5 Low-Calorie Lunches That Will Fill You Up

If you're aiming to shed some pounds, creating a calorie deficit is essential.

Not sure what a calorie deficit is? We've got you covered with all the detail in this article, including how to achieve it.

One of the simplest and most effective strategies is to opt for meals that are low in calorie density. This means they're big on volume but low on calories, helping you feel full throughout the day without overeating.

We've put together a list of 5 of our favorite lunch recipes that fit this bill.

Plus, each of these meals is high in protein, which helps keep you feeling satisfied longer.

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On the other hand, remember that the Fitia app offers these and thousands more lunch recipes with complete nutritional information.

You can customize the ingredients as you wish (based on your nutritional needs), and the nutritional information updates instantly. Plus, you can add recipes to your days and see how they fit your nutrient requirements. Download Fitia for free here.

Now, let’s dive into these 5 delicious, filling, and low-calorie lunch recipes.

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1. Chicken Salad with Avocado, Toasts and Orange Dressing

⌛️Prep time: 15 minutes

🍽 Servings: 1 salad

🔥 Nutritional information per Salad (385 g).

• Calories: 448 kcal
• Protein: 40 g
• Carbohydrates: 41 g
• Fat: 14 g

🍴 Ingredients for 1 serving.

• Spinach - 1 cup (30 g)
• Chicken breast - 1 medium fillet (150 g)
• Avocado - 1/4 unit (60 g)
• Lettuce - 1 cup (35 g)
• Orange Juice - 1/4 glass (63 ml)
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon (3 g)
• Honey - 1/2 tablespoon (10 g)
• Toast - 1 piece (35 g) - You can choose whole grain toast if you prefer.

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. Grill the chicken. Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat. If you don't have a non-stick skillet, use just a little oil.
2. While the skillet is heating up, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes per side on medium heat.
3. Make a vinaigrette by combining the salt, orange juice, and honey.
4. Chop the vegetables and slice the avocado. Mix the vegetables with the chicken.
5. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and toss everything together. 
6. Serve with toast, either chopped (like croutons) or whole.

📲Open the recipe in Fitia here.

2. Fish with Quinoa and Cucumber and Onion Salad

⌛️ Prep time: 25 minutes (assuming the quinoa is already cooked)

🍽 Number of servings: 1 portion

🔥 Nutritional information per 1 serving (347 g).

• Calories: 361 kcal
• Protein: 34 g
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Fat: 13 g

🍴 Ingredients for 1 serving.

• Fish - 1 medium fillet (150 g)
• Quinoa - 1/2 cup cooked (100 g)
• Cucumber - 1/3 cup (40 g)
• Red Onion - 1/4 unit (38 g)
• Olive Oil - 1/2 tablespoon (5 g)
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon (15 g)

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. For this recipe, you will need to have the quinoa pre-cooked.
2. Season the fish with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Optional: a pinch of paprika.
3. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Once hot, add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat.
4. Once cooked to your liking, remove from heat.
5. For the salad, chop the red onion and slice the cucumber thinly. If you like, you can rinse the onion in salted water to reduce its bitterness.
6. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper. You may add any herbs of your choice. 
7. Serve the fish with quinoa and salad on a plate.

📲Open the recipe in Fitia here

3. Grilled Pork with Oregano Potatoes and Zucchini

⌛️ Prep time: 25 minutes

🍽 Number of servings: 1

🔥 Nutritional information per 1 serving (402 g).

• Calories: 449 kcal
• Protein: 48 g
• Carbohydrates: 22 g
• Fat: 19 g

🍴 Ingredients for 1 serving.

• Pork - 1 large steak (200 g) - Preferably pork loin
• Potato - 1/2 medium unit (90 g)
• Zucchini - 1/2 unit (100 g)
• Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon (10 g) - Preferably extra virgin
• Oregano - 1/2 tablespoon (2 g)

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. Use lean pork cuts for this recipe 
2. Wash, peel, slice the potato and place in a pot of boiling water for 10-12 minutes. Once done, remove.
3. Place the grill over high heat and while heating, season the pork with salt and pepper.
4. Once heated, pour in half of the oil. Add the pork and brown on both sides for 6 minutes over medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, wash and cut the zucchini into thin slices.
6. On the griddle pan over medium heat, pour the remaining oil, add the zucchini together with the potato and cook for 4 minutes per side until softened.
7. On a plate serve the pork with the vegetables and sprinkle with oregano. If you wish, you can add garlic powder.

📲Open the recipe in Fitia here.

4. Tuna and Bean Salad

⌛️ Prep time: 15 minutes (assuming the beans are already cooked)

🍽 Number of servings: 1

🔥 Nutritional information per 1 serving (408 g).

• Calories: 393 kcal
• Protein: 40 g
• Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Fat: 11 g

🍴 Ingredients for 1 serving.

• Beans - 1/2 cup cooked (100 g)
• Tuna - Canned In Water - 1 can (120 g)
• Tomato - 1/2 unit (65 g)
• Red Onion - 1/4 unit (38 g)
• Cucumber - 1/2 cup (60 g)
• Parmesan Cheese - 1 tablespoon (5 g)
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon (15 g)
• Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp (5 g) - Preferably extra virgin

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. For this recipe  you need cooked beans
2. Cut the tomato and cucumber into medium pieces.
3. Crop the red onion.
4. Drain and shred the tuna.
5. In a bowl place the beans, tomato, cucumber, tuna and red onion.
6. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

📲Open the recipe in Fitia here.

5. Asian Style Crispy Chicken Salad

⌛️ Prep time: 25 minutes

🍽 Number of servings: 1

🔥 Nutritional information per 1 salad (282 g).

• Calories: 360 kcal
• Protein: 44 g
• Carbohydrates: 12 g
• Fat: 14 g

🍴 Ingredients for 1 salad

• Chicken breast - 1 medium fillet (150 g)
• Lettuce - 2 cups (70 g)
• Egg - Whole - 1 piece (55 g)
• Oil - 1/2 tablespoon (5 g) - Preferably extra virgin olive oil
• Flour - 1 tablespoon (10 g) - If you wish, you can use oat flour or others.
• Soy Sauce - 1 tablespoon (14 g)
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon (15 g)

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. Beat the egg and set aside.
2. Cut the chicken into thin strips, dip in the beaten egg, then in the flour and repeat until all the chicken strips are coated.
3. In a pan, add the oil and spread. If you wish, you can use sesame seed oil.
4. Once heated, add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through.
5. If there is leftover beaten egg, you can make an omelet in the pan where the chicken was cooked.
6. Separately, chop the lettuce and place in a bowl. Serve the chicken on top.
7. Season with the soy sauce, lemon juice and, if you wish, you can add a pinch of stevia or the sweetener of your liking.

📲Open the recipe in Fitia here