Food Ideas?

amh91011

This is my first week doing the MFP, I'm having a hard time staying within my calorie range. Seems like everything I eat it high in calories! HELP! I love my fruits and I have a week spot for pizza! I don't drink soda and I hardly snack on the unhealthy stuff like cakes, candies, etc. I just dont know what to do!

ATLMel

Pizza is a fabulous food if you do it right! Minimize the cheese, make your own dough (or pick some up from the bakery section of your local grocery) and make it a thin crust. Then load it up with fresh, seasonal veggies. One of my fave cooking blogs has a lot of great ideas: http://thehealthyfoodie.com/category/pizza/

As far as everything else...sometimes you just have to put down your fork. Most people have cravings for things that are not good (mm hot wings). It is fine to occasionally have these, but don't let them make up the majority of your diet. If you know you want to splurge a bit, get in an extra workout. I run more before sporting events so I can have that ball park beer and hot dog.

Give it some time and you'll find your tastes changing to eat less processed garbage.

nxd10

You can eat an awful lot of fruit and green veggies and not mount up any real calories. Eat them!

If you love pizza, get the kinds without cheese. They sell yummy vegan pizza in our town. If you need the cheese, drop the pepperoni. Eat half a slice. You might love pineapple pizza (skip the ham or spam). The idea is to cut down not to become a dieting nun!

My friend who does research on weight loss says skip all white food - flour, cheese, sugar, rice, bread, butter . . . That leaves a lot of colors left (green, red, orange . . . ) Having logged my food for 45 days now, I've decided she's right. All those things have lots of calories. Eat as much as you want of other stuff and cut way down on those things. See if that helps.

erikkasusann

Hummus, granola, quinoa, black beans. These always make me feel full & fueled!

legnarevocrednu

Can you make your diary public or post an example of what you eat in a day? Without seeing that, I can only make a few suggestions. Watch your portion sizes. Before I started, I was eating too large of portions. Often what they serve in restaraunts, is double of what you need. Pay attention to the nutrition label and measure out a serving size. I know it doesn't seem like much, but keep reading. I eat something every two hours. I'm never hungry and I stay within my 1200 calorie range. My meals are 300 calories or less, and my snacks are 100 calories or less. I drink water in between each meal/snack. I know some may not approve of how or what I eat, but I don't care. You may notice I've lost 88 pounds so obviously it's working for me. One slice of pizza will not kill your diet or you...it's moderation. When you decide to have it, have one slice. Trust me, the second slice won't taste better than the first one. Also, don't have it every day. Limit your carbs to less than 100 and focus on protein heavy foods (chicken, eggs, greek yogurt etc). You are already taking the right steps by limiting your sweets/soda. It may take some adjusting, but you will get there! Good luck! :-)

ericachristie85

Smart One soups are great for lunch. The whole can is 140 cals. Frozen chicken breast are great, I eat half. Use a scale and measuring cups. You'll be surprised how a half cup of rice or quinoa is all you need. Fill you plate with Vegetables. Lately I have been baking veggies in the oven with olive oil. SO yummy with seasoning. Pick the meal you like to eat the most and save calories for it. I love dinner so my breakfast and lunch are 400 cals or less. Try to stay away from packaged food. Eggs and almonds are a great protein source.

Watch your nutritional amounts. Try and max out on protein and fiber and keep your carbs and fat low. Once you manage to find foods that are high in fibre and protein the calories are easy to keep low. You are fuller longer. Think of yourself as a car. Would you put regular or premium gas in if it was the only car you could ever have.

pastryari

I will often make a "pizza" by getting a 100 calorie tortilla, spreading a little sauce on it, a 1/4 cup of fat free shredded cheese, maybe some chicken, and whatever veggies! I pop it into the toaster oven until the cheese just melts. It's really good and you can change it up to fit whatever you like.

Another go to meal for me is to make a wrap. Another 100 cal tortilla, some veggies, some chicken, some hummus, anything you like really.

Salads can be really filling too if you load them up. The one I eat most is some lettuce (whatever I have one had, I like the butter mix by Fresh Express), some sliced chicken, mix of chopped bell peppers, some feta, sunflower seeds, avocado, and some light dressing.

knowwhentoshutup

We love pizza too! We have been enjoying building pizzas on everything and anything. Pita bread (pulled the pocket in half - so one half pocket makes a reasonable serving) whole wheat mini-bagels, 100-calorie tortilla bread, etc. We like lots of fresh veggies on our pizzas (sauteed spinach, peppers, onion, mushrooms, etc), and I have been buying turkey pepperoni (my husband and kids don't even know the difference!).

I love bread, so to cut back on calories, I make a variation of my favorites in salad form instead. For instance, my favorite lately has been a Chicken BLT salad - serve the contents of the sandwich on a hearty bed of romaine/mixed greens. For the dressing, I cut tomatoes and cucumbers and mix with a tablespoon of reduced fat mayo (made with olive oil) and a splash of vinegar. The wetness from the tomatoes and cucumbers help to stretch out the tablespoon - and make it enough to coat the whole salad. I then top it with poached chicken, and two or three slices of center cut bacon (the best for the least calories) It is so FILLING, and I don't feel deprived at all.

Check out some recipe sites, or even pinterest for some inspiration. I find a lot of inspiration at:

Veggie Venture
SkinnyTaste.com
TasteofHome - especially their Cooking Light/Healthy Cooking/Comfort Food Diet series