35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories - The Girl on Bloor (2024)

Table of Contents

Free Dinner Prep Challenge What's in this Post 500 Calorie Meals Frequently Asked Questions 500 Calorie Breakfasts 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 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} Make healthy eating easy! Join our Dinner Prep Pro app. 500 Calorie Dinners 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 Instructions Notes Nutrition Reader Interactions Leave A Reply! FAQs References

Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » 35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories

By Taylor Stinson | Rate Recipe | Posted: 03/12/24 | Updated: 03/22/24

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These healthy 500 calorie meals are so easy to make! Create a low calorie meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories - The Girl on Bloor (1)

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What's in this Post

500 Calorie Meals
Frequently Asked Questions
500 Calorie Breakfasts
500 Calorie Lunches
500 Calorie Dinners

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

How many calories should you eat in a day?

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.

What food can you eat for 500 calories?

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.

Is it enough for one meal?

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.

Will you still feel full?

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.

What kind of snacks can you have?

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}

40 minutes minutes

These Baked Oatmeal Cups are the perfect grab and go breakfast. Choose from 5 different variations, from mango coconut to apple cinnamon!

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How to Meal Prep Overnight Oats {9 Easy Recipes}

1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

These Easy Overnight Oats recipes are perfect for busy mornings – try nine different flavours including carrot cake and banana bread!

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5 Easy Baked Egg Recipes

30 minutes minutes

Learn how to make Baked Eggs 5 Ways in the oven! Try different flavours like ham and asparagus, broccoli cheddar and mushroom spinach.

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2-Ingredient Banana Egg Pancakes {Meal Prep}

25 minutes minutes

These 2-Ingredient Banana Egg Pancakes are a delicious grab & go breakfast idea you can meal prep and store in the freezer for busy mornings!

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Healthy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits {Meal Prep}

20 minutes minutes

These Healthy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits are a great make-ahead breakfast idea with creamy Greek yogurt, homemade granola and fresh fruit.

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Easy Sweet Potato Hash Recipe

40 minutes minutes

This Sweet Potato Hash is a savoury breakfast option you can meal prep for busy weekdays – plus, it’s Whole 30 friendly!

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Easy Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

1 hour hour

This Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole is made healthier thanks to the turkey sausage. It's a great freezer meal that you can prep ahead!

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Easiest Healthy Acai Bowl Recipe

4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

This is the easiest Acai Bowl recipe! All you need is acai powder, frozen blueberries, banana, Greek yogurt for protein and honey!

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Starbucks Spinach Feta Wrap

35 minutes minutes

This Starbucks Spinach Feta Wrap is a perfect copycat recipe made with egg whites, spinach and feta inside a toasted whole wheat wrap.

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5-Ingredient Egg White Frittata {Meal Prep}

40 minutes minutes

This 5-Ingredient Egg White Frittata is the perfect high protein meal prep breakfast with sweet cherry tomatoes, red onion and spinach.

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Freezer-Friendly Mini Breakfast Pizzas

40 minutes minutes

These Freezer-Friendly Mini Breakfast Pizzas with turkey sausage and egg are the perfect grab and go option for those busy weekday mornings!

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Meal Prep Sausage Egg McMuffin {Copycat}

40 minutes minutes

This Meal Prep Sausage Egg McMuffin is a healthier copycat version of the McDonald's breakfast favourite with fewer calories!

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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

35 minutes minutes

These veggie-filled Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps are the perfect on-the-go lunch, with an avocado Caesar dressing that's lighter on calories.

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Meal Prep Buffalo Chicken Wraps

35 minutes minutes

These Meal Prep Buffalo Chicken Wraps are a delicious and easy lunch idea – pack them bento box style for your work week or school lunches!

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The Best DIY Instant Noodles

35 minutes minutes

These healthy homemade instant noodles are an easy and delicious vegetarian lunch idea! Prep them in mason jars then just add water!

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Sheet Pan Greek Chicken {Meal Prep}

35 minutes minutes

These Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a low carb lunch idea with a lemon-oregano marinade, and they're ready in 30 minutes!

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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad {Meal Prep}

15 minutes minutes

These Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Jars with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes are the perfect plant-based lunch and are great for meal prep!

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Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls {Low-Carb}

30 minutes minutes

These Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a healthy low-carb lunch idea full of colourful veggies, sautéed chicken and yummy peanut sauce.

