Very Low Calorie Meals

WinoGelato

What’s your definition of a low calorie meal?

How many calories are you working with?

Have you considered looking for lower calorie options at McDonalds or other places you enjoy eating so you don’t have to cut them out completely OR feel like you’ve blown your whole day when you eat there? When I eat at McDs which is usually on a road trip or on a busy Saturday with my kids I get a McDouble (380 cals) and share fries with my husband. It’s about 500 calories total. That’s actually lower than many of the meals I make and eat regularly at home.

IHaveMyActTogether

WinoGelato wrote: »

What’s your definition of a low calorie meal?

How many calories are you working with?

Have you considered looking for lower calorie options at McDonalds or other places you enjoy eating so you don’t have to cut them out completely OR feel like you’ve blown your whole day when you eat there? When I eat at McDs which is usually on a road trip or on a busy Saturday with my kids I get a McDouble (380 cals) and share fries with my husband. It’s about 500 calories total. That’s actually lower than many of the meals I make and eat regularly at home.

Thanks so much for your response. I'm looking at 1200 per day, so if spread out evenly, that's 400 calories per meal. I tend to do low calorie meals for breakfast and lunch and eat more calories for dinner and snacks. Plus I exercise, so I eat back some of the exercise calories.

I don't really have fast food cravings - I just used McD's as an example - you know how one calorie dense meal (doesn't even have to be large portions, just high cal) - can really blow the calorie count for the day. I do eat out at restaurants but I have particular strategies I use for them (half portions, etc.).

What I was looking for was specifically those very filling, delicious go to meals for when people want to have a low calorie meal - 200-350 cal.

IHaveMyActTogether

Panini911 wrote: »

I keep my protein high and fill up on LOTS veggies. seriously my plate usually has as much veggies as three other normal people's plates :P I aim mostly for lower cal proteins.

I also eat often. this means my meals are nothing to write home about. but i eat three snacks plus a dessert.

What are your desserts?

nutmegoreo

IHaveMyActTogether wrote: »

Dnarules wrote: »

Have you checked out the volume eaters thread? I'm ony phone so I can't link it. It's been around a while anday have some good ideas.

I did, thanks. I'm not a volume eater, as I get painfully gassy when I eat too much volume or foods that bulk up like that (cauliflower, broccoli, etc.). I will keep checking it.

But I notice some foods, like berries, shrimp, soups, etc., fill me up, taste great and are crazy low in calories. It helps because at 1200 cal per day, you can't have 500+ calorie meals. Having one or two low cal meals gives extra room for a larger or more calorie dense meal.

This is why it's difficult to give recipes. I could give you 10 recipes and you don't like any of them.

Play with your macros a bit. Some people find increasing protein helps, others find fat more filling. Personally, I prefer more protein and fat, and lots of low calorie vegetables. You can take any recipe and tweak it to your own liking. There are plenty of websites with lots of great recipes. I like myfridgefood.com, because I can enter in what I have in the house and it gives me recipes with those items.

IHaveMyActTogether

nutmegoreo wrote: »

IHaveMyActTogether wrote: »

Dnarules wrote: »

Have you checked out the volume eaters thread? I'm ony phone so I can't link it. It's been around a while anday have some good ideas.

I did, thanks. I'm not a volume eater, as I get painfully gassy when I eat too much volume or foods that bulk up like that (cauliflower, broccoli, etc.). I will keep checking it.

But I notice some foods, like berries, shrimp, soups, etc., fill me up, taste great and are crazy low in calories. It helps because at 1200 cal per day, you can't have 500+ calorie meals. Having one or two low cal meals gives extra room for a larger or more calorie dense meal.

This is why it's difficult to give recipes. I could give you 10 recipes and you don't like any of them.

