Low calorie restaurant lunches - vegetarian

mrnedburns
mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I eat lunch out rather often during the work week. When I'm in weight loss mode it is sometimes hard to find filling, nutritious, but low calorie meals. I don't eat meat but dairy is OK. I've currently been enjoying the following from Subway:

6" Veggie Patty
9 Grain Wheat
All veggies
Mustard or sweet onion sauce
Yogurt Parfait
Unsweet Tea or Coke Zero.

That totals about 580 calories and is very filling and decently nutritiuos. Does anyone else have any similar meals? Shooting for 600 cal or less but filling.

Replies

  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    I get Pita Pit often they have a bunch to pick from.
    QDoba can bank me around 800 cal but I am normally so full I don't need dinner.
  • mrnedburns
    mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
    What do you get at QDoba? I think the veggie burrito is like 1000 calories. Pita Pit is nearby... I forgot about that place. I like it but have trouble with enough protein. What do you get there?

    Thanks!
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
    I get a vegetarian bowl from Chipotle, no cheese, no sour cream, no guac, and it's usually around 450 calories and very filling.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    What do you get at QDoba? I think the veggie burrito is like 1000 calories. Pita Pit is nearby... I forgot about that place. I like it but have trouble with enough protein. What do you get there?

    Thanks!
    Qdoba I normally do grilled veggie, add the peppers and onions, black beans, corn and pico salsa no cheese or sour cream. Add guac. I think according to their site that way it cost me around 800.

    Pita Pit I do garden with hummus and avocado. It's not as protein heavy as I would like though.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Smashburger has a really tasty and filling veggie patty (black bean). Avoid the one at Buffalo Wild Wings at all costs. Just awful.

    Agreed Buffalo Wild Wings is terrible.
  • mrnedburns
    mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
    I think I've built a reasonable Pita Pit Pita that fits the bill:

    Wheat Pita
    Spicy Black Bean
    Hummus
    Cucumbers
    Green Peppers
    Lettuce
    Red Onions
    Tomatoes
    Alfalfa Sprouts
    Tzatziki
    Feta Cheese

    Unsweet Tea or Coke Zero

    495 Calories, 25g Protein, 14g Fiber

    Option of Baked Lay's potato chips for another 130 cal. That's not bad at all. I'll check Q'Doba next.
  • mrnedburns
    mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
    RE: Qdoba, It looks like the less than 700 calorie requirement can be met pretty easily as long as I avoid Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole. Sweet!

    Whole wheat tortilla
    brown rice
    black beans (or pinto)
    Pico de galla
    Extra hot salsa
    lettuce
    grilled vegetables

    Calories: 665, Calories from Fat: 105, Protein: 26g, Carbs: 114g, Fiber: 27g, Sugar: 8g, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Vitamin A: 58% DV, Vitamin C: 19% DV, Calcium: 20% DV, Iron: 59% DV, Potassium: 780mg, Sodium: 1660mg
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
    RE: Qdoba, It looks like the less than 700 calorie requirement can be met pretty easily as long as I avoid Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole. Sweet!

    Whole wheat tortilla
    brown rice
    black beans (or pinto)
    Pico de galla
    Extra hot salsa
    lettuce
    grilled vegetables

    Calories: 665, Calories from Fat: 105, Protein: 26g, Carbs: 114g, Fiber: 27g, Sugar: 8g, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Vitamin A: 58% DV, Vitamin C: 19% DV, Calcium: 20% DV, Iron: 59% DV, Potassium: 780mg, Sodium: 1660mg
    The pinto beans aren't vegetarian. Just so you know. They're cooked with bacon.
  • mrnedburns
    mrnedburns Posts: 34 Member
    RE: Qdoba, It looks like the less than 700 calorie requirement can be met pretty easily as long as I avoid Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole. Sweet!

    Whole wheat tortilla
    brown rice
    black beans (or pinto)
    Pico de galla
    Extra hot salsa
    lettuce
    grilled vegetables

    Calories: 665, Calories from Fat: 105, Protein: 26g, Carbs: 114g, Fiber: 27g, Sugar: 8g, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Vitamin A: 58% DV, Vitamin C: 19% DV, Calcium: 20% DV, Iron: 59% DV, Potassium: 780mg, Sodium: 1660mg
    The pinto beans aren't vegetarian. Just so you know. They're cooked with bacon.

    I've heard that about Chipotle but never about QDoba. On the QDoba website there is a box to check that filters out non-vegetarian stuff. The pinto beans remain even after checking the box, so either they don't know what vegetarian means, or the bacon thing isn't true.

    Either way, I haven't got them in years. Gross!
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
    RE: Qdoba, It looks like the less than 700 calorie requirement can be met pretty easily as long as I avoid Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole. Sweet!

    Whole wheat tortilla
    brown rice
    black beans (or pinto)
    Pico de galla
    Extra hot salsa
    lettuce
    grilled vegetables

    Calories: 665, Calories from Fat: 105, Protein: 26g, Carbs: 114g, Fiber: 27g, Sugar: 8g, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Vitamin A: 58% DV, Vitamin C: 19% DV, Calcium: 20% DV, Iron: 59% DV, Potassium: 780mg, Sodium: 1660mg
    The pinto beans aren't vegetarian. Just so you know. They're cooked with bacon.

    I've heard that about Chipotle but never about QDoba. On the QDoba website there is a box to check that filters out non-vegetarian stuff. The pinto beans remain even after checking the box, so either they don't know what vegetarian means, or the bacon thing isn't true.

    Either way, I haven't got them in years. Gross!
    Hmmm. Not sure. I haven't had pinto beans since I stopped eating meat, but I went there once a couple years ago and got a bowl without meat and asked for pinto beans, and the employee said they were cooked with bacon. It may have changed.

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