Eating clean - not enough calories for me

EmmaJane811

Hi everyone

Going to try the eating clean approach.
Just now I am eating quite healthily but find I am nowhere near my recommended calorie intake for the day (1200) by the end of the day, so I then eat biscuits or junk to push me up to 1200.

I did clean eating before going on holiday and felt amazing for it, but not sure how I get to my 1200 a day if I solely eat fruit, veg, meat, eggs?

Does anyone else have this problem?

melaniecheeks

Avocado and nuts might help you!

bathsheba_c

Full fat dairy, too.

Toumani

Good ol' peanut butter or a tablespoon of ground flaxseed in oatmeal.

I use flaxseed in general, you can sprinkle it on your bread/toast, also put it in yoghurt: it's high in calories, low in carbs and lots of "good" fat.

amberlynnsinspired

Almonds have about 170 calories for a serving.

mazdauk

Nuts, banana, oily fish, good quality sausages (good for iron), sweet potatoes, cheese - anything that's not 0 weightwatchers points!

KarenJanine

Hi everyone

Going to try the eating clean approach.
Just now I am eating quite healthily but find I am nowhere near my recommended calorie intake for the day (1200) by the end of the day, so I then eat biscuits or junk to push me up to 1200.

I did clean eating before going on holiday and felt amazing for it, but not sure how I get to my 1200 a day if I solely eat fruit, veg, meat, eggs?

Does anyone else have this problem?

It really shouldn't be difficult to eat 1200 cals of healthy food.
Avocado
Nuts
Seeds
Cheese
Lean protein
Bananas
Greek yoghurt

Just one serving of each of the above per day would add up to more than 1200 cals and that's really not much food.

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Would help if we could see your diary, to make specific suggestions! I definitely second the suggestions made so far - nuts, peanut butter, etc. Sweet potatoes are delicious, and if you have a pretty large one it can be over 200 cals. Honestly, I could eat my daily calories in peanut butter alone, or in the form of peanut butter and banana sandwiches... /drool

I eat a lot of greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. I try to get full fat or 2% when I can find it, though the grocery store most convenient to me only carries 0% :grumble:

Kefir is an excellent way to add calories, it's a fermented milk drink that is similar to yogurt drinks. Around 140 calories for a cup, and high in protein. Sometimes I find it easier to add calories in liquid form. I love lifeway brand chocolate truffle kefir, or cherry kefir.

I eat a lot of hummus, which you can also make at home. It goes very well with veggies and pita bread, etc. You can also roast chickpeas and season them to be savory (cumin, chili powder, garlic, etc) or sweet. Another good source of protein, and can be fairly high cal.

Dried fruit and dark chocolate are also great.

You could also make cleaner versions of desserts, if you want a sweet treat but want to avoid the overly processed biscuits, etc. Oatmeal raisin cookies or cocoa+peanut butter+oat skillet cookies jump to mind.

Shadowknight137

I suggested this to scene yesterday, and will do so again.

How about you stop tracking, since you find it so hard to meet your cal goal whilst tracking, and just eat intuitively. See how that goes.

Hbazzell

I do that too! I am under every day (my goal is 1400 though). If I eat more cheese I am over in fats. I am a vegetarian too. It is really hard for me to make calroies without eating something "Bad"

nz_deevaa

I suggested this to scene yesterday, and will do so again.

How about you stop tracking, since you find it so hard to meet your cal goal whilst tracking, and just eat intuitively. See how that goes.

This. Unless you put on your weight while eating cleanly.

lpina2mi

Many people are saying 2 common things. ONE, all those vegetables just don't come with enough kcal at a volume one's stomach can handle. TWO, good fats are a part of eating clean & healthy.

Do not be afraid of avocados, nuts, seeds, and a select few oils (olive, sesame, coconut, are my favorites). Yes, even saturated coconut oil is good for you. I also drink unhomogenized whole milk and yoghurt made from it. Sugar much more readily creates body fat storage.

Go on line and read the newest studies (and some very old ones too) that speak to the bad science behind linking fat consumption to heart disease and weight gain. Look to sugar links instead. It is hard to go against the popular flow but more and more of us are restoring the current to its proper direction.

Within clean & healthy living, different individuals will have varying protein-fat-grain/carb-veg/carb-sugar ratios. A skilled professional can be immensely helpful when you set your ratios.

econut2000

I switched about a month ago to a whole foods diet (no wheat or rice). I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I found my appetite to have changed immensely and therefore I very rarely hit my calorie goals even with nuts and avacados thrown in the mix. I don't look at it as a huge deal in the short run - I will absolutely not force feed myself. I have had a major problem with overeating my whole life, spending some time eating because I'm hungry and stopping when I'm full is a rare treat. Eventually my body will figure out what I'm doing and my calories will level back out to some "normal" amount. Basically I've been starving myself my whole life because I've lived on a mainly processed diet - my body has never seen 1200 cals of real food before.

Stick to it, make sure you're eating plenty of good fats and do the best you can. Our bodies are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. We'll both figure it out eventually :-)

melsinct

Everyone defines "clean" differently. 90% of what I eat is home cooked and not from a box. Feel free to look at my diary, as I have no issue easily getting to 1700+ calories. Don't fear fats. Contrary to popular misinformation, they don't make you fat.

EmmaJane811

Thanks everyone