Growing up as a kid, Sloppy Joes were a regular in our house. Both of my parents worked full-time, so our dinners needed to be quick and cheap. But they were by no means healthy.
Still, I’d grown fond of them over the years, and have decided to give this popular family dinner a healthy makeover.
My Low-Calorie Sloppy Joe Recipe is even more delicious than the canned version, but it’s also a LOT healthier. Much less fat and sodium, and a lot more fiber, protein, and fresh vegetables.
I served it on a ciabatta roll, which is generally lighter and less dense than regular rolls. It tasted incredible, and each sandwich was just 7 Points.
I served my kids the sloppy joe on mini whole wheat sliders and they LOVED it. So now I can feel good about making sloppy joes a regular meal in our house.
Enjoy!

Low Calorie Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef - 96% lean/ 4% fat
- 6 low-calorie bread rolls - toasted (I used Trader Joe’s Ciabatta Rolls)
- 28 oz diced tomatoes - 1 can
- 1 small onion - diced
- 1 small red bell pepper - finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning blend
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Spray a large, nonstick skillet with non-fat cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add in onions and garlic and sauté until just becoming tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the ground beef, steak seasoning, and pepper, and cook, while breaking apart, until meat is cooked through browned.
- Add bell peppers, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to medium. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato paste. Cook for another 5-8 minutes.
- Using a large spoon, pile sloppy joe meat onto bun bottoms and cover with bun tops
7 Comments
cook meat put all ingredients in crock pot for 5-6hrs on low. I use ground yurkey
This was pretty good, although my kids found it to be too vinegary for their tastes. The next time I make it I will try to scale back on the vinegar or leave it out.
Also, for those of you asking about points values without the bread, I calculated it to be a little over 3 points per serving. And a serving is an awful lot, especially if you are serving over little sweet Hawaiian rolls like I do.
Can you tell me how many points are just in the sloppy joe sauce without the bread? I ask because we dont have stuff like Trader Joe over in Ireland so I need to calculate the bread separately. Thanks so much, this looks like it will hit the spot for sure (I miss home so much sometimes). Oh, and can I say (with the help of your site that has such lovely recipes) I have lost about 35 lbs and reached my goal. Keep posting, I love your site! :D
Oops, I just posted as my daughter! Although she likes Quorn, too:)
Have you ever tried Quorn? It’s a mushroom based protein. I like the crumbles in things like this, because my husband who hates mushrooms can’t taste the difference:) I not going to WW now so I don’t know how to calculate points, but 2/3 of a cup is 90 calories, has 2 grams fat, 5 grams fiber and 13 grams protein. I use it in spaghetti sauce, too. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes! I LOVE Quorn! I buy their “chicken” nuggets for my son to take to school for lunch. They are delicious. :)
About how many calories for the bun? That’s included in your total right?