10 Best Calorie Smart HelloFresh Meals 2025: <650 Calories

I was surprised at the variation of calorie-smart meals on HelloFresh’s menu. Be it vegetarian or spicy, steaks or seafood, you’ll surely find something to fit your taste while not upping your daily calorie intake by too much.

So, no matter if you want to stay fit, lose some weight, or heavy meals simply don’t fit well with your lifestyle and appetite, you can take a look at my list of some of the best calorie smart meals that HelloFresh has to offer.

I was also impressed to see how balanced and filling they all are, and how much flavor goes into them. My top choice out of the whole menu has to be the Bulgogi Lime Pork Tenderloin, as not only is it low in calories, but it's also an exotic, Korean-inspired recipe.

The Best Calorie Smart HelloFresh Meals Reviewed

1. Bulgogi Lime Pork Tenderloin – Best Overall Calorie Smart Recipe

Key Features

• 540 calories per portion

• Ready in 35 mins total, only 10 mins prep time

• Exotic Korean taste, Bulgogi Sauce included

This is my favorite dish among the calorie smart meals on the HelloFresh menu. It’s one of the lowest in calories, with generally only soups being lower. And still, it manages to combine more than eleven ingredients in a delicious and exotic recipe.

Bulgogi is a popular recipe in Korean cuisine that can be made with a variety of meats. For this iteration, HelloFresh sends you succulent pork tenderloins that you’ll sear and roast, ensuring that all the goodness comes out of the meat.

It goes perfectly with the tender, oven-browned sweet potatoes, poblano and bell peppers, and garlicky lime butter sauce.

A second, soy-spiked pan sauce that you drizzle at the end is enriched with the aroma of garlic and scallions, which will enhance the umami flavor of the meat. An included ingredient of this sauce is the ready-made Bulgogi sauce, which adds authenticity and saves you precious time.

To finish, you’ll also scatter scallion greens as a garnish to add more color visually, but also a nice, fresh touch to the dish. Sounds like a lot? Well, the recipe difficulty is actually rated medium, so it shouldn't give you too much trouble to make this well-rounded dish.

2. One-Pan Greek Spaghetti – Best Calorie Smart Vegetarian Recipe

Key Features

• 590 calories per portion

• Ready in 30 mins total, only five mins prep time

• With red pepper sauce, feta, spinach, and fresh oregano

Who said you can’t be on a diet AND eat delicious pasta at the same time? Certainly not HelloFresh. With this Greek Spaghetti recipe, you'll be able to feel like you’re on your cheat day while actually eating a really light meal at under 600 calories per portion.

Did I mention it’s vegetarian as well? The diced Roma tomato and baby spinach add freshness to the rich flavor of the roasted red pepper spread and the pleasant sharpness of the oregano.

The veggie stock helps combine them all into a sauce that goes over the al dente pasta. Then, to finish up the dish, you add the creamy feta cheese that transports you to a Greek taverna. Of course, you can omit the feta or replace it with a vegan alternative if you want to make the recipe 100% plant-based.

On top of everything, what I like about this dish is that it doesn’t leave you with a lot of dirty dishes. The clean-up is super easy, as you’ll only need one pan to cook everything. Combine that with the ease of prep, and you get convenience at its finest.

3. Steak with Mushroom Cream Sauce – Best Calorie Smart Steak Recipe

Key Features

• 550 calories per portion and carb smart

• Ready in 40 mins total, only 10 mins prep time

• With roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and crispy carrots

This one is for steak lovers. The recipe is super low in calories, but also in carbs, making it the perfect dinner for people looking to stay fit and still enjoy the deep and rich flavor of a perfectly done ranch steak.

This dish features not one, but two sides to make it into a nutritionally complete and filling meal: crispy Yukon Gold potatoes and tender roasted carrots. The sweetness of the carrots and the creaminess of the potatoes combine with the meaty flavor of the steak to create a delicious bite.

Still, the show-stopper in this recipe is the sauce. Made with cooked mushrooms, sour cream, beef stock concentrate, resting juices from the steak, butter, garlic, and scallion whites, the sauce adds a complex flavor profile to the dish, from the earthy tones of the mushroom to the aromatics-infused butter.

Even though the recipe requires you to do some multitasking, you’ll only need one pan for both the sauce and the steak. This means that the aroma of the mushrooms will imprint on the steak just as the steak juices will fuse with the sauce later. Yum!