Play with your macros a bit. Some people find increasing protein helps, others find fat more filling. Personally, I prefer more protein and fat, and lots of low calorie vegetables. You can take any recipe and tweak it to your own liking. There are plenty of websites with lots of great recipes. I like myfridgefood.com, because I can enter in what I have in the house and it gives me recipes with those items.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

lynn_glenmont

Meals under 400 kcals that I've eaten in the past week:

Breakfast: one frozen whole grain or multi grain waffle, topped with 1 Tbsp. almond or peanut butter and 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup. Black coffee. About 225 calories.

Breakfast: very large nonfat unsweetened latte (8 fluid oz./240 ml nonfat milk) and a good-sized banana. About 200 calories.

Breakfast: whole grain English muffin, toasted, with about 1 1/2 Tbsp jelly (in the American sense), jam, or preserves, and 2 slices bacon (cooked weight 22 to 24 g). Black coffee. About 350 calories.

Breakfast or lunch: a peach, a single-serving (125 g) of Siggi's no-sugar-added banana and cinnamon yogurt, and a slice of bacon (cooked weight 10 to 12 g). About 220 calories.

Breakfast or lunch: About 200 g each of lovely local tomatoes and watermelon. With salt, and a splash of balsamic if you like. About 100 calories.

Lunch: Trader Joe's butter chicken with basmati rice (frozen meal) and a peach. About 335 calories.

aemsley05

For my breakfasts this week I'm having egg and quorn sausage breakfast sandwiches - wholewheat sandwich thin, quorn sausage patty, cheese slice and one scrambled egg - 270 kcal

Dinner last night was quinoa, a microwave steam bag of mixed veggies and a can of flavoured tuna (soy and garlic) with some extra soy sauce - 360 kcal

I typically have soup and a babybel for lunch so that I can save more calories for dinner - I find having 500-600 kcals available for dinner makes it easier to have dinners that my fiance (who's definitely not on a diet!) will eat as well (even though I'll typically have veg/salad while he has fries as a side).

IHaveMyActTogether

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Meals under 400 kcals that I've eaten in the past week:

Breakfast: one frozen whole grain or multi grain waffle, topped with 1 Tbsp. almond or peanut butter and 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup. Black coffee. About 225 calories.

Breakfast: very large nonfat unsweetened latte (8 fluid oz./240 ml nonfat milk) and a good-sized banana. About 200 calories.

Breakfast: whole grain English muffin, toasted, with about 1 1/2 Tbsp jelly (in the American sense), jam, or preserves, and 2 slices bacon (cooked weight 22 to 24 g). Black coffee. About 350 calories.

Breakfast or lunch: a peach, a single-serving (125 g) of Siggi's no-sugar-added banana and cinnamon yogurt, and a slice of bacon (cooked weight 10 to 12 g). About 220 calories.

Breakfast or lunch: About 200 g each of lovely local tomatoes and watermelon. With salt, and a splash of balsamic if you like. About 100 calories.

Lunch: Trader Joe's butter chicken with basmati rice (frozen meal) and a peach. About 335 calories.

Those are awesome. Thanks so much. Quite a few to add to my list!

IHaveMyActTogether

aemsley05 wrote: »

For my breakfasts this week I'm having egg and quorn sausage breakfast sandwiches - wholewheat sandwich thin, quorn sausage patty, cheese slice and one scrambled egg - 270 kcal

Dinner last night was quinoa, a microwave steam bag of mixed veggies and a can of flavoured tuna (soy and garlic) with some extra soy sauce - 360 kcal

I typically have soup and a babybel for lunch so that I can save more calories for dinner - I find having 500-600 kcals available for dinner makes it easier to have dinners that my fiance (who's definitely not on a diet!) will eat as well (even though I'll typically have veg/salad while he has fries as a side).

I had no idea you can have that much in a sandwich for those calories. I've tried the low cal bread and didn't like it. The sandwich thin seems like an alternative I need to try.

Thanks so much for your list. I have the same issue with dinner. I prefer to eat the most calories at that meal, which means the others have to be lower.

Have a great day and thanks again!

yirara

I just made shepherd's pie with 12% beef mince (couldn't get lamb). A big bowl comes in at just over 500kcal.