The short answer: a low-calorie meal is built on a lean protein and a big pile of vegetables, with the starch and fat measured. Every meal below is under 400 calories and has at least 25 grams of protein. Five are under 300. The chicken Caesar salad is 264 calories with 38 grams of protein. The baked cod dinner is 294 calories with 45 grams.
Every number here comes from the USDA's nutrition database.
What counts as a low-calorie meal?
There's no official number for a meal you make at home.
On a packaged meal or main dish, "low calorie" is a legal term. It means 120 calories or less per 100 grams of food (FDA, 21 CFR 101.60). That rule is about how dense the food is, not how big the plate is. All 14 meals are below 120 calories per 100 grams, the calorie-density threshold the FDA uses for qualifying packaged meals and main dishes. That comparison does not make these homemade meals FDA-certified or approved.
Most of the top low-calorie meal lists on Google use under 500 calories. This article uses two tougher rules:
- Under 400 calories per meal.
- At least 25 grams of protein per meal, so the meal holds you until the next one.
A few things to know:
- Meat and fish weights are cooked. Meat loses water when it cooks, so 4 oz cooked starts out as more than 4 oz raw. If you weigh it raw, log it as raw.
- Vegetables are raw unless listed as cooked. Cooking a vegetable doesn't add calories. Oil does.
- Cooking oil isn't included unless it's listed. Use a nonstick pan or measure the oil.
- Brands vary. Cottage cheese, tortillas, English muffins, sauces, dressings and broth differ by brand. If the package has a Nutrition Facts label, the label wins.
- Calories are rounded to the nearest calorie, protein and fiber to the nearest gram, and sodium to the nearest milligram.
The full list: 14 low-calorie meals
| Meal | What's in it | Calories | Protein | Fiber | Sodium | Calories per 100 grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | ||||||
| Cottage cheese and berry bowl | 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese + 1 cup strawberries, halved + 1/2 cup blueberries | 254 | 30 g | 5 g | 920 mg | 56 |
| Egg-white breakfast sandwich | 1 whole-grain white English muffin + 1/2 cup liquid egg whites + 1 oz part-skim mozzarella + 1 cup spinach | 282 | 25 g | 3 g | 622 mg | 119 |
| Breakfast tacos | 2 large eggs + 1/4 cup liquid egg whites + 2 corn tortillas + 1/4 cup black beans + 1/4 cup salsa | 355 | 27 g | 8 g | 727 mg | 112 |
| Lunch | ||||||
| Chicken Caesar salad | 4 oz roasted chicken breast + 3 cups chopped romaine + 2 tbsp low-calorie Caesar dressing + 1 tbsp grated Parmesan | 264 | 38 g | 3 g | 530 mg | 91 |
| Egg roll in a bowl | 4 oz ground chicken, cooked + 2 cups shredded cabbage + 1/2 cup grated carrots + 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce + 1 tsp sesame oil | 319 | 30 g | 5 g | 659 mg | 98 |
| Turkey lettuce wraps | 4 oz 93% lean ground turkey, cooked + 6 large butter lettuce leaves + 1/2 cup grated carrots + 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms + 1 tbsp hoisin sauce + 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce | 320 | 34 g | 3 g | 566 mg | 102 |
| Chicken vegetable soup | 4 oz roasted chicken breast + 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth + 1/2 cup chopped carrots + 1/2 cup chopped celery + 1/4 cup chopped onion + 1 cup chopped zucchini | 334 | 48 g | 5 g | 324 mg | 38 |
| Dinner | ||||||
| Shrimp stir-fry with cauliflower rice | 5 oz cooked shrimp + 1 cup chopped broccoli + 1 cup sliced red bell pepper + 1 cup chopped cauliflower, riced + 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce + 1 tsp sesame oil | 270 | 41 g | 7 g | 734 mg | 60 |
| Baked cod with Brussels sprouts | 6 oz baked cod + 1 cup cooked Brussels sprouts + 1/2 cup cooked asparagus + 1 tsp olive oil | 294 | 45 g | 6 g | 178 mg | 70 |
| Steak salad | 4 oz broiled lean top sirloin + 3 cups spinach + 1 cup cherry tomatoes + 1 oz feta + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar | 344 | 43 g | 4 g | 477 mg | 87 |
| Tofu stir-fry with brown rice (vegetarian) | 1/2 cup firm tofu + 1 cup chopped broccoli + 1 cup snow peas + 1/2 cup cooked brown rice + 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce | 371 | 30 g | 9 g | 565 mg | 94 |
| Turkey stuffed peppers | 2 medium red bell peppers + 4 oz 93% lean ground turkey, cooked + 1/4 cup cooked brown rice + 1/2 cup canned tomatoes | 384 | 35 g | 8 g | 251 mg | 74 |
| Spaghetti squash with meat sauce | 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash + 4 oz 95% lean ground beef, cooked + 1/2 cup marinara sauce + 1 tbsp grated Parmesan | 389 | 38 g | 7 g | 819 mg | 69 |
| Chicken fajitas | 4 oz roasted chicken breast + 1 cup sliced red bell pepper + 1/2 cup sliced onion + 2 corn tortillas + 1/4 cup salsa + 1 tsp olive oil | 397 | 40 g | 7 g | 573 mg | 104 |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy database. Each food's USDA ID is listed in the sources at the end.
The last column shows how dense each meal is. The lower the number, the more food you get for the calories. The chicken vegetable soup is about 31 ounces of food for 334 calories.
Low-calorie breakfasts
- Cottage cheese and berry bowl (254 calories, 30 g protein). This is the lowest-calorie meal on the list. Most of its sodium comes from the cottage cheese (918 mg in a cup). No-salt-added cottage cheese has 29 mg per cup.
- Egg-white breakfast sandwich (282 calories, 25 g). Half a cup of egg whites gives you 13 grams of protein for 63 calories. The egg-white numbers are USDA's values for raw egg whites.
- Breakfast tacos (355 calories, 27 g). Two eggs plus a quarter cup of egg whites, scrambled in a nonstick pan, in two corn tortillas with black beans and salsa. The beans and corn tortillas bring the fiber to 8 grams.
Low-calorie lunches
- Chicken Caesar salad (264 calories, 38 g). The dressing is the difference. Two tablespoons of low-calorie Caesar dressing is 33 calories. The same amount of regular Caesar dressing is 163.
- Egg roll in a bowl (319 calories, 30 g). Everything that's inside an egg roll, without the wrapper or the fryer. Use a bag of coleslaw mix to save time.
- Turkey lettuce wraps (320 calories, 34 g). Butter lettuce leaves replace tortillas. Six large leaves are 12 calories.
- Chicken vegetable soup (334 calories, 48 g). It's the most protein and the most food on the list. Use low-sodium broth. Regular ready-to-serve chicken broth has about 12 times the sodium of low-sodium broth.
Low-calorie dinners
- Shrimp stir-fry with cauliflower rice (270 calories, 41 g). Five ounces of shrimp is 141 calories. A cup of riced cauliflower is 27.
- Baked cod with Brussels sprouts (294 calories, 45 g). It's the lowest-sodium meal on the list, at 178 mg.
- Steak salad (344 calories, 43 g). Four ounces of lean top sirloin over spinach, with cherry tomatoes, feta and balsamic vinegar.
- Tofu stir-fry with brown rice (371 calories, 30 g). This is the vegetarian option, and the highest-fiber meal on the list, at 9 grams.
- Turkey stuffed peppers (384 calories, 35 g). A little brown rice stretches the turkey. Bake until the peppers are soft.
- Spaghetti squash with meat sauce (389 calories, 38 g). Two cups of spaghetti squash is 84 calories. One cup of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti is 174.
- Chicken fajitas (397 calories, 40 g). Peppers and onions take up most of the plate, so two corn tortillas still fit under 400.
