31 Low-Cal Dinner Recipes

Content Executive3 days ago

It’s not unusual to assume that if you want to reduce your calories you have to say goodbye to all of your favourite foods. This is absolutely not the case.

Here’s 31 recipes that will fill you up for just 550kcals, or less. Soon, these recipes will be making it into your weekly rotation.

Jump to:

Poultry-based dinner recipes
Fish-based dinner recipes
Meat-based dinner recipes
Vegetarian dinner recipes
Vegan dinner recipes

Poultry-based dinner recipes

You can’t go far wrong with chicken recipes, it's arguably the most versatile meat. Jazz it up with marinades and keep things interesting with plenty of sauce. And that’s before we’ve even addressed the macros — low-cal, high-protein — can’t complain.

1. Creamy peanut chicken noodles

A dinner so easy it’ll definitely make its way on to your weekly rota. Creamy, nutty, and with 39g of protein, there's no downside.

Recipes

Creamy Peanut Chicken Noodles | Protein Plates Recipe Book

Balanced macros with oodles of delicious, nutty flavour.

6 months agoBy Emily Wilcock

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
390kcal	34g	39g	11g

2. One-pan roast chicken dinner

A Sunday roast to rival your local, and it’s almost as easy. I'm serious. After the chopping is out of the way, chuck it all into the oven and 45 minutes later you’re tucking into a home-cooked Sunday lunch.

Recipes

One-Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

7 months agoBy Monica Green

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
390kcal	34g	39g	11g

3. Salt & pepper chicken

A chip shop fave, and for good reason. It’s packed full of flavour, and not shy on veg. A top-tier midweek meal. Better yet, cook double and stuff some into a wrap and serve alongside some rice for a delish work lunch. Now we’re talking.

Recipes

Salt & Pepper Chicken

Your new favourite fakeaway — all you need is a pan and a spare 20 minutes.

9 months agoBy Jennifer Browne

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
350kcal	41g	21g	12g

4. Sticky sesame chicken

Chicken and rice, but make it 1000% better. Succulent, saucy, and oh so tasty. With plenty of zingy, sweet and sour taste you’ll never need to go back to your local Chinese takeaway.

Recipes

Sticky Sesame Chicken

Now this is how you do chicken and rice.

11 months agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
502kcal	36g	60g	13g

5. Chicken gyros

In my view, you can never go wrong with anything inspired by Greece. And these gyros are further proof.

Packed full of succulent spiced chicken, salad, some chips, and a boatload of tzatziki for good measure, you just can’t go wrong with this recipe.

Recipes

Chicken Gyros With Homemade Tzatziki

The ultimate summer fakeaway.

1 year agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
407kcal	37g	44g	7g

6. Teriyaki chicken rice bowl

Say goodbye to bland, dry chicken and rice and hello to your new favourite alternative. It’s amazing what a bit of teriyaki can do to liven up a meal.

Recipes

Easy Sticky Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

Level up your chicken and rice

2 years agoBy Emily Wilcock

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
472kcal	41g	47g	13g

7. Naked chicken burrito bowl

Perhaps not as indulgent as a regular burrito, but this naked chicken burrito bowl makes up for it and more — it’s got less calories for one, and it’s definitely easier to eat when you’re scrolling TikTok. Oh, and it’s delicious, too.

Recipes

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep

A low-carb twist on a Mexican classic.

4 months agoBy Emily Wilcock

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
378kcal	30g	35g	8g

8. Creamy garlic chicken

With a whopping 45g of protein this is a sure-fire way to help you hit your daily goals. Winner winner chicken dinner. Literally.

Recipes

One-Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken & Rice

Your chicken and rice meal prep deserves to be this tasty.

3 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
387kcal	45g	32g	7g

9. Air fryer chicken skewers

I don’t know about you but I'm always looking for new recipes to chuck in the air fryer. I just know these honey sriracha chicken skewers are about to become a weekly occurrence.

Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Skewers Meal Prep

Guaranteed to have you looking forward to lunch.

1 year agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
356kcal	35g	47g	4g

10. Peanut butter chicken curry

Curry is always a good idea — it’s creamy, filling and full of flavour. The only question, rice or naan?

Recipes

Peanut Butter Chicken Curry

It’s time to take your peanut butter obsession to the next level.

4 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
398kcal	28g	19g	24g

11. Fajita pasta bake

When it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than pasta bake. Succulent fajita chicken, saucy pasta shapes all loaded with plenty of cheese. I’ll say it again, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Recipes

Fajita Pasta Bake

Fajita chicken in a cheesy pasta bake is a crossover we’re all here for.

4 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
521kcal	28g	62g	16g

12. Creamy lemon & thyme chicken

Packed with flavour, this one-pan lemon and thyme chicken dish is an absolute winner. Enjoy mid-week for a quick bite or prepare for your friends at the weekend. Either way, it’s a banging low-cal dinner.

Recipes

Creamy Lemon & Thyme Chicken

You’ll be looking forward to lunch all day.

3 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
227kcal	21g	5g	14g

13. Chicken curry gyros

Another chicken gyros recipe, but this time the ultimate fusion of Greek and Indian flavours all pulled together into this beast of a fakeaway. Think flatbreads, marinated chicken, plenty of sauce, salad, chips — now that’s a Friday night dinner.

Recipes

Chicken Curry Gyros | Ultimate Fakeaway Recipe

This fakeaway is the ultimate fusion of flavours.

3 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
541kcal	40g	52g	17g

14. One-pan creamy mushroom & chicken

Juicy chicken thighs, a creamy, garlicky sauce, and plenty of mushrooms, this one-pan dinner never misses. And coming in at under 520 calories, it’ll be reappearing in your weekly rotation.

Recipes

One-Pan Creamy Mushroom & Chicken

This is feel-good food done right.

5 months agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
520kcal	52g	20g	27g

15. Chicken curry with broccoli rice

For a recipe stacked with flavour, packed with nutrients, and less than 500 calories, look no further.

Recipes

Easy Chicken Curry With Broccoli Rice

Simple & delicious — this recipe is a certified weeknight win.

5 months agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
450kcal	45g	120g	5g

16. Creamy cajun chicken pasta

As a pasta lover, if pasta isn’t on the menu at least twice a week, we’ve got a problem. Luckily for me, with delicious recipes full of protein at my fingertips, I can satisfy my pasta cravings while still hitting my protein goals.

Recipes

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta | High-Protein Meal Prep

When it comes to quick & simple meal prep, this one’s a sure bet.

5 months agoBy Emily Wilcock

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
516kcal	38g	71g	8g

17. Marry me chicken pasta

Coined “marry me” pasta because it’s good enough for a proposal. However, just a disclaimer, this recipe does not guarantee you an engagement.

Recipes

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

The verdict is in. You can never go wrong with a creamy pasta.

4 months agoBy Monica Green

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
460kcal	36g	52g	13g

Fish-based dinner recipes

For when you’re feeling a bit more sophisticated, and you’re looking to get in some Omega-3s, opt for a fish-based dish. Light, delicious, and loaded with healthy fats. What more are you looking for?

18. Crispy sriracha prawns with black rice

Prawns are always a bit of a treat for me, and this crispy sriracha version takes them to the next level. It’s a midweek tea you look forward to all day.

Recipes

Crispy Sriracha Prawns With Black Rice

Fire up your weeknight dinners with this Thai prawn stir-fry dish.

9 months agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
520kcal	49g	72g	15g

19. Sweet chilli glazed salmon

Salmon and rice took the world by storm earlier this year when Emily Mariko’s revealed her deconstructed sushi on TikTok. We loved it, but one thing was missing — a sweet chilli glaze. Say no more…

Recipes

Sweet Chilli Glazed Salmon

Light on calories, heavy on flavour.

