For 400 calories you can have a hot dog on a bun with mustard and sauerkraut, a side of veggies and some dessert ! There is just no reason to feel deprived eating 400 calorie meals !
Hot Dog Platter
1 serving
260 calories per serving
1 hot dog (100 calorie light dog)
1 100 calorie bun
Mustard
1 Pickle (maybe a homemade one! )
1/2 c baby carrots
Cook the hotdog (either boil, grill or fry in a skillet sprayed with Pam). Place on bun (toasted, if you want). Top with mustard. On the side, have a pickle and a half cup of baby carrots.
Quick prep, creamy chocolate filling, crowd pleasing taste – – what else can a Chocolate Cream Pie offer?!?!
Chocolate Cream Pie
8 servings
214 calories per serving
2 c skim milk
2 packages sugar free chocolate pudding (1.3 oz. each)
1/4 c dark chocolate chips
1 low fat graham cracker crust (6 oz.)
8 oz. Cool Whip Free, thawed
Cocoa Powder for dusting
Mix milk and pudding in a medium pan on medium heat whisking continually. Cook 8 minutes or so, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chips stirring until all are melted. Fill a large bowl with ice water and place bottom of pan in the ice bath for 5 minutes or until cooled off – be sure to stir frequently so the mix will cool down quicker. Pour the mix into the crust and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or more. Just before serving, put on a layer of whipped topping and garnish slices with a dusting of cocoa powder.
Sometimes just plain simple potatoes is what hits the spot. Here is a little twist without deviating from the theme too much 🙂
New Potatoes
4 servings
134 calories per serving
16 oz. new potatoes, washed
2 T canola oil
½ t kosher salt
¼ t fresh ground pepper
Pam
Place potatoes in a zip loc bag and use a rolling pin to smash them quite a bit cracking their skin. Spray a skillet with Pam and then add oil and heat on medium high heat before adding potatoes. Partially cover skillet and cook potatoes 20 minutes or until browned all over. Add salt and pepper.
Quick, easily portable and a great lunch. If you gotta have mayo instead of mustard, then use low or no fat and reduce the light ranch dressing.
Turkey Sandwich Lunch Platter
1 serving
305 calories per serving
2 slices 45 calories wheat bread
5 slices deli turkey
1 slice tomato
1 lettuce leaf
mustard
1/2 c baby carrots
1/2 c celery sticks or broccoli florets
1/4 c light ranch dressing for dipping (or onion dip made with no fat sour cream)
I like my meatballs very spicy, so I add a good amount of red pepper flakes to this one. Prep time is 5 minutes – that’s it !
Meatball Parmesan in a Pita
1 serving
365 calories per serving
1 whole wheat pita (140 calorie version)
3 vegetable meatballs
1 T shredded parmesan cheese (shredded, not grated)
3 T marinara sauce
Spices to taste: pepper, oregano flakes, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder
Slit open the pita. Slice meatballs in thirds and heat meatballs, spices and sauce for 30 seconds in the microwave. Fill the pita with the meatballs, sauce and cheese.
These are great apple pockets – and they are really so simple to make; it only takes about 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes in the oven until you’re eating hot apple pockets !
Apple Pockets
10 servings
85 calories per serving
2 baking apples (a sweet Gala or McIntosh apple as opposed to a tart Granny Smith, etc.)
2 T sugar
1 t cinnamon
Flour
1 package (7.5 oz.) biscuit dough – 10 biscuits (in the refrigerator section of your market – I use store brand)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and grate apples and place in a bowl (use the same type of grater you would use to grate cheddar cheese). In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Stir 3/4 of the sugar mix in with the apples. Roll each biscuit to a 5 inch circle with a rolling pin (or press with the bottom of a clean skillet or dish). You may want to flour the biscuit a little so the rolling pin or dish won’t stick to it.
Take a look at my video for quick instructions on how to do this:
Place equal portions of apple mix in each round, fold the circles over in half and pinch the edges well to seal. I actually press around the edge with a fork so it is well-sealed a little decorative. Place pockets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake 20 minutes.
These have a great fresh flavor and are very different from your typical potato recipes – the lemon really gives them a blast of unexpected flavor. If you’re pressed for time, try microwaving the potato cubes for 6 minutes or so – that will cut down the boiling time by half.
Lemon Garlic Potatoes
6 servings
103 calories per serving
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste
In a pot over medium heat, combine the potatoes and with enough water to cover them by 1″. Add salt. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan and add lemon juice, oil, garlic, and pepper to taste. Saute for 2 minutes to allow the garlic to cook some.
Lean ham is a great ‘diet’ meal – it is relatively low in calories and definitely does not feel like you are eating diet food ! And the precooked, boneless ones available at the food store are a snap to make.
Baked Ham
8 servings
188 calories per serving
2 lb. boneless precooked ham
Place ham in an oven safe dish with a little water. Tent with foil and place in a preheated 325 degree oven. Bake 30-45 minutes or until hot throughout. Let stand 5 minutes and then slice into thin slices. Serve with creamy horseradish sauce.
So buttery, so lemony, so good ! These are like lemon shortbread and they just melt in your mouth. A little high on the calorie count, but sooooo worth it. And 3 cookies really is enough for a snack – these are so rich !
Lemon Cookies
30 cookies
328 calories for 3 cookies
2 c flour
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 t Kosher salt
1 T plus 1 t lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
1 c sweet butter cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c granulated sugar
Pulse flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add butter and process until coarse like breadcrumbs. Add yolks and lemon juice and process until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and form each into a log. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. If you freeze any longer than 3 hours, these will be too hard to slice and you’ll need to let defrost a bit or microwave for 30 seconds or so.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sugar on a piece of foil and roll logs in the sugar. Cut into 1/4 thick slices and place on baking sheets 1 inch apart as they will spread as they cook. Bake 15 minutes or until edges are browned.
This breakfast muffin has not one, but TWO pieces of Canadian bacon, cheese and eggs – all for 250 calories ! Compare that to the fast food breakfast sandwiches that weigh in between 300 and 500 calories and the choice is clear !
Bacon, Egg and Cheese Muffin
1 serving
250 calories per serving
1/4 c Egg Beaters
2 slices Canadian bacon
1 slice Kraft fat free American cheese
1 lite whole wheat muffin, toasted
1 T lite buttery spread
Pam
Heat pan on medium high heat. Remove from heat and spray with Pam. Return to heat. Add Egg Beaters and reduce heat to medium and use a spatula to keep eggs contained to a small circle while they set and cook. Cook until done. Meanwhile, heat bacon in microwave 30 seconds. Butter muffin and place cheese on hot toasted muffin so it will melt. Add eggs and bacon.
Here’s a quick video to show you how to prep the eggs:
