Tips & Tricks: Food Hacks

myfitnessjourneyto180
myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone makes certain foods high in volume, good taste, and low in calories?

Here are mine:

Zuchinni Pasta (5-10x less calories than normal pasta with a huge volume)
PB2 Peanut butter (1/2 normal peanut butter calories and good taste)
Protein fluff (protein shake, diet soda, xanthan gum: it's less than 150 calories with tons of fluff)
Aspartame-free diet soda
Coffee with water and artifical sweeteners (not the healthiest but literally 0 to 5 calories)
Shrimps (20 for 60 calories, super high protein, and cooked with low oil and 0-calorie spices is heavenly)

Also do you guys sometimes forget to eat and sometimes binge on junk food to meet the calorie limit?

Here's what I do:

3 junior chickens + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1200 calories)
2 junior chicken + mcchicken + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1300 calories)
3 junior chickens + small fries + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1500 calories)

* Note: I round calories up to the nearest hundred for the benefit of the doubt and to prevent under-estimation.

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Replies

  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    Interesting... It's just that an entire butternut squash is like 550 calories but one large zuchinni is around 55 calories XD
  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I don't think I've ever binged to meet my calorie limit, reaching my limit has never been my problem :lol:

    I eat a lot higher protein than I used to and tend to bulk out my meals with more veg these days, other than that I haven't really made any massive changes to the type of food I eat, I just eat less of it. For example instead of eating a massive bar of galaxy (approx 620 cals) I will now have a little dairy milk bar (95 cals). When I go to the cinema I don't get pic n mix, I will get a small bag of jellies and some fruit out of Tesco and have a bottle of overpriced water from the concession stand.

    That's probably the way to go. You get the enjoyment, while still losing :) I just get low calorie pop corn and get a few cups worth (around 200-250 calories). That way I can feel like I'm not restricting myself with everyone else, but am also still technically in my diet.
  • Stacyines
    Stacyines Posts: 72 Member
    When I have an urge to binge - I try to low calorie it too! Have you tried healthy noodles? It's like soy based noodles that are only 50 calories for a WHOLE packet. Super low carb non-fat. They sell it at Costco so I make spaghetti out of it :p
  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    cargotrailer wrote: »
    One that I think I read on MFP, is to add diced fresh mushrooms in with ground beef for burgers, to add mass without much additional calories.

    Smart! I'll look into that :)
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
    Interesting... It's just that an entire butternut squash is like 550 calories but one large zuchinni is around 55 calories XD

    Yep! Zucchinis and other summer squash are much lighter than winter squash in general. Spaghetti squash is the exception to winter squash being heavy on carbs and calories, though. I can't remember the number off the top of my head but a huge portion of spaghetti squash is not many calories at all. It's a little too sweet to use as a substitute for spaghetti, in my opinion, but it makes delicious mac and cheese.

    My thing is sliced radishes instead of potato chips. And I eat lots of cