On a diet? Juicy steaks can still be on the menu! When you hear “diet,” juicy steak probably doesn’t come to mind. But if you love meat, keep on eating it. Just make sure you choose lean cuts of steak with a relatively small amount of marbling (fat), such as filet mignon, sirloin, strip steak, and flank steak. Ground meat is easy to decipher, just check the label for the “percentage lean” and try to stick with 90%-lean or leaner. Browse through these recipes to choose your main course, then pick from the suggested side dishes, desserts or drinks to round out your 500-calorie meal. Download a FREE Healthy Burger Recipe Cookbook! Buy the book now, EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners. Watch us make a 500-calorie meal. Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Pictured Recipe: Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola 306 calories In our humble opinion, steak is best topped with sweet caramelized onions and salty Gorgonzola cheese. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Polenta (½ cup) 74 calories * Crushed Red Potatoes with Buttermilk 85 calories Choose one vegetable: * Asparagus drizzled with 1 tsp. olive oil (1 cup) 80 calories * Sautéed chard with 1 tsp. olive oil and a squeeze of lemon (1 cup) 76 calories Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich Pictured Recipe: Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich 294 calories Make this bistro-style sandwich, sauce and all, completely on the grill. If you’re in a hurry, just grill the steak and garlic and substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the grilled bell peppers. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash 135 calories *Roasted Red Potatoes (½ cup) 97 calories Choose one vegetable: * Roasted Asparagus (½ cup) 77 calories * Mixed greens (1½ cup) with 2 Tbsp. Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette 69 calories Mini Meatloaves Pictured Recipe: Mini Meatloaves Mini Meatloaves 209 calories Traditional meatloaf is made with ground beef, pork and veal; here we replace the veal with ground turkey for a tender, flavorful and leaner version of the classic. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash 135 calories *Zesty Dill Potato Salad 123 calories Choose one vegetable: * Glazed Mini Carrots 74 calories * Lemon-Dill Green Beans 74 calories Choose one dessert: * Apple Cider Granita 103 calories * Nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (½ cup) 95 calories Thai Beef Salad Pictured Recipe: Thai Beef Salad Thai Beef Salad 209 calories The steak for a Thai salad is often marinated before it’s broiled and that’s a shame, because most of those flavorings burn off and turn to naught. For the best taste, first sear the steak, then let it sit overnight in the marinade before tossing it with the greens. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Curried Carrot Soup 123 calories * Quinoa (½ cup) with chopped fresh mint and lime zest 111 calories Choose one side dish: * Orange Crisps with Citrus Fruit Salad 128 calories * Red wine (5-ounce glass) 120 calories Pictured Recipe: Szechuan Braised Meatballs Szechuan Braised Meatballs 289 calories We braise these spicy beef meatballs and Chinese cabbage in a bit of beef broth. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Brown rice (½ cup) 109 calories * Whole-wheat fettuccine (½ cup) 87 calories Choose one side dish: * Sesame Snap Peas with Carrots & Peppers 78 calories * Raspberry Applesauce 67 calories Pictured Recipe: Beef & Bean Chile Verde Beef & Bean Chile Verde 309 calories Chile Verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapeños and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish: * Quinoa with a squeeze of lime (½ cup) 111 calories * Avocado (¼) with 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream 100 calories Choose one dessert: * Banana Pudding Pops 82 calories * Chewy Chocolate Cookies 68 calories Pictured Recipe: Flemish Beef Stew Flemish Beef Stew 303 calories For this slow-cooker interpretation of Carbonnades Flamandes, a Flemish stew made with beer, if you can’t find a brown ale, use a strong, dark beer (but not a stout). To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one whole-grain: * Brown rice (1/2 cup) 109 calories * Whole-wheat orzo (1/2 cup) 87 calories Choose one vegetable: * Brussels Sprouts with Bacon-Horseradish Cream 80 calories * Roasted Squash & Fennel with Thyme 66 calories Pictured Recipe: Indian Wok-Seared Chicken & Vegetables More 500-Calorie Dinners: 500 Calorie Dinners: Chicken 500 Calorie Dinners: Soups 500 Calorie Dinners: Salads 500 Calorie Dinners: Sandwiches 500 Calorie Dinners: Seafood 500 Calorie Dinners: Fish 500 Calorie Dinners: Pork & Lamb 500 Calorie Dinners: Vegetarian 500 Calorie Dinners: 30-Minute Dinners
On a diet? Juicy steaks can still be on the menu!
