You don’t have to sabotage your diet to have a tasty dinner! Here are 14 filling dinner recipes that all come in under 400 calories. We’ve got a little bit of everything, so scan the list and choose which meal you’ll be making tonight!
“Pasta”
1. Yellow Squash Noodles in Tomato Basil Sauce | Healthy Nibbles and Bits: This recipe uses a spiralizer to turn squash into spaghetti. Don’t have one of these hot kitchen tools? Just use a vegetable peeler to make beautiful ribbons of squash.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 380; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 12g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 326mg; Total Carbohydrate: 48g; Dietary Fiber: 13g; Sugars: 25g; Protein 11g
2. Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai | The Wheatless Kitchen: You don’t have to give up your favorite dishes due to food sensitivities! This Pad Thai keeps all of the flavor and comfort of the traditional dish while using spaghetti squash in place of rice noodles and a gluten-free soy sauce.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 290; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 43mg; Sodium: 801mg; Total Carbohydrate: 23g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 14g; Protein 21g
Burgers & Sandwiches
3. Meat & Grain Burgers | Runners World Cookbook: No grill? No problem! These drool-worthy burgers are roasted in the oven and pack 27 grams of protein for less than 400 calories.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 381; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 6g; Cholesterol: 85mg; Sodium: 497mg; Carbohydrate: 39g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 27g
4. Beet Burgers with Garlic Sriracha Aioli | Dietitian Debbie Dishes: Beets are an excellent source of folate, rich in fiber, potassium and Vitamin C, and a good source of iron. Their pigments, called betalains, have also been shown to have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 282; Total Fat: 23g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 40mg; Sodium: 252mg; Total Carbohydrate: 17g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 8g; Protein 6g
5. Grilled Steak Sandwiches | Skinnytaste: Who needs a burger when you can have these Grilled Steak Sandwiches from The Skinnytaste Cookbook for only 350 calories each! Yes, you read that right. Yes, that includes the bun and mayo.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 350; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Cholesterol: 64mg; Sodium: 571mg; Carbohydrate: 35g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 5g; Protein 28g
Tacos
6. Simple Fish Tacos with Corn & Tomato Salsa | Cook Smarts: Get your omega-3 on! These tacos feature an amazing yet simple spice blend seasoning. The fish is oven baked, making this meal super quick and healthy.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 312; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 106g; Sodium: 436mg; Total Carbohydrate: 31g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 7g; Protein: 31g
7. Marinated Mushroom Sweet Potato Tacos | Dietitian Debbie Dishes: Portobello mushrooms and sweet potatoes make for a filling taco packed with flavor and fiber. These tacos are a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron and an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 271; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 195mg; Total Carbohydrate: 43g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugars: 11g; Protein: 6g
Chicken & Turkey
8. Stuffed Chicken and Sauteed Kale with Pine Nuts | Pomegranate Bandit: This filling dinner is bound to make it into your rotation of favorites. Just one serving has 42 grams of protein! Sauteed kale kicks in extra antioxidants, iron and Vitamin K.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 369; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 185mg; Sodium: 333mg; Total Carbohydrate: 13g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars 2g; Protein: 42g
9. Baked Honey Mustard Chicken | The Honour System: This juicy meal is easy to throw together and pops right into the oven. Just mix up your marinade, pour over the chicken and bake. Dinner’s ready in an hour with minimal effort.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 282; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 98mg; Sodium: 295mg; Total Carbohydrate: 19g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 18g; Protein 39g; Potassium 61mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 8%; Vitamin C: 7%; Calcium 4%
10. Chicken Enchiladas | Skinnytaste: Stuffed tortillas smothered in a spicy sauce topped with melted cheese—that’s a recipe for delicious!
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 194; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Sodium: 640mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugar: 5g; Protein 18g
11. Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs | Uproot from Oregon: Frozen meatballs are a great way to prep an easy dinner when you don’t have anything else planned. These are healthier than the traditional version.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 117; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 78mg; Sodium: 387mg; Total Carbohydrate: 5g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 1g; Protein: 20g
Seafood
12. Coconut Curry Shrimp & Green Beans | The Wheatless Kitchen: In a time crunch come dinner time? We’ve got you covered with a protein filled one-pan meal. Quick-cooking shrimp and vitamin-packed green beans take center stage in this easy weeknight curry.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 291; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 230mg; Sodium: 243mg; Total Carbohydrate: 14g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars 2g; Protein: 33g
13. Maple Glazed Grilled Salmon | Eat Spin Run Repeat: Too hot to turn on the oven? Get some fish on the grill! This dinner is easy to put together, and cooks up in just 10 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 305; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 6g; Cholesterol: 88mg; Sodium: 288mg; Total Carbohydrate: 18g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars 16g; Protein: 30g
14. Baked Cod with Pineapple Avocado Salsa | Uproot from Oregon: Looking for a fast, healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes flat? This dish is simple but super delicious and packed with protein.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 204; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 50mg; Sodium: 220mg; Total Carbohydrate: 10g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 6g; Protein: 26g
