29 Delicious 400 Calorie Meals (2025)

ByCheryl Avrich Posted on Updated on

Sad salad? Boring plain chicken breast with steamed broccoli? Er…definitely not! Not in these delicious 400 calorie meals. There is no need to sacrifice flavor and eliminate your faves.

Nutritious, big flavors, light, filling, vibrant and delish. We have everything from soup meals to comfort food to meat, chicken, fish and veggie meals with low calories.

collage of meals under 400 calories

My #1 favorite on the list is our unique vegetarian shepherds pie. with a nutritious root vegetable mash topping – pure comfort food. We use plant-based meat for the filling, but regular ground beef is fine too. Not to be missed.

What to expect

What does a 400 calorie meal look like? We are focusing on main dishes for lunch or dinner with easy-to-follow instructions, shortcuts where possible, prep ahead, variations, and substitutions. Expect to see:

  1. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options (with 200-400 calories per serving)
  2. Meals with healthy ingredients – loaded with fresh vegetables, fiber and nutrients. For example, if you read our blog, you know that we add baby spinach in everything possible to boost nutrition and color 🙂
  3. Soup meals that will give you leftovers for the next day or two. These are great low calorie meal prep ideas.
  4. Stand-alone dinners (no other sides needed). For those that aren’t, we suggest lower calorie side dishes.
  5. Meals prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Each recipe below shows calorie count, prep time, total time, number of servings, and what to serve it with. Please note that we are NOT providing diet or weight loss advice.

Bottom line: We hope you will find a delicious, low-calorie meal or two to add to your rotation that the whole family will enjoy.

Soup recipes (meals in a bowl)

Choose these nutritious soups as complete meals in a bowl for hearty healthy eating. And hope you are lucky enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Red Lentil Soup with Vegetables

Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
Calories per serving: 273
Prep Time: 7 min
Total Time: 45 min
# Servings: 5
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. A delicious recipe on its own. Or if you want, serve with a small side salad (with a low fat dressing) or some plain crackers.
Get the recipe

Easy Egg Drop Soup With Vegetables

Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables in a bowl f
Calories per serving: 236
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 16 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: For a more substantial meal, add tofu, chopped leftover chicken or cooked shrimp. Or make vegetable rice paper rolls (121 calories per roll)
Get the recipe

Root Vegetable Soup

bowl of root vegetable and barley with croutons
Calories per serving: 226
Prep Time: 8 min
Total Time: 1 hour
# Servings: 6
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. If you like, serve with a piece of multigrain bread, croutons or crackers
Get the recipe

Best Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

two bowls of beef barley soup
Calories per serving: 259
Prep Time: 8min
Total Time: 1 hour 18 min
# Servings: 6
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. If you like, serve with a side salad, crackers or a piece of lower calorie or multigrain bread.
Get the recipe

Sausage Potato and Kale Soup With Cheese Toasts

Bowl of soup with kale, potato chunks and sausage disks.
Calories per serving: 376
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
# Servings: 4-5
What to serve with it: try serving the soup with a Caesar salad, fig salad or any other salad. A tropical fruit salad is another way to balance the bold flavors.
Get the recipe

Vegetable Wonton Soup

vegetable wonton soup in a pot f
Calories per serving: 382
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 22 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. An easy way to serve a complete meal in a bowl, especially if you add cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu cubes. Or any leftover meat. 1 cup/140 grams shrimp is 170 calories.
Get the recipe

Vegetable and Barley Soup

Vegetable and barley soup in a bowl with bread beside it.
Calories per serving: 306
Prep Time: 7 min
Total Time: 1 hour 7 min
# Servings: 8
What to serve it with: Nothing needed other than a piece of multigrain bread for dunking.
Get the recipe

Lemon Orzo Soup With Chicken (30 Minutes)

lemon orzo soup with chicken, veggies and coconut milk in yellow bowl.
Calories per serving: 257
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30min
# Servings: 8
What to serve it with: Nothing needed.
Get the recipe

Ratatouille Soup With Cheese Toast

bowl of ratatouille soup with cheese toast on top 2
Calories per serving: 184
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: Nothing else needed. Calories include the bread with melted cheese.
Get the recipe

Wedding Soup with Zest

bowl of chicken meatball soup on wooden table
Calories per serving: 285
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
# Servings: 6
What to serve it with: Nothing need as the soup as orzo pasta, veggies and meatballs for a complete meal in a bowl. Parmesan cheese is not included in the calorie count.
Get the recipe

Vegetarian meals with big flavors

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza (With Store-Bought Dough)

slices of pizza on cutting board one with dripping cheese
Calories per slice: 194
Prep Time: 7 min
Total Time: 22 min
# Slices: 6
What to serve it with: Add whatever toppings you like (with more calories) or serve the pizza with a side salad. Or go for two slices and call it a day!
Get the recipe

Simple Mediterranean Spaghetti (22 Minutes)

Mediterranean spaghetti in a white bowl on wood table.
Calories per serving: 369
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 22 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. Note that Parmesan cheese is not included in calorie count.
Get the recipe

Squash Curry

squash curry over rice in bowl f
Calories per serving: 302
Prep Time: 8 min
Total Time: 30min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: Nice with 1/2 cup/100 grams of cooked rice (130 calories). Or a piece of dipping bread like easy naan.
Get the recipe

Shepherd’s Pie (With Plant-Based Beef)

Piece of plant-based Shepherds pie on plate.
Calories per serving: 394
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hour
# Servings: 5-6
What to serve it with: Nothing needed except a small salad if you like. A full satisfying meal made with plant-based meat topped with a root vegetable mash (regular ground beef or chicken can be substituted).
Get the recipe

Vegetable Spaghetti Squash Recipe (Mexican-style)

spaghetti squash with mexican veggie topping
Calories per serving: 389
Prep Time: 10min
Total Time: 40 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. The robust 'sauce' with Mexican flavors and cheese does it all.
Get the recipe

Spicy Ramen Noodles With Chili Crisp (18 Min-One Pot)

Spicy ramen noodles with veggies on plate with chop sticks.
Calories per serving: 354
Prep Time: 8 min
Total Time: 18 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve with it: It's great on it's own, but you can round it out with a fresh Thai mango salad, egg drop soup or no-bake peach compote.
Get the recipe

Chinese Egg Fried Rice With Vegetables

tilted bowl of chinese egg fried rice with vegetables
Calories per serving: 395
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: Add chicken or tofu or lower calorie shrimp if you like. To reduce the per serving calories, use less rice and more veggies. Still delish!
Get the recipe

Vegetable Strudel in Puff Pastry

vegetarian strudel on plate f
Calories per serving: 261
Prep Time: 12 min
Total Time:50 min
# Slices: 8
What to serve it with: A nice homemade creamy tomato soup or a light salad.
Get the recipe

Spinach Mushroom Pasta

mushroom spinach pasta in a bowl f
Calories per serving: 400
Prep Time: 7 min
Total Time: 37 min
# Servings: 4
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. It has pasta, a cheese sauce, mushrooms and spinach. Or opt for a crunchy cucumber, sliced bell peppers or tomato slices.
Get the recipe

Delicious Non-vegetarian dinners

Chicken Meatloaf Recipe With Vegetables

sliced chicken meatloaf with coleslaw on plate
Calories per serving: 304
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min
# Servings: 5 (8-9 slices)
What to serve it with: grilled cabbage slaw, any other no mayo coleslaw or Chinese stir fry green beans
Get the recipe

Roast Chicken Breast with Gravy

sliced chicken breast on cutting board with gravy on the side
Calories per serving: 324
Prep Time: 10 min;
Total Time: 1 hour 5 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: Lemon herb cauliflower rice or vegetable stuffing with quinoa
Get the recipe

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls (Instant Pot)

bowl of unstuffed cabbage rolls
Calories per serving: 193
Prep Time: 6 min;
Total Time: 35 min
# Servings: 6-8
What to serve it with: Nothing needed. A stand alone delicious meal and great as leftovers. Use a lean protein like ground white chicken instead of beef if you like.
Get the recipe

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

grilled chicken pieces on cutting board
Calories per serving: 309
Prep Time: 10 min;
Total Time: 30 min (plus marinating time if you choose)
# Servings: 5
What to serve it with: How about a nice citrus salad or roasted baby cauliflower (129 calories per serving).
Get the recipe

Crispy Baked Fish (20 minutes)

panko covered white fish with veggies on black plate.
Calories per serving: 395
Prep Time: 5 min;
Total Time: 20 min
# Servings: 2
What to serve it with: vegetable quinoa stuffing or parmesan roasted cauliflower
Get the recipe

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin (with Maple Mustard Sauce)

sliced pork tenderloin with mustard sauce on cutting board.
Calories per serving: 318
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 1 hour 50 min
# Servings: 5
What to serve it with: Easy roasted bok choy and homemade chunky applesauce
Get the recipe

Recipe for Salmon Bites With Spicy Chili Crisp Sauce

5 salmon bites with chili crisp sauce over couscous on plate.
Calories per serving: 389
Prep Time: 15
Total Time: 20
# Servings: 3
What to serve with it: It's great over quinoa or rice. Add another side dish if you like such as creamed spinach, roasted bok choy and broccoli, roasted cauliflower with crispy edges or a fig salad.
Get the recipe

Sous Vide Hamburger

Sous vide burger with cheese and tomato on a toasted bun.
Calories per serving: 263 (not including bun and toppings)
Prep Time: 8 min;
Total Time: 55 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: Try charred onions on the grill. My trick with the buns is to slice off or gouge out some of the bread in the middle to make the bun thinner with less calories.
Get the recipe

Baked Cod Recipe with Cherry Tomato Sauce

cherry tomato sauce over white fish fillets
Calories per serving: 363
Prep Time: 6 min
Total Time: 18min
# Servings: 2
What to serve it with: I love it with  lemon herb cauliflower rice stir fry. I add fresh chopped baby spinach for extra nutrition and color. Or cauliflower rice recipe with pesto.
Get the recipe

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

sliced pork tenderloin with snow peas and roasted veggies on plate with sauce
Calories per serving: 394
Prep Time: 8 min
Total Time: 22 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: 1 minute microwave snow peas and homemade chunky applesauce or BBQ sweet potatoes and apples
Get the recipe

BBQ Shrimp Recipe (Skewered & Grilled)

BBQ shrimp over noodles with snap peas and peaches.
Calories per serving: 162
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 min
# Servings: 3
What to serve it with: Try the shrimp with curried rice, coconut jasmine rice, grilled zucchini or a delicious charred corn salad.
Get the recipe

Low calorie side dishes (under 200 calories)

Here are a few good options for side dishes under 200 calories per serving to go with your low calorie meals.

Sides

Colorful salads

How to cut calories, not flavor

We’re not giving diet advice here. Just a few basic common sense ideas from the professionals:

  • Cut down your portions. Eat less. I know no one wants to hear this – especially my husband! But this is one of the easiest ways to reduce calories (ok, easy for the cook, not the eater).
  • Include more vegetables and less protein on your plate. Change the ratio.
  • Eat less fast foods, high saturated fat foods, highly processed foods and high calorie snacks like chocolate, candy, chips, fries, sour cream.
  • Stick to low carb foods or at least ‘good carbs’ such as quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, fruit, whole grains like oats, butternut squash, brown rice.
  • Check nutrition information on food labels. Sugar hides everywhere.

We hope you are convinced that you can cut calories without cutting flavor. And we hope you found a new fave!

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2 Comments

  1. Hi Jenna and Cheryl.
    I have to say that although I’m new to your website I love your recipes. Also the way your recipes are set out , with alternate options, takes a lot of work on your part. I look forward to receiving more of your recipes. Thank you.

    Reply