Best ever healthy Italian recipes under 500 calories

Our healthy Italian recipe collection is an easy way to enjoy delicious Italian food without the calories - from our skinny pizza and flatbreads, to fresh salads and low calorie pasta dishes, there is something for everyone

January 4, 2016 at 11:49 am

Skinny pizza

On a diet but craving pizza? This pizza has a thin and crisp base, a rich but light tomato sauce and is topped with creamy mozzarella, rocket and a little parmesan. It’s the perfect low calorie meal with only 360 calories for half a pizza!

Marinated summer veg antipasti

The best antipasti recipes use a colourful mix of summer veg. It’s a healthy mix of aubergines, peppers, courgette and mushrooms and makes a perfect accompaniment to any healthy meal idea. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Courgetti with pesto and balsamic tomatoes

Who needs pasta when you can have spiralized courgette? Try this low calorie meal made with, baby plum tomatoes, garlic, pesto, pine nuts and a lot of courgette noodles.

Grilled sardines with lemon

The best way to cook sardines is to lightly grill them as we have here. For a healthy meal idea use just three ingredients; sardines, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon these gorgeous shiny oily fish are ready in a flash – the taste of summer on a plate.

Grilled polenta with tomato and olive salad

Looking for healthy meal ideas? Try this simple Italian dish made with polenta. Cook in advance, then cut into wedges and grill. Serve with a tomato and olive salad as a healthy lunch or light starter.

Tuscan bean and barley stew

This recipe for Tuscan bean and barley stew is a perfect one to have on hand for a quick and healthy dinner. It’s ready in 30 minutes, serves 4 and is under 200 calories. You can use any leafy greens for this, just whatever you have around.

Primavera salad

This lemon and herb infused veggie primavera salad is a great healthy meal idea. It’s packed full of delicious ingredients like asparagus, goat’s cheese and zesty lemon and made even better with Gallo 3 cereal expresso – a mix of grains and orzo, which gives it a lovely silky texture.

Spicy prawn linguine

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. This spicy prawn linguine has a spicy chilli kick to keep it interesting. It’s so delicious you’ll forget that you’re being virtuous.

Flatbread pizza with prosciutto and gorgonzola

Need some inspiration for some low calorie meals? Put the delivery leaflet down. This crisp flatbread is a great, much more healthy alternative to deep-pan delivery pizza. Topped with fresh ingredients, the prosciutto and gorgonzola give plenty of flavour and punch.

Easy green minestrone

This recipe for easy green minestrone is really quick and easy to make, vegetarian, and healthy, too. Perfect for a healthy meal.

Valentine Warner’s dover sole with salmoriglio

Valentine Warner’s dover sole with salmoriglio is an example of delicious simplicity and is great for a healthy dinner. Salmoriglio is a bit like salsa verde made with oregano. Marjoram is related to oregano but has a sweeter, subtler flavour.

Sicilian-style fish stew

Fish gently simmered in a tomato and couscous sauce topped with zesty gremolata for a filling and healthy dinner idea.

Cannellini bean, avocado and prosciutto salad

Use canned beans to boost a fresh tomato salad. With prosciutto and avocado this is Italian-style healthy eating that’s ideal for a midweek healthy meal idea.

Antipasti rigatoni

This recipe for antipasti rigatoni is a great Italian-inspired recipe for a speedy, healthy dinner. Using the best Italian antipasti ingredients and combining it with pasta is ideal for a mid-week meal.

Panzanella (Tuscan bread salad)

The best recipe for panzanella. This quick no-cook salad of ripe tomatoes and crunchy cucumber is a great way to use up stale bread for a healthy, low calorie meal.

Spinach and risotto-stuffed tomatoes

A simple vegetarian and healthy dinner (as long as you can find a veggie alternative to Parmesan), made from leftover risotto, pine nuts and lots of spinach. Great served with mash and greens.

Sicilian aubergine pizzas

A great idea for a super healthy meal. These Sicilian aubergine pizzas are a great twist on a family favourite. They use crème fraîche instead of a tomato base, charred aubergines, sultanas and pesto, with rocket and pine nuts for a bit of extra crunch. They’re 36 calories over, but so worth it!

Butternut squash lasagne

This vegetarian take on a family favourite is perfect if you’re trying to cut back on meat, and is ready in just 30 minutes. Making it perfect for a quick and healthy meal idea.

Lentil ‘meatballs’ with fresh tomato sauce Looking for healthy dinner ideas? Lentils are a great way to make a meal vegetarian. Swap these for your usual meatballs and your family will hardly notice the difference. Plus, they’re low-cal and ready in just 40 minutes.

Baked gnocchi with broccoli, blue cheese and walnuts

This recipe for baked gnocchi with broccoli, blue cheese and walnuts is really easy and ready in under an hour – perfect for a low calorie meal. Blue cheese is lovely in this, but you can adapt it to suit cheeseboard leftovers if you like

Chicken, red pepper & olive cacciatore

This summery Italian one-pot is easy to make and freezes brilliantly, plus, it’s a great healthy dinner idea and gluten free. The recipe is easily halved if you only want to serve 3-4 people.