Low calorie main meals that don't seem low calorie

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

I really need to lose some weight. What are your favourite low or lower calorie meals that won't 'feel low calorie' to the other adults in the house?
I would like to be able to serve the same food to everyone, no substitutions for me (although I could eg leave off the roast potatoes from a roast dinner so I basically just have lean meat and veg).
No dietary requirements. Thank you.

I use bed of spinach leaves to replace carbs. Yes of course it's noticeable but I don't comment and nor does anyone else. I sometimes do put a spoonful of rice or noodles in as well. Smaller plates for you really work too.

I think are swaps you can make to reduce calories in almost any meal. I guess it all depends on how low you are looking for.

For any thing that requires oil putting your oil into a spray bottle and using that really decreases the amount used.

Replace oil based dressings for balsamic vinegar.
Bake or grill rather that fry wherever possible.

Use only low fat meats.

Decrease your portions. Replace oil where you can.

Less processed food.

Shakshuka, it's filling and tasty as it is without any real requirement to alter it - depending on the recipe I suppose you might need to watch oil. I don't use a recipe so not sure on that! But mine is usually lots of onions and peppers, spices, crushed tomatoes and eggs then lots of fresh herbs. We serve it with crusty bread and you could just have none or less of that. I've also done it with chorizo in, but you need very little to get the flavour.

Chilli too, but that might need a little more attention paying. If you load it with veg (I don't use beans in mine, don't like them) the calories are pretty low.

Swap dishes with cheese or cream sauces for tomato based.

Vegetable chilli - you could have it with a fresh veg/fruit salsa. Others could have it with rice or jacket spuds.

Burger meal - you could have big roasted mushrooms in a bap with salad; others could have whatever burgers plus wedges, as well as the salad.

You could have courgette or butternut spirals instead of pasta, for a pasta meal.

Sausage and mash - do sweet potato mash instead of potato; have lots of green vege with it

I've spiralized courgettes & added them to pad out spaghetti just before the end of cooking. Only comment was how nice the spag tasted !
You can also get "pasta" made from things like peas & lentils. I like them but DH wasn't keen. I think my mistake was leaving the packets out so he was prejudiced before trying them!
No need to cut out roasties, perhaps have 2 instead of 4.

Sugar is the enemy, not fat

I joined a weight loss programme in November and I have lost 3 stone thus far. I cook exactly the same meals as I did before, but I fry nothing in oil. Not even a little bit. So I make all the pasta sauces, meatballs, cottage pie, Greek dishes, curries, roasts.

I also portion control, in that I replace a third of my meal with salad or steamed vegetables. So I don't end up feeling hungry.

My family, 3 kids and DP all eat the same food as me and happily so.

I always recommend this book for calorie counters. Fat Girl Slim.

My favourites were Chicken w/squash, cabbage, mushroom; Yogurt chicken on spiced lentils; Mushroom and won ton soup. Prawn laksa also, but quite hard to shop for and a bit of a performance.

She writes really well about the principles of making the food seem big, satisfying and entertaining.

Thank you for some great ideas.

Up your protein and count calories and you can eat anything.

Look at The Fitness Chef and James Smith PT for ideas.

Pad out everything with veg basically. So spaghetti will be half spaghetti and half courgetti. Grate veg like carrots, sweet pots, and add them to Bolognese, chilli, etc - ditto lentils - just cook them well and they vanish in the sauce and thicken it.
Anything where the veg is served on the side, just make sure you have loads of it and less of the calorific bits.
Make sauces for fish/chicken from tomato, or lemon/orange (thicken with cornflour), dash of sweet chilli etc.

Look at pinch of nom. Some good recipes on there, creamy garlic chicken, lemon chicken pasta, chicken Pasanda, creamy peppered beef. I lost 10lb in 7 weeks using PON recipes for my evening meals.

Roast vegetables rather than boiling or steaming

It really is mainly portion size. And not snacking in between.

As you dish up your main meal, give yourself half the rice, pasta or potato you would normally serve.

The Fast 800 cook book recipes are good - easy to cook and taste great. You can add carbs in for other members of the family by serving with rice or potatoes.

Carbs are fine. Eat everything and just count your calories.