3 Low Cal Quesadilla Ideas

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

From the moment my parents brought home our first microwave, I began experimenting with melting cheese. Which led to experimenting with quesadillas. Yes, this was my experimenting when my parents weren’t home.

Although the options for possible combinations of quesadillas are endless, this usually just meant putting large quantities of whatever cheese I could find in the fridge with one or 2 other ingredients from the fridge, slapping it in 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 it up a notch with salsa and guacamole was affordable.

Now that I’m a 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 prefer to call this “3 Low Cal Quesadilla Ideas” rather than “recipes",” because in the recipes below, the ingredients can be easily substituted with like ingredients and they will still be around the same calories. So, 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
1/3 cup 2% Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1/4 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 chicken, cheese, half of the salsa (2 tablespoons), corn, and black beans together.
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 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 time. Just make sure you cool it completely first. Cooling on a rack is preferred.

Veggie Verde Quesadilla Recipe
Servings 1

Ingredients
3/4 cup 2% Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup kale, chopped
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/4 cup green salsa
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
1 cup mixed greens
2 tablespoons sour cream, fat free

Instructions
1. Toss cheese, broccoli, kale, and onion with half of the salsa (2 tablespoons) together.
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
1/2 cup 2% Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1/2 cup egg whites, scrambled
1/4 cup potato, cooked, chopped
1 tablespoon scallion, chopped
1/4 cup green salsa
1 medium whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons sour cream, fat free

Instructions
1. Toss cheese, broccoli, kale, and potato with half of the salsa (2 tablespoons) together.
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.