500 calorie recipes

A lighter ranch dressing made creamy with nonfat cottage cheese, low-fat mayo, and buttermilk powder, brightened with fresh dill and shallot. Thick, tangy, and only 19 calories per serving.

Creamy corn-potato soup pureed thick with skim milk, dry milk powder, mustard, garlic, and a touch of honey. Low-fat vegetarian chowder that tastes richer than its calorie count suggests.

Low-fat curried carrot soup simmers carrots in chicken broth, then purees with curry powder and a dash of hot sauce. Four-ingredient pantry soup that's silky, vibrant, and surprisingly low calorie.

Low-fat mocha chip muffins with cocoa, instant coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Applesauce replaces most of the oil for a tender, fudgy crumb under 100 calories per muffin.

Low-fat blueberry muffins with applesauce in place of butter, sweetened with sugar and maple syrup, and lightened with whipped egg whites. A moist tender breakfast bake under 150 calories per muffin.

Fresh roma tomatoes, fragrant dill, and a kick of cayenne come together in this silky pureed soup you can serve warm or chilled. Ready in 40 minutes with just 101 calories per bowl.

Adding broccoli and cheese to mashed potatoes is a neat twist. Plus it seriously reduces the calories when compared to traditional mashed potatoes. It's a great way to add some extra veggies for those extra picky kids.

A crisp, crunchy Asian-style salad with julienned radishes, cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, and a tangy soy-ginger dressing. Light, refreshing, and ready in under 30 minutes. A low-calorie side dish that packs serious flavor.

No-cook gazpacho made with Roma tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, garlic, and white wine vinegar. Five-minute blender soup, vegan, naturally low-calorie, and ready as soon as it chills. Summer in a glass.

Make this tortilla pizza for a quick yet delicious lunch or supper. It's spread with basil pesto, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, topped with broccoli, green bell pepper, mushrooms, onions and sun-dried tomato. Much lower calories and fat, but still tastes yummy.

Almond milk naturally contains fewer calories than plain soy or skim milk, and has higher amounts of calcium, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin A. Almond milk is our absolute favorite dairy replacement beverage, and is fantastic in lattes. From my blog at TransferOfHealth.com

A low-calorie party dip made from cottage cheese, garlic, parsley, white wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning. No cooking, just mix and chill. Light enough for any diet, flavorful enough for any crowd.

Unlike the classic French toast that's usually high in calories, fat and very rich. This recipe uses 1% milk, egg whites only and whole wheat bread, which makes a much healthier French toast for breakfast that still tastes delicious. Some fresh fruits, a cup of orange juice and a bit maple syrup, a yummy and wholesome breakfast is ready to enjoy.

Diabetic-friendly cabbage and pineapple salad with sugar substitute and light whipped topping. A sweet, crunchy no-cook side dish with zero added sugar.

Ginger peach parfait layers vanilla pudding with fresh peaches and spiced whipped topping flavored with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A light, no-bake dessert.

Broiled banana chocolate pudding with instant chocolate pudding topped with sliced bananas and brown sugar caramelized under the broiler. A 4-ingredient, low-fat dessert.