Suggestions for "filling foods"?
LERadicalDreamer
Posts: 61 Member
I'd love some advice on how I can alter my eating habits - I'm weighing/calorie counting, but my afternoons are becoming difficult for me to avoid snacking.
I'm still about 8lbs off from my goal weight, where I'm going to reassess if I am happy with where I am (pre-3x kids pregnancy). I'm technically within a healthy BMI, but still have quite the belly. Very short, about 5'0", and a slight frame/short torso. I typically try to eat between 1200-1400 calories (higher end if I am exercising), because in my experience, if I eat more than that I maintain/gain (again, I'm short/petite).
I suspect my breakfast is part of my downfall - I literally eat frosted mini wheats. I have been eating those fairly consistently since pregnancy #1 because, well, it keeps me regular. I also have 3 little kids, so i can't turn my kitchen into the Food Network to do anything too fancy/ time consuming.
Anyway, all of that just to ask - any good ideas for breakfast and lunch that sustain me till dinner time? I typically stick to Skinnytaste recipes for dinner, and that's working well, but breakfast is at 7am, and I'm starving by noon, usually opt for a PBJ and then fight off urges (or succumb) till dinner.
I wouldn't mind doing a 5 small meal option, either, but whenever I do, it seems like my calories just skyrocket.
Thanks for any and all help
I'm still about 8lbs off from my goal weight, where I'm going to reassess if I am happy with where I am (pre-3x kids pregnancy). I'm technically within a healthy BMI, but still have quite the belly. Very short, about 5'0", and a slight frame/short torso. I typically try to eat between 1200-1400 calories (higher end if I am exercising), because in my experience, if I eat more than that I maintain/gain (again, I'm short/petite).
I suspect my breakfast is part of my downfall - I literally eat frosted mini wheats. I have been eating those fairly consistently since pregnancy #1 because, well, it keeps me regular. I also have 3 little kids, so i can't turn my kitchen into the Food Network to do anything too fancy/ time consuming.
Anyway, all of that just to ask - any good ideas for breakfast and lunch that sustain me till dinner time? I typically stick to Skinnytaste recipes for dinner, and that's working well, but breakfast is at 7am, and I'm starving by noon, usually opt for a PBJ and then fight off urges (or succumb) till dinner.
I wouldn't mind doing a 5 small meal option, either, but whenever I do, it seems like my calories just skyrocket.
Thanks for any and all help
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Replies
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Oh wow. I'd be starving with such a diet.
Make batches of oatmeal that you can reheat, or eggs/eggs burritos. Make some crustless quiches on the week end that you can just reheat in the morning.
For lunch have some protein and veggies. Or a salad. Or a wrap. PB&J has so many non filling calories...
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oh you're the mum who walks with her 3 kids, I loved that post you made.
I fill up on protein at breakfast and struggle to push my lunch down my gullet because I still feel so full.
My top tip is egg white omlettes - ridiculously lo-cal and filling, it's basically a lifehack.3 -
Fat, protein, and fiber are best for keeping you satiated. Fat seems to work the best for me. And as little sugar as possible. You could switch to unsweetened cereal (oatmeal, Cheerios), add some almonds for healthy fat, and add 1T of Chia seeds for the fiber.
ETA: cheerios have sugar, but I suspect less than Frosted Mini Wheats!
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Yeah egg whites are probably the most filling thing out there for the calories - just the thought of it makes me gag now though!0
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Just chuck whatever you have into the omelette, 35g of cheese, veggies, your dog, anything, a lottery ticket, spring onion, whatever.11
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my breakfast is a protein smoothie...44 grams of protein...keeps me fuller longer.
or
egg muffins with ham and cheese
snacks for me are usually cottage cheese or yogurt.1 -
Fruit is a good filler, and most are easy to carry around with you if need be. My favorites are banana (although higher calorie/sugar, it's the easiest to eat on the fly), blueberries, apple, clementines, and/or a sprig of grapes.