When you hear “diet,” juicy steak probably doesn’t come to mind. But if you love meat, keep on eating it. Just make sure you choose lean cuts of steak with a relatively small amount of marbling (fat), such as filet mignon, sirloin, strip steak, and flank steak. Ground meat is easy to decipher, just check the label for the “percentage lean” and try to stick with 90%-lean or leaner. Browse through these recipes to choose your main course, then pick from the suggested side dishes, desserts or drinks to round out your 500-calorie meal. Download a FREE Healthy Burger Recipe Cookbook!
Buy the book now, EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners.
Watch us make a 500-calorie meal.
Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola
Pictured Recipe: Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola
Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola
306 calories
In our humble opinion, steak is best topped with sweet caramelized onions and salty Gorgonzola cheese. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
- Polenta (½ cup)
74 calories
*
Crushed Red Potatoes with Buttermilk
85 calories Choose one vegetable:
- Asparagus drizzled with 1 tsp. olive oil (1 cup)
80 calories
- Sautéed chard with 1 tsp. olive oil and a squeeze of lemon (1 cup)
76 calories
Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich
Pictured Recipe: Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich
Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich
294 calories
Make this bistro-style sandwich, sauce and all, completely on the grill. If you’re in a hurry, just grill the steak and garlic and substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the grilled bell peppers. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
- Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash
135 calories
*Roasted Red Potatoes (½ cup)
97 calories
Choose one vegetable:
- Roasted Asparagus (½ cup)
77 calories
- Mixed greens (1½ cup) with 2 Tbsp.
Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette
69 calories
Mini Meatloaves
Pictured Recipe: Mini Meatloaves
Mini Meatloaves
209 calories
Traditional meatloaf is made with ground beef, pork and veal; here we replace the veal with ground turkey for a tender, flavorful and leaner version of the classic. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
*Zesty Dill Potato Salad
123 calories Choose one vegetable:
Glazed Mini Carrots
Lemon-Dill Green Beans
74 calories Choose one dessert:
- Apple Cider Granita
103 calories
- Nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (½ cup)
95 calories
Thai Beef Salad
Pictured Recipe: Thai Beef Salad
Thai Beef Salad
The steak for a Thai salad is often marinated before it’s broiled and that’s a shame, because most of those flavorings burn off and turn to naught. For the best taste, first sear the steak, then let it sit overnight in the marinade before tossing it with the greens. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
- Curried Carrot Soup
123 calories
- Quinoa (½ cup) with chopped fresh mint and lime zest
111 calories Choose one side dish:
- Orange Crisps with Citrus Fruit Salad
128 calories
- Red wine (5-ounce glass)
120 calories
Pictured Recipe: Szechuan Braised Meatballs
Szechuan Braised Meatballs
289 calories
We braise these spicy beef meatballs and Chinese cabbage in a bit of beef broth. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
- Brown rice (½ cup)
109 calories
- Whole-wheat fettuccine (½ cup)
87 calories Choose one side dish:
- Sesame Snap Peas with Carrots & Peppers
78 calories
- Raspberry Applesauce
67 calories
Pictured Recipe: Beef & Bean Chile Verde
Beef & Bean Chile Verde
309 calories
Chile Verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapeños and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one side dish:
- Quinoa with a squeeze of lime (½ cup)
111 calories
- Avocado (¼) with 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
100 calories Choose one dessert:
- Banana Pudding Pops
82 calories
- Chewy Chocolate Cookies
68 calories
Pictured Recipe: Flemish Beef Stew
Flemish Beef Stew
303 calories
For this slow-cooker interpretation of Carbonnades Flamandes, a Flemish stew made with beer, if you can’t find a brown ale, use a strong, dark beer (but not a stout). To round out your 500-calorie meal, serve with one from each group: Choose one whole-grain:
Brown rice (1/2 cup)
Whole-wheat orzo (1/2 cup)
87 calories Choose one vegetable:
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon-Horseradish Cream
Roasted Squash & Fennel with Thyme
66 calories
Pictured Recipe: Indian Wok-Seared Chicken & Vegetables
More 500-Calorie Dinners:
500 Calorie Dinners: Chicken
500 Calorie Dinners: Soups
500 Calorie Dinners: Salads
500 Calorie Dinners: Sandwiches
500 Calorie Dinners: Seafood
500 Calorie Dinners: Fish
500 Calorie Dinners: Pork & Lamb
500 Calorie Dinners: Vegetarian
500 Calorie Dinners: 30-Minute Dinners
Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola
Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola
Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich
Bistro Flank Steak Sandwich
Mini Meatloaves
Mini Meatloaves
Thai Beef Salad
Thai Beef Salad
