Nutritious meals under 200 calories?

emmatui
emmatui Posts: 84 Member
in Recipes
Hi everyone,
I'm eating 1200 calories per day, and finding that by dinner time I only have 200 or less left over. I'm still hungry and still want nutrition... but can't think of many things to cook/make that will be under the quota. So do y'all have any good meal ideas/recipes that I could use?

Many thanks!
E
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Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    What are you eating during the rest of the day that leaves you with so little?

    Fish and veg - a steamed piece of white fish with some broccoli, asparagus, or green beans.
    Omelette - an egg is about 70 cals, so even 2 eggs with a load of veg (tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach) should be under 200
  • kevinanderson520562
    kevinanderson520562 Posts: 31 Member
    I made a pretty good chili that turned out to be about 175 calories for 1 cup of it once I did all the math. I find that I need about 1.5 cups get rid of the hunger but I am a 350 lb guy so my appetite is probably a little different than yours. The sodium content was way up there but I am not watching my sodium right now.

    I used canned beans so you could reduce the sodium a lot using dry. This is also a large recipe so you will want to freeze most of it. I freeze mine is 1.5 cup servings. Full recipe makes about 15 cups.

    1 can of of corn
    1 can of chili beans
    1 can of black beans
    1 can of kidney beans
    2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis
    1 Large can of Tomato sauce
    21 oz (after cooking weight) of boiled diced chicken
    5 oz of onion diced
    9 oz of celery chopped

    These last 3 are totally your your level of taste. I like mine pretty spicy.
    1 tbsp of Cumin
    3 tbsp of Chili powder
    unmeasured amount of crushed red peppers.

    If you like a more watery chili (who would?) then add some water. It is spicy enough that it can be diluted a little without hurting it if you want it to be more like a soup than chili.



    1 cup = 175 calories, 26 carbs, 2g of unsaturated fat, 15g protein, 775mg of sodium, and 7g of sugar.
    I am not paying much attention to my vitamins and minerals because I am always fine on those so I did not add up any of that info.
  • kevinanderson520562
    kevinanderson520562 Posts: 31 Member
    I do a lot of 200 calorie lunches that are Progresso light soups that end up being 80-110 calories per cup and 2 cups in a can. I like the Light beef pot roast, and the light chicken pot pie.
  • idrinkalotofwater
    idrinkalotofwater Posts: 251 Member

    Asian Salad with Crispy Chicken

    Yields: 6 | Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 173 | Total Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fats: 1 g | Trans Fats: 0 g | Previous Points: 5 | Points Plus: 4 | Cholesterol: 24 mg | Sodium: 129 mg | Carbohydrates: 11 g | Dietary fiber: 2 g | Sugars: 8 g | Protein: 11 g


    Ingredients

    2 chicken breast fillets, skinless, cut into 1” cubes
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    1 tablespoon sesame oil
    3 cups shredded Savoy (curly) Cabbage, optional Napa Cabbage
    2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
    1 carrot, peeled, sliced
    2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
    Dressing:
    2 tablespoon honey
    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    1 tablespoon lite soy sauce, low sodium, optional Bragg's Liquid Aminos
    1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice


    Directions

    Place sesame seeds in a dry non-stick skillet and heat over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
    In a medium skillet add canola and sesame oil, turn heat to medium-high, cook chicken cubes until cooked through and crispy, approximately 10 minutes.
    In the meantime, add all dressing ingredients, whisk until combined.
    Combine cooked chicken, cabbage, lettuce, and carrots in a large salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad mix and toss to combine. Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.
  • BodyByBex
    BodyByBex Posts: 3,685 Member
    melaniecheeks wrote: »
    What are you eating during the rest of the day that leaves you with so little?

    Fish and veg - a steamed piece of white fish with some broccoli, asparagus, or green beans.
    Omelette - an egg is about 70 cals, so even 2 eggs with a load of veg (tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach) should be under 200

    This is my question. I usually have about 350-500 depending on the day for my dinner.

    Veggie egg 'muffins' for breakfast and steamed veggies with tilapia for lunch. I have some grapes and watermelon for a snack and then I had some chicken parmesan on spaghetti squash for supper.

    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/skinny-chicken-parmesan/


    http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/250-calorie-main-dishes/view-all

    Hope these help!
  • emmatui
    emmatui Posts: 84 Member
    Thank you for all be helpful responses so far!
    Re: melaniecheeks and lilaclovenird,
    I run out of calories quickly because I eat some foods that are high in good saturated fats (like coconut oil in my porridge, raw milk and avocado). I could cut down on these, but I know that they're really good for me and they also help me to stay full and have loads of energy through the day!
    I like some of these ideas - thanks, your suggestions are appreciated :)
  • withoutasaddle
    withoutasaddle Posts: 191 Member
    Look up some veggie stuffed mushrooms. By memory, about 20 mushroom caps with 1oz brocolli 1oz carrots 1oz onion 1/3 cup cheese is all about 175 cal. Easily 2 servings, but it's 175cal so I usually just stuff myself
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited August 2015
    For breakfast I pretty much always have some form of egg and vegetable be it in a crustless quiche/frittata, omelette, scrambled, egg bake, egg muffin, runny egg on leftover veg, etc.

    I like stuffed vegetables - stuffed mushrooms, zucchini boats, stuffed spaghetti squash, stuffed eggplant, stuffed peppers, etc. All of them have plenty of vegetables in the filling, so they're pretty low calorie. There are plenty of ideas if you google, or I can give you some of my favorites. Also things like crackslaw - there are a million recipes for that - are easy and filling.

    I eat a lot of stew, chili, and soups that are thick and veggie-rich. Also, I use my spiralizer a lot to make spiralized noodles and vegetable rice Inspiralized.com
  • stinatown
    stinatown Posts: 2 Member
    This week I'm eating Summer Ratatouille over Quinoa. 2oz of quinoa and 9 oz of ratatouille comes to 197 calories.
    I adapted it from this recipe, minus the eggplant since it makes my mouth itch: http://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/summer-vegetable-ratatouille/

    Saute 1 chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves in 3T olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 diced red peppers; saute until soft. Add 5 medium zucchini, cubed, 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, and 1 can of kidney beans (my addition--I wanted to up the protein). Season with salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for about 30 mins or until the vegetables are all soft. Serve over quinoa (or rice, bread, or eat it on its own!). Tastes great topped with parmesan.

  • jenchamb1
    jenchamb1 Posts: 73 Member
    Egg white omelette with canadian bacon, mushrooms and onions.
    Stir fry - tons of veggies with some chicken or shrimp (skip the rice).
    Baked fish (tilapia or flounder) with roasted veggies.
    Chicken, shrimp or turkey sausage and vegetables cooked and then add a small can of plain tomato sauce to it and season.
    Salad with small amount of protein, low cal dressing.
    Soup.
    Small baked potato topped with fried (in Pam spray) onions and mushrooms. Or a larger baked potato and use chicken broth instead of butter.
    Eggo nutrigrain waffles with 1 tbsp whipped peanut butter.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    Just out of curiosity, do you maybe have your weekly loss goal set too agressively? Maybe set it for .5 lbs/week and you will have additional calories and not leave yourself scrambling for a tiny dinner solution.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    Marilyn0924 wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, do you maybe have your weekly loss goal set too agressively? Maybe set it for .5 lbs/week and you will have additional calories and not leave yourself scrambling for a tiny dinner solution.

    This!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You're too young to be eating 1200 calories a day.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    What are your stats (height/weight/goal weight)?
    Why is your goal set at 1200?
    Do you exercise, and if so, do you eat some of those calories back?

    I really don't have meal suggestions for under 200 cals. I usually call that a snack. Some of the soups, a salad, or a half sandwich may fit the bill but I would probably still be very hungry on that. If I have less than 500 cals left for dinner I'm trying to figure out how to get some exercise so I have more room!
  • emmatui
    emmatui Posts: 84 Member
    Marilyn0924 wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, do you maybe have your weekly loss goal set too agressively? Maybe set it for .5 lbs/week and you will have additional calories and not leave yourself scrambling for a tiny dinner solution.

    I've done 30 days counting with about 1500 calories and found no difference to my weight - if anything, I put some on. So I thought I'd try and be a little more aggressive about it. It might not work, but thought I'd ask for some help/tips before I give up!

    Re: questions about my age - I'm 21 and have been well overweight for a decade, yet I have a reasonably active lifestyle so cutting the cals was the next logical step. If I'm unhealthy, I need to do something about it - regardless of age. I appreciate your concern though!

    Thanks again everyone, I can't wait to make some of these meals!
  • dippy48
    dippy48 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Marilyn i too have 1200 a day which i'm finding really hard to keep too as i'm opposite to yourself i'm left with anything between 300 & 470 left to eat..a typical day starts for me with an omelette with broccoli or ham in it,lunch is fish cod,salmon,seabass,swordfish etc usually kale or broccoli courgettes peppers baby tomatoes,greek yoghurt (50g) 30g of strawberries nectarine melon,dinner time is a fish dish too usually,i'm never hungry & struggle to actually eat my dinner :-( more protein in my diet really works for me its very satisfying & filling i'v lost 7 pounds in 10 days
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    De-vein some shrimp, season with Old Bay - steam; enjoy with a corn on the cob and you're set! Filling, nutritious and delicious. I, too, have a 1,200 intake per day and after time you'll master leaving a little extra for dinner. Or just snack throughout the day - either way is perfectly fine!
  • ku140
    ku140 Posts: 65 Member
    I say pick 1 of your saturated fats (all so delicious, but I would vote avocado!). You would probably have more to work with.

