What do you eat that is low-cal but fills you up?

jennylea16

I have a hard time finding lunches and snacks that are low in cals but don't leave me hungry and wanting to grab something unhealthy. Suggestions?

beckrichmond1

I usually start with a big glass of crystal light (I can't make myself drink water...generic fruit punch low calorie drink mix is what I usually get). Today, I had a tossed spring mix salad with 1 cup of quinoa cooked, then tossed with balsamic vinegar, garlic, green onion, and sundried tomatoes on top. A few croutons for crunch, and a boiled egg for protein. Eat as slowly as your lunch break allows, as this allows your stomach to begin digesting the food before you've finished eating, and you start to feel full before you've eaten half your meal. I used to only eat until I no longer felt hungry, but I've discovered that stress causes me to lose weight, and I'm under stress right now (school, work, 3 kids, you know the deal) so I force myself to eat at least 3/4 of what's in front of me.

I guess it depends on what makes you feel like you've eaten. Oatmeal should be filling, but I never feel quite full off 1/2 a cup because there's no real chewing. For crunch factor, as snacks I do pistachios or cashews and almonds, popcorn, sliced apples, anything crunchy. I've seen a lot of people eating veggie straws, but I guess you have to do some research on brands because some of them are just potato with food coloring and flavored like veggies. Hope this helps...

divemunkey

Eat some decent amounts of fat. It's filling and contrary to popular opinion, does not make one fat.

wikitbikit

Eggity egg eggs.

berthabunny

Water!!!
Eggs, chicken breast for protein
Carrots, celery, tomatoes (you can have a LOT before the calories really start to add up)

LindsayLL30

I like to bring sliced up cucumbers, or carrots to work, and that keeps me from starving by the time lunch rolls around! I also like greek yogurt, and bonless skinnless chicken breasts I am trying for 12-13 hundred cals a day..... so i find the more raw veggies I eat the easier it is to meet my goals!

carriempls

Raw almonds. The crunch is satisfying and the protein and fat satiate hunger quite well. You could do salty as well if that's something you crave out of a snack.

You don't need many to tide you over for a snack. Half an ounce (10-15 almonds) is about 80 calories.

Acg67

No such thing

_noob_

pound of strawberries

LindsayLL30

I also find having stuff sliced up, or in snack size baggies helps to...its easy to reach for something like that when your hungry and in a hurry...which is when I used to make my worst choices!

soundjunkie

Simple.....raw veggies.....find one(s) you like. Today I had fresh mushrooms, mini sweet peppers, broccoli, radishes and a garlic dill pickle to salt it up. BELIEVE me - I would not come this far without this trick. I eat a bowl of them in the mid-afternoon and stops my hunger and binging at dinner. I used to eat dinner and then all the way to bed snacking on chips and crap. Now it's a 1/2 cup of lo-fat cottage cheese and cup of fruit for night-time snack.

FRUIT and VEGGIES are your friend.

carriempls

Raw veggies are good for mindless grazing or if you really want to feel that physically-full feeling in your stomach but the fat and protein help satiate the hunger better for me.

CM9178

protein makes me feel fuller, longer. Eggs, Chicken, etc.
Carbs are going to make you crash and feel hungry again later.

AllonsYtotheTardis

- stop trying to lose 40 lbs in 14 weeks. No wonder you're hungry.
- eat at a deficit to lose 1 lb per week - this will give you enough calories to not feel starved.
- protein and fats will keep you feeling full for longer - eat them. Fill up the rest of the plate with veg.

reneegee23

large amounts of uncooked veggies (any kind) will add bulk to your meals and help you to feel full. Also lots of water while you eat and during the day.

cdswicky

Healthy choices are veggies, veggies and more veggies. I love beets with a dab of low-fat mayonnaise. Edamame are an excellent choice too. They steam up nicely and you can eat a whole bag for about 200 calories and 6 grams of fat or so....I actually have a hard time eating the whole darn bag. I also try and eat fiber cereal. Giant brand, Fiber select cereal is delicious with sliced strawberries and greek yogurt...you can add a packet of splenda to sweeten up the plain greek yogurt. This is super filling and so healthy. I also love sweet potatoes.

Good luck...don't cave be strong...don't eat those sweets, especially at night. If you must cheat do it early in the day. Little cheats are good to have so you don't have a disaster binge event.

filthyfit12

Almonds. Eggs. Quest bars.

NewMnky1

Vitalicious products, most of them are only 100 calories and very very filling.

