We love cooking in foil packets! They seal in moisture and steam your food, making it deliciously tender and creating “pan juices.” Cooking them is so easy as you place all of your ingredients in foil, fold the edges to create a packet and put it in the oven. And clean up is just throwing away the foil: no scrubbing or dishwasher required! But we recommend placing the packets on a baking sheet in case of leakage and to make removing them from the oven easy. When we find a whole meal recipe for a foil packet dinner that we like, we feel like we hit the jackpot.
Often, we share recipes that are low in carbs but may not be low in calories or fat. We know everyone’s health goals are different. Calories and fat might not be important if you are on a keto diet. But, at this time of year, we know that many people try tons of different diets and focus on low-fat or low-calorie goals. With that in mind, all of these recipes have fewer than 350 calories and fewer than 16 grams of fat. For a whole meal, that’s pretty good. We’ve included four different types of protein, so there’s something to fit your tastes!
This recipe is so low in calories that you may want to double your portion size depending on your goals and daily allowance. Or you can add extra veggies to your mix. Just be sure to add extra Cajun spice; the spice blend is the star of the dish elevating chicken and vegetables from run-of-the-mill to an amazing but easy midweek dinner! A serving has 154 calories, five grams of carbs, one gram of fiber and eight grams of fat. Get the recipe.
If you are out at a restaurant, one of the best parts of fajitas is hearing the sizzling skillet coming toward your table. But here, you get the flavors with none of the mess. The recipe gives instructions for cooking the fajitas on the grill or in the oven. While this recipe will be great in the summer, we’re staying inside in the evenings in January! All you need for serving are some low-carb tortillas, which can be bought at the store, and sliced avocado. A serving has 247 calories, seven grams of carbs, two grams of fiber and 15 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
White fish and low-carb vegetables pair up with garlic, cheese and butter to make a tasty and simple meal that could easily become one of your favorite go-to meals. This is simple but tastes decedent because of the cheese and seasoning. Packet cooking is one of our favorite ways to cook fish, as it stays so moist! A serving has 327 calories, two net grams of carbs and 13 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
Baking shrimp in foil lets you drench them in sauce without overcooking them! You get perfect buttered shrimp and veggies all ready to eat at the same time. This recipe is fast, delicious and impressive enough to share with guests if you are hosting people! The recipe says you can cook the shrimp with their tails on or off. We disagree — unless you are doing something with presentation, the tails should always come off. A serving has 347 calories, 18.8 grams of carbs, 3.7 grams of fiber and 15.3 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We hope these four dinner options help you pick a dinner this week as you take steps along your healthy journey! January is traditionally a time for turning over a new leaf. But whether you start now, next month or sometime in the future, these recipes are great in the oven or on a grill come warmer weather!