Easy swaps that cut calories
You don't have to give up the meals you like. You can change what's in them:
| Instead of | Calories | Try | Calories | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup cooked whole-wheat spaghetti | 174 | 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash | 84 | 90 |
| 1 cup cooked brown rice | 248 | 1 cup chopped cauliflower, riced | 27 | 221 |
| 2 corn tortillas | 105 | 6 large butter lettuce leaves | 12 | 93 |
| 1 tbsp olive oil | 119 | 1 tsp olive oil | 40 | 79 |
| 2 tbsp regular Caesar dressing | 163 | 2 tbsp low-calorie Caesar dressing | 33 | 130 |
| 4 oz cooked ground pork | 336 | 4 oz cooked ground chicken | 214 | 122 |
| 4 oz cooked 85% lean ground turkey | 292 | 4 oz cooked 93% lean ground turkey | 241 | 51 |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy database.
The spaghetti swap gives you twice as much food for about half the calories.
How many calories should a meal be?
It depends on your daily number. If your target is 1,800 calories a day, three 400-calorie meals add up to 1,200. That leaves 600 calories for snacks, drinks and anything else.
If you need more food than these meals give you, add a measured starch or fat. The protein stays the same.
To find your daily number, see Know Your Number. To set your protein target, see How Much Protein Do I Need?
Do low-calorie meals help with weight loss?
Only if your total calories for the day are low enough. A 300-calorie lunch doesn't help if dinner and snacks make up the difference.
What these meals do is make that easier, in two ways.
More food for the calories. In a one-year study, 97 women with obesity were told either to cut fat, or to cut fat and eat more water-rich foods, mainly fruits and vegetables. Neither group was given a calorie target. Among the 71 women who finished, the fruit-and-vegetable group ate a greater weight of food, reported less hunger, and lost 7.9 kg (about 17 pounds), compared with 6.4 kg (about 14 pounds) in the cut-fat-only group (Ello-Martin et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007).
More protein. In a small study of 19 adults, raising protein from 15% to 30% of calories led people to eat 441 fewer calories a day on their own, without being told to eat less. They lost 4.9 kg (about 11 pounds) over 12 weeks (Weigle et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005).
Both studies are small, and neither tested these exact meals. But they point in the same direction: lots of vegetables and enough protein make a calorie deficit easier to live with.
How to build your own low-calorie meal
- Start with about 4 to 6 oz of cooked lean protein. Chicken breast, fish, shrimp, lean beef, 93% lean ground turkey, tofu, eggs and egg whites, or cottage cheese. For more options, see High-Protein, Low-Calorie Foods: 30 Best Choices.
- Fill half the plate with vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, cabbage, spinach and salad greens add a lot of food for very few calories. For vegetables with the most protein, see High-Protein Vegetables.
- Measure the starch, or swap it. A 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked rice, two corn tortillas or a slice of bread fits. So does spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice in place of pasta or rice.
- Measure the fat. One tablespoon of oil is 119 calories. Use a teaspoon, or use a nonstick pan.
- Log it. If tracking feels like a chore, read How to Count Calories Without Going Crazy.
Low-calorie meal prep
- Cook two proteins on Sunday. For example, a tray of chicken breasts and a pan of 93% lean ground turkey. That covers the soup, Caesar salad, fajitas, lettuce wraps and stuffed peppers.
- Chop the vegetables once. Peppers, onions, carrots, celery and broccoli keep for several days in sealed containers.
- Weigh and portion the protein right away, so every meal is already measured.
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service). The soup and the stuffed peppers freeze well.
Common mistakes
- Cutting protein to cut calories. Keep the protein. Cut the oil, dressing and extra starch instead.
- Free-pouring oil and dressing. Two tablespoons of olive oil add 239 calories, more than the vegetables in any meal on this list.
- Guessing portions. "A chicken breast" isn't a measurement. Weigh it.
- Mixing up raw and cooked weights. The meat and fish weights here are cooked. If you weigh them raw, log them as raw.
- Eating too little. Low-calorie meals are a tool, not a goal. If you're always hungry or tired, add food. See Know Your Number.
Frequently asked questions
What is considered a low-calorie meal?
There's no official number for a homemade meal. On a packaged meal, "low calorie" means 120 calories or less per 100 grams, under FDA rules. Most of the top meal lists on Google use under 500 calories. Every meal in this article is under 400.
How many calories should a low-calorie meal be?
