Any recipes/ideas for meals or snacks with large portions but don't kill your calories?

AlyssaPetsDogs

I love eating! I've been pretty disciplined with portions now, but sometimes I just want to eat more (not that I'm eating portions such that I'm still hungry - I just like eating!). Before I made a lifestyle change, I would always have seconds and sometimes even thirds. It is just very satisfying to be full!

Some of the portion sizes are so sad (for example, a serving of peanut butter is a depressing reality).

I love pastas, but the serving size for spaghetti just doesn't cut it for me. I'll do zucchini noodles instead so I can eat more.

Typically I will load up on the veggies and do some type of meat. Lately it's been a bowl of shredded chicken taco meat with a little sauce and cheese melted with celery on the side.

I eat slow and I try not to be on my phone or in front of the

What do you people eat that's satisfying and you can kind of eat a lot of (besides celery, etc.)?

Thanks in advance!

(Also, I would not classify myself as a binge eater/former binge eater. So I don't need to do any soul searching to find the "reason" I like to eat. It's as simple as I love food and sometimes just a bite or two won't satisfy )

RodaRose

If you like big meals, you can do IF where you might only eat two meals a day. If you skip snacks, you almost have to work hard to fit in enough calories and protein into two meals. -- maybe do that on days when you want more food.

AlyssaPetsDogs

RodaRose wrote: »

If you like big meals, you can do IF where you might only eat two meals a day. If you skip snacks, you almost have to work hard to fit in enough calories and protein into two meals. -- maybe do that on days when you want more food.

Thanks! Do you pretty much just eat the same calories in a smaller window? I'm on 1200 calories so are you suggesting two meals of 600 calories rather than spreading it out throughout the day?
I've looked into IF very briefly. I just know that I hate breakfast, but if I don't eat (and sometimes even if I do) my tummy is growling LOUDLY around 10 or 11 am, demanding food! I'm sure you get used to it and your body changes?

tsweeney5103

Small meals or snacks throughout the day (every 3 hours or so) and a bottle of water will help keep you feeling satisfied. If you make those snacks healthy and low and calories, you can dig in a dinner time. I start off with my morning cup of tea (I'm not a breakfast person) and fill in with fruits and proteins (apples & peanut butter) throughout the day or cheese and nuts and then have a large salad (packed with, greens, fruits to satisfy my sweet tooth, other veggies, sunflower seeds or nuts for the healthy oil, chicken, fish, tuna, or shrimp for the protein and so on. By the time I'm done putting the salad together, its huge and only about 300 and something calories. Another healthy snack before I leave work and snack on my ride home. Then I "go in" at dinner time because I have so many calories to spare.

I make mason jar salads on Sunday night and grab one each morning as I'm heading out the door. The salads keep for a bout 7 to 8 days and it removes all the tough decision making struggles when deciding, on the spot, what to have for lunch.

Good luck!

codybluee

Veggies are your friend

babyxfangs

I love larger helpings as well, so I usually don't eat much all day, and then eat a giant dinner around 5:30. For more filling lower calorie dinner options, I steam/satay large quantities of veggies to fill my plate. Or I might make an egg white frittata as a side dish, or really, I find rice fairly low calorie for what you get and how filling it is.

jgnatca

Zero calorie fillers are air, fiber, and water. So look for those foods that monopolize this. If you are like me some of the pleasure comes from the chew factor, so zero calorie diet sodas just don't cut it.

Water
Water, diet soda, teas, sparkling spring water, sugar free jell-o, soups, watermelon (but watch the sugar), cucumber

Air
Souffle, meringue, angel food cake, popcorn, mousse

Fiber
Konjac root, Shiratake noodles, hydrated Chia seeds (watch the little guys; calories add up), bran cereal, all the fruits and leafy veggies

7elizamae

air-popped popcorn

runningforthetrain

salads, boiled carrots with a smidge of butter with salt and pepper, or baked cauliflower the same- really delicious and as long as you keep the oil or fat low- you get quite a lot. Also I find beans and cottage cheese to be pretty filling for portion size.

AnKiT_PaL

1) Roasted Peanuts
2) Roasted Black Grams
3) Nuts and Dry Fruits (Almond, Cashews, Pistachio, Raisins, etc..)
4) Soaked Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans (Soak it overnight, add olive oil and your favorite spices or sauce)
5) Tofu
6) Cottage Cheese

When I take one of these, it keeps me full for at least 2 hours and this I am saying not in huge quantity! It is probably an ounce or two of any of these above!
And even if you feel like you are not full, you can take the second serving after an hour, that way you will actually feel less hungry during the main meal say lunch or dinner!

bellabonbons

I do lots of vegetables. And fruits. I can eat as many vegetables as I want and never have to count them and still lose weight.

ekat120

I've been really loving coleslaw mix as a base for meals lately. Like coleslaw mix topped with tuna, salsa, and guacamole, or in place of rice or pasta, or mixed up and lightly cooked with eggs and sausage. Just the preshredded cabbage and carrots in the salad section of the grocery store, not the stuff mixed with mayo and stuff (I actually don't like actual coleslaw!).

