Fitting the macronutrients into calorie goal

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sarah44254
sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys. If anyone could, please, look at Friday (tomorrow) food diary for me. I am trying to think of foods to eat to fit my macro nutrients and also reach my calorie goal. I am too often eating too little and would very much like to eat every calorie allotted to me. It isn't so much about what foods I have at home, since I get off work at 2pm and can visit the grocery to make midday snacks and dinner purchases.

I am hoping to get a workout in tomorrow, usually around 200-300 calories burned. In that case I will need even more food! Please list any foods you have grown to love that I might be able to try. I'm having a total brain block as to what to have the last half of the day.

Thank you so much!

Edit: Here is a link if it helps, to my food diary for tomorrow: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/sarah44254?date=2011-05-27

Replies

  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    It's been a while since I had real "meat" in my kitchen. I often simply slice up a chicken breast and toss it into whatever I am eating. I don't eat pork, but wondering what kind of beef I could purchase and how to prepare it? Might make for a tasty and different dinner!
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    definitely your fibre! i can't see any fruits in your diary! maybe swap your american cheese for a softer cheese (cottage cheese).
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Ok, fiber it is! I don't have any fruits at home tonight, so I won't be able to have them in the morning hours. I will make sure to pick some up at the grocery in the afternoon though! Same story for the cheese, I don't much like cheese on my eggs but I am in need of the calories so I was tossing it in. I'd like to try cottage cheese on them, but again, have to wait til afternoon to buy some.

    Is there a type of cottage cheese with low sodium? My tiny 4oz containers have 440 sodium! I just found out today and was baffled.
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    apart from fruits for your fibre you could also add:
    - rolled oats/oat bran
    - chia seeds (very high fibre)
    - bread (choose a bread with at least 2g fibre/slice)
    - legumes/lentils - canned or soaked yourself to save money
    - processed bran
    that's all i can think of at the moment!

    hm not too sure but perhaps you could spend some time checking the ingredients at the store? it's a pain but i live in aus and im not sure if i have the same brands as you.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Thank you very much joannee! I saw that pears are high fiber, and I do love pears! So I'll have a couple of those.

    Then again I get carried away with trying to get enough calories, and I'm in red numbers on macros again. This gets tough!
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    no worries! pears are awesome :D you should ignore the fibre # MFP sets. it's way, way too low. the american RDI is 25g and in australia it's 30. i customised mine to 30.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Still over 400 calories left for the day. Really boggled on what to add in!
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    I'm going to prepare my eggs for the morning, and keep thinking about those remaining calories. I really can't think of anything to add in there! Be back in 10 mins!
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    I'm pretty sure a lot of stores sell cottage cheese with a lesser amount of salt in them. It's been awhile since I've had that, though.

    I would definitely suggest adding more variety in your vegetables. Pick something like spinach instead of lettuce. I like carrots and snap peas for snacking. Add some greens to dinner, like kale or collard greens.

    Also, definitely more fruit. I have an apple, an orange, and some dates almost every day. I like those because you can buy larger quantities at once and they don't go bad as quickly as some other fruits. Plus, one orange has all your vitamin C for the day.

    You could add some nuts, too. They have good fats in them, lots of protein, and will help knock out some of those calories.
  • adellepuppy
    adellepuppy Posts: 130
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    Pretty much what I would have said has been said already. You got some good advice.

    Definitely expand on the fruit. I try to take two meals a week that are exclusively fruit. Those are actually my favorite days because it takes so much to make it to your calories that the last thing you'll be is hungry. Organic juices are another way to make it to calories if you feel full but still have numbers to make. Since you're working out regularly, you can get an easy 120 or so calories from a Whey Protein supplement. Lots of brands out there. I use GNC brand and prefer their chocolate one about half an hour before I work out. Try to eat berries and grapes. Rich in antioxidants. And I use pure psyllium husk once a day as a fiber supplement and it also absorbs fats and cholesterol if you time it right before a meal.

    *HUGS YOU*
  • adellepuppy
    adellepuppy Posts: 130
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    Oh! Another. Hummus. Chick Peas are like nature's perfect food. Taken with carrots is my favorite way to go. Also, falafel is delicious and SO healthy.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Yeah, being hungry is definitely not a trouble for me. More days I am feeling so full that I can't reach my goal, rather than feeling hungry and eating over goal.

    Falafel, I'll have to look that up. I have never seen one before, only heard the name!
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    This was much harder than I expected. I have no idea how I am going to cram all that food in during the day! I am going to do my best though. My breakfast and work foods are all prepared. Made a list of what to bring home from grocery. Over on fiber and protein for the day (I'm totally ok with that) and over on sugar.

    Added sugars: 38
    Natural sugars: 69

    So, I guess the 38 makes me close to goal of 31? It will raise a little bit when I add my workout. I will do some skipping for around 100 calories. If I can find a way to eat more, I will workout more as well!

    Thanks for all your suggestions everyone. This is going to take a bit more thinking that I expected. I love the idea of pre-planning though. I'm going to bed ready for the day!
  • jen0619
    jen0619 Posts: 414
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    For breakfast if i eat a bowl of oatmeal I have some strawberries or blueberries (frozen or fresh) both are low carb because I love carbs and like to use them on other foods :) I also like flat out wraps with morningstar crumbles with bell peppers and you can throw in eggs for added protein. Yogurts are good for a snack as well as my favorite baby carrots with hummus and it is filling! For lunch you can do a chicken sandwich (breast meat of course) with tomato lettuce and whatever toppings you choose with a side of veggies or even for dinners. I also like chopped chicken breast on a salad with feta, dried cranberrys and walnuts.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Thanks for the breakfast and chicken suggestions! I do love tomato.

    This isn't working out as well as I'd hoped. I have stayed true to what I logged, no problem there. But I am unable to eat all of the food! I am still working on the 9am->1pm portion of food and it is 3pm! I cannot imagine being able to do chores at this rate, when I am simply sitting here stuffing my face trying to push past the 'not-hungries'.

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