    Egg white omletes with loads of veggies are pretty low in calories, too
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    fish and steamed veg; grilled chicken and steamed veg...that's about all I got...200 calories to me isn't a meal...

    if it were me, I'd take a look at what's going on the rest of the day and figure something else out so that i could have proper meals.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I just made a big delicious meal for 188 calories, it's in my diary for lunch but it is:
    1 bag shirataki noodles (rinsed and heated on the skillet for about 8 minutes)
    142 grams bean sprouts
    40 grams baby bella mushroom
    3 oz shrimp
    soy sauce
    chili garlic paste.
  • drinkingkitten
    drinkingkitten Posts: 2 Member
    A small bag of steamed edamame beans is a great snack and full of protein.
  • emmatui
    emmatui Posts: 84 Member
    Thanks again for the awesome tips guys! Love it!
  • yweight2020
    yweight2020 Posts: 591 Member
    Baked potato loaded with veggies on top makes a low cal meal, a lean piece of protein with a baked sweet potato or veggies on the side makes a very low calorie meal. Lots of options, keep up the good work :)
  • Becca_250
    Becca_250 Posts: 188 Member
    emmatui wrote: »
    I've done 30 days counting with about 1500 calories and found no difference to my weight - if anything, I put some on. So I thought I'd try and be a little more aggressive about it. It might not work, but thought I'd ask for some help/tips before I give up!

    Re: questions about my age - I'm 21 and have been well overweight for a decade, yet I have a reasonably active lifestyle so cutting the cals was the next logical step. If I'm unhealthy, I need to do something about it - regardless of age. I appreciate your concern though!

    Are you accurately weighing absolutely everything that goes into your mouth? Are you under 5'3? 1500 is still a deficit for most people at 21 depending on height so you should still be losing something after 30 days, albeit slower than with a bigger deficit.

  • tiny_clanger
    tiny_clanger Posts: 301 Member
    I'd keep the avocado and remove the coconut milk from your porridge. Maybe replace it with hemp protein powder for low calories but filling porridge.
  • smithie092015
    smithie092015 Posts: 56 Member
    1/2 cup of cooked brown rice with a mountain of steamed veggies. Good, stick to your ribs dinner that's super satisfying. Flavor with lemon and pepper!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I just made a big delicious meal for 188 calories, it's in my diary for lunch but it is:
    1 bag shirataki noodles (rinsed and heated on the skillet for about 8 minutes)
    142 grams bean sprouts
    40 grams baby bella mushroom
    3 oz shrimp
    soy sauce
    chili garlic paste.

    This is my kind of meal. That's why I love the inspiralized website so much. She cooks huge portions for few calories - just like I do.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I just made a big delicious meal for 188 calories, it's in my diary for lunch but it is:
    1 bag shirataki noodles (rinsed and heated on the skillet for about 8 minutes)
    142 grams bean sprouts
    40 grams baby bella mushroom
    3 oz shrimp
    soy sauce
    chili garlic paste.

    This is my kind of meal. That's why I love the inspiralized website so much. She cooks huge portions for few calories - just like I do.

    Yeah, I need high volume. I just discovered the shirataki noodle this week and it is my new buddy. I'll have to check that website.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I just made a big delicious meal for 188 calories, it's in my diary for lunch but it is:
    1 bag shirataki noodles (rinsed and heated on the skillet for about 8 minutes)
    142 grams bean sprouts
    40 grams baby bella mushroom
    3 oz shrimp
    soy sauce
    chili garlic paste.

    YUM YUM YUM!!! I'm on my way!
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I just made a big delicious meal for 188 calories, it's in my diary for lunch but it is:
    1 bag shirataki noodles (rinsed and heated on the skillet for about 8 minutes)
    142 grams bean sprouts
    40 grams baby bella mushroom
    3 oz shrimp
    soy sauce
    chili garlic paste.

    This is my kind of meal. That's why I love the inspiralized website so much. She cooks huge portions for few calories - just like I do.

    Yeah, I need high volume. I just discovered the shirataki noodle this week and it is my new buddy. I'll have to check that website.

    I second the high volume comment. I've found that I can eat way fewer calories and feel much fuller on high volume veggies like leafy greens. I just have to make it really flavorful with great variety.

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