Our Top 5 Minute Lunches for Under 500 Calories

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Sally-Anne Turner

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!

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

1. Pre-heat your grill to a medium heat.
2. Add the passata to your beetroot wrap and pop under the grill for a couple of minutes to heat through.
3. Remove the wrap from under the grill, add the reduced fat cheese and arrange all your other toppings.
4. Pop back under the grill under the cheese is fully melted.
5. Cut up into slices like a regular pizza and enjoy!

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.

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)

1. Quick and easy, simply throw all your veggies in a bowl and mix up.
2. Top with your ham hock and drizzle with your dressing.

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!

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)

1. Get your toastie maker warmed up but if you don’t have one, a ‘George Foreman’ style grill will do the trick.
2. Spread your pickle across the two slices of bread.
3. Load your ham and sliced cheese onto one slice of the bread and top with the other slice.
4. 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.

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!

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)

1. Get your frying pan warming up with your low calorie cooking spray.
2. Fry your two bacon medallions to a colour that suits you.
3. 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.
4. 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)
5. Plate up once everything is cooked and enjoy!

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!

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

1. Boil your chicken for 10 minutes.
2. Shred your chicken and mix the fish sauces, lime zest and juice and a touch of sugar together in a separate dish.
3. Mix your salad leaves with your coriander and top with the chicken and crunchy veg.
4. Add as much dressing as you like and enjoy!

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 !