8 Skinny Eats | Nutrition & Dieting slideshows | Well Being center

Delicious meals for under 600 calories

Generally, if you're trying to lose weight, your main meal for the day should be less than 600-700 calories. That includes sides, carbs and veggies. Although that doesn't sound like a lot of calories, by making some clever swaps and by using things like squash instead of potato and low fat yoghurt instead of full fat cream, you can enjoy your favorite meals for fewer calories, without compromising on flavor. All you'll need to do is make a shopping list, and once you've replaced your high-fat cupboard staples, you'll be well on your way to making healthy, delicious meals every day of the week.

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Change the way you eat for good

The simplest, easiest and most effective way to change the way you eat - and to change the way you eat for good - is to make small swaps. Instead of completely cutting out everything fatty, make small, steady swaps - these will cut out enough calories that you'll lose weight without feeling like you're on a diet. Plus, you can stick to it for life, too! Swap white bread and pasta for wholemeal, processed meat for lean, fresh meat and add plenty of veggies and fresh fruit to your diet. Swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes and consider eating a big side plate of veggies instead of pasta or potatoes - it'll fill you up just as much.

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Fish, chips and mushy peas

The classic British dish of fish, chips and mushy peas is a firm family favorite. But you can easily cut out the vast majority of fat and a huge number of calories by making it from scratch. Simply coat a white fish fillet first in egg, then into fresh seasoned wholemeal breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven until crisp. Serve with home-baked chips (simply chop sweet potatoes into chips, par boil, drain and then cover with spray oil and seasoning and bake in a hot oven til crisp) and homemade mushy peas - just whiz boiled petit pois in a blender with a pinch of salt, pepper, all natural sweetener and a small handful of fresh mint leaves until creamy.

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Easy carbonara

Carbonara doesn't have to be unhealthy - in fact, if you make it the traditional way with eggs and parmesan it's actually fairly low in calories. Switch fat-laden pancetta for lean smoked bacon and fry until crisp. Drain of fat and put into a bowl. Add one egg per person plus 30g grated parmesan cheese and whisk until really well combined. Pour over cooked pasta, then toss together in the pan with half a cup of the pasta water until saucy. Don't cook it over the heat as this will curdle the eggs - the heat of the pasta is all you need. Add black pepper to taste.

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Chocolate cake

There are literally hundreds of ways to cut calories in a chocolate cake and most of them are really easy! One recipe calls for a beaten egg, one sachet of low calorie hot chocolate mix and a dash of sweetener, beaten together in a mug and microwaved until slightly risen. In another, you can combine cocoa powder, a tiny quantity of flour, a little bit of sugar, an egg and a dash of veg oil - again, cooked in the microwave. Another alternative if you're really craving a "proper" chocolate cake is to use wholemeal flour and applesauce in place of the white flour and butter, and a little all natural sweetener and cocoa powder in place of sugr or melted milk chocolate.

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Breaded chicken

Breaded chicken is so, so good, but it's also so, so bad for you - right? Wrong. Make it yourself - simply dip a flattened chicken breast first into egg, then into fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Bake in the oven instead of frying, or if you want really crispy chicken, fry it in a little oil spray in a hot frying pan until golden before finishing it off in the oven. Serve with a big side salad, steamed veggies or butternut/winter squash chips and a dollop of ketchup.

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Pasta bake

Pasta bake is a family favorite but unfortunately, is often laden with fat and calories. Make it healthier - combine wholemeal pasta, a tomato based sauce packed with veggies and a little bit of spice - try cumin, dried chilli flakes and garlic granules and spread in a baking dish. Top with a little mature grated cheddar cheese, then bake until the pasta is bubbling and the cheese is melted. If you use plenty of herbs and spices in your food, you won't need to add fat - plus, a mature cheddar cheese is much more flavorful than a regular cheddar so you don't need to use as much.

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Chilli con Carne

Chilli con carne is the ultimate in comfort food but a combination of white rice, beans and fatty minced beef means that it can often be full of calories. Swap the white rice for cauliflower rice - made simply by whizzing cauliflower in a blender until finely chopped, then steaming in the microwave until tender. Swap regular lean mince for extra lean and use butter beans or kidney beans rather than baked beans - baked beans are filled with sugar and butter beans are filled with protein, meaning that they're much more filling. Use cumin, paprika, chilli powder and dried chilli flakes for flavor instead of a packet mix to save even more calories.

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Chicken curry

Chicken curry is one of our favorite meals but if you use a packet mix or ready-made curry sauce, it can often be filled with fat. Make a creamy, low-fat curry sauce by just covering cauliflower florets with chicken stock. Whiz until smooth, then add curry powder to taste. Voila! A delicious curry sauce packed with goodness. Add chunks of cooked chicken breast, onions, mushrooms and peas for a Chinese style curry and serve over homemade baked wedges or chips, or if you like, with wholegrain rice. You could even serve it with homemade bread or a wholemeal naan.

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One pot chicken stew

Chicken stew is one of our favorite winter meals - it's a cinch to make and is packed with delicious flavor. Make it healthier by using chicken breasts instead of thighs or a whole chicken and use a low-sodium chicken stock - too much salt can spell disaster for your health. Throw in plenty of tinned tomatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms and onions, then season with whatever you have in the cupboard - make it spicy with chilli or herby by adding dried basil, marjoram and oregano. Then just simmer until the chicken is tender - easy peasy and low in calories, too.