Recipes Under 600 Calories

Barley and Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese

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Nutty, chewy barley complements the tender lentils and provides a nice contrast to the crisp lettuce.

Barley and Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese

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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 medium head romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
  • 1 15- ounce can lentils rinsed
  • 1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
  • 1/4 small red onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 English cucumber chopped
  • 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled (1/2 cup)

Instructions
 

  • Cook the barley according to the package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
  • In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce with half the lemon dressing. In a second medium bowl, toss the barley, lentils, carrot, onion, olives, and cucumber with the remaining lemon dressing. Serve the barley mixture over the lettuce and sprinkle with the goat cheese.

Red Lentil Curry

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Potatoes, carrots, and lentils simmered in an Indian-inspired sauce make a satisfying meatless dinner.

Red Lentil Curry

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 8 scallions sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 4 medium carrots about 8 ounces, chopped
  • 1 large russet potato about 10 ounces, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • naan bread and lime wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder. Add the carrots, potato, lentils, broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the curry with the scallion greens and serve with the naan and lime wedges.

Slimming World’s Tomato, Lentil and Vegetable Soup

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Slimming World’s tomato, lentil and vegetable soup recipe makes a filling chunky soup made with curry spices and ginger – perfect as a warming lunch. This mouth-watering soup is made in just 30 mins making it a quick and easy option when you’re short on time but you’re trying to eat a little healthier. This recipe serves 4 people. The lentils in this soup will add plenty of protein to your diet keeping you fuller for longer. The tomatoes and vegetables add towards your 5-a-day count. Leftovers can be frozen. Make sure you defrost thoroughly before reheating. If you don’t have enough lentils you could swap them for other pulses instead, just follow the packet instructions before cooking and adding into the soup.

Slimming World's Tomato, Lentil and Vegetable Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • low calorie cooking spray
  • 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • 2 cm piece root ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 2 celery sticks finely chopped
  • 1 large potato peeled and cut into 1.5cm dice
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cut into 1.5cm dice
  • 600 ml boiling hot vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 125 g dried red lentils rinsed and drained
  • 600 ml passata
  • freshly chopped coriander to serve

Instructions
 

  • Spray a large saucepan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, celery, potato and carrot and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, except the seasoning, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Season well and serve sprinkled with coriander

Notes

Double the quantities of this recipe and bulk freeze the leftovers to save you time!

Creamy Spinach and Haddock Fillets

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Low-fat, high-protein haddock and nutrient-rich spinach combine to make a super-healthy dinner in just 15 minutes

Creamy Spinach and Haddock Fillets

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Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g 7oz new potatoes
  • 500 g 1lb packet of baby spinach
  • 6 tbsp soft cheese
  • 4 firm white fish fillets such as cod or haddock
  • 50 g 2oz breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the grill to medium. Cook the new potatoes in boiling, salted water until they are tender, then drain and set them aside.
  • Put the packet of spinach in the microwave and cook for 4 mins until wilted. Squeeze the water out of the spinach and roughly chop. Add the cheese and a little grated nutmeg if you like, then season well.
  • Put fish fillets in a baking dish with a little olive oil. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 and place on top of each fillet. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and grill for 10-12 mins.
  • Lightly crush the potatoes with the back of a fork and stir through some olive oil and the chopped parsley, then serve with the fish.

Notes

For extra flavour, try substituting half the breadcrumbs for Parmesan.

Potato Peel Crisps

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These potato peel crisps are perfect for using up leftover potato skin. There’s no need for waste with this easy and delicious recipe. Potatoes play a big part in most family meals. We mash, boil or roast them but we often throw the peelings away. This is such a shame as, believe it or not, the peelings are rather delicious when turned into crisps. Yes, really! The next time you peel a potato, don’t throw the peelings away, try this simple recipe instead!

Potato Peel Crisps

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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • Potato peel
  • 1-2 tsp of oil
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • Cumin paprika or chilli powder (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat your oven to 200C. First of all you will need to peel your potatoes with a potato peeler. The skin might be too thick if you use a knife.
  • Potato peel does not keep well, so get the peelings straight onto a baking tray.
  • Drizzle the oil over your peelings and sprinkle over your chosen seasoning/spices.
  • Use your hands to mix everything together, until the peelings are evenly coated in the oil and seasoning.
  • Make sure the peelings are in an even layer and then place into the oven until slightly brown and crunchy, about 8-10 minutes.

Notes

You can try other vegetable peelings too! How about carrot and parsnip? The peel lasts for up to three days, if wrapped well and stored in the fridge.

Gordon Ramsay’s Stuffed Chicken Breast

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Gordon Ramsay’s stuffed chicken breast recipe is the perfect weekend treat! Filled with ricotta cheese, these sage and Parma ham-wrapped stuffed chicken breasts are just too tasty! Perfect for dinner parties and it’s quick too. Gordon Ramsay’s stuffed chicken breast’s are so simple to make and ready in just 30 mins. This recipe serves 4 people and uses only 7 ingredients in total making it a quick and easy option for a mid-week meal or when you fancy homemade over a takeaway at the weekend. The Parma ham slices give the chicken breasts a smoky flavour and the sage and ricotta stuffing is creamy and moreish.

Gordon Ramsay's Stuffed Chicken Breast

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large chicken breasts about 170-200g
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 5 heaped tbsp ricotta
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 8 Parma ham slices
  • 1½ tsp olive oil
  • Handful of thyme sprigs

Instructions
 

  • Cut a deep slit along one side of each chicken breast, without slicing right through, then open it out like a book. On a clean chopping board, finely chop 4 sage leaves, then mix into the ricotta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Lay two Parma ham slices on the board, overlapping them slightly. Put a sage leaf in the middle and lay an open chicken breast on top. Spoon a quarter of the ricotta mixture onto the middle of the chicken, then fold the sides together again, to enclose the filling. Now wrap the Parma ham slices around the stuffed chicken breast. Wrap in cling film. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts and chill for 1-2 hrs to firm up slightly.
  • Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and place a roasting pan in the oven to heat up. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add the olive oil. When hot, fry the Parma-wrapped chicken, in batches if necessary, for 2 mins on each side until browned. Lay a few thyme sprigs on each chicken breast, then place in the hot roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 12-15 mins, depending on size, or until the meat feels just firm when lightly pressed.
  • Rest the chicken, covered with foil, in a warm place for 5-10 mins. Slice each stuffed breast thickly on the diagonal and arrange on warm plates. Serve with steamed greens and light mashed potatoes or a zesty couscous.
  • This recipe is taken from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite, available from Amazon for £10.44.

Notes

Not quite what you were looking for? We've got loads more stuffed chicken breast recipes.

Healthy Grilled Chicken with Courgettes and Peppers

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If you’re on a diet then chicken is one of the best foods to eat. It’s high in protein and b vitamins and is low in fat, as long as the skin is removed before cooking. Grilling is also a really healthy way to cook chicken as no extra fat is needed. Here, the chicken is flavoured with lemon juice before grilling, but you could sprinkle it with dried herbs or add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for extra flavour. Keep turning the chicken during grilling and take care not to overcook it or it will start to dry out

Healthy Grilled Chicken with Courgettes and Peppers

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breast fillets skinned
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 courgettes halved lengthways and sliced
  • 1 large red pepper deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 large yellow pepper deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp capers drained and chopped
  • Salad to serve

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken fillets on a foil-lined grill pan and brush with half the lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook under a medium-hot grill for 20 mins, turning a few times.
  • Place the courgettes and peppers in a bowl with the rest of the lemon juice, olive oil, mixed herbs and chopped capers. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread on the grill pan around the chicken.
  • Grill the chicken, courgettes and peppers for a further 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are lightly charred in places. Serve with salad.

Notes

If the chicken fillets are quite thick, butterfly them by cutting nearly all the way through each fillet and opening and flattening out the flesh – this will help to cook them quickly and evenly

Sardines and Salad on Toast

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This sardines and salad on toast recipe is such an easy lunch time snack or starter recipe to rustle up. It only takes 13 mins to prepare and cook and is healthy too. This recipe serves 8 people but you can half the amount if you’re serving less. Fresh sardines are best and fresh salad leaves and onions too. Each portion of sardines on toast works out at 156 calories per serving and 7.5g of fat. Fish is a great choice for lunch and it will keep you full until dinner time as it’s packed full of protein. Season with grounded black pepper and enjoy.

Sardines and Salad on Toast

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 3 mins
Total Time 13 mins
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small ciabatta cut into 8 oblique slices
  • 1 large garlic clove halved
  • 1 medium red onion peeled and sliced thinly into rings
  • 1 tbsp each chopped fresh dill and parsley
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp wine vinegar
  • 4 fresh or frozen and thawed sardines, gutted, cleaned, boned and halved
  • 10 small tomatoes each sliced into 3
  • Horseradish or tartare sauce to serve

Instructions
 

  • Set the grill to medium-high. Toast the bread on both sides on a baking sheet, then rub one side of each slice with the garlic to add flavour. Meanwhile, mix the onion rings in a bowl with the herbs, 2 tbsp olive oil, vinegar and seasoning.
  • Line the baking sheet with foil and lay the sardine fillets, skin side up on it. brush with the rest of the oil, season and gril for 2-3 minutes, while you pile slices of tomato, the onions and herbs on the toasted ciabatta. Put the hot sardines on top, season and serve with sauce.

Notes

To prepare sardines, cut off the head, slit down the length of the belly to open it. Pull out the guts. Hold the fish, belly down, on the work surface and press down on it hard enough to flatten it. Turn it over and pull out the back bone. Trim off all fins. Wash well. Cut in half to make two fillets.

Spelt Pancakes

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Make your pancakes with spelt flour for a different taste. Spelt flour has a nuttier, sweeter flavor and is high in protein

Spelt Pancakes

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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 3 mins
Total Time 8 mins
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 220 g spelt flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 free range eggs
  • 550 ml full cream milk
  • 50 g unsalted butter

Instructions
 

  • Break the eggs into the flour and salt and gently whisk. Gradually blend in the milk, splash at a time, until the batter is smooth like single cream.
  • Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, whisk 2tbsp into the mixture and reserve the rest for greasing the pan between pancakes. Leave the mixture to rest for 30mins.
  • Grease the pan and heat until ‘smoking hot’. Add 2 tbsp of the batter to the pan, tipping the mixture from side to side, and using a pallet knife, carefully lift the edges of the pancake. When golden brown, flip the pancake over and cook the other side.
  • Keep warm in the oven with interleaves of greaseproof paper between pancakes. Serve immediately with a topping of your choice!

Notes

Raid your fridge and cupboard for your fillings: traditional lemon sprinkled with castor sugar, or bananas drizzled with clear honey…you name it, everything goes!