In this article, you’ll find 3 meals with under 500 calories that can help you with your weight loss goals. I threw in a delicious snack as well.
There have been a number of fad diets circulating in the health and fitness industry for as long as I can remember. I watch some of them get recycled into new packages with catchy names. But essentially, they’re the same thing that once existed in another form. Some of these diets require you to eat less, while others stress the importance of food variety to promote a well-rounded lifestyle.
The perfect example is the Keto diet, which I swear has morphed multiple times over the years, but the name “keto” stuck and won the fame game. As you may already know, that diet requires that you restrict your carb intake while eating high-fat foods. I used to follow a form of Keto for years until I learned that stripping fat off your body is way simpler and more fun than following a fad diet.
All you have to do to lose weight is eat at a reasonable calorie deficit. That’s it. If you want to learn more about how to calculate your own deficit so you can eat your favorite foods, check out this article. It’s simple and fun, and once you dial the numbers in and start seeing results, I doubt you’ll ever want to return to traditional dieting again.
Now, without further ado, here are 3 meals and one snack under 500 calories.
Breakfast – Avocado & Egg Toast
2 slices of brown bread loaf, toasted
1 small avocado, mashed
2 sunny side up egg (or scrambled – your choice)
1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. In a bowl, mix mashed avocados, lemon, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
2. Add the avocado mixture over freshly toasted bread. Top with a sunny-side-up egg on each.
This can serve 2 people with a cup of black coffee (no sugar or milk). Each serving is approximately 350 calories, including the coffee.
Lunch – Pan Grilled Salmon with Mixed Vegetables
- 100 grams salmon fillet, grilled (oven or charcoal)
- 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, beans, and peas)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook frozen vegetables with a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, then add salt and pepper.
2. Using the same pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sear each side of the salmon fillet.
This easy-to-prepare recipe is great for one person. It’s approximately 350 calories.
Dinner – Stir Fry Shrimp and Chicken with Asparagus
- 100 grams shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 100 grams chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 200 grams asparagus, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a pan, sear chicken breast with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Once it turns to light brown on each side, set aside.
2. In the same pan, add remaining olive oil and saute the garlic and onion. Once it gets translucent, add the shrimp.
3. When the shrimp turns light orange, add the cooked chicken breast, asparagus, and red bell pepper.
4. Pour light soy sauce, 2 tbsp of water, salt, and pepper while sauteing. Mix well, and it is ready to serve once the water reduces.
This recipe is good for two with approximately 400 calories for each plate.
Snack – Parmesan Skillet Flatbread
- 8 ounces water – lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (set aside)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (set aside)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (one package)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1.5 – 2 cups regular flour
- ¾ cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Whisk water, plus 1 tablespoon of oil, sugar & yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Let stand until it becomes foamy for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix the 1.5 cups of the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cheese and salt into the yeast mixture; stir well until it’s combined. With the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, add enough of it to make a slightly sticky dough that is still smooth. Knead until smooth but still soft. Do this on a lightly floured counter or table for about 5 minutes, adding more flour to the surface as needed.
3. Clean and dry the bowl. There should be 1 teaspoon of olive oil left. Add it to the bowl. Then add the dough and turn it well to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This should take about 60 – 90 minutes.
4. Punch down the dough to remove gas bubbles. Then divide it into 6 equal-sized balls. Dust them with flour.
5. Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Stretch or roll each ball into a 7-inch diameter circle. Carefully lay one dough circle in the heated skillet to cook, turning, until it’s browned on both sides and cooked thoroughly. It takes about 30 to 60 seconds to cook per side. Once cooked, place on a plate and repeat with the remaining 5 dough circles. Make sure to adjust the heat as necessary in order to prevent the flat breads from burning.
Place all the six cooked flat breads on top of one another in a stack. Cover them with a fresh towel and let them cool completely before serving. You can also store these away to eat later.
One serving of this delicious snack is 258 calories.
Quick Note On Mainstream Advice About Calories
I’d like to quickly address some popular beliefs regarding calories and food consumption as a whole. If your goal is weight loss and you were to follow mainstream advice regarding calorie intake, you’d be set up for disappointment. This is how I learned the truth about fat loss.
The information out there is so general, meaning some people would lose weight, while others would be left scratching their heads trying to figure out why they aren’t dropping pounds. The recommended daily calorie intake for women is 2,000, and 2,500 for men. I strongly suggest you do NOT follow those numbers.
Instead, if you are serious about losing weight, then visit this page to find out exactly how many calories you need to eat per day in order to lose 4 to 5 pounds per month. If you consider yourself to be severely overweight and need a more aggressive weight loss plan, you’ll find information on that page as well.
Now Go Cook Some Deliciousness
I hope you enjoyed these meals with under 500 calories. The recipes are designed to help you feel full without the need to deprive yourself of flavor and variety. Eating enough food without having to deprive yourself is an amazing thing, especially when you can strip fat off your body at the same time.
The three main meals listed above add up to less than 1,500 calories total. For many people, that is not enough food in a day. I threw in the snack to add extra calories into the mix. Depending on what your calorie needs are, you can easily adjust as necessary, by adding more food items to the menu.
All you have to do to lose weight is eat at a reasonable calorie deficit each day. Stick to it and you’ll be well on your way to a body transformation. I lost 15 pounds and 3% body fat in just a few months when I learned this truth. My best friend lost 30 pounds in a short time when he switched from restricting himself with low-carb meals, to instead, tracking his calories and continuing to eat his favorite foods.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT A SIMPLE WORKOUT & EATING PLAN THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
I hope you found this article to be helpful. If you have any questions or comments regarding any of the info here, please let me know and I’ll be more than happy to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading!