Common Challenges: Quick ideas for 500 calorie dinner meals

Ideas for 500 Calorie Dinner Meals

Every evening at dinner time I feel hungry, rushed, and discombobulated. Frankly, I’m a complete mess. The day is unwinding, my children are tired and starving, and I keep going through the list in my head that I didn’t get completely finished. Most of my clients voice that they feel the same way with the addition of the considerations of likes and dislikes of the family they are cooking for or eating with.

I always think a great rule of thumb is to keep a meal less than five hundred calories with snacks fewer than two hundred. Here are some examples of some five hundred calorie dinners I put together. Take a look and try them out. Are you surprised by the amount of food? Do you think you’d be able to feel satisfied with these? Good luck and be well.

Day 1		Calories
5 oz baked chicken breast		125
K.C Masterpiece Honey Terriyaki Marinade 1.5 T		50
1/2 cup brown rice		160
1 1/2 cup green salad		50
1 T Italian Dressing		45
1 T sunflower seeds (on salad)		50
		0


	Total	480

Day 2		Calories
5 oz Baked Salmon		227
Dill Herb Seasoning 3/4 tsp		10
1 tsp butter on fish		45
1/4 cup cous cous		40
1 cup sauteed spinach		50
1 tsp olive extra virgin olive oil		45
1/8 cup sliced almonds (sauteed with spinach)		85
Salt to taste		0
		0
	Total	502

Day 3		Calories
1 cup whole wheat cooked spaghetti		160
1/2 cup generic spaghetti sauce		80
3 ounces of 95% Lean Ground Beef		150
2 tsp Parmesean Cheese		30
1 1/2 cup green salad		50
1 T Italian Dressing		45



	Total	515

Day 4		Calories
5 oz Generic Turkey Meatloaf		225
1 T ketchup		15
1cup steamed fresh green beans		50
1 tsp butter		45
1/2 cup Mashed Potatoes		80
8 oz skim milk		85



	Total	500

Day 5		Calories
2 C Low fat Turkey Chili		200
1/2 T Daisy Sour Cream		15
1/4 2 % shredded cheddar cheese		80
1 1/2 c green salad		50
1 T Ranch Dressing		80
1/4 Avacado (on salad)		75

	Total	500

Day 6		Calories
4 oz london broil		200
1 Tablespoon Italian dressing (marinade for above)		45
1 1/2 green salad		50
2 T blue cheese crumbles		70
1 T Balsamic Vinegar		45
1/4 avacado		75

	Total	485

Day 7		Calories
5 oz pork tenderloin		150
1/4 cup cream of mushroom (on pork)		50
1 cup brocolli		50
1 tsp Parmesean Cheese (on brocolli)		15
Medium Baked Potato		110
1 tsp butter		45
8 ounces of skim milk		85


	Total	505

Comments

Family Nutrition: What’s the deal with Multivitamins?

This is definitely one of my top ten questions from clients and frankly it’s a hard question because there isn’t a generic answer. The internet and such stores as the Vitamin Shoppe and GNC continue to place a lot of focus on vitamins and minerals and some of my clients swear by their regimen. I’ve even had some clients tell me they can tell a difference within hours of taking certain supplementations. Since this is a subject I try to tame my responses too, I was very glad to see the article “Multivitamins, So Many Types, So Many Labels” by Melinda Beck in the Wall Street Journal published June 21, 2001. Did you know that the multivitamin is the number one dietary supplement producing $4.8 billion back in 2008 and that one third of American’s take multivitamins religiously? As Melinda points out there are many different varieties of multivitamins yet there is no specific formulation that specifies what a multivitamin should look like. ...

Miraculous Misconceptions: Raspberry Ketones

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this. Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...

Food Trends: Plant vs. Animal Protein

In my practice I see a lot of vegetarians who have a lot of questions about the types of protein they eat. In case you need a refresher, animal proteins are proteins derived from meat, dairy, and eggs. Plant protein is derived from nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and soy. Most animal proteins are higher in saturated fat as well as cholesterol which have been proved to increase risks of arteriosclerosis, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. A lot of the general public, not just vegetarians, are starting to focus on decreasing intakes of animal proteins and focusing on plant sources to decrease total calorie, fat, and cholesterol intake. It’s important to know that most generally healthy individuals only need .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Basically this means that a 150 pound man or woman requires about 54 grams of protein in an entire day. Protein is made from amino acids. Although there are many amino acids, ther...

Search This Blog