No-Cook Meal Ideas from 400 Calorie Fix

It's been a long day, and you're just too tired to cook. You may be tempted to ditch your diet and dial up dinner—but that’s not a good option over the long term for your weight loss or your wallet. To help you stick to your calorie budget, we rounded up 9 delicious no-cook meals from Prevention’s 400 Calorie Fix! Following the 400 Calorie Fix diet is easy.

Just eat four, 400-calorie meals each day. These simple 400-calorie recipes and meal ideas make use of leftovers in your fridge, staples in your pantry, fresh veggies and herbs, and can be assembled in minutes! Some of these meals make use of your microwave, but they’re so easy, we still consider them “no-cook” recipes.

See 9 healthy no-cook meals from 400 Calorie Fix!

Excerpted from the 400 Calorie Fix by Liz Vaccariello, with Mindy Hermann, RD, and the Editors of Prevention (Rodale). Order your copy today!

You can get rid of at least an ounce of bagel—80 to 100 calories—by scooping out (and not eating) the insides of your bagel. Plus you'll be able to fit more fillings without creating a sandwich that is too tall for you to bite. Spread the Miracle Whip on the bagel, then top with egg, lettuce, and tomato.

Whole wheat bagel, hollowed out, 4" (230)
Hard-boiled egg, sliced 1 (80)
Miracle Whip Light, 1 Tbsp (40)
Lettuce, 2 leaves (10)
Tomato, 2 slices (10)
Large iced coffee with 3 oz low-fat milk (40)
Total calories: 410

See more healthy ways to enjoy breakfast for dinner.

This meal offers a perfect opportunity to check out that baked-potato option on your microwave. Scrub the potato well, set the microwave to cook one potato, and you're ready to go. After the potato is done cooking, heat the chili in the microwave separately for about a minute or two on high; stopping the microwave to test the temperature as needed. Top the potato with the cheese and then the chili if you like the cheese to be melted.

Potato, 1 medium (160)
Canned vegetarian chili, 1/2 cup (90)
Grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, 2 Tbsp (40)
100-calorie ice cream sandwich, 1 (100)
Total calories: 390

Use only fresh basil—dried has a totally different flavor—and the best Parmesan you can find. Spread the lettuce on a plate, then top with each of the ingredients, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve with a slice of bread.

Mesclun lettuce, 2 cups (20)
Bocconcini or fresh mozzarella, 2 oz (150)
Sliced tomato, 1 medium (20)
Fresh basil, slivered, 2 Tbsp (0)
Olive oil, 2 tsp, mixed with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (90)
Grated Parmesan, 1/2 oz (60)
Italian bread, 2/3-oz slice (50)
Total calories: 390

For a change of pace, try this salad with raw spinach in place of field greens and peanuts rather than sunflower seeds. Salad dressing sprays add a lot of flavor with very few calories. Top the greens with each of the ingredients and enjoy with a side of rice crackers.

Field greens, 2 cups (20)
Cooked chicken breast strips, 1/2 cup (120)
Sunflower seeds, 2 Tbsp (90)
Shelled edamame, 1/4 cup (50)
Sliced water chestnuts, 1/4 cup (30)
Newman's Own Asian Sesame Natural Salad Mist, 10 sprays (10)
Rice crackers, 6 (110)
Total calories: 430

See more 5-minute 400-calorie meal ideas.

Dice the egg and break the tuna and cheese into small pieces to give every bite of salad a burst of flavor. Use any salad dressing spray or switch to balsamic vinegar. Pair the salad with a toasted English muffin and wash it down with a cup of refreshing iced tea.

Spinach, 2 cups (15)
Light tuna, packed in water, drained and rinsed, 1/4 cup (50)
Hard-cooked egg, 1 (80)
Crumbled blue cheese, 2 Tbsp (60)
Salad dressing spray, 10 sprays (10)
Toasted whole wheat English muffin, 1 (130)
Sweet iced tea, 1 cup (60)
Total calories: 405

Cook up extra veggies the next time you fire up the grill or pick up grilled veggies at the deli counter of your market. If the veggies look shiny, they're too oily, so blot them with paper towels to degrease. You can warm up the veggies in the microwave before adding them to the wrap if you’d like. Top the tortilla with all of the ingredients and pair with a fruit salad for dessert.

Whole wheat tortilla, one 7" (120)
Soft goat cheese, 1 oz (2 Tbsp) (80)
Grilled red bell pepper, 1/4 medium sliced (10)
Grilled portobello mushroom, 1 slice (20)
Grilled red onion, 1 slice (10)
Grilled zucchini, 1/4 cup (5)
Olive oil used for grilling, 1 Tbsp (120)
Fruit salad, 1/2 cup (50)
Total calories: 415 

Hollowing out the roll gets rid of a few calories and makes more room for fillings. We prefer fresh turkey breast to deli turkey because it tends to be less salty. Pile the roll with all of the toppings here to spruce up your standard turkey sandwich.

Whole wheat roll, hollowed out, 1 medium (110)
Fresh turkey breast, 2 oz (80)
Asiago cheese, 1-oz slice (110)
Sliced apple, 1/2 small (40)
Chutney, 1 Tbsp (30)
Lettuce, 2 leaves (10)
Sliced almonds, 1 Tbsp (30)
Total calories: 410

Cool off with this refreshing chilled soup. The recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and then 2 hours of cooling time. It’s a great lunch to enjoy al fresco and delicious when paired with crunchy chips and a glass of sangria.

1 serving of the Shrimp Gazpacho Recipe (220)
1 ounce baked tortilla chips (120)
1/2 cup sangria mixed with 1/2 cup seltzer (80)
Total calories: 420

This filling salad can be ready in 10 minutes and makes for a filling dinner. This main dish salad recipe will satisfy your taste buds with turkey, apples, walnuts, blue cheese, dried fruits, and a flavorful dressing.

1 serving of the Harvest Salad Recipe (330)
1 slice whole grain bread (70)
Total calories: 400

More from Prevention: 400-Calorie Summer Recipes