500 calorie recipes

A light, golden soup with sweet corn, ribbon noodles, and celery simmered in vegetable stock with a warm hit of turmeric. Just 20 minutes from pot to bowl. Vegetarian and low calorie.

A light, jiggly tomato aspic salad made with tomato juice, unflavored gelatin, and a squeeze of lemon. Diabetic-friendly at just 15 calories per serving, served on crisp lettuce with colorful pepper strips.

Easy chocolate angel food cake combines boxed angel food mix with cocoa powder and water for a fat-free, low-calorie loaf with a tender, cloud-like crumb. Three ingredients and one bowl, no whipping required.

A favourite served at Din Tai Fung gets a healthy make-over. Water spinach, commonly known as kangkong, is rich in fibre, magnesium, vitamins A and C and is very low in calories. Word of caution: do not eat it raw as it may carry parasitic cysts from the waterways that are its natural habitat.