3 Low Cal Quesadilla Ideas

Low Cal Quesadilla idea #1 — Low Cal Quesadilla Idea #1

Quesadilla literally translates to “cheesy little thing.” And that’s all I ever needed to know to fall in love with one of the simplest Mexican dishes, quesadillas.

From the moment my parents brought home our first microwave when I was a kid, I began experimenting with melting cheese. This led to experimenting with quesadillas. And, yes, all of my experiments were conducted when my parents were not home.

Although the options for possible combinations of quesadillas are endless, my creations usually just involved combining large quantities of whatever cheese I could find in the fridge with one or two other ingredients from the fridge, slapping the combo into a tortilla, and then nuking it. Still, I thought the results were stupendous!

Later, in college, quesadillas were the ultimate low-budget dinner. Even kicking things up a notch with salsa and guacamole was affordable.

Now that I’m a relatively health-conscious adult, I tend to focus on low cal quesadillas that are a little more creative than my original versions. Yet they still fall into the category of low cal meals on a budget.

I decided to call this article “3 Low Cal Quesadilla Ideas” rather than “3 Low Cal Quesadilla Recipes,” because in the recipes below, the ingredients can be easily replaced with similar ingredients, and the quesadilla will still end up having about the same number of calories. That being said, these are my 3 favorite low cal quesadilla ideas:

Grilled Chicken Quesadilla Recipe

Servings: 1
Ingredients
2 ounces grilled skinless chicken breast, shredded
⅓ cup 2%-fat Mexican blend cheese, shredded
¼ cup red salsa
2 tablespoons corn
2 tablespoons black beans, cooked or canned
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
1 cup mixed greens
2 tablespoons sour cream, fat free

Instructions
1. Toss together chicken, cheese, half of the salsa (2 tablespoons), corn, and black beans.
2. Place mixture on half of the tortilla and fold the other half on top.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium high and spray it with non-stick cooking spray when hot.
4. Place tortilla in pan and flip when tortilla is crispy.
5. When both sides are crispy and cheese is melted, transfer quesadilla to your plate.
6. Serve with mixed greens, sour cream, and remaining salsa on the side.

Tips
1. I like the taste of grilled chicken, but any cooked chicken or lean protein can be substituted here.
2. Gluten-free tortillas can replace whole wheat.

Meal Prep
1. All of the ingredients that go into the quesadilla can be prepped ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
2. The quesadilla can also be fully prepared and cooked days ahead of reheating time. Just make sure you cool it completely before refrigerating. Cooling on a rack is preferred.

Veggie Verde Quesadilla Recipe

Servings: 1
Ingredients
¾ cup 2%-fat Mexican blend cheese, shredded
¼ cup broccoli, chopped
¼ cup kale, chopped
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
¼ cup green salsa
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
1 cup mixed greens
2 tablespoons sour cream, fat free

Instructions
1. Toss together cheese, broccoli, kale, and onion with half of the salsa (2 tablespoons).
2. Place mixture on half of the tortilla and fold the other half on top.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium high and spray it with non-stick cooking spray when hot.
4. Place tortilla in pan and flip when tortilla is crispy.
5. When both sides are crispy and cheese is melted, transfer quesadilla to your plate.
6. Serve with mixed greens, sour cream, and remaining salsa on the side.

Tips
1. You can use cooked or raw broccoli and kale.
2. Gluten-free tortillas can replace whole wheat.

Breakfast Quesadilla Recipe

Servings: 1
Ingredients
½ cup 2%-fat Mexican blend cheese, shredded
½ cup egg whites, scrambled
¼ cup potato, cooked, chopped
1 tablespoon scallion, chopped
¼ cup green salsa
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons sour cream, fat free

Instructions
1. Toss together cheese, broccoli, kale, and potato with half of the salsa (2 tablespoons).
2. Place mixture on half of the tortilla and fold the other half on top.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium high and spray it with non-stick cooking spray when hot.
4. Place tortilla in pan and flip when tortilla is crispy.
5. When both sides are crispy and cheese is melted, transfer quesadilla to your plate.
6. Serve with sour cream and remaining salsa on the side.

Tips
1. You can use a whole egg for about 50 added calories.
2. Gluten-free tortillas can replace whole wheat.

3. Post your quesadillas on instagram with one of these captions for Mexican food.