Lunch tends to be the meal that everyone gets a bit stuck on when they’re trying to diet. Do we just skip it? Do we have a big meal at lunch and cut down at dinner? Can I still eat a sandwich?
We’re here to answer all of your questions and banish any misconceptions about lunching on a diet by providing you with our top lunch ideas that take just 5 minutes to make and contain under 500 calories.
Making these your go-to quick, easy and perfectly on plan meals, no matter what diet you’re following.
Tortilla Wrap Pizzas
Pizza is a guilty pleasure for a lot of people and with this recipe, you can throw one together for under 500 calories and it’ll take just 5 to 10 minutes to put together!
Ingredients:
1 x Genius Gluten Free Beetroot Wrap (83 Calories)
50g Pizza Express Passata (20 Calories)
30g Reduced Fat Grated Cheese (75 Calories)
1 Slice of Honey Roast Ham – torn up (19 Calories)
1 Red Pepper – chopped into slices (24 Calories)
100g Tinned Sweetcorn (65 Calories)
*you can mix up the toppings to suit you but this may affect the calorie count
Method:
- Pre-heat your grill to a medium heat.
- Add the passata to your beetroot wrap and pop under the grill for a couple of minutes to heat through.
- Remove the wrap from under the grill, add the reduced fat cheese and arrange all your other toppings.
- Pop back under the grill under the cheese is fully melted.
- Cut up into slices like a regular pizza and enjoy!
Total calories – 286 calories per pizza
Crunchy Ham Hock Salad
A salad with a mixture of taste and textures is always the best kind and this combination of leaves, crunchy vegetables and shredded ham hock is a colourful and delicious mid-day meal.
Ingredients:
50g Shredded Iceberg Lettuce (10 Calories)
14g Cucumber – chopped (1 Calorie)
½ Carrot Grated (13 Calories)
1 Sweet Bell Pepper – chopped into slices (24 Calories)
100g Tinned Sweetcorn (65 Calories)
½ Pre-cooked Shredded Ham Hock (144 Calories)
1 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Honey and Mustard Dressing (15 Calories)
Method:
- Quick and easy, simply throw all your veggies in a bowl and mix up.
- Top with your ham hock and drizzle with your dressing.
Total Calories – 272 Calories
Low-Calorie Cheese and Ham Toastie
Cheese and ham is a match made in heaven and by picking your ingredients wisely, you can still enjoy a full of flavour toastie for under 500 calories!
Ingredients:
2 x Slices of Weight Watchers Small Malted Bread (102 Calories)
2 x Slices of Wafer Thin Honey Roast Ham (38 Calories)
30g Reduced Fat Mature Cheese (74 Calories)
1 Tablespoon of Sandwich Pickle (38 Calories)
Method:
- Get your toastie maker warmed up but if you don’t have one, a ‘George Foreman’ style grill will do the trick.
- Spread your pickle across the two slices of bread.
- Load your ham and sliced cheese onto one slice of the bread and top with the other slice.
- Place in your toastie maker or grill and close until your sandwich is perfectly toasted and the cheese is melted.
Serve with a side salad, vegetable crisps or crunchy vegetable sticks.
Total Calories – 252 Calories per toastie
Poached Eggs, Bacon and Tomatoes on Toast
Perfect as a brunch or lunch meal; eggs, bacon and tomatoes on toast is a classic combination and by following these tips, you can make yourself a filling plate for under 500 calories… and it’ll only take around 5-10 minutes!
Ingredients:
2 x Slices of Weight Watchers Malted Bread (102 Calories)
2 Large Eggs – poached (142 Calories)
2 Bacon Medallions – pan fry with low calorie cooking spray (56 Calories + 5 Calories for spray)
8 x Cherry Tomatoes on a Vine (21 Calories)
Method:
- Get your frying pan warming up with your low calorie cooking spray.
- Fry your two bacon medallions to a colour that suits you.
- Once your bacon is nearly cooked, pop your toast in the toaster or under the grill and pop your eggs in the water to poach.
- Whilst your eggs and toast are cooking, remove your bacon from the pan and pop your tomatoes in. the pan on a medium heat to warm through and soften (if you’ve got a bit more time, you could oven cook your tomatoes)
- Plate up once everything is cooked and enjoy!
Total Calories – 326 Calories
Asian Chicken Salad
It might take a little longer than 5 minutes to make (it takes 10 minutes), this Asian Chicken Salad recipe from BBC Good Food is super low calorie and ridiculously easy to make!
Ingredients:
1 x boneless and skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
½ lime – zest and juice
100g of mixed salad leaves
Handful of coriander
¼ red onion – thinly sliced
½ chilli – deseeded and thinly sliced
¼ cucumber – sliced
Method:
- Boil your chicken for 10 minutes.
- Shred your chicken and mix the fish sauces, lime zest and juice and a touch of sugar together in a separate dish.
- Mix your salad leaves with your coriander and top with the chicken and crunchy veg.
- Add as much dressing as you like and enjoy!
Total Calories – 109
So, there’s no need to worry if you’ve only got 10 minutes to spare at lunchtime as these quick, easy and super healthy mid-day meals will fit perfectly in any diet plan.
If you give any of these recipes a go, let us know on Instagram!