There's no single number. It depends on your daily target. Every meal here is under 400 calories, so three of them add up to less than 1,200. See Know Your Number to find yours.
What is the lowest-calorie meal on this list?
The cottage cheese and berry bowl, at 254 calories with 30 grams of protein. The chicken Caesar salad is next, at 264 calories with 38 grams.
What is a good low-calorie dinner?
The baked cod with Brussels sprouts (294 calories, 45 g protein) and the shrimp stir-fry with cauliflower rice (270 calories, 41 g). If you want pasta night, try the spaghetti squash with meat sauce (389 calories).
Can low-calorie meals be filling?
Yes, if they have volume and protein. The chicken vegetable soup is about 31 ounces of food and 48 grams of protein for 334 calories.
Are there low-calorie, high-protein meals?
Every meal here has at least 25 grams of protein. For meals with 30 grams or more, all under 500 calories, see High-Protein Meals: 14 Easy Meals With 30+ Grams of Protein.
What about fast food or frozen meals?
On a frozen meal, the words "low calorie" on the label mean it meets the FDA's 120-calories-per-100-grams rule. Check the calories and protein on the label. For eating out, see Can I Eat Fast Food and Still Lose Weight?
The bottom line
Start with lean protein, fill half the plate with vegetables, and measure the starch and the fat. Every meal here does that in under 400 calories with at least 25 grams of protein. Pick the ones you like and make them on repeat. For between meals, see Low-Calorie Snacks: 30 Snacks Under 200 Calories.
Want a plan built around foods you actually like? Book a free consult.
About the author: Brian is The Diet Rebel, an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Coach and Certified Weight Management Specialist, with a Precision Nutrition Certificate in Nutrition and Coaching.
This article is for education, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your doctor before changing how you eat.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018 release). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ — USDA food ID (FDC ID) for each food:
- Cottage cheese, 1% low-fat: 173417
- Strawberries, raw: 167762
- Blueberries, raw: 171711
- English muffin, whole-grain white: 174093
- Egg whites, raw: 172183
- Part-skim mozzarella: 170847
- Spinach, raw: 168462
- Whole egg, raw: 171287
- Corn tortillas: 175036
- Black beans, boiled: 173735
- Salsa: 174524
- Chicken breast, skinless, roasted: 171477
- Chicken broth, low sodium: 171609
- Carrots, raw: 170393
- Celery, raw: 169988
- Onion, raw: 170000
- Zucchini, raw: 169291
- Ground turkey, 93% lean, pan-broiled: 172851
- Butter lettuce, raw: 168429
- White mushrooms, raw: 169251
- Hoisin sauce: 172886
- Soy sauce, low sodium: 172473
- Romaine lettuce: 169247
- Caesar dressing, low calorie: 169877
- Parmesan, grated: 171247
- Ground chicken, pan-browned: 171117
- Cabbage, raw: 169975
- Sesame oil: 171016
- Spaghetti squash, cooked: 169299
- Ground beef, 95% lean, pan-browned: 174028
- Marinara sauce: 171192
- Shrimp, cooked: 175180
- Broccoli, raw: 170379
- Red bell pepper, raw: 170108
- Cauliflower, raw: 169986
- Atlantic cod, cooked: 171956
- Brussels sprouts, boiled: 169971
- Asparagus, boiled: 168390
- Olive oil: 171413
- Brown rice, cooked: 169704
- Tomatoes, canned: 170051
- Top sirloin, lean, broiled: 168634
- Tomatoes, raw (cherry): 170457
- Feta cheese: 173420
- Balsamic vinegar: 172241
- Firm tofu: 172475
- Snow peas, raw: 170010
- Whole-wheat pasta, cooked (swap table): 168910
- Caesar dressing, regular (swap table): 169055
- Ground turkey, 85% lean, pan-broiled (swap table): 174494
- Ground pork, cooked (swap table): 167903
- Cottage cheese, 1% low-fat, no salt added: 168114
- Chicken broth, regular, ready-to-serve: 174536
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.60, Nutrient content claims for the calorie content of foods. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-D/section-101.60
- Ello-Martin JA, et al. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17556681/
- Weigle DS, et al. A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002798/
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety