400 calories left by 5:30PM. What's for dinner?

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knittingbee928
knittingbee928 Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Right now I'm looking for what will get me the most "bang for my buck" food-wise - lower calories, and staying fuller longer.

I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, trying to lose about 10-13 lbs. I'm 5'0 and weigh about 113. I generally have a cup of kefir with blueberries for breakfast (150 calories), homemade healthy leftovers (4-500), and 2 pieces of fruit throughout the day (200 calories). These are estimates, but usually I'm left with about 400 calories left for dinner.

The thing is... I'm hungry. I'm not eating out of boredom or emotions. I don't want to up my calorie intake. I'm learning not to eat rice (for example - high calories, zero return) but I'm looking for strategies on how to maximize what I'm eating, stay fuller longer, and still have an OK number at the end of the day. I'd be happy with 500, but sometimes by 5:30 I've eaten down to where I have 300 calories left. So far my strategies are 1.) drink more water and 2.) if I'm going to go over the calorie amount, do so mindfully and eating as little calories as possible while not starving myself/being unhealthy about it. Nuts are a great snack, but walnuts are 200 calories in 1/4 cup. Yowza!

On exercise: I'm healing from surgery and can't do any impact/strength training right now, so that's out. I can walk, that's about it for the next 2 months.

Any and all ideas are welcome.

Thanks.
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Replies

  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    Protein keeps you full longer, and you get the most bang for your buck with something like grilled chicken. 30 calories per ounce with 7 grams of protein. I can have two grilled chicken tacos on corn tortillas with a dab of cheese dip for 300 calories and more than 30 grams of protein. Keeps me satiated.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    You are already at a healthy weight, so any changes will be slow and entirely unnecessary.

    As for your question, I would suggest less fruit and more veggies. The sugars in the fruit could be affecting your blood sugar levels. Plus, you will get veggies a lot of most veggies and sti be able to get in some fats or proteins to help keep you feeling full for the 200+ calories you are currently using on fruit.

  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    Loads of veggies and shrimp. I once ate over a pound of shrimp and veggies (mostly mushrooms) for just over 300 calories AND that included cooking oil. I was stuffed and had plenty of protein and fiber to keep me full.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Veg and lean protein all the way.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Last night I had 5 oz of chicken breast (boneless, skinless). Seasoned and cooked in nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Finished in oven. On side, fresh zucchini sliced (1 medium) - sauteed same and 1 cup of green beans. Appx. 300 calories.

    So lean proteins and fresh veggies.
  • rnlarry24
    rnlarry24 Posts: 7 Member
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    concordancia wrote: »
    You are already at a healthy weight, so any changes will be slow and entirely unnecessary.

    As for your question, I would suggest less fruit and more veggies. The sugars in the fruit could be affecting your blood sugar levels. Plus, you will get veggies a lot of most veggies and sti be able to get in some fats or proteins to help keep you feeling full for the 200+ calories you are currently using on fruit.
    concordancia wrote: »
    You are already at a healthy weight, so any changes will be slow and entirely unnecessary.

    As for your question, I would suggest less fruit and more veggies. The sugars in the fruit could be affecting your blood sugar levels. Plus, you will get veggies a lot of most veggies and sti be able to get in some fats or proteins to help keep you feeling full for the 200+ calories you are currently using on fruit.

  • rnlarry24
    rnlarry24 Posts: 7 Member
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    Good advice, cut down the fruit ,2 cups steamed veggies 60 calories better
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    For more filling snacks, look at replacing one of the fruits with something higher in protein like an 80 cal greek yogurt.

    My go-tos for a filling dinner when I'm low on calories is a huge mushroom, spinach & ham omelette or a 6-8 oz fillet of some sort of white fish with a ginormous serving of steamed broccoli, green beans or some other veggie.
  • michael_jordan7
    michael_jordan7 Posts: 176 Member
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    Lots of good suggestions here already. Mine would be a full cup of cottage cheese (220 cals) plus whatever fruit you like with it: diced peaches, diced pears, pineapple tidbits, applesauce. That should come in well under 400 total and cottage cheese is high protein and should keep you satisfied until bedtime. :)
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Pretty much what everyone else has suggested- Bulk your diet with veggies and whole grains.
    Yes, white rice is a wash, and not very nutritious. Instead, try whole brown rice, wild rice, quinoa (takes less time to cook than rice, bonus!), barley, etc. OR substitute beans for other carb dishes like rice. You can do almost all the same things to white beans as you can with rice, and beans are much higher in protein and fiber, which will help you feel full.

    My dinners usually fall in the 400-500 range and consist of 3-4 oz of meat protein, a cooked vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc), spinach salad with lots of tomato, cucumber (leave the skin on for the fiber), celery, carrot, etc, and a 1/4 cup of a fiber-high whole grain or bean dish. (White beans and kale is a favorite in our house.)
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    knittingbee928 wrote: »
    Right now I'm looking for what will get me the most "bang for my buck" food-wise - lower calories, and staying fuller longer.

    I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, trying to lose about 10-13 lbs. I'm 5'0 and weigh about 113. I generally have a cup of kefir with blueberries for breakfast (150 calories), homemade healthy leftovers (4-500), and 2 pieces of fruit throughout the day (200 calories). These are estimates, but usually I'm left with about 400 calories left for dinner.

    The thing is... I'm hungry. I'm not eating out of boredom or emotions. I don't want to up my calorie intake. I'm learning not to eat rice (for example - high calories, zero return) but I'm looking for strategies on how to maximize what I'm eating, stay fuller longer, and still have an OK number at the end of the day. I'd be happy with 500, but sometimes by 5:30 I've eaten down to where I have 300 calories left. So far my strategies are 1.) drink more water and 2.) if I'm going to go over the calorie amount, do so mindfully and eating as little calories as possible while not starving myself/being unhealthy about it. Nuts are a great snack, but walnuts are 200 calories in 1/4 cup. Yowza!

    On exercise: I'm healing from surgery and can't do any impact/strength training right now, so that's out. I can walk, that's about it for the next 2 months.

    Any and all ideas are welcome.

    Thanks.

    I also am getting slightly over 1200 each day. My dinner consists of a steamed fillet of salmon, a single 1/2 cup serving of brown rice, a single 1/2 cup serving of legumes, a serving of 6 brussels sprouts, a serving of 2/3 cup of mixed vegetables, and a serving of 3 oz blend of carrots, squash, and zucchini. That's 3 servings of veg, 1 of starch, one of legumes, one of protein. I add a pat of butter. There's also a squeeze of lemon in my dinner and the dinner totals 468 calories. To reduce that to 400, I could eliminate the rice and add a pat of butter, or I could eliminate 2 of the veg, or I could eliminate the beans and add 1 more servings of vegetables. For myself, I'm going to leave that plan as it is and have planned a later snack of 2 oz tuna if I need something else. Rather, I've planned a later 2 oz tuna and a Chip's Ahoy chocolate chip cookie just to get to my 1200 calories.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Chili!
  • Shalynlink
    Shalynlink Posts: 45 Member
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    knittingbee928 wrote: »
    Right now I'm looking for what will get me the most "bang for my buck" food-wise - lower calories, and staying fuller longer.

    I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, trying to lose about 10-13 lbs. I'm 5'0 and weigh about 113. I generally have a cup of kefir with blueberries for breakfast (150 calories), homemade healthy leftovers (4-500), and 2 pieces of fruit throughout the day (200 calories). These are estimates, but usually I'm left with about 400 calories left for dinner.

    The thing is... I'm hungry. I'm not eating out of boredom or emotions. I don't want to up my calorie intake. I'm learning not to eat rice (for example - high calories, zero return) but I'm looking for strategies on how to maximize what I'm eating, stay fuller longer, and still have an OK number at the end of the day. I'd be happy with 500, but sometimes by 5:30 I've eaten down to where I have 300 calories left. So far my strategies are 1.) drink more water and 2.) if I'm going to go over the calorie amount, do so mindfully and eating as little calories as possible while not starving myself/being unhealthy about it. Nuts are a great snack, but walnuts are 200 calories in 1/4 cup. Yowza!

    On exercise: I'm healing from surgery and can't do any impact/strength training right now, so that's out. I can walk, that's about it for the next 2 months.

    Any and all ideas are welcome.

    Thanks.

    Wow twin. I am also 5 ft, 115 lbs and all same as you. I have lost 19.4 lbs to date (with 10lbs left) . I eat a Vega protein shake in the AM, a 300-350 cal lunch and then a veg heavy dinner. I don't do nuts because they are too calorie laden. I use some chia but people generally go overboard with nuts and trail mixes. Below are my go to's:

    boiled egg with hot sauce
    ground turkey stuffed peppers (no rice)
    quinoa w/ stir fried vegetable w tons of hot sauce
    cottage cheese w/ apple
    Vega shake (I use water, ice and a banana)
    lots of green tea
    vegetables & hummus
    cucumbers & tomatos & spinach mixed with 1 T tzatiki (sp)
    lots of spinach with raw vegetable with balsamic

    But even after all this, I have to exercise. And walking is fantastic! Can you do seated weights? Like sit in a chair and do curls?
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Agreed with what others are saying about protein and veggies for volume. A great meal that I do for lower calories is some sort of salad. I know people think salads are boring, but you can literally put anything on them. My base is always 3-5 oz of chicken (depending on how many calories I have to spare) on a bed of spinach or mixed greens. Then I add the toppings I want. My favorite combos are:
    • Buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles
    • Grilled pepper/onion, sour cream, salsa, (shredded cheese and avocado are good too)
    • fresh chopped tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar
    • hard boiled egg, chopped up bacon, red onion slices, balsamic vinegar mixed with a little dijon
    • spiced pecans, dried cranberries, blue or gorgonzola cheese crumbles, balsamic vinegar

    Salads are great because you can adjust the amounts of anything. The taco salad variation is the one I eat the most, as my husband gets tired of salad, but not of actual tacos. I like the salad because I'd rather eat more cheese/sour cream rather than a taco shell. You can definitely keep one of these less than or right at 400 calories and finish feeling full.
  • Shalynlink
    Shalynlink Posts: 45 Member
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    concordancia wrote: »
    You are already at a healthy weight, so any changes will be slow and entirely unnecessary.

    This really depends on body structure. I am 2 lbs heavier and still have easily 10 lbs of fat weight to lose. When you are 5 feet with a very small bone structure (I have the bones of a 10 year old), it is really surprising what I weigh.

  • knittingbee928
    knittingbee928 Posts: 50 Member
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    Thanks to all the great suggestions so far!

    You are already at a healthy weight, so any changes will be slow and entirely unnecessary.

    I think I'll be the judge of that, thank you. Despite what my BMI appears to be on paper, personally I feel my best at 103. So yeah, while I'm a healthy weight according to what any BMI calculator will show, my butt and thighs reveal a different story. As anyone who's very short like myself knows, each pound gained feels like 5. Especially when all the weight goes to one place. And after a surgery and 10-pound weight gain, when my entire entire life I've been just shy of 102, it's not "entirely unnecessary" at all.

    Thanks for the food suggestions, though! I'll keep them in mind - everyone here has great ideas.
  • shadows2424
    shadows2424 Posts: 179 Member
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    Two pieces of barbaqued talapia made ont he stove top with broccoli and cheese.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    Mmmmm, tilapia. Except I'd season it and put it on the grill. With some green beans tossed in a touch of olive oil. You could do that for 400 calories, easy.
  • faithsstaircase
    faithsstaircase Posts: 97 Member
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    I'm a huge fan of a nice steak with a bunch of veggies and a salad.
  • dollydiva2
    dollydiva2 Posts: 71 Member
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    Today I had chicken steaks, sweet potato chips, mushrooms and salad. A great big dinner that was just under 500 cals (I had 2 chicken steaks that were 122 each so one less would have made it 400)
    Tomorrow I'm having cajun tuna steaks with savory cauliflower rice and peppers with salad on the side which comes in at 440.
    I try and swap rice for cauli rice, pasta for spiralized veg etc so you get a big dinner for less calories.

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