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

I'm addicted to a 300 calorie pasta meal that I found and tweaked a little, that's super healthy, full of protein, and keeps me full for a long time. I make a big batch on Sundays & eat it for lunch during the week. My family likes it too if I add cheese. If I'm working out hard that day/week, I'll add fresh parmesan, but if not, then skip it. I usually have fruit, greek yogurt and (pick one or more) wheat germ/granola/flax seed/chia, then my lunch, and rarely eat a full dinner because lunch is so satisfying. I do make sure I reach at least 1200 calories though, and go 1400-1600 if I'm exercising, because when I'm under I actually hold on to weight.

Serves 10-12 depending on portion size
1lb whole wheat pasta
1lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 (15-16 oz) cans of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
4 cups fresh green beans, trimmed & chopped
1 large onion diced
Red chile flake
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
white wine/water/stock (I use 1/2 cup wine to deglaze then add 2-3 cups of stock later)
1lb diced or cherry tomatoes (or canned, rinsed & drained)
salt & pepper
large handful of whatever fresh chopped herbs you like: parsley, basil, cilantro, sage, oregano...

Boil the pasta (in salty water) a couple minutes shorter than recommended to finish in sauce later, and add green beans 2 minutes before that to partially cook. Drain pasta & green beans immediately.

In a large pan sauté onion s&p and chile flake in olive oil on med-high heat. If using dried instead of fresh herbs add them now to bring out their flavor. Add garlic for about 30 seconds then add shrimp cooking just 1-2 minutes on each side until just pink (not cooked through. Remove shrimp & set aside. Add 1/2 cup wine/water/stock to deglaze & reduce couple minutes. Then add all remaining ingredients except fresh herbs, salt & pepper to taste, and let simmer.

When tomatoes "pop" or begin to break down and stock has reduced a little (5 minutes or so), turn off heat, toss in pasta and shrimp with fresh herbs. You may have to move it all to a bigger bowl to be able to mix. Grate parmesan over individual servings if you've earned it

Lean protein and veggies seem to be my go to dinner.

Salmon filet seasoned with salt pepper and butter, side of green beans = 445 cals, 27f/7c/39.

I'd suggest eating more fat too. It may keep you more satiated.

knittingbee928 wrote: »

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.

There is a difference between necessary and important to you. Since you are already at a healthy weight, your struggles will be different than if you were obese.

Don't keep yourself starving before dinner as this wud make you eat a bigger meal. Before starting to cook when I am too hungry, I munch on a small carrot or two as this wud stop me from cooking bigger quantit.

Egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms (other veggies to taste) and reduced fat shredded cheese. A side of toast and/or piece of fruit to round it out.

Brown rice (or whole grain quinoa), chicken breast and a load of veggies.

I'd portion it to 300cal so I could fit in some almonds a couple hours later :P

It's definitely not sexy, but my go to under 400 calorie meal is a plane ole ham sandwich (375 calories). Costco sells this Black Forrest Ham lunch meat that is 35 calories per oz. 5 ounces of that on sandwich bread with some mustard holds me over for a good five hours.

Sweet potato and onion fritters.