Do the meatballs fall apart?

They hold if the fish is chopped fine and the balls are packed firmly. Browning them for the full 2 minutes before adding the sauce sets the outside, which is what keeps them together while they simmer.

Can I use frozen fish?

Yes, thawed and patted dry. Wet fish makes a loose mix. The quantity stays at 300 g and the totals do not change.

Fish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce: 471 kcal, 62 g Protein

September 9, 2026

Fish meatballs sound fussy and are not: chop the fillet, mix, roll, brown, then let the tomatoes and zucchini finish them in the same pan. 300 g of white fish is where the 62 g of protein comes from, and it is the highest-protein dish in our light dinner collection. 471 kcal for the recipe as written.

Cod, hake or pollock all work. Whatever is cheapest and freshest is the right answer.

How This Fits Your Day

With 62 g of protein in a 471 kcal plate, this is one of the more filling dinners in the set for the calories it costs. Where it lands for you depends on your own daily target, which depends on your height, weight, age, sex and how active you are. If you have not worked out your number, our free calorie calculator takes about a minute.

The recipe

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 17 min

Nutrition for the whole recipe as written:

Calories: 471
Protein: 61.7 g
Carbs: 12.7 g
Fat: 19.2 g
Fiber: 3.5 g

Ingredients

300 g white fish of choice
200 g crushed tomatoes
150 g zucchini
2 fresh garlic cloves
2 tsp aromatic herbs of choice
3 tsp oil of choice

Method

1Chop the fish. Mix the chopped fish with the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dried herbs, then form the meatballs by hand.
2Brown the meatballs in a hot nonstick skillet for about 2 minutes, turning them to sear on all sides.
3Add the sliced zucchini and crushed tomatoes directly to the skillet.
4Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the sauce has thickened.

These are fixed quantities, not a portion calculated for you. MenuVita adjusts recipe quantities to your own energy needs and builds them into a seven-day plan with a grocery list. Serving suggestion; your dish may look different. Follow the quantities above.

The quantities above are fixed: they are not scaled to your body or your goal. Adjusting recipe quantities to a personal calorie target, across a full week, is what we are building at MenuVita. This recipe is part of our high protein low calorie meals collection, and there are more free dishes on the recipes page.

This recipe is not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding people, adolescents, or anyone with a medical condition, who should talk to a doctor first.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.

Common questions

Do the meatballs fall apart?: They hold if the fish is chopped fine and the balls are packed firmly. Browning them for the full 2 minutes before adding the sauce sets the outside, which is what keeps them together while they simmer.
Can I use frozen fish?: Yes, thawed and patted dry. Wet fish makes a loose mix. The quantity stays at 300 g and the totals do not change.