AlyssaPetsDogs

These are all great! Thank you, everyone!

TeaBea

Cauliflower can be added to calorie dense dishes to bump up the volume. Pasta + cauliflower + sauce / Mashed potatoes & mashed cauliflower / "Riced" cauliflower mixed with regular rice.

Zucchini is also very low in calories. This is also good in pasta dishes.

Peeled cucumbers can be mixed in with fruit salad. 4 cups fruit + 1 cup cucumber.....for 4 servings, you've increase the serving size by 25%.

kirstenb13

I love huge salads, you just have to keep an eye on the dressing. Romaine Hearts, grape tomatoes, carrots have pretty much no calories so I make a giant bowl of them and add some bolthouse dressing which comes in at under 50 calories per serving. With a little bit of some protein it's a very satisfying dinner for me.

Spliner1969

An 8oz boneless skinless chicken breast is usually around 250 calories, and 52g of protein. That's a half pound of meat! Add in some baked (not fried) veggies or broiled, or even steamed and you have a wonderful meal with very little calories. Granted, I would want some sort of sauce on the chicken but seasoned well it wouldn't be an issue. I eat a ton of chicken for this very reason, very high protein, very low calories. As long as you don't fry it in oil, or baste it in oil it's very good for you. As far as pasta, try Zoodles.. which is basically zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer, or use spaghetti squash. Pair that with a low calorie sauce and the chicken and you still have a great and filling meal. It's all about what you eat, there are many things out there better for you. Simply try and get away from fried food and any food that is prepared in/with oil and you'll be full and be under your calories. I learned to love veggies steamed and baked with very little or no oil. One of my favorite sides with any meal is baked cauliflower. 50 calories per 200grams, 200 grams is a very large side, and that's only 50 calories. If you add very little olive oil or one of the low/no calorie olive oil sprays (they all have some calories) just to lightly coat, then salt and pepper then bake at 375 until it's getting brown on the outside. Good stuff.

Try cauliflower fried rice sometime, it's wonderful if done right!

roxcrm

I filled myself to the brim yesterday. .. I had a bowl of lettuce (from the garden), 1 tomato diced, half a can of corn .. all with just salt and pepper it was great.. then I ate a bowl with the other half can of corn, a full can of tuna, and 1 and 1/2 Tbsp of mayo, seasoned with garlic salt, salt and pepper. ...I snacked on other little things but after those two bowls I could barely meet my calorie goal.

You could also do as many veggies as you want really, you can get full as you can on veggies and still not meet your calorie goal. I usually try to do a boiled egg also because the protein keeps you full longer. Soup is another great option. Hope that helps someone!

rph2t

Soup. That is my go to when I am super hungry but don't have a lot of calories left for dinner. You can use whatever you have on hand. My mom was great at throwing together a soup. She would use leftover meatloaf to make a killer beef and vegetable soup. Basically all you need is liquid, starch, and protein.

Liquid: chicken stock or broth, beef broth, water, vegetable stock

Starch: potato, rice, pasta

Protein: chicken, tofu, any leftover meat that you cooked plainly. I use canned chicken if I don't have any left over. Maybe even egg, if you know what you're doing. (I don't. lol)

Just cook the starch in the liquid, then add the protein. If your protein is raw, add it sooner and be sure to bring it up to boiling. I always use a ton of veggies as well, since I like a rich soup, and it helps me keep down on the starches. Most grocery stores sell a "soup mix" of frozen veggies, and I loooove to use that. I always try to have it on hand.

I made a soup the other night with chicken broth, soup mix veggies (it had potatoes in it already), and a can of chicken. It was done in about fifteen minutes, and the whole pot, probably three or four bowls of soup, was 328 calories, 34 g protein. You can't beat that with a stick.

vivmom2014

Start by eating more than 1200 calories!!

TeaBea

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Start by eating more than 1200 calories!!

This^

A very small % of women "have to" eat 1200 calories. Instead, most choose this for fast(er) weight loss.

Ginny218

pancit

MelaniaTrump

Bean chili - no oil added.
Had it today- I'm stuffed.

dragonrider6

Veggies. Very low cals so you can have HUGE portions.

RodaRose

alyssadanielle2493 wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

If you like big meals, you can do IF where you might only eat two meals a day. If you skip snacks, you almost have to work hard to fit in enough calories and protein into two meals. -- maybe do that on days when you want more food.

Thanks! Do you pretty much just eat the same calories in a smaller window? I'm on 1200 calories so are you suggesting two meals of 600 calories rather than spreading it out throughout the day?
I've looked into IF very briefly. I just know that I hate breakfast, but if I don't eat (and sometimes even if I do) my tummy is growling LOUDLY around 10 or 11 am, demanding food! I'm sure you get used to it and your body changes?

