If you’re hitting a recipe rut or just want some new meal ideas to add to your rotation, check out these easy-prep low-calorie breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes.
These recipes hit all the good-for-you marks by including lean protein and lots of fruits and vegetables. While they are low-calorie, they are also low in WeightWatchers Points values, which provides a more comprehensive picture of their nutritional value than simply counting calories.
What Calories Don’t Count
Calories tell part of the story, but not all. For example, 100 calories per serving of cookies, while delicious, won’t provide the same nutrients that 100 calories of turkey, tofu, or vegetables (also delicious!) would. Calorie counting without looking at other nutrients may not result in a healthy eating pattern, which is crucial for both weight loss and reducing the risk of disease. The WeightWatchers Points system takes more information into account than just caloric content, meaning foods that offer more nutritional value, such as lean proteins, healthy fats, and fibre, have lower Points values – meaning you can fit more of them into your daily Points allotment. Foods that have higher Points values are higher in things like saturated fats and added sugars.
Low-Calorie Breakfast Recipes
Although there is no hard scientific evidence to support eating breakfast and its impact on weight loss, what eating breakfast can do is give you the opportunity to increase the quality of your diet by adding key nutrients many of us don’t get enough of. Those that eat breakfast routinely have higher intakes of nutrients like dietary fibre and calcium compared to those who skip breakfast. These low-calorie breakfast recipes include sweet, savoury, and vegetarian options to satisfy all different palates.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
88 calories
2 Points
This is great as a morning meal or as a side dish later in the day. For added lean protein, add a sunny-side-up egg on top.
Tomato-Feta Egg Bites
104 calories
1 Point
These are filled with protein and flavour and can be batch-prepped for an easy grab-and-go morning meal.
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
201 calories
3 Points
You can feel fancy any day of the week with this classy breakfast ready in just 25 minutes. Add your veggie intake here with a handful of wilted spinach or fresh arugula.
No-Added-Sugar Blueberry Muffins
128 calories
3 Points
These muffins get more than enough sweetness from fruit, including apple sauce and bananas– no sugar needed!
Roasted Vegetable Omelette
169 calories
3 Points:
This omelette is decadent and full of both fibre and protein. Make this a lunch or dinner by serving it alongside a salad or roasted potatoes.
Low-Calorie Lunches
Whether you’re looking for something light and refreshing or hearty and filling, these low-calorie lunches have you covered. You can also easily make these recipes ahead to save yourself prep time, especially the fridge-friendly soup and chili. You could even have them portioned out in your freezer and just reheat when you’re in the mood for them.
Chicken Taco Salad
359 calories
5 Points
Ready in half an hour, this low-cal taco salad has you covered for protein, fibre and flavour.
Hearty Lentil & Tomato Soup
228 calories
1 Points
Vegan-friendly, this hearty soup gets all its protein from plants.
Cheeseburger Crunch Wrap
249 calories
6 Points
Ditch the drive-thru and satisfy your burger craving with this Cheeseburger Crunch Wrap that has everything you love about a burger – ground beef, mustard, onions, cheese, pickles, tomato, and lettuce. Substitute ground turkey to further lower the calories here.
Chipotle-black Bean Chili
177 calories
0 Points
Make this chili in the microwave for an easy peasy one-person lunch.
Salmon, Cucumber & Mint Sandwiches
226 calories
4 Points
This is a major upgrade to regular tuna sandwiches, with kalamata olives, fresh mint, and zesty Greek yogurt.
Low-Calorie Dinner Ideas
These low-calorie dinners are so satisfying and easy to make. From one-pan chicken fajitas to pasta with a creamy broccoli sauce, there’s enough variation to last you the whole week and keep mealtimes interesting, flavourful and healthy.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas with the Works
479 calories
9 Points
Perfect for a busy weeknight, this recipe has everything cooked on one sheet pan so cleanup is a breeze.
One-Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
259 calories
7 Points
Perfect for picky kids who need to get their veggies in , this mac and cheese has an extra dose of fibre added to it thanks to the addition of mashed butternut squash, plus, it only dirties one pot in the process.
Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce
354 calories
7 Points
This five-ingredient pasta is chock-full of veggies and only takes half an hour to make. We recommend chickpea pasta for an added nutrient boost, but any noodle will work.
Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower Falafel with Tahini Sauce
222 calories
5 Points
Skip a trip to the kebab shop and discover yet another use for cauliflower.
Grilled Swiss Chard and Tomato Pizzas
224 calories
7 Points
Summer is grilling season, and these pizzas are perfect for cooking outside.