4. Southwest Shrimp Tacos – Best Calorie Smart Takeaway-Style Recipe

Key Features

• 640 calories per portion

• Ready in 25 mins total, only 10 mins prep time

• Southwest Spice Blend and Hot Sauce included

Let’s face it: one of the hardest parts of trying to eat fewer calories is craving takeaway. Especially Mexican, in my experience. But this recipe manages to keep cravings at bay while still having a calorie count under 650.

It’s fresh, it’s spicy, it’s everything you want. And it features one of the tastiest proteins out there: shrimp. After marinating it with Southwest Spices and lime, you’ll cook the shrimp in a pan until it's done and crunchy, then add more lime (and zest) to enhance the flavor.

The crema is simple to make using sour cream and hot sauce to your taste. You have full control over spiciness here. You’ll also make fresh pico de gallo with tomato, onion, lime zest, and a bit of sugar to add a bit of sweetness.

The recipe is rated easy, and for good reason. All you’ll need to do is fill the flour tortillas with shrimp, cooked poblano and onion to up the fiber intake, pico de gallo for freshness, and hot sauce crema on top to complement it all with some tangy richness.

Just make sure to damp and microwave them beforehand, to make them more pliable.

5. Meatloaf à la Mom with Gravy – Best Calorie Smart Comfort Food

Key Features

• 620 calories per portion

• Ready in 45 mins total, 15 prep time

• With a herby, aromatic gravy

This twist on a childhood favorite is great in more ways than one: first, you can do it from scratch just like mom. Second, it’s actually calorie smart and can fit into your diet guilt-free. And third – it uses ketchup as a glaze for the meatloaves! How cool is that?

The potato wedges, as well as the green beans, are sources of fiber and vitamins, and make a great canvas for the meat and aromatic gravy taste-wise. Plus, both the meatloaves and the sides are cooked in the oven, making them extra healthy (and hassle-free).

The meatloaves in this variant are made with shallot, garlic, beef, parsley, and panko breadcrumbs. I think the shallots are better than onions in this case, as they’re a bit sweeter and less stringent.

The difficulty level for this recipe is rated hard, but it’s worth it for the mouthwatering comforting meal at the end. As for the gravy, it’s actually rather easy to make. It features shallots and parsley as well, but also beef stock concentrate and flour, which make it thick and, well, saucy.

6. One-Pot Creamy Lemon-Dill Chicken Soup – Best Calorie Smart Soup Recipe

Key Features

• 510 calories per portion

• Ready in 35 mins, only 10 mins prep time

• With toasted pearl couscous

What screams low-calorie and high-satisfaction more than soup? This hearty and heart-warming chicken soup is exactly what you need to relax, unwind, and enjoy the herby flavors that embrace the tender chicken strips.

This soup is not only comforting but also nutritionally balanced. You’ll get your dose of healthy protein, but also carbs from the Israeli Couscous, fats from the crème fraîche, and fiber from the carrot and celery.

As for the taste, the lemon juice and zest as well as the crème fraîche will add the acidity that makes the soup taste so great. Garlic and scallion add their fragrance to the bowl, while dill and celery add a distinct earthy touch.

The chicken stock concentrate wraps everything up, deepening the flavor of the chicken cutlets. The couscous gives everything more texture while making the meal more filling.

What’s best about this creamy, lemony liquid hug? It’s ready with minimum effort and you’ll only need one pot. No mess, no stress.

7. Chimichurri Barramundi – Best Calorie Smart Fish Recipe

Key Features

• 650 calories per portion

• Ready in 30 mins total, only five mins prep time

• Spices include cumin and chili flakes

One of the best ways to eat a calorie-smart, but nutritious and diverse diet is to include a lot of fish. And with barramundi, you can get all the heart-healthy Omega-3s guilt-free, as it’s one of the most sustainable types of fish to farm without any antibiotics or hormones.

I love this recipe because it features a lovely, complex flavor profile. If you’re a fan of pesto and herbs in general, you’re gonna love chimichurri too. It’s called the butter of Argentina because it’s so popular and versatile that everyone uses it there.

And I get why: it’s bright, fresh, and a bit tangy. The punch of cilantro, garlic, lemon, cumin, and chili flakes combined with the butter elevate the taste of the fish. The roasted carrots on the side add sweetness to the mix.

The toasted Israeli couscous combines with garlic and butter to add an aromatic touch and provides the carb counterpart to the protein of the barramundi to make your tummy feel full and happy.

8. Chicken in Dijon Sauce – Best Calorie Smart Recipe with Garlic Bread

Key Features

• 640 calories per portion, carb smart as well

• 20 mins, only five mins prep time

• With a walnut and grape salad

Eating garlic bread on a low-calorie diet? Yes, you heard that right. No one has to give up one of life’s greatest pleasures to be fit. Okay, maybe I’m in love with garlic bread, but seriously, isn’t everyone?