GamerLady

Eggs, chicken breast, Zucchini, Squash, Spaghetti squash, broccoli, okra, Carb quik anything, hamburger no bun, pickles, grilled chicken salad with hot mustard, hot sauce, salt-n-pepper and Crisco Olive oil spray http://www.crisco.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?groupID=16&prodID=450

Crisco has 0 calorie olive oil and butter flavor spray that is nice to have around to cook with to cut out calories. I use real butter most all the time but if I need to cut some out that's a way to.

beckrichmond1

protein makes me feel fuller, longer. Eggs, Chicken, etc.
Carbs are going to make you crash and feel hungry again later.

Wouldn't you say that the crash and hunger depends on the type of carbs you eat? If I eat a piece of whole wheat toast vs white toast, I feel much more fulfilled and I don't feel that sugar spike and resulting crash. Keep in mind that I'm not here to "lose" weight, but to become more healthy, so I don't really restrict my eating that much. So, I don't claim to know all the ins and outs of "dieting". Carbs are my friend, especially complex carbs. My caloric requirement is 1810. I'm having a hard time meeting that while still eating "healthy" foods, so I'm supplementing with shakes.

kluvit

Carbmaster yogurt...low on sugar & calories, yet because of the protein, it seems to stay with me.

jennylea16

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Conniekui

An avocado. Also eggs for breakfast keep me full until lunch.

triciab79

8AM – 2/3 cup FiberOne cereal (60) 2/3 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk (20) – 80 calories
10AM – 6oz Kroger CarbMaster Yogurt – 60 calories
12 noon – 2 slices 40 cal bread (80) and 1 ounce turkey (or ham) (30) condiments or veggies to equal up to – 150 calories
2 pm - veggies or fruit as much as you can get for -100 calories Depending on what you pick this could be a good bit of food
4pm – Lite Cheese Stick 50 calories
6pm – (2 grilled chicken Caesar Wraps) 2 light FlatOut wraps (180), 6 oz grilled chicken breast (210), half a bag of Dole Lite Caesar Kit (135) – 515 calories
8pm – ½ PINT! Arctic Zero vanilla icecream (75) Walden Farms Caramel Sauce (0 I don’t know how they do it) ½ a FiberOne brownie (crumbled up on top) (45) – 115 calories

That is a 1070 day with dessert so I would typically add a 100 calorie bag of popcorn to a ziplock bag in the morning and use it as a grab snack during the day. I know the nutrition natzis won’t like that I do desert instead of more healthy items for my 8pm snack but it made the limited calories so much more doable.

JoanB5

- stop trying to lose 40 lbs in 14 weeks. No wonder you're hungry.
- eat at a deficit to lose 1 lb per week - this will give you enough calories to not feel starved.
- protein and fats will keep you feeling full for longer - eat them. Fill up the rest of the plate with veg.

^
This sounds like really good advice if it's based on your diary, as hard as it is to hear.

liittlesparrow

Broccoli, carrots, popcorn, boiled cabbage.

Oh, and pickles!

jessvaughn74

To give you an idea of a typical day for me...yesterday's diary entries:

Breakfast 7AM - Slim Fast shake mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk = 140 calories

Mid Morning Snack - 9:30 AM - Kroger CARBmaster yogurt ( I LOVE this stuff!) and small banana = 150 calories

Lunch NOON - Homemade chicken salad (using plain non fat greek yogurt) stuffed into 8 grain pocket bread and a spinach/spring mix salad with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced almonds, crispy jalepenos and light marie's blue cheese = 342 calories

Afternoon snack 3:30PM - Sliced apples = 65 calories

Dinner 7PM - Chicken stir fry with brown rice and same salad as lunch = 571 calories

Evening Snack 9:30PM = 90 calorie fiber one bar (the chocolate peanut butter are good!) = 90 calories

Total for day = 1268 calories

Other snacks I throw in sometimes are pickles (no calories!)...reduced fat string cheese...sargento ultra thin cheese slices (only 45 calories).

Feel free to add me or stalk my diary...its always open

canadianbugga

Mushrooms, celery, spinach, cucumbers, cabbage, green pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, egg whites, cottage cheese, chicken breast and on occasion sugar free jello.

tammymusic1

sweet potatoes will feel you up real fast. For lunch I like to make one with some ground turkey shredded lettuce and salsa on top. Saw this on the biggest loser it is very delicious

Kaylee_law_123

Celery with Tzaziki dip, I get a mini dip from coles, and with 150g celery sticks it's about 80 calories.

peleroja

I swear by Skinny B cereal (by a brand called Holy Crap, haha), mixed into fat free Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of honey.. It's basically just hemp hearts, chia seeds, and buckwheat, it is organic, GMO free, gluten free, lactose free, vegan (although I eat it with yogurt so I'm clearly no vegan), tasty, and really filling. I love it.