Yes. That is what is do. It took about two weeks to get used to it.
Perhaps do not eat first thing in the morning. Eat at 10:00 a.m.
-
Bulk up foods to give you a better feeling. Everyone has a different idea of how to feel more satisfied.
For me it is lots of green leafy veggies and other low cal veggies: eggplant, tons of broccoli or cauliflower,
Also I feel better with fats over 45 grams a day so I add butter or coconut to oil.

RodaRose

Edited

alyssadanielle2493 wrote: »

Typically I will load up on the veggies and do some type of meat. Lately it's been a bowl of shredded chicken taco meat with a little sauce and cheese melted with celery on the side.

Cook about a pound (one pound) of fresh yellow squash before you add the shredded chicken taco meet and sauce and cheese. That is a big meal and the squash has very reasonable calories.

Rusty740

I like heavier salads with cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and balsamic vinegar is pretty low calorie too.

Salsa is very low cal (sorry no corn chips) but I'm going to try making kale chips.

Right now I'm making roasted Edamame for a salty snack they have about 160 calls per cup of pre-baked size and are really high fibre(filling) and good protein.

Making homemade kombucha for a pretty low cal fizzy, fruity drink too.

rubyslippersinoz

hi Alyssadanielle2493,
I too enjoy a nice meal and that comforting full feeling. When I'm feeling particularly hungry, I will make a mock Chinese take out dish that is fabulous. I use cauliflower rice, which is just simply cauliflower that you put in the food processor till it resembles rice. And do a broccoli beef with double or triple the broccoli. You can literally eat til you are stuffed.. I am not a snacker, so I have extra calories to consume at meal time. Another one of my favorites it a big ole plate of Sautéed Cabbage, I use an entire head of cabbage, one onion, a couple cloves of garlic, one small can of sauerkraut , because I love the tang, some chicken sausage, apple cider vinager and whole grain mustard. It s delicious and satisfying. Please feel free to message me if you want more ideas, or if you want step by step instructions!

amusedmonkey

I'm a big eater too. I do 1400-1500 calories plus exercise though, so in most cases I can afford to go big. Mixing in vegetables with things really helps with the volume. I also do every other day intermittent fasting from time to time when I have a big appetite where I get to eat 800 calories one day and 2000-2200 calories plus exercise the next.

On my 800 calorie days I go big on soups, egg white omelets full of vegetables (usually shredded zucchini), tuna salad (1 can tuna in water, 1 large tomato, 1 large cucumber, 1 small pickle, a clove of garlic and a squeeze of a lemon) and protein fluff is a life saver for a sweet tooth - I add a couple of splendas because the sweetness gets deluted.

miconsumafuoco

TeaBea wrote: »

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Start by eating more than 1200 calories!!

This^

A very small % of women "have to" eat 1200 calories. Instead, most choose this for fast(er) weight loss.

I used a formula in Tom Venuto's book, Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, to figure out my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). I have a scale that measures body fat percentage, (not the best but accurate enough for me,) and I used that to calculate the amount of calories I eat a day on average to maintain my current weight (using the Katch-McArdle equation). He recommends no more than a 25 to 30 percent deficit goal after that. One pound of fat should be lost each week for every 500 calorie deficit per week. My TDEE is 1851 calories a day so my goal is about 1300 calories a day to lose about a pound a week. If anyone is interested, I would recommend buying his book, it's amazing! Or maybe you can Google the equation?

MakePeasNotWar

I find baked potatoes topped with black beans and salsa very filling, and you get a lot of food for only a few hundred calories.

Non-starchy veggies are great for volume, but I don't find they really satisfy me on their own. They make great "filler", though, if you like to eat a lot. Soups, salads, stir-fry, curries -there are so many ways to make meals vegetable heavy

MikaMojito

I agree with what lots of the others have written. I get bitchy when I don't eat large portions, so I eat a lot of vegetables. For tomorrow, I'll be chopping up half a kilo of green asparagus and flash-fry it in some olive oil. I'll have it with 100g of smoked salmon and 200g yogurt dip. All of that should be around 450kcal. If you chose low-fat ham instead of the salmon and lower-fat yogurt (mine is 1.8%fat) you could probably save even more calories. Or you could steam the asparagus instead of frying.

Another favourite is oven-roasted veg, preferably a mix of peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onion and cherry tomatoes, seasoned with garlic, thyme and whatever other herbs I have. Served again with a yogurt dip.

Or a vegan-modified caprese salad: Slice up looooooads of tomatoes and slice basil-flavoured tofu thinly. Pour a small amount of good quality balsamic vinegar on top. I tend to skip the olive oil because the flavour doesn't improve that much by adding it.