High Volume Low Calorie Meal Ideas?

kcritter77

Bump!

kimmy_1432

Thanks everyone, these are some awesome ideas! I'm working on my portion control but its been hard. (I grew up in the south, nuff said)

Making spaghetti squash-sagna and zucchini tots for dinner!

http://www.mykitchenaddiction.com/2009/12/spaghetti-squash-sagna/

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/zucchini-tots.html

JustineMarie21

This is probably an obvious answer but vegetables always bulk up meals and they're delicious. When i make a sandwhich I pile on the spinach/lettuse. It doesnt change the taste because it doesnt have any so your left with a sandwhich that loks huge. Also when making macNcheese pile in the broccoli and or cauliflour. Im sure there are tons of other ideas/ recipes.

supergirljen

Sure portion controll is important, but come on. As a big person you are used to bigger meals, so as u change ur habbits its good to have some meals that feels like alot but isn't.

Right! :noway: ...Portion control will come with the weight loss.

ChrissyC1985

Get slightly smaller plates. Not trying to be snide. It helped me. Our plates get pretty big in America. Eat a smaller portion on a larger plate. Plate size making you feel full is all in the mind, so using a mind trick is helpful.

This i do. also use smaller cutlery when i can find it too (not talking child size but we have some that's not as bulky and big as the rest)-makes everything look bigger on the plate and in my head.

letjog

YOu need to stop stuffing your face and belly till you're full.

You should eat until you're not hungry any more.

Buy a food scale for portion control, full up half of your plate with vegetables, and don't have seconds.

Sorry.

knitincrazee

Yum!

Mikeplusamy

Just Wanted to say Hi, and Low Calorie Diet Works Lost over 20 lbs in one Month....

deedster_a

I make lower calorie tuna salad, but instead of putting it on bread I mix it with coleslaw mix. This makes a big serving for not many calories. You can even use canned tuna, coleslaw mix and low calorie asian or balsamic salad dressing.

bigswany

Another great tip is to keep your dressing on the side and dip your fork into it then into your salad greens. Really controls how much dressing you use and you get all the great flavor in every bite.

purplecharm

roasted vegetables - zucchini, eggplant, red onion, red peppers, mushrooms...coated with olive oil and seasons....put in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 400 degrees. Very filling and low calories.

BalmyD

Also Hairy Bikers diet recipe Jambalaya

serves 6 341 cals per person so 2046cals for the lot so if your only cooking for 2 just do a third or half the recipe.

* 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
* 100g chorizo (we like picante)
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 1 large onion, roughly chopped
* 4 slender celery sticks, cut into
* 1cm slices
* 2 small green peppers, deseeded
* and cut into 2cm chunks
* 5 large ripe vine tomatoes
* (about 475g)
* 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 1 tbsp paprika
* ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp dried thyme
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 2 bay leaves
* 200g long-grain rice (we often use
* the easy-cook version)
* 450ml chicken stock, made with
* 1 chicken stock cube
* 100g cooked peeled king
* prawns, thawed if frozen
* 6 spring onions, sliced (including
* lots of green)
* flaked sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper




Preparation


1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, removing any excess fat, and season them with salt and pepper. Skin the sausage and cut it into 5mm slices. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or non-stick sauté pan and fry the chicken for 3 minutes over a medium heat until lightly coloured. Add the chorizo and cook for 30 seconds more, then transfer the chicken and chorizo with tongs to a large plate or tray.
2. Tip most of the oil out of the frying pan and chuck it away. Return the empty pan to the heat and turn the heat down to low. Stir in the onion, celery and green peppers and cook for 8?10 minutes until well softened, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes. Cut them in half and remove the green stem ends, then roughly chop the rest of the flesh - no need to deseed.
4. Stir the crushed garlic, paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano and bay leaves into the frying pan and cook for 20?30 seconds, stirring. Increase the heat and add the chopped tomatoes and any juice that has collected on the board. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are well softened, stirring regularly.
5. Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan, add the rice and cook for about a minute, stirring. Pour over the stock, season with a pinch of salt and lots of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until the rice is just tender and most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally. The rice should still be pretty saucy at this point, so if your rice takes longer to cook, you may need to add a little more stock.
6. Stir in the prawns and spring onions and cook for about 2 minutes more or until the prawns are hot, stirring regularly, then serve.

I made this last weekend and it was really tasty and filling. Mine was very saucy because I used two cans diced tomatoes with the juice instead of 5 fresh tomatoes, but we liked it that way.

veddar79

As already mentioned but can't say enough: chicken breast and 25 different spice/marinade combinations

tomthayer58

Baked fish, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and start with a salad

blainepoe

YOu need to stop stuffing your face and belly till you're full.

You should eat until you're not hungry any more.

Buy a food scale for portion control, full up half of your plate with vegetables, and don't have seconds.

Sorry.

I guess MFP can close up shop now. This overeating issue has been solved!

Back to the OP. Try to explore the healthy options you like until you find what fills you up. It's different for all of us. I can eat steamed broccoli about everyday. The mind tricks work well too. Healthy filling snacks to curb hunger between meals, eat slower and take smaller bites, and stop before you are full so your brain can catch up with your stomach. All the best on your journey.

Ideabaker

I make lower calorie tuna salad, but instead of putting it on bread I mix it with coleslaw mix. This makes a big serving for not many calories. You can even use canned tuna, coleslaw mix and low calorie asian or balsamic salad dressing.

Love this idea! Am always looking for ways to use coleslaw mix, and this salad sounds like a winner!

chadya07

my favorite two recipes and they freeze great and double or triple great. (i portioned them for lunches and froze them when i had a regular job for my lunches)

Braised Chicken

8-10 bone in skin on chicken breasts (or skin off is fine)
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste.

heat oven to 375 degrees. in a stock pot or deep pan heat the oil. place chicken and flour in a bag and shake. brown the chicken on both sides. remove and set aside. in the same pot add carrots, celery, and onions and saute until soft. add wine, deglaze (scrape the pan with a plastic or wooden spatula to get the flavor off) add tomatoes and stock. add salt and pepper. place the chicken in a proportionately sized casserole dish. 13x9 usually. pour the liquid and veggies over the chicken. cover and bake until tender. (up to one hour? i forget... sorry)


Chicken Caccitore

8-10 chicken thighs
1/2 cup green olives
1 jar pasta sauce (tomato based, whichever you like)
2 bell peppers, 1 inch diced
1 sliced onion
1 cup halved mushrooms

heat the oven to 375. brown the chicken in a skillet. move to a large casserole or dutch oven. mix all remaining ingredients together, pour over the chicken. bake uncovered until tender.

jennylsapia

I totally understand your frustration!! Lots of good advice! I have found that using a smaller plate helps. Also plenty of veggies and salads. And to those who say portion control will not come with time....are full of it! If you are looking to lose the weight fast (which is unhealthy) then no it wont work without portion control. But if you are looking to do this healthy then yes, after a matter of time your portion control will become easier. When you go from eating 2000-4000 calories to 1200, it is a shell shock on your body so yes trick it into thinking it is eating a lot! Good Luck!

ericarfloyd

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/stuffed-pepper-soup.html

one of my favs...also had tons of leftovers to boot

That looks amazing! I'm making that this weekend!!!!

icrushit

There are some very filling carb-rich meals, like soup, but what I've found is nothing is as filling for me, nor keeps me full as long, as meals with a decent quantity of fat and protein in the mix. If looking just for carb-rich foods, foods/ meals rich in fibre should help fill you the most I suspect.