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Meal Prep Low Carb Big Mac Salad Jars

30 minutes minutes

TheseMeal Prep Low Carb Big Mac Salad Jars are like a healthy cheeseburger – you probably already have the sauce ingredients!

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Dynamite Shrimp Sushi Jars {Meal Prep}

30 minutes minutes

These Dynamite Shrimp Sushi Jars are the perfect grab and go lunch, filled with all the delicious flavours of your favourite sushi roll!

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Baked BBQ Chicken {Meal Prep}

40 minutes minutes

This Baked BBQ Chicken is so easy and packed with flavour. Serve it with baby potatoes and kale salad for the best meal prep lunch!

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Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls {Low-Carb}

35 minutes minutes

These Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls are a low-carb meal prep option made with chicken, fresh veggies and Pad Thai sauce.

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Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad {Gluten Free}

45 minutes minutes

This Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad with Jalapeno Dressingis a delicious rainbow slaw with diced mango and chili lime chickpeas!

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Taco Bell Power Bowl {Copycat Recipe}

40 minutes minutes

This Taco Bell Power Bowl is the perfect meal prep idea and is a healthier copycat recipe you can easily make at home in just 30 minutes!

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35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories - The Girl on Bloor (27)

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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}

30 minutes minutes

This Sausage, Peppers and Onions Skillet is an easy one-pan weeknight dinner made with turkey sausage, bell peppers, onions and pasta sauce.

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Hasselback Baked Caprese Chicken

30 minutes minutes

ThisHasselback Baked Caprese Chicken is like summer on a plate, made with mozzarella cheese, sliced plum tomatoes and fresh basil.

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Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken {Low Carb}

40 minutes minutes

This Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken is a healthy low-carb dinner idea made with fresh veggies – plus, the entire recipe only uses one pan!

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30-Minute Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken

35 minutes minutes

This Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken is a healthy low-carb meal that's ready in just 30 minutes – plus, it's great for meal prep!

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Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta {One-Pot Meal}

45 minutes minutes

This Whole Wheat Summer Pesto Pasta is the perfect one-pot meal that’s great for meal prep and batch cooking during a busy workweek!

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Super Easy Mini Vegetable Lasagna Cups

35 minutes minutes

These Super Easy Mini Vegetable Lasagna Cups are such a cute individual serving-sized version of everyone’s favourite comfort food.

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Easy Cashew Chicken {30-Minute Meal}

30 minutes minutes

This Easy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry is better than takeout and great for meal prep. Plus, the sauce is made using mostly pantry staples!

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Kung Pao Shrimp {30-Minute Meal}

30 minutes minutes

Kung Pao Shrimp is a quick and easy stir fry with a slightly spicy sauce, crisp veggies and peanuts served overtop of jasmine rice.

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PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Copycat Recipe}

30 minutes minutes

These copycat PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps are made with ground chicken, mushrooms and water chestnuts – they're healthy and low carb!

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Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos

30 minutes minutes

These Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos are made with fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle – they're gluten-free and ready in 30 minutes!

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Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup {So Easy!}

8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

This easy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup is a simple way to make your fave comfort food from scratch. The chicken is so juicy and tender!

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Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

35 minutes minutes

ThisInstant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup is easier than making stuffed peppers themselves, with marinara sauce, ground chicken, rice and peppers.

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35+ Easy & Delicious Meals Under 500 Calories

These healthy 500 calorie meals are so easy to make! Create a low calorie meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. Try this Sausage, Peppers and Onions Skillet recipe!

5 from 1 vote

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Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Taylor Stinson

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

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!

Notes

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.

Freeze this recipe for up to 3 months then microwave from frozen for 6-7 minutes.

This is a basic template of a 500 calorie meal and is based on this Sausage, Peppers and Onions Skillet recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 14g (5%)Protein: 25g (50%)Fat: 19g (29%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 98mg (33%)Sodium: 709mg (31%)Potassium: 537mg (15%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 3950IU (79%)Vitamin C: 328.4mg (398%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 3.6mg (20%)

Free Dinner Prep Challenge!Learn my simple 5-step process to meal plan healthy food all week

Created by Taylor Stinson

Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!

