I always lose it at dinner...

tpfoodie
tpfoodie Posts: 148 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If you look at my food diary, I tend to do great for breakfast and lunch. I have plenty of good clean foods, fruits and vegetables, and my fill of protein for the day.

Then, I get to dinner... and I don't know what to eat. My protein is maxed out, so no to meat.
I had my servings of vegetables for lunch.
I'm out of fruit at the moment, so no to that.
I've had yogurt and milk today, so no to something like a quesadilla with cheese.
I could have soup, or pasta, but that would be high on the sodium count.

I would love some thoughts or advice on what to eat for dinner!

Replies

  • tubaman58
    tubaman58 Posts: 151
    Can't have too many vegetables......
    Look for lean protein
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    Don't be afraid to go over on the MFP settings for protein. They're usually pretty low. I eat about 120-135g/day.

    Why avoid certain food groups just because you ate it once already that day? Don't be afraid to eat veg...like at every meal...there's really no such thing as too much. And yogurt or cheese? What's wrong with multiple servings? Great source of nutrients, protein and calcium.

    Basically, eat whatever you want as longs as you're near your calorie goal.
  • iiwish
    iiwish Posts: 36 Member
    Well, how hungry are you at dinner time? You don't have to stick to the guideline for macros that comes preset with MFP...I'd say you can have whatever you want for dinner! I wouldn't worry about going over their protein guide. Maybe oatmeal with peanut butter, or just another meal you'd like to have *shrug*
  • Princess4Run
    Princess4Run Posts: 135 Member
    What eating guidelines are you following because you are making this more complicated than it is. Make a balanced meal with protein, veggies and a complex carb.
  • Kym1610
    Kym1610 Posts: 328 Member
    Vegetables are always good and there are so many ways to cook them. The protein setting on here is a little low, if you want meat for dinner just keep it to a serving of about 100g.
    As far as the Sodium thing goes I asked my dietician about it recently and she said unless you have a heart condition don't worry about it to much.
    You could always have rice if don't want pasta, beans are always good. Stir fry etc I suspect your over thinking it a little
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    What eating guidelines are you following because you are making this more complicated than it is. Make a balanced meal with protein, veggies and a complex carb.

    This.
    I wouldn't worry about going over your protein as long as it is lean. Just have a sensible meal.
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
    Can't see your diary but maybe leave some of your macros for dinner by cutting back on your protein portions beforehand?
    (This is if we're talking about the future).

    If we're talking about today, load up on a salad with some portion-controlled dressing and green beans with a little oil/salt/pepper/red pepper flakes.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I second the thought that you might be over thinking it as well as the suggestions to perhaps alter MFP's presets for macros. Personally, I do best with a carb heavy diet (though I know practically no one else who does) so I usually strive for that but mostly based on how I feel, rather than the #s. If your goal is weight loss, I vote for keeping within calories as goal #1, eating balanced meals (fruits, veggies, dairy, carbs, protein, etc) as goal #2 and then worry about the actual protein/carb/fat break out once you have everything else down. I find that unless you're going for a very specific look, you don't have to worry too much about the composition of your calories but to each their own.
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
    You could open up your diary so we can see exactly what you are eating and give you some pointers..
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
    Can't have too many vegetables......
    Look for lean protein

    ^^^ This!
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I have many issues with macros it annoys me so much i dont eat most of my calories
  • tpfoodie
    tpfoodie Posts: 148 Member
    Vegetables are always good and there are so many ways to cook them. The protein setting on here is a little low, if you want meat for dinner just keep it to a serving of about 100g.
    As far as the Sodium thing goes I asked my dietician about it recently and she said unless you have a heart condition don't worry about it to much.
    You could always have rice if don't want pasta, beans are always good. Stir fry etc I suspect your over thinking it a little

    Thanks all for the thoughts. I'm not intending to overthink it, but I suppose I do that with everything else in my life! :)

    As far as the sodium goes, I try to stick to that one - I have a history of heart conditions on both sides of my family, so I'd like to keep it low. I'm glad to know that the protein macro is low! All I had today (concerning protein) was an egg white and a chicken breast, and I couldn't believe I'd already gone over my daily allowance.

    I apologize for any confusion, I thought that my diary was open - I'll fix that now.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    No such thing as too much protein, fruits, or veggies!
  • pixish
    pixish Posts: 79 Member
    I only pay attention to calories, I don't bother with protein or anything like that.

    Vegetable soups would be good though, I guess. They're low calorie and very filling - especially great in colder weather :)
  • jakescastle88
    jakescastle88 Posts: 6
    I usually go for Rice or Quinoa with either dark kidney, pinto, or black beans and fresh herbs for dinner along with a salad. Its filling and nutritious, without much fat, cholesterol, and only a moderate amount of sodium. Be careful which beans you buy, some canned beans have more sodium that others!

    Pasta also isn't too bad for you if you buy the right kinds. I usually go for organic spinach fettuccine with tomato sauce and a little bit of pesto.

Categories