Planning meals and Snacks

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FoxyLoxy
FoxyLoxy Posts: 80 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I think I'm going to have to start planning out my meals and snacks - otherwise I just eat whatever is in my path when I come home from work. Has anyone found that they have better luck when they plan out their meals and snacks or does it become to rigid and hard to stick to? If so, how do you do it? I'm never sure what to include so that I will actually feel satisfied - I've tried and when I'm craving sugar (which is my biggest downfall) I'll eat my healthy planned snack and then graze until I find something sugary to kill the craving. Gah.

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  • FoxyLoxy
    FoxyLoxy Posts: 80 Member
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    I think I'm going to have to start planning out my meals and snacks - otherwise I just eat whatever is in my path when I come home from work. Has anyone found that they have better luck when they plan out their meals and snacks or does it become to rigid and hard to stick to? If so, how do you do it? I'm never sure what to include so that I will actually feel satisfied - I've tried and when I'm craving sugar (which is my biggest downfall) I'll eat my healthy planned snack and then graze until I find something sugary to kill the craving. Gah.
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    I usually have some "set snacks" running around.
    Quaker Mini Delights (90 Cal packs)
    Light string cheese
    Apples, clemintines, applesauce, etc
    Carrots
    Hummus
    Whole grain crackers


    I also have some "set breakfast"
    Cereal (I am into the Frosted Mini Wheats...yes I count out 24)
    Soy milk (cause I can't drink regular)
    Fiber One Pastrys (like pop tarts)

    My dinner is planned out by my family...
    I just keep an eye on portions and I can eat the same stuff.
    If I know in advance what's being cooked then I total it in that morning.

    ***How I work....
    Log breakfast, lunch, and possibly dinner (if I know) and then the calories I have left are for snacks.
    I also try to figure in exercise (even if it's a rough estimate) in the morning so I am not wolfing down 300 Calories late at night.
  • fishernd
    fishernd Posts: 140 Member
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    I pretty much plan out my meals a day in advance and make my breakfast and lunch for the next day, the night before. That way it's super easy to pack a lunch for work, and when I get home I generally know what I need to make for dinner. I may vary my vegetables depending on what is in the freezer but I know what I need to hit my different nutrient targets.

    Few things. Try having cinnammon oatmeal in the morning. High fiber foods fill you up and the oatmeal has a sweet taste to it. Also, have you tried pears? They have a really sweet taste I've found and are great to satisfy sugar cravings. And, make sure you're eating every 3 hours. That way you won't get cravings and you'll feel satisfied throughout the day.

    Good Luck!
  • FoxyLoxy
    FoxyLoxy Posts: 80 Member
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    I just bought some pears - just waiting for them to ripen a bit. Can't wait to see if they help! It seems like I have been eating so badly for so long without realizing it that I've forgotten all the good things to eat out there! I definately will be trying the oatmeal and the frosted mini-wheats. Thanks so much for the tips! :smile:
  • kbhealthy
    kbhealthy Posts: 10 Member
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    I do the same thing - I basically plan out what I will eat the day before. Less stress in a moment of weakness. I know that I have to stick to the plan or I'll eat anything. And living in a dorm room doesn't give you too many options. I make sure to have a few low-calorie snacks laying around too, just in case. Applesauce and peanuts are my favorites right now.
  • raramacher
    raramacher Posts: 12
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    :blushing:
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
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    I create my own frozen entrees, either by cooking specifically with that in mind, or the remainder of family dinners. Freezing leftoverse keeps me from noshing on them after suppertime.

    Not only is this economical in these hard times, but it ensures that I won't be grazing my way through the day - I can't eat what isn't there, right?
    I usually go for things like spaghetti and meat sauce, chicken or tuna noodle casserole, hamburger helper stuff. If I'm not in the mood for that, I make a batch of chicken or egg salad, and bring it in a container with my bread on the side so it doesn't get mushy, and take some kind of soup. Split pea has been on my menu lately.
    Fruit, fat free yogurts, 100-cal snack packs, a hard boiled egg. etc.
  • Thamber
    Thamber Posts: 194
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    I usually preplan my meals but since I rebel against anything rigid I will switch the meals around depending on how I feel that day.

    I also put all my snacks in a tupperware container and nibble on them throughout the day when I am hungry instead of having set snack times. So I get the same feeling of being able to not think about what I am eating since everything in the container is already planned and logged

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