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FAQs

What can I eat that only 500 calories? ›

Here is a list of low-calorie foods that pack a lot of nutrients to help you feel satisfied:

Clear soups, such as vegetable or miso.
Nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt.
Nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese.
Cauliflower rice.
Steamed or raw vegetables.
Fish.
Lean meats like chicken or turkey breast.
Tofu.

More items...

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How to eat under 300 calories a day? ›

300 calorie meal recipes

Kidney bean curry. ...
Cod with cucumber, avocado & mango salsa salad. ...
Leek & butter bean soup with crispy kale & bacon. ...
Slow cooker turkey curry. ...
Veggie olive wraps with mustard vinaigrette. ...
Thai green pork lettuce cups. ...
Curried pork bulgur salad. ...
Omelette pancakes with tomato & pepper sauce.

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How to get full on 500 calories? ›

Opt for low-calorie, high-protein snacks to help you feel full on a 500-calorie diet. Examples include Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and edamame. These snacks provide a good amount of protein, which can help keep you feeling satisfied between meals without adding too many calories.

Show Me More ›

How to lose 10 pounds in a week? ›

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

How much weight can you lose in 2 weeks eating 500 calories a day? ›

In general, if you cut about 500 calories a day from your usual diet, you may lose about ½ to 1 pound a week.

View Details ›

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!

Discover More Details ›

How much weight will I lose in a week eating 300 calories a day? ›

For most people, a calorie deficit of 300–500 is sufficient to lose 0.5 kilograms (kg) (1.1 pounds) per week. However, this needs to be re-evaluated constantly, especially as you lose weight.

Show Me More ›

How many calories should a 300 pound person eat a day to lose weight? ›

Estimating Calorie Needs for a 300-Pound Man

Eating 500 fewer calories each day can help you lose about 1 pound per week, or 1,000 fewer calories per day will result in about 2 pounds of weight loss per week. This would generally mean eating between 3,200 and 3,700 calories per day.

Read The Full Story ›

How many pounds will I lose if I eat 800 calories a day? ›

Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD)

On a VLCD, you may have as few as 800 calories a day and may lose up to 3 to 5 pounds (1.5 to 2 kg) week. Most VLCDs use meal replacements, such as formulas, soups, shakes, and bars instead of regular meals. This helps ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need each day.

See Details ›

What fruit can I eat on Fast 800? ›

Avoid sweet fruits

Enjoy berries, apples and pears, which have less sugar than sweet, tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple and melon.

Find Out More ›

What is the 2 day diet plan? ›

What is The 2-Day Diet? The 2-Day Diet is the original 5:2 diet. The rules are simple – two days on, five days off. Just cut your carbs, eat plenty of healthy proteins, nuts, fat and vegetables for two days – and eat healthily for the rest of the week.

How to lose 2 pounds a week? ›

But do you really know what's realistic? Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.

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What is the 2 meal a day diet? ›

The premise of 2 Meal Day is that by eating just two meals in a day — either breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, thus introducing a daily 16-hour fasting period — you can retrain your body to become "fat adapted," meaning you burn stored body fat for energy, rather than being dependent on sugars from food.

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What is the 5 day drop diet? ›

The 5 Day Drop is a 5-day gut reset where you'll get clear guidance on what & when to eat to optimize the gut-brain axis, lose digestive bloat, and increase energy. You'll get a variety of pre-portioned gut health products from Modere to help optimize your results alongside eating delicious, real food meals!

Show Me More ›

What fast food can I eat with 500 calories? ›

McDonald's

Or at 500 calories even, you could have just a McRib. If a burger isn't your thing, try a Chipotle BBQ Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap (250), Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait (150) and an assortment of Cuties (40), apple slices (15) and a side salad (15 with no dressing). You'll even have 30 calories to spare.

Learn More Now ›

Will I lose weight if I only eat 500 calories? ›

Applying a 500-calorie diet can help the body improve metabolism, accelerate fat oxidation, thereby supporting weight loss very well. This diet is often applied to people who need to lose weight quickly to prevent the risk of adverse health effects due to weight.

Get More Info Here ›

Can you just eat 500 calories? ›

A 500-calorie diet can be dangerous without a doctor's supervision. it can lead to malnutrition and other health problems. Healthy weight loss may include limiting food portions, burning calories, and other methods. A 500-calorie diet is an extreme form of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD).

Learn More ›