1 year agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
483kcal	29g	54g	16g

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
415kcal	34g	48g	5g

Vegetarian dinner recipes

Taking the plunge into vegetarianism, or maybe just having a few more meat-free meals — whatever your aim, we’ve got plenty of dishes that’ll convince you that you don’t need meat for a solid high-protein meal.

25. Butternut squash & kale salad

Crispy kale and sweet butternut squash. As salads go, this one’s up there.

Recipes

Autumn Salad With Butternut Squash & Kale

This nutritionist shares her go-to salad for cosy season.

10 months agoBy Jennifer Browne

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
339kcal	14g	52g	13g

26. One-pan halloumi & harissa bake

With just 5 ingredients, and 1 pan, this meal is delicious, simple, and light on the washing up. Pair with couscous or enjoy on its own for a satisfying meal.

Recipes

One-Pan Halloumi & Harissa Bake

Simple & sizzling with flavour.

2 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
339kcal	14g	52g	13g

Vegan dinner recipes

Regardless of your requirements, we aim to please, and we’ve got plenty of solid vegan recipes that’ll fill you up until breakfast time.

27. Vegan lentil bolognese

You can never go wrong with pasta. That’s for any meal of the day, in my opinion. This macro-friendly dish will have you looking forward to your next serving as soon as you’ve finished. Plus, it’s vegan!

Recipes

Vegan Lentil Bolognese Meal Prep Recipe

We’re kicking off Veganuary with an absolute classic.

2 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
486kcal	21g	86g	6g

28. Tofu teriyaki noodles

Crispy tofu is top tier every day, but the perfect choice for a high-protein, meat-free Monday. Sizzling flavour, veggies galore, and plenty of plant-based protein. Sign me up.

Recipes

Crispy Tofu & Teriyaki Noodle Meal Prep

Mix up your weekly meal prep with some veggie noodles.

2 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
462kcal	17g	67g	14g

29. Buffalo cauliflower tacos

The perfect dinner if you’re trying to cut back on meat — and you’ll never look back. Far from the soggy cauliflower you might remember from school dinners, it’s crunchy and coated in delicious buffalo sauce.

Recipes

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Spice up your meat-free Mondays with these zingy tacos.

3 years agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
278kcal	11g	33g	15g

30. Vegan fajitas

There’s nothing quite like a fajita. Who knew portobello mushrooms made the perfect alternative to chicken?

Healthy Meals

Vegan Fajitas | 15-Minute Ultimate Portobello Fajitas

We've got plant-based power all wrapped up.

4 years agoBy Jennifer Blow

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
439kcal	12g	35g	15g

31. Nourishing gut health soup

Recipes

Nourishing Gut Health Soup

In the mood for feel-good food?

5 months agoBy Lauren Dawes

Nutritional info per serving:

One-pan, completely vegan, and good for your gut. What more could you need?

Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
318kcal	16g	55g	2g

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Emily Wilcock

Content Executive

After completing an internship with Myprotein, Emily returned to university to finish her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing. With experience in lifestyle writing, Emily aims to entertain and educate through her work. Her focuses include recipes, real and inspiring stories, and working with writers to help provide easy-to-digest evidence-based research. Her work on recipes has been previously featured in The Supplement magazine, with a particular focus on high-protein, nutritious meals, plus advice on how to properly fuel your body. Outside of work, Emily’s top priority is food. She’s a self-professed star baker and a connoisseur of all things baked. In her spare time, she’s either cooking up a storm, our looking out for the opportunity to try out Manchester’s newest restaurants. But as a huge fan of carbs, if it’s not pasta or pasta-adjacent, she’s not interested. If she’s not in the kitchen, she’s tucked up with a book for an early night, or you’ll find her in the gym working up a sweat. Afterall, all those carbs require quite the appetite.