I keep a container of quick oats in my cube with a 1/2 cup measuring cup. If I'm really feeling hungry, I'll make it in a mug with hot water ~120 calories, and it's pretty satisfying at least to me.2 -
You could always make hard boiled eggs ahead of time paired with some avocado, tomatoes, or other veggies or try a protein shake with a banana. Use a good brand with low sugar like Garden of Life. I tend to snack after coming home from work too. But I don't think it's always hunger but can be routine. It's that feeling where it's the end of the day and I just want to relax and give in to all temptations. Gotta find some mind hack to change that behavior.1
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I took a peek at your food diary. You could definitely stand to eat more fat and protein.
Fruit is great, but don't eat it alone. Always have some slower-digesting fat and protein to balance it out. Helps keep your blood sugar more stable.4 -
I'd change out PBJ at lunch for something else. That's more calorie dense than your mini wheats. And the peanut butter will counteract your fiber from breakfast. Try some veggies and protein instead.1
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I make ahead: plain greek yogurt, chia seeds, frozen fruit (defrosts by morning in the refrigerator when you make the night before), and if I really feel I need it sweeter just a little bit of pure maple syrup or agave. It makes it easy for me to grab the Tupperware container out of the refrigerator as I'm running out the door to work in the morning ... I eat it between 7 and 7:30 and it holds me solidly until 11:30 or 12ish when I have lunch.
I have also done scrambled eggs made with almond milk and then peppers, onions, and mushrooms (sometimes a little bacon or turkey bacon). I'll use a split of "real eggs" and egg beaters ... but again make a bigger batch, container it out for the week and then it's a matter of 1 minute in the microwave. That holds me well too, it feels like a weekend treat (my dad used to make our eggs this way on special weekends when I was growing up - and almost every time I went to visit as an adult), and it's a nice low calorie investment for fullness2 -
All of you - thank you so much for these replies. They're incredibly helpful.
I definitely agree on the protein and fat. I get discouraged because I always turn to Google for recipes, and you would think they assume I live in the kitchen of a five star restaurant with everyone they want me to keep on hand.Just chuck whatever you have into the omelette, 35g of cheese, veggies, your dog, anything, a lottery ticket, spring onion, whatever.
I literally lol'd at this. And I agree, i'm going to just that. Might spare the cat, though i'm sure as usual he'll try and contribute some of his fur, the bum.1 -
Because of my job, (I'm on the road a lot) it used to be difficult to eat "right". Now that I'm trying to do better, breakfast seems to be the only "for sure" meal. So my questions is, should that be the meal where I consume to most calories? Sometimes, a homemade breakfast burrito could easily be400-500 calories.0
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I love a PBJ lunch, and it's pretty satisfying to me. Do it with 100% whole wheat bread and accompany it with a salad with lots of fiber (carrots), cherry tomatoes etc... if you want it to hold it more. Carrots and snap peas with 2-3 tbs of hummus is pretty satisfying for me for a pm snack and its less than 200 cal.1
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I also have ran into the same problem! There are already boiled eggs (I got mine from Costco) that I heat for 10 seconds, sprinkle pepper and have some ketchup that has kept me full. And it helped a lot more when I paired it with a quick multi-grain Thomas' English muffin. It keeps me full until I lunch which is perfect.
If you want to boil your own eggs, you can boil say like 10 on sunday (2 for each day) and keep the shells on so it doesn't go bad. Just peel the shell the day of and youre ready to go!
You probably get really hungry from the mini-wheats because of your sugar/insulin levels. If I have a sugary breakfast I get hungry like an hour later.
Think protein!5 -
I'd change out PBJ at lunch for something else. That's more calorie dense than your mini wheats. And the peanut butter will counteract your fiber from breakfast. Try some veggies and protein instead.
What does that even mean?
Some things that help me:- crockpot/slow cooker. I use it ALL THE TIME! I can throw dinner in and while I'm at work, it's cooking. I have a large one and cook extra so that I can freeze individual portions for lunches.
