this list of 25 dinner recipes that are all under 400 calories per serving! This list will keep you fed and satisfied as you settle into your new eating habits. Let’s get started!

25 Dinner Recipes Under 400 Calories

Baked Salmon with Lemon Vinaigrette from Food Folks and Fun

This easy baked salmon recipe is made in just 20 minutes and is completely delicious. It’s topped with a quick and vibrant 1-minute lemon vinaigrette.

Slow Cooker Italian Harvest Soup from Easy Budget Recipes

This Slow Cooker Italian Harvest Soup is easy to make and SO flavorful! It serves 8 people and costs just $6.86 to make and 86¢ a serving!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo) from Strength and Sunshine

The most delicious, moist, and easy slow cooker chicken yet! Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken requires just a few ingredients: your favorite salsa, some spices, and the chicken! The perfect healthy, gluten-free, paleo weeknight dinner to please everyone!

Whole 30 Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup from Cook at Home Mom

These delicious burgers are great for the entire family, budget-friendly, and Paleo and Whole30, too!

Vegan Thai Pumpkin Curry from The Recipe Well

This Thai Pumpkin Curry is an easy weeknight meal that is also perfect for meal prep! You will love the creamy sauce made from coconut milk, pumpkin purée and red curry paste, combined with a medley of fresh vegetables and chickpeas.

Keto Beef Stew from Keto Cooking Wins

With big, bold and BEEFY flavors, this is the world's Beefiest Beef Stew! Big chunks of beef and hearty root veggies lend plenty of taste and texture to this family-friendly dish.

Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Artichokes from Food Folks and Fun

This Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Artichokes recipe is a super simple weeknight dinner recipe that everyone loves and is fancy enough to serve when company comes over.

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Cilantro Lime Dressing from Key to my Lime

You’ll love these ground turkey lettuce wraps with cilantro lime dressing! They’re healthy and full of amazing flavor. The slaw adds a delicious crunch!

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet from Dancing Through the Rain

This delicious cabbage and sausage recipe is a fantastic and easy dinner dish, but it is also keto, paleo, dairy free, gluten free and Atkins diet friendly! Get your protein and your vegetables all in one bowl!

Chinese Chicken Curry from supergolden bakes

Forget takeaways, this easy Chinese Chicken Curry is packed with flavour, ready in 30 minutes and only 300 calories per serving.

Vegan Minestrone Soup from Green Bowl 2 Soul

Vegan Minestrone soup is a delicious, hearty, Italian soup made with lots of vegetables, greens, beans, and pasta or rice. It tastes best with crispy garlic bread.

Large Batch Chicken Noodle Soup from Easy Budget Recipes

This homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is slightly creamy and seriously crave-worthy! It’s easy to make and will feed 8-10 people! It costs just $6.73 to make and 85¢ per serving.

Juicy Air Fryer Salmon from Recipes from a Pantry

Ready to make juicy salmon fillets in your air fryer? This recipe for Air Fryer Salmon is so easy and gives you delicious, perfectly cooked salmon every time.

Sloppy Janes from Food Folks and Fun

Let me introduce you to Sloppy Joe’s leaner, healthier & sassier sister, Sloppy Jane. This recipe is quick and easy to make and it tastes fantastic! This Sloppy Jane recipe is low on fat and high on flavor with loads of veggies and lean ground turkey.

Baked Fish en Papillote in Foil Packets from Emily Kyle

Cooking Baked Fish en Papillote in Foil Packets is the easiest and most delicious, fool-proof way to cook fish perfectly – every single time. This method is easily customizable and can be used for baking any of your favorite fish recipes.

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Black Beans from Beyond the Chicken Coop

Spaghetti squash filled with black beans and enchilada sauce. This entire dish is topped with cheese and baked until piping hot.

Easy Baked Pork Chops with Apples from Easy Budget Recipes

This Baked Pork Chops recipe is easy and tastes delicious, especially with apples baked right on top! It serves 6 people and costs just $11.60 to make.

Healthy Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash from Skinny Fitalicious

Healthy Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash! Packed with flavor and simple to make. A lower carb meal with more nutrition by replacing pasta and a lightened up sauce with heart friendly ingredients.

Mediterranean Vegetable Casserole from Neil’s Healthy Meals

This Mediterranean vegetable casserole is not only packed full of flavour but with loads of healthy veggies, this fantastic vegan family dish is also extremely filling and satisfying!

Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry from The Kitchen Girl

Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry is a scrumptious, easy, Thai curry recipe with a medium heat level and distinct Asian flavors. Loads of everyday vegetables are simmered in a coconut curry red sauce. This plant-based comfort food is ready in 30 minutes and meal-prep friendly!

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers from Belle of the Kitchen

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers - a delicious, low carb dinner that is full of the Mexican flavors you love! Once you try this healthy twist, you won't even miss the tortillas!

Sweet Potato Curry from Contentedness Cooking

This Sweet Potato Curry is made with simple and fresh ingredients and taste seriously so delicious. Satisfying and packed with flavor.

Skinny Lemon Chicken Piccata from Kroll’s Korner

Lemon Chicken Piccata with Zoodles are great for an easy weeknight dinner but also fancy enough for a dinner party. This Classic Italian dish has proved a favorite year after year and my variety is lightened up with zucchini noodles!

Chili Garlic Chinese Noodles from Profusion Curry

Delicious Chili Garlic Chinese noodles with colorful veggies and tofu are drenched in spicy sambal oelek sauce and Chinese 5 spice to create amazingly flavourful meal. These vegan noodles are perfect for Asian inspired weeknight dinner.

Healthy Borscht Soup from Irena Macri

Made with nutritious beets, cabbage and root vegetables, my Ukrainian paleo and vegan borscht (also known as borsh, borsht, or борщ) is perfect as a dinner meal or hot lunch. Serve with a dollop with sour cream, dairy-free alternative or without. This is a gluten-free and Whole30 friendly recipe.

There is a ton of variety to choose from everything from soups to curries, to air fryer recipes, and everything in between! Which dinner recipe are you going to try first?

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25 Dinner Recipes Under 400 Calories Per Serving (2024)

FAQs

Is 400 calories enough for dinner? ›

Although every person's daily caloric intake is individual, based on their personal goals and needs, nutrition experts estimate that average daily consumption at each meal should be broken down as follows: 300 to 400 calories for breakfast, and 500 to 700 calories each for lunch and dinner.

What is 500 calories for dinner? ›

With everything from pastas to stir-fries, tray bakes to lasagnes, you'll never feel like you're missing out.
  • 1Healthy fish cakes. ...
  • 2Kung pao spaghetti with prawns. ...
  • 3Pork san choy bau salad. ...
  • 4Smoked paprika cauliflower steaks. ...
  • 5BLAT bowl. ...
  • 6Sticky pork with zucchini noodles. ...
  • 7Cheesy beef and lentil meatballs.

How to eat 400 calories a day? ›

7-Day Meal Plan: 400-Calorie Dinners
  1. Day 1: Chicken Tacos with Tangerine-Lime Crema.
  2. Day 2: Curried Cauliflower Steaks with Red Rice & Tzatziki.
  3. Day 3: Ancho Chicken Breasts with Black Beans, Bell Peppers & Scallions.
  4. Day 4: Orange-Sesame Salmon with Quinoa & Broccolini.
  5. Day 5: Vegetarian Taco Salad.
Dec 27, 2019

What do 400 calories of chicken look like? ›

And 1.3 cups of chopped chicken would equal about 400 calories. What is “calorie density”? Calorie density is defined as the concentration of calories in a given weight of food.

What happens if I eat 400 calories a day for 2 weeks? ›

You have low energy because you are not getting enough food, therefore, not the right amount of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. So you're not really feeling fine because you have low energy. You will no doubt continue to feel worse if you continue to consume only 400 calories a day.

