What Do 300 Calorie Meals Look Like?
Need help visualizing appropriate portion sizes? This guide will help.
Breakfast Meals
English Muffin Breakfast – 394 Calories
1 whole wheat English muffin
2 pats low fat butter
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 cup of fruit
8 oz fruit juice
8 oz water
Cereal – 300 Calories
1 cup of cereal
8 oz 2% milk
1 banana
1 coffee or tea
Oatmeal – 345 Calories
1 cup (cooked) oatmeal with raisins
Β½ cup of fruit
1 cup coffee or tea
1 small banana
Scrambled eggs – 360 Calories
2 scrambled eggs
2 strips of turkey bacon
1 piece whole wheat toast
1 pat of low fat butter
1 coffee or tea
8 oz water
Lunches
Baked potato – 305 Calories
1 medium baked potato
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons salsa
1 cup sliced melon
12 oz water
Roasted Veg. Salad – 373 Calories
3 cups mixed greens
1 cup sweet potato
1 cup eggplant
1 cup red bell pepper
3 Tbs lite honey mustard
Soup – 350 Calories
1 bowl of soup
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water
4 saltine crackers
Chicken Salad – 350 Calories
1 large tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
6 oz sliced chicken
1 cup of low fat wheat thin crackers
12 oz water
MORE: Quick Lunches for under 400 Calories
Dinners
Chicken – 345 Calories
6 oz of chicken
1 cup of green beans
2 pats of low-fat butter
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water
Grilled Eggplant – 323 Calories
1 cup egg plant
1/4 avocado
Asparagus (10 spears)
3 whole wheat crackers
1 Tbsp olive oil and seasonings
Fish – 365 Calories
6 oz broiled white fish
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 pat of butter
1/2 cup of peas
8 oz diet iced tea
Tortellini – 366 Calories
3/4 cup tortellini
1/2 cup marinera
1 cup mixed vegetables
Chicken and Rice – 395 Calories
6 oz cooked chicken
2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
Stuffed Butternut – 376 Calories
1/2 small butternut squash (2 cups)
1/2 cup quinoa (prepared)
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup onion
curry seasoning
cilantro
1/4 cup lite coconut milk
Think you can estimate calorie amounts?
I can’t. It’s too hard.
It’s one of the reasons why it is so hard to eat healthy.Β Most meals you buy out are far more calorie-dense that what you thought.
If you don’t believe me – check out a standard Starbucks Hot Chocolate. It’s 440 Calories. Even you ask them to hold the whipped cream, it’s still 360 Calories.
What happens when you combine that with a snack? Maybe a small chocolate croissant.
Ouch! That’s another 340 Cals.
Looking for some easy ways you can save a lot of calories in your everyday cooking? Learn how cook healthy.
The Challenge
Most of these photos are from a doctor who had prepared a diet for his patients. He felt it was easier to show them the pictures.
I think the doctor’s done great here. Although there are some items I don’t like. Low-fat butter? What is that? Reduced fat oil?
I don’t like frankenfoods. Better to have the real thing, but in moderation.
What do you think?
Did you spot some meals that didn’t quite fit?
The ones with the colorful plate.
They were made by one of our writers here – Ted. I think they are much more enticing than the doctors photos. You can see all his recipes here.
Any better ideas?
MORE – 10 Quick Snacks for under 200 Calories
88 Comments
Ok
This is super helpful! And I totally agree – better to have the real thing in moderation. The only thing I wish was changed was the mashed potato dinner and the baked potato lunch. I have PCOS and have always been told to avoid white potatoes. I’m not 100% sure if sweet potatoes or yams are a better alternative but if they are, I’d love to know how to make a deliciously savoury baked yam lunch receipt or a mashed yam dinner recipe. I’m not a fan of the sweetness in the potatoes so that’s why I’m looking for more of a savoury palette.
could try adding a bit of brown sugar or the likeness of it for the mashed potatoes. i found that helped it may change the calorie count by a bit but i think the type of “sugar” im thinking of was zero calories i cant remember the name though
10 mini wheats, lil milk, 1 strawberry, pinch of raw mixed nuts, 3cm havarty cheese block, celery sticks. Boom. Slightly under 400 calories.
I lost 10 pounds recently.
Anyone have any meal ideas for a vegetarian that are 200-300 calories? I eat eggs, just not meat. Thanks!
What person don’t eat meat
vegetarians and vegans.
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Thanks for the ideas, I’ll use them in my meal planning! One of my new faves is two slices of toasted Ezekiel 4:9 flax bread (160 cals., in freezer section of the supermarket), half an avocado, mashed (approx. 150 cals, depending on the size of the avocado!), and a boiled egg, cooled and sliced (70 cals.). For 380 calories, this will fuel your morning or afternoon!
Thanks for such a clear presentation of 300 calorie meals. This pictures makes it easier to approximately gauge my meals and not go overboard.
Love your recipes. I’m always looking for new ideas for low calorie meals. I made a website called http://300caloriemeals.blogspot.com just so that I can save my recipes and share them with everyone. They are very simple recipes.
Really useful list. These meals are good examples that a low calorie meal can be very delicious.
Thanks for this post, deff have more ideas for breakfast now π
lovely
Thanks! I have to a project for school on a 7 day healthy meal planner and this website sure worked π ^0^ π ^3^ =)
*helped
Glad we could help Ceo! All the best with your project!
Awesome list, thanks! π Easy to make, see, AND helped make my grocery list a lot simpler, haha.
Glad it helped Jessica!
Ok… this actually sounds doable…. Thank you for adding the pics… wish me luck…I’m using this as a guide starting tomorrow
Good luck! And please let us know of any other low calorie creations you come up with.
Thanks for doing this! Helps me out a lot. Getting more aware on how my plate should look π
You are so welcome, we are glad it was useful for you and we wish you all the best with eating more healthfully.
Thanks for this post. I just want to know what it looks like. These are mostly foods I eat and now I know that I may be consuming a little more or less, depending on how many oz., or pats or type of veg., dressing, etc. Excellent visual.
You’re welcome! We’re glad you found it useful.
I have been using Calorie Calculator bestcaloriecounter(dot)com, an app all about fitness and balanced diet.This information too aids well visually
I like a toasted whole grain English muffin (110) with a pat of real butter (100), an over easy egg (70), and a thin slice of provolone (40). Makes for a tasty 320 calorie sandwich thats quick, easy, portable, and provides a pretty good energy kick. I have been trying to keep my regular meals under 400 calories, and between meal snacks (usually fruits and nuts) under 100 for the last few months and have dropped almost 30 lbs in the process by only changing my diet. Thanks for the ideas!
Great job! and thanks for the great breakfast suggestion!
Yum. That does sounds good. I forgot all about English muffins. I’m sick of bagels.
Amazing post! love this!! I have been doing fitness shows for 5 years now and trying to teach my friends and colleagues healthy eating using measurements is difficult- love the visual aspect !!
Thanks! Glad you liked it. Yes, much easier to judge portions if we have examples to follow.