Calories to consider a healthy meal

andresconejo
andresconejo Posts: 264
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I was wondering how many calories in a meal are considered a "healthy meal"? For example, is a dinner under 500 cals healthy? Or under 300?
I only consider a healthy meal at about 300 cals, 500 cals are just too much for me, is it right?

Replies

  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Personally I don't deem a meal being healthy or not based on the calorie count of it. What makes a meal healthy is the type of protein, the vegetables/fruits, the grains etc. You can have a healthy meal that is a higher calorie count.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    If you can eat 8 meals per day, 300 per meal should be ok.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Calories isn't the same as healthy.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Calories isn't the same as healthy.
    :flowerforyou:
    Exactly...there's a whole lot of low calorie garbage out there!
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    As others have said, you are comparing apples to oranges here. Just because something is low in calories doesn't make it healthy.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Judging a meal's health based on it's overall calorie amount is ridiculous. Judge the health of a meal in the context of your daily calories, and macronutrient goals.
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    Calories isn't the same as healthy.

    ^this, some of my meals are only 200cals and others are 900 and they are both healthy. just depends on if it is a lift day or not.
  • 1ahayward
    1ahayward Posts: 9 Member
    I'd be more inclined to trust my sense of fullness rather than a specific number of calories. If you're saying you get too full on 500, then by all means, eat less. But that might vary depending on your activity level and the quality of those calories. One of the things I found I had to do to maintain my 50+ lb loss was really pay attention to my body's signals that it had enough to eat. Good luck.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I can eat a healthy meal that consists for 1000+ calories. Low calorie =/= healthy

    As long as you get enough calories, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, then your diet is healthy. No one meal can dictate if you are eating healthily.

    Since you usually don't eat enough in a day I would say a meal under 600 cals for you would be unhealthy. aim for 600+ /meal
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    A 1200 calorie meal can be just as healthy as a 200 calorie snack, depending on your goals and how that meal fits into the rest of your day.
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
    I agree with most - calories may not equal healthy. Ensure that at least half your plate is full of steamed, raw, or cooked without butter/cheese/sauce veggies and/or a decent sized salad; a healthy grain for 1/4; and a healthy protein for 1/4.

    Good luck!
  • andresconejo
    andresconejo Posts: 264
    Oh ok i didnt thought like that when asking the question, my meals are usually pretty healthy and low calorie so i think ill keep eatong them like ive been doing but maybe in bigger amounts

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