Still, this isn’t the only reason I chose this recipe. It’s simple, it takes only 20 minutes, and it has easy prep and quick cleanup… And it’s not only low in calories but carbs as well. Ciabatta included. So, you don’t have to compromise at all with this flavorful meal.

The pan-roasted chicken breast is covered with a decadent sauce of Dijon mustard, sour cream butter, garlic, and chicken stock concentrate. Tangy and creamy, yum!

The crispy salad adds sweetness from the red grapes and a buttery crunch from the walnuts. The balsamic vinaigrette on top rounds it up with a sharp, but aromatic touch. Now that’s an interesting combo.

So even though at first glance it may seem like just chicken and salad, expect to be surprised.

9. One-Pan Turkey Fajita Lettuce Wraps – Quickest Calorie Smart Recipe

Key Features

• 650 calories per portion, carb smart as well

• Ready in only 15 mins total, with five mins prep time

• With lettuce as a low-cal and -carb replacement for the tortilla

So I said that the last recipe was quick. And 20 minutes is indeed really quick for a full meal. But this one is even quicker: only 15 minutes to get it done, out of which only five are actual work time. And there’s only one pan to clean at the end!

This is also a carb-smart recipe, as this time the tortilla is replaced by crunchy salad leaves for a twist on a beloved Mexican dish. This iteration also uses ground turkey as the main protein, which is cooked together with onion and green pepper, and a bit of beef stock for extra flavor.

Everything is seasoned with the proprietary Fajita Spice Blend for the ultimate spicy taste, and Mexican cheese is added on top to melt. Mmmm. The lime and sour cream crema drizzled on top balances the hotness of the dish with its cool and fresh tang.

For extra crunch, blue corn tortilla chips are added on top, completing the experience.

10. Ginger Chicken & Rice Bowls – Best Asian-Inspired Calorie Smart Recipe

Key Features

• 650 calories per portion

• Ready in 20 mins total, only five mins prep time

• With four sauces and sesame oil included

I love Asian-inspired recipes because they combine interesting ingredients, some of which I’ve never thought could work well together. This is the perfect example of how a seemingly simple rice and chicken bowl is elevated by spices and sauces to an exotic feast.

The tender, fluffy rice is the perfect base for all the umami goodness of the four (yes, you read that right) sauces. Ginger sauce for a mild tang, Thai chili and Korean Gochujang sauces for sweetness and spice, and Japanese ponzu for a bold citrus note.

The smashed cucumbers and peanuts sprinkled on top add texture and a mix of freshness and nuttiness that make Asian dishes so unique.

The Korean chili flakes mixed with gochujang sauce, garlic, and sesame oil give the cucumbers an extra layer of spicy deliciousness that complement the flavor of the chicken.

Best of all, the recipe is rated easy so even the least experienced cooks can give this one a try.

Quick Comparison Table

Bottom Line: Is HelloFresh Good for Calorie Smart Meals?

Definitely yes. The calorie-smart meals from HelloFresh are in the 500-650 calorie range, fitting perfectly in any low-calorie diet as either lunches or dinners.

And not only do you have plenty of calorie-smart options on any given week, but they aren’t repetitive or boring either. You’ll get chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, turkey, and even vegetarian recipes to choose from all well seasoned and sometimes exotic as well.

Plus, you won’t have to worry about counting calories or exhaust yourself brainstorming what to cook next: HelloFresh has you covered. All you have to do is do some light cooking and enjoy your food.

FAQ

Is HelloFresh low calorie?

HelloFresh offers many low-calorie meals each week under the Calorie Smart tag. From chicken and seafood to tacos and soups, you’ll find diverse recipes for your diet without having to compromise on taste. You’ll even find a chicken recipe with garlic bread that’s under 650 calories.

Is HelloFresh good for losing weight?

Yes. The recipes in the Calorie Smart category have between 500-650 calories, which makes them great if you’re trying to lose weight. Many of the recipes are carb-smart as well, including this Steak with Mushroom Cream Sauce.

All nutritional info is displayed along with the recipes on the website, which makes it easy to see the macros.

What are the best calorie-smart meals from HelloFresh?

My personal favorite is this Bulgogi Lime Pork Tenderloin because it features lots of veggies, roasted potatoes, as well as an exotic Korean sauce, all under 550 calories. Plus, it’s ready in just over half an hour.

Other great calorie-smart meals featured on this list include One-Pan Greek Spaghetti, Shrimp Tacos, and Meatloaf à la Mom with Gravy.