7 meal-prep dinner ideas that contain 500 calories or fewer — from a Mediterranean bowl to tacos — according to a dietitian

Porpora said this meal is easy to prepare and fun to eat. You can use a pound of ground turkey or chicken, she said, which will give about three to four servings.Sauté the meat with some chopped vegetables like zucchini and add tamari and ginger for flavor. Divide everything onto some butter lettuce leaves with sriracha and enjoy, she said. Porpora said she likes vegetables to make up about half of the meals she makes because they're full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. She said fiber helps make meals filling, while keeping them under 500 calories.The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have lots of health benefits, Porpora said, so it's great to incorporate some Mediterranean dishes into your meal plan. She said a balance of protein, healthy fats, and a variety of vegetables make Mediterranean food and this bowl very nutritious.Porpora said to chop romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion into a bowl. Add canned chickpeas, feta, tahini, and olive oil to finish this meal. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fiber that can keep in your fridge for a long time, she said. You can add extra protein to this meal if you'd like or brown rice for extra fiber and carbohydrates, she said.Porpora said to season one pound of ground turkey with salt, pepper, one to two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and any other spices you desire. Shape the turkey into four patties and cook on a pan or grill. Porpora said she likes to wrap her patties in lettuce or put them on top of a salad for a filling meal under 500 calories. You can sprinkle cheese on top or air fry sweet potatoes to add to this meal, she said.Turkey is a great source of lean protein without a lot of saturated fat, which can increase your risk for heart disease, as Insider's Erin Heger previously reported. If you have any leftovers, Porpora said they will also store well in the fridge or freezer.This zucchini soup is delicious and creamy, Porpora said, but is also calorie-light and very nutritious. She said to sauté eight cloves of garlic, one inch minced ginger root, a half inch minced turmeric root, two small yellow onions, and seven small zucchinis in a large pot with olive oil.Add four cups of vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil before covering it and reducing to a simmer. Let it simmer until the zucchini is soft and then blend the soup in batches until it's smooth.Heat up the soup again and add salt and pepper for taste. She said you can add nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds on top for a bit more protein.This butternut squash soup is a heavier option, Porpora said, that is great for the fall months. She said squash is rich in vitamin A as well as beta carotene, which is an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation. Foods that are in season, like squash in the fall, are always great to include in your meals, because they're particularly rich in vitamins, she said.To prepare, Porpora said to dice and then roast a butternut squash in the oven at 375 degrees with olive oil and salt until it softens and starts to brown. Then sauté onions, garlic in olive oil in a large pot.Once the squash becomes tender, throw it in the pot and add spices like ginger, turmeric, and curry powder. Add a 15-ounce can of coconut milk, two cups of low-sodium chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Purée this mixture to make the soup. For this salad, Porpora chops and washes the kale and lets it dry for about 15 minutes. She then makes a vegan dressing by blending together hemp seeds, garlic, olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and lemon.Kale doesn't get as soggy as as other leafy greens, so she likes to dress the salad before storing in the fridge. Right before eating, she toasts some nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and cashews, and cuts up an avocado to add in.Porpora said you can omit the salmon, but she likes it as a source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids, which are good for heart health and reducing inflammation. She said she uses a three to four ounce piece of salmon and bakes it in advance.These tacos are incredibly easy to prepare ahead of time, Porpora said, because you can roast a bunch of vegetables at once. Throw vegetables like onion, peppers, and zucchini in the oven, with some salt, pepper, cilantro, and paprika. Add the roasted vegetables, some canned black beans, avocado, and cilantro on the tortillas when you're ready to eat. Herbs like cilantro are a potent source of antioxidants, she said, which help neutralize toxins in the body and bring down inflammation. Canned black beans are cheap, easy to store, and full of fiber and protein as well, she said.

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7 meal-prep dinner ideas that contain 500 calories or fewer — from a Mediterranean bowl to tacos — according to a dietitian

Chicken lettuce cups

Mediterranean bowl

Bunless turkey burger

Zucchini soup

Butternut squash coconut soup

Kale Caesar salad with salmon

Black bean and vegetable tacos

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

7 meal-prep dinner ideas that contain 500 calories or fewer &mdash; from a Mediterranean bowl to tacos &mdash; according to a dietitian

Chicken lettuce cups

Mediterranean bowl

Bunless turkey burger

Zucchini soup

Butternut squash coconut soup

Kale Caesar salad with salmon

Black bean and vegetable tacos

7 meal-prep dinner ideas that contain 500 calories or fewer — from a Mediterranean bowl to tacos — according to a dietitian