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I don’t know about you, but math really isn’t my thing, and neither is counting calories. But for those of you who are looking for low calorie foods and meals, I have picked some of our top family favorite 5 meals under 500 calories for you to enjoy!
There are more than 5 meals under 500 calories that you can make and enjoy with your fam, but I’m going to keep it simple and introduce just 5 to you today!
Keep in mind that, if you are eating whole foods, plenty of fruits, veggies, (raw and cooked) and legumes, nuts and seeds, there is not really any need to count calories. Your calorie intake will be just right if you eat the right foods and don’t over eat.
Eating too fast, eating too much and eating too often are where your calories will start to add up. Also, keep it simple. The trick to keeping your calories down are keeping it real simple.
PANCAKES
Every Sunday morning, it is tradition for us to have pancakes. I make them from whole wheat flour, and everybody has about 1-3 each. I make about 12, which allows for 2 per person.
2 homemade pancakes equals 217 calories!
That leaves plenty of room for your favorite vegan (or nut) butter and fruit, or 100% pure maple syrup topping. Our favorite is all natural peanut butter and applesauce. I also like to slice up bananas, add ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds and walnuts. This of course is going to up your calorie and fat intake, but for a breakfast, it is not so bad. You want your highest calorie meal (or your “biggest meal”) at breakfast anyway. So go ahead and add the nuts, seeds and fruit! You’ll be full nice and long, and snacking won’t even cross your mind!
The trick to low calorie, vegan, pancake meals is making them at home, from scratch. My recipe makes 12 pancakes, and that’s 217 calories and 30.3g of carbs per serving (2 pancakes). (More for recipe info below!)
I know – it seems odd. But trust me, pancakes can be one of the most fat-free-est foods you’ll ever enjoy and not even know it’s fat free-ish! You can even omit the oil and you won’t notice. I do it sometimes when I’m out and don’t feel like going to the grocery store. Some foods do taste awful when you omit oil, but pancakes can really taste great without. It cuts down on fat, plus, it’s less expensive, and so . . . why not?
For more on what a vegan is, go here! (But wait until you’re finished reading). 🙂
POTATOES
Oh my goodness, the biggest myth ever, potatoes make you fat. Guys, no. Nope, potatoes are not fattening. Get that out of your head. They taste delicious, stop depriving your body of this amazing food!
This is one of our favorite meals under 500 calories.
Here’s the breakdown in your potato:
- Calories: 87.
- Water: 77%
- Protein: 1.9 grams.
- Carbs: 20.1 grams.
- Sugar: 0.9 grams.
- Fiber: 1.8 grams.
- Fat: 0.1 grams.
Did you see all that fat? (I’m still looking).
The reason potatoes are known to be fattening is because most people fry them (French fries) add loads of sour cream, butter, bacon, and other fattening toppings.
Another trick to making your potato extra nutritious is to scrub all that dirt off, and eat the skin. The skin is where most of your nutrients are, so if you peel it, you’re missing out on loads of good stuff!
We top our potatoes with vegan butter, salt and pepper. Sometimes we buy vegan sour cream, but that is more of a “treat”. I grew up with extra virgin olive oil in a small hand held bottle. We used as our topping, still do most of the time. That and salt is great. Not much else is needed. But, if you’re looking for a loaded experience, steam some broccoli, or make a homemade, cashew nut gravy. Obviously the potato itself is under 100 calories, so you’ve got room to explore your with healthy toppings.
Just remember that your sauces and butters are where your fat and calories add up.
QUINOA
There are 222 calories in 1 cup of cooked quinoa. When I make it, I don’t cook it with butter, only salt and water. I have made casseroles with it by adding mushrooms, onions, and other veggies. (Pinterest is great for finding quinoa casserole recipes). With being such a low calorie food, you’ve got room to explore your options. Serve it with a sweet potato and broccoli. I prefer my quinoa with tofu or beans, just so I have something relatively dense to “hold me over” for the next 5 hours (or my next meal).
Fun fact: Did you know that quinoa is actually a seed? And, did you know that it is a complete –vegan– protein? This basically means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids required to build and repair protein tissues in the body.
To put your mind at ease, having a complete protein in one meal is not necessary, so don’t run out and buy it for the sake of having complete protein.
If you eat enough calories from a healthy meal with plenty of variety throughout your day, (even if your calories come only from plant-based foods) you will get enough diversity to make up for the essential amino acids within a day. So fret not if your other proteins aren’t complete.
CHILI
Sadly, I rarely make chili anymore. My boyfriend is allergic to nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant). I tend to cook for the whole family at once, and don’t really enjoy spending extra time that isn’t necessary in the kitchen. So I don’t make chili much. But, it used to be one of our staples in our home.
My recipe is from scratch, and 168 calories for 1 bowl of chili. That also leaves plenty of room for a veggie and some fresh homemade cornbread! Delish!
This chili is made from the dry beans, with onion, garlic, tomatoes and peppers and plenty of herbs and spices. You won’t miss the meat, and don’t forget, don’t top it with any sort of fattening cream or sauce. Cilantro or parsley, and some cornbread crumbs are all you need for great flavor.
FRUIT
Yes, this is another one of our “meals” under 500 calories. I wouldn’t even bother counting calories here. Just eat up. Fruit has so many great things for your body, your body will thank you for it.
I know this isn’t a traditional meal, but for us, it is our dinner. We often eat fruit soup, fruit salad, or just a variety of fruits cut up as our “dinner”. Remember, dinner (or the last meal of your day) should not be a big meal, nor should it be a high protein high calorie meal.
Fruit is mostly water, so it doesn’t take your body hours to digest it like proteins and fats.
And that’s it folks! If you want any of my recipes, just give me a shout out and I’ll send them your way! You know where to find me . . . But if you don’t, I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.