Our complete low-calorie meals all come under 500 calories. They include a lighter version of a pad Thai using courgetti instead of noodles (check out our courgetti recipes here), warming chicken curry, and even a low-calorie lasagne. Looking for a low-calorie vegetarian dinner? Try our vegan chilli packed with nutritious avocado, black beans and quinoa.

At olive we believe in taking a healthy approach to healthy eating. You won’t find us telling you what to eat, and especially not what to cut out – we’d rather give you all the facts to make your own decisions on what constitutes a balanced and nutritious diet that works for you. We’re all about the joy of food – whether that’s a fudgy chocolate cake, a colourful salad or a speedy low-calorie curry that’s full of flavour. So happy cooking and happy eating!

Here are some tips for low-calorie meals

Use a little less oil

A recipe may ask for a splash of oil or a few tablespoons but you can usually get away with using a lot less – think teaspoons rather than tablespoons. A good tip is to use a non-stick frying pan as things are less likely to stick to the surface. You can also use water instead of oil when frying ingredients like onions. This helps soften the onion then evaporates so they can then start to take on colour. If using oil when roasting, try adding the ingredients to a bowl first, before drizzling in a little oil and tossing well. You’ll find that a little oil goes a long way when done like this. Putting the ingredient into the tray first, then drizzling with oil often leads to an excess of oil being used.

Use lighter carb alternatives

Carbs are an important part of a balanced diet but if you want to go lighter on the carbs there are some great alternatives such as butternut squash sheets which are great in lasagnes, courgetti for using in stir-fries or pasta dishes and cauliflower rice to serve with your favourite curry or chilli. You can also eat more complex carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans and oats – they all take longer to digest so are thought to be a better source of sustained energy.

Batch cooking and freezing

Having a few meals stashed away in the freezer will help if you’ve had a busy day and need something extra-quick for dinner. Lots of these recipes are easily doubled so you can cook a big batch then portion out and freeze. Remember to label your Tupperware so you can tell the difference between a chilli and pasta sauce! Our chicken saag, beef bourguignon, lamb stew and lentil Bolognese recipes will all freeze brilliantly.

Low-calorie dinner recipes

Miso tofu soup

Give this miso soup with silken tofu a go for a dinner – it’s light, creamy and low in calories.

Two white bowls filled with noodles, green vegetable and eggs with a bright orange yolk

Healthy beans on toast

Ezme, a Turkish-inspired paste with tomatoes, peppers, onion and pomegranate molasses, adds extra flavour in these low-cal baked beans on toast with a twist. It’s low in salt, too.

Healthy egg-fried rice

Quick, easy and low in calories, check out this ginger fried rice with sweet juicy crab for extra oomph.

Healthy chicken stir-fry

This shredded chicken stir-fry by Nadine Brown comes in at under 500 calories, but its fresh, gingery flavour and red chilli heat means it doesn’t compromise on flavour.

Three plates of colourful stir-fry with drinks on the side

Balsamic lentils with pork fillet

Balsamic offers a tartness to our vibrant pork dish. This well-balanced meal with yummy lentils is high in protein but low in calories and salt – perfect for a midweek meal for four.

Healthy vegan quinoa and black bean chilli

Try our quick and easy vegan chilli. This quinoa and black bean chilli recipe is high in protein, low in calories and vegan – but still tastes impossibly creamy. Try our vegan one pot, or click here to see our other vegan recipes.

Stuffed butternut squash with feta

Transform butternut squash into a colourful, low-calorie midweek dinner by stuffing it with rice, lemon zest, raisins, dill, pine nuts and feta.

Two butternut squash halves stuffed with feta, rice and sultanas

Gigantes plaki (Greek baked beans)

Ready in under an hour, this Greek one-pot is packed with plenty of fresh flavours as well as protein and fibre, making it a healthy vegetarian meal idea with less than 300 calories. Check out our best Greek recipes.

Lighter pad Thai

This recipe for pad Thai is packed full of authentic Thai flavours but without the high calorie count as we've used courgette instead of normal noodles. It's really easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for a healthy midweek fix.

More like this

Frying pan full of healthy Pad Thai with prawns

Chicken saag

Our chicken saag recipe proves that you can eat healthily without having to miss out on your favourite foods. It's lighter than regular curries but still filling and satisfying. Try our low-calorie curry ideas.

Courgetti with pesto and balsamic tomatoes

Who needs pasta when you can have spiralised courgette? Try our easy 'courgetti' recipe, made with baby plum tomatoes, garlic, pesto, pine nuts and a lot of courgette noodles.

Courgetti Recipe with Pesto and Tomatoes

Chicken satay noodle salad

Check out our easy chicken satay noodle salad recipe with red cabbage, shredded carrots and roasted peanuts. This vibrant crunchy salad is light, nourishing and ready in an hour.

15-minute mushroom stroganoff

This super-quick and easy mushroom and tarragon stroganoff makes for a great, healthy midweek meal, ready in just 15 minutes.

Easy Stroganoff Recipe with Mushroom and Tarragon

Chilli-salt salmon with chopped salad

Check out this quick and simple marinaded chilli-salt salmon. This colourful recipe makes a wonderfully light and flavoursome lunch.

One-pot paprika cod and chickpeas

Check out our punchy paprika cod one-pot with juicy tomatoes. This simple traybake is an easy midweek meal for when you're short on time but still want something healthy.

Spiced carrot and lentil soup

Need a warming, nourishing dinner? Make our simple red lentil soup recipe with lightly spiced curried carrots then swirl with yogurt and serve.

Easy chicken mole

Our recipe for cheat's chicken mole uses a clever product to mean it's ready in less than an hour but still filled with fresh flavour. Serve with rice for a healthy dinner.

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Stay on-trend while eating healthily with this vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice. It's quick and easy to make as well as being vegan and 5:2-diet friendly, but still delivers on flavour. Check out our vegan recipe ideas here.

Vegan Fajita Bowl with Cauliflower Rice Recipe

Spring greens shakshuka

A fab healthy brunch recipe. Shakshuka, traditionally a North African dish, is typically comprised of spices, eggs and tomatoes, but here we've decided to mix things up a little... make it green and healthy with asparagus tips and broad beans.

Tuscan pork steaks

Our healthy recipe for Tuscan pork steaks ticks all the boxes. It's filling, low fat, low sugar, low salt and high in protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Smashed broad beans on toast

Not a fan of the classic beans on toast? Try our greener, healthier version, broad beans on toast. This recipe is quick and easy to rustle up, ideal for when you're short of time and on a diet. Here are our favourite broad beans recipes to try.

Several pieces of toast with smashed broad beans spread over them

Tandoori lamb steaks with chilli-spiked slaw

This recipe for tandoori lamb steaks with chilli-spiked slaw is delicious, nutritious and high in protein but low in fat sugar and salt. It's a real midweek winner.

Lentil 'meatballs' with fresh tomato sauce

Lentils are a great way to make a meal vegetarian. Swap these for your usual meatballs and your family will hardly notice the difference. Plus, they're ready in just 40 minutes - perfect for during the week.