21 Easy Three-Step Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

These easy dinners were made to help you meet your nutritional goals. Each serving of these recipes has 575 calories or less and offers at least 6 grams of fiber to help you feel more full and stay satisfied for longer, which can be helpful for weight loss if that is your goal. Plus, they come together in just three steps or less to help save you time in the kitchen. Dishes like our One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta and Chicken Tinga Tostadas are nutritious, flavorful and easy to make for a healthy evening meal.

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One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

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This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you'll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

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Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

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This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.

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Brown Rice Shrimp Bowl with Tomatoes & Avocado

21 Easy Three-Step Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss (3)

This quick and easy bowl pairs brown rice with cooked shrimp, tossed in a ginger-soy-sesame sauce, to create a flavorful dish in no time. Topping with tomatoes and avocado adds color and nutrients. Use leftover brown rice or pick up a package of pre-cooked brown rice from the grocery store to keep this meal no-cook.

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One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta

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A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe.

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Chicken Tinga Tostadas

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These chicken tinga tostadas are topped with cotija cheese for a salty bite, while cilantro adds a pop of flavor and color. We bake the tortillas to ensure a crispy base, while also using less oil than deep-frying.

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Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

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Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well).

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Garlic-Anchovy Pasta with Broccolini

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Here, we sprinkle the final pasta dish with crumbled goat cheese for nice tangy bites throughout. But if you prefer a creamy sauce, stir the cheese into the pasta in Step 3 along with the reserved cooking water.

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Broccolini, Chicken Sausage & Orzo Skillet

21 Easy Three-Step Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss (8)

We love this quick skillet meal for busy evenings. The sausage and orzo simmer together in chicken broth, resulting in a creamy, risotto-like dish in under 30 minutes.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

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Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

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These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy.

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Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

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Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

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Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.

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Vegetarian Chili with Salad Beans

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This quick vegetarian chili relies on pantry ingredients like canned beans and canned tomato soup to create a fast and flavorful meal. Top with your favorite garnishes, such as jalapeños and avocado.

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Southwest Chopped Salad with Tomatillo Dressing

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Jicama is the crunchy, sweet tuberous root of a legume native to Central America. If you love it in this salad, try including sticks of it with your next crudités spread.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa

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Tart preserved grapefruit and fresh grapefruit segments combine with avocado to make a complex salsa that pairs nicely with fish.

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White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

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Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe—providing texture and umami. Combined with the spinach, they make this dish a great source of vitamins C and K.

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Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

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Red Beans and Rice with Chicken

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Fiber-rich red beans, whole-grain brown rice and skillet-cooked chicken breast are ready in just 20 minutes.

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Fish Taco Wraps

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These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes.

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Waldorf Salad with Chicken & Rutabaga

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A cross between turnip and cabbage, rutabagas have purple-tinged yellow skin and yellow, slightly sweet flesh. Adding this veg along with chicken to this classic side transforms it into a hearty dinner salad.

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21 Easy Three-Step Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

FAQs

What are some good meals for a calorie deficit? ›

Calorie Deficit Breakfast Meals
  • Spiced Apple Oats with Honey (2)
  • Baked Egg Muffins with Spinach (13)
  • Garden Vegetable Frittata (8)
  • Vegetable Soup (12)
  • Mushroom and Mint Salad (11)
  • Chicken Enchiladas (6)
  • Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry (9)
  • Citrus Chicken and Kale Salad (5)
Apr 20, 2024

How many calories are in a low-calorie dinner? ›

“A low-calorie meal can be in the 300 to 400 calorie range for breakfast and 500 to 600 calorie range for lunch and dinner meals, and 100 to 200 calorie range for snacks,” says Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., C.D.E.S., F.A.N.D., registered dietitian nutritionist and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.

What is the best dinner to lose belly fat? ›

What foods burn belly fat fast?
  • Olive oil.
  • Beans.
  • Legumes.
  • Nuts.
  • Seeds.
  • Plain yogurt.
  • Fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, anchovy, herring, sardines.
  • Eggs, skinless chicken, and lean meats.
Apr 9, 2024

How did Kelly Clarkson lose her weight? ›

Exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of it progressing. Clarkson credits her move to New York City for helping her get active. In an exclusive interview with People, she revealed that she's lost weight because she's now taking her wellness seriously and walking more.

What is an example of a fat-free meal? ›

Rice noodles are another fat-free option that may be added to Asian soups and salads. Enjoy air-popped popcorn as a fat-free snack. LIQUIDS Water, coffee and tea contain no fat. Sodas and fruit drinks are also free of fat, but still provide considerable calories while offering little in the way of nutrients.

How much weight will I lose on 1500 calories a day? ›

How much weight will I lose on a 1,500-calorie meal plan? How much you lose from following this meal plan will vary depending on your age, weight, body composition, how active you are and more. Losing one to two pounds a week is a safe and realistic target for most people.

How to lose 5 pounds in a week? ›

Losing 5 pounds a week comes to reducing your food intake by 3500 calories over seven days. The value that represents the decrease in calorie intake is known as the calorie deficit. If you want to lose 5 pounds in a week, you will need to reduce your food intake by 17,500 calories, which is a huge calorie deficit.

How many calories should I eat a day to lose 2 pounds a week? ›

For example, to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week — a rate that experts consider safe — your food consumption should provide 500 to 1,000 calories less than your total weight-maintenance calories. If you need 2,325 calories a day to maintain your current weight, reduce your daily calories to between 1,325 and 1,825.

Is 1500 calories too low? ›

Some people may choose to restrict their daily intake to 1,500 calories. While factors such as age, gender, and activity level can cause caloric needs to vary, a 1,500-calorie intake is typically less than the average person requires. As a result, this diet may help some people lose weight.

Is 1500 calories enough for a 14-year-old? ›

Daily Caloric Needs by Age

Moderately active boys should consume around 1,600 calories per day from ages 6 to 8. By 9 to 10 years old, they need closer to 1,800 calories and by 11 to 13 they need about 2,200. By ages 14 to 17, this bumps up to 2,400 to 2,800 calories each day.

Is 1200 calories enough? ›

Consuming at least 1,200 calories per day has often been touted as the minimum for basic bodily functions and to stay out of starvation mode, but the amount is actually too low. A healthy amount of calories for adult women ranges from 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day and for men it's 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day.

What do you eat on a 1200 calorie diet a day? ›

Another example of a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet:
  • Breakfast. One serving of whole-grain toast (100 calories) Two eggs (140 calories) ...
  • Lunch. Three ounces of grilled chicken breast (120 calories) One cup of steamed broccoli (55 calories) ...
  • Dinner. Three ounces of fish (120 calories) One cup of mixed greens (5 calories)
Jan 24, 2023

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