How many calories are in 2 eggs? ›

Egg Nutrition

Eggs are one of nature's most nutritious foods. Each serving of 2 eggs (105 g) contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals, only 160 calories and an incredible amount of nutrition. The nutrition tables speak for themselves! So include eggs as part of your healthy diet!

How many calories are in one egg? ›

How many calories are there in an egg? The calories in an egg will vary depending on the size and how it is prepared. However, on average a single medium-sized egg will contain around 66 calories, an average small egg will contain around 55 calories and an average large egg around 80 calories.

How many calories is a reasonable dinner? ›

How Many Calories For Dinner? Aim for about 500-700 daily calories for dinner. This is the same size meal as lunch, and depending on your activity level, you can increase the calories here.

How to lose 5 pounds in a week? ›

Losing 5 pounds a week comes to reducing your food intake by 3500 calories over seven days. The value that represents the decrease in calorie intake is known as the calorie deficit. If you want to lose 5 pounds in a week, you will need to reduce your food intake by 17,500 calories, which is a huge calorie deficit.

What foods fill you up but are low in calories? ›

The healthiest lower energy-dense choices are foods that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as:
  • Beans, peas and lentils, which are also good sources of fiber.
  • Fish.
  • Lean meat and poultry.
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
  • Egg whites.

Is pasta low in calories? ›

About 1 cup of cooked pasta—for most shapes, that's 2 ounces of dry pasta—mixed with vegetables can be a satisfying portion for many people. But even if you eat 2 whole cups of pasta, that's still only about 400 calories (plus 14 g of protein and vitamins and minerals). That's not too shabby for a 2-cup serving.

What food is equal to 400 calories? ›

These healthy and delicious 400-calorie lunches will help you stay satisfied while you're slimming down.
  • Veggie & Hummus Sandwich.
  • Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap.
  • Crunchy Mexican Salad with Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette.
  • Salmon Salad-Stuffed Avocado.
  • Pita "Pizza"
  • Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps.
  • Clean-Eating Bento Box Lunch.
  • Greek Salad Wraps.
Nov 11, 2009

Is 400 calories a meal bad? ›

A 400 calorie meal may seem restrictive or unfulfilling, but according to experts in the dietetic field, it's actually quite the opposite. In this guide you'll learn why eating three to five small, nutritious meals will help you reach your goals and maintain overall wellness.

How much weight will I lose if I eat 500 calories a day? ›

And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight. In the past, research found about 3,500 calories of energy equaled about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat. So researchers thought burning or cutting 500 calories a day led to losing 1 pound a week.

What snacks are 400 calories? ›

The following 400-calorie snacks are options you can enjoy wherever you are, from the vending machine to happy hour, and everywhere in between.
  • Popcorn Party Trail Mix. ...
  • Chocolate-Vanilla Twist Ice Cream.
  • Mediterranean Munchies. ...
  • Brownie Bites + Milk. ...
  • Peanut Butter Break.
  • Cheese Lover's Snack. ...
  • Beer + Nuts At The Bar.
Jan 29, 2015

Is 400 calories a lot for breakfast? ›

Studies show you should aim to eat a breakfast that's around 400 calories – just to maintain your current weight. With countless easy and healthy breakfast options, there's no excuse to skip your first meal of the day. Indulge in these 10 simple, delish and healthy breakfast recipes – all less than 400 calories.

Is 400 calories per serving of any food considered high? ›

40 calories per serving are considered low, 100 calories per serving are considered moderate, and 400 calories per serving are considered high. For every 100 calories, aim to have 3 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. The terms "fat-free" and "no sugar added" do not mean "calorie-free."

How much weight will I lose on 400 calories a day? ›

If you're burning an extra 400 calories per day, you can expect to lose approximately 0.8 pounds in a week. This is based on the idea that burning 3,500 calories equates to approximately one pound of weight loss.

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