- Batch cook on the weekends. I can't do sandwiches for lunch, and I enjoy leftovers, so I eat a lot of warm meals for lunch. Some go tos are "italian stew" (essentially pasta sauce but with a ton of vegetables that I eat like a soup and don't add pasta), green chili stew, buffalo chicken dip (like the appetizer for football games, but I make it with more chicken so that it isn't runny), enchiladas. I round it out by throwing in some frozen veggies (usually green beans because my fiance and I both like them) and have an apple as well.
- I keep shredded chicken on hand. I'll cook 10lbs at once in the crockpot, shred, and either mix immediately into meals or freeze in individual portions. I can use it on salads, make a chicken salad sandwich, pulled chicken sandwich, mix it into a can of soup or chili to give it an extra protein boost, etc.
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I love PB&J, but I don't eat it a ton because it's so calorie-dense. Cottage cheese and fruit or veggies is great and simple. Greek yogurt is good too.. plain with fresh berries is my favorite and easy. I also really like a couple hard boiled eggs mashed up with mustard and a little sriracha.1
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distinctlybeautiful wrote: »I also really like a couple hard boiled eggs mashed up with mustard and a little sriracha.
I do this too! I call it Lazy Devilled Eggs.
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I am 4'11" and 53 years old with 2 kids. I buy a 18 pack of eggs and bought a $19.99 egg cooker. I hard boil 6 at a time (takes 20 min). I eat 1 egg for breakfast, a yogurt for snack and then lunch. Lunch is a 2 oz turkey sandwich on lo cal bread, apple, another egg. If I get hungry in between I snack on carrot sticks or sugar snap peas. Have maintained a 50 lb wt loss for about a year.5
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distinctlybeautiful wrote: »I love PB&J, but I don't eat it a ton because it's so calorie-dense. Cottage cheese and fruit or veggies is great and simple. Greek yogurt is good too.. plain with fresh berries is my favorite and easy. I also really like a couple hard boiled eggs mashed up with mustard and a little sriracha.
This sounds like all sorts of amazing. I may try this for lunch.0 -
definitely egg white omelettes. they are also my go-to supper when i'm low on calories.
before i went gluten free, i used to make quasi egg mcmuffins in the oven by cracking the eggs into muffin tins and baking them (no butter, no frying). they make great quick breakfast sandwiches. make 'em sunday and you'll have them all week.1 -
I find that eating boiled eggs for breakfast really helps me to stay full. I can eat 2 boiled eggs and some fruit and maybe yogurt and I will be find until lunch. You can boil the eggs ahead of time and keep them in the fridge and they are ready to go. I think you could easily add an egg to your mini wheats.1
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You could also do a fritatta, heavy on the egg whites. Add whatever lower-calorie vegetables you'd like, and maybe some cheese or bacon/ham/sausage for satiating fat. It will last a few days, and I like them at room temperature. Add berries or avocado as a side for more fiber. Good balance of macros should help you feel full.
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I agree with everyone else about playing with your macros. Protein, especially at breakfast, is a key for me, along with lots of vegetables. Fat does nothing for satiety for me, but for many it seems to, so is worth trying.
I make a vegetable omelet for breakfast (very fast) and have some other protein with it, usually (smoked salmon, leftover chicken, plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese). But there are lots of premade egg-based breakfast options you can do if you like eggs. Something like this: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/article/muffin-tin-eggs-breakfast, or of course the hard boiled options. Or if not wedded to breakfast food some leftovers (I occasionally have leftover meat from dinner plus some vegetables and maybe a piece of fruit). I also like Francl's idea about oatmeal -- I do oatmeal with protein powder and berries and maybe some raw veg on the side (I really like to have vegetables with all meals, but that's not necessary).
Same approach for lunch (I love a salad with protein, a wrap, mixing and matching dinner leftovers), although you could also try looking at low cal lunches and adding in something filling like greek yogurt or a hard-boiled egg or fruit/raw veg as a snack. Exactly what is filling for people varies, though, so experiment to see what works for you.1 -
I have lots of frozen stuff I can microwave. Fish, chicken and veggies in a Pyrex works for me at work--often with a little Smart Balance and some black beans. Greek yogurt and raspberries (this Oikos banana cream is like dessert), protein shake with unsweetened soy milk, this 100 cal per pack oatmeal, Halo Top ice cream (260-280 calories per pint), skinny girl pop corn.
Dinner is usually egg whites and veggies and black beans. Sometimes with an egg.
I'm not much of a cook. But I can make do!
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I love PB & J but it doesn't have enough protein to satiate me for long. Frosted Flakes wouldn't keep me full for an hour.
I see you're not a vegetarian. Eat more meat. You don't have to have traditional breakfast foods for breakfast. I have protein, fruit, and veggie smoothies.
If you don't have a medical reason to track Sodium or Sugar, swap out one of them for Fiber and hit your target daily.
Also, eat more fat. You can go over your fat target and still lose weight - it's total calories that matter for weight loss. Macros are important for satiety.2 -
Agree with tracking fiber instead of sugar. Sugar is included already in carbs. Also, consider some of the macros that MFP gives you to be a goal to meet rather than a number to stay under. Especially for protein and fiber. That idea might be a different way of looking at it for some people. Carbs and calories are the only numbers I treat as maximums.0
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Great idea on tracking fiber, I'll switch that up right now.
I had two hard boiled eggs with a bit of sriracha and mustard for lunch, and a handful of baby carrots. I'm feeling more satiated than I normally do with PBJ, so this is a good thing! Also, it's fairly low on calories, so I'm going to see what I can do about a snack around 3pmish. I'm usually craving something sweet by then (hopefully this will just be a small craving, not the usual OMG GIMME OREOS) so I'll check where I am in nutrients and opt for a fruit or yogurt. Probably yogurt, because protein.
Again, thank you all for your help, you're all fantastic!4 -
LERadicalDreamer wrote: »Great idea on tracking fiber, I'll switch that up right now.
I had two hard boiled eggs with a bit of sriracha and mustard for lunch, and a handful of baby carrots. I'm feeling more satiated than I normally do with PBJ, so this is a good thing! Also, it's fairly low on calories, so I'm going to see what I can do about a snack around 3pmish. I'm usually craving something sweet by then (hopefully this will just be a small craving, not the usual OMG GIMME OREOS) so I'll check where I am in nutrients and opt for a fruit or yogurt. Probably yogurt, because protein.
Again, thank you all for your help, you're all fantastic!
I found that yogurt made me hungry as an afternoon snack, but I switched to greek yogurt, and I found it more filling. Not sure if it's a mental thing, or if it's because of the extra protein. Cottage cheese is a good option as well.1 -
LERadicalDreamer wrote: »Great idea on tracking fiber, I'll switch that up right now.
I had two hard boiled eggs with a bit of sriracha and mustard for lunch, and a handful of baby carrots. I'm feeling more satiated than I normally do with PBJ, so this is a good thing! Also, it's fairly low on calories, so I'm going to see what I can do about a snack around 3pmish. I'm usually craving something sweet by then (hopefully this will just be a small craving, not the usual OMG GIMME OREOS) so I'll check where I am in nutrients and opt for a fruit or yogurt. Probably yogurt, because protein.
Again, thank you all for your help, you're all fantastic!
I found that yogurt made me hungry as an afternoon snack, but I switched to greek yogurt, and I found it more filling. Not sure if it's a mental thing, or if it's because of the extra protein. Cottage cheese is a good option as well.
One of my stand by snacks is cottage cheese and yogurt mixed together. Usually 100g of 2%MF cottage cheese with 100g of greek yogurt and maybe a few slices of strawberries or some blueberries. I put in a bit of splenda for sweetness. ~160cal snack that fills me up and hits the "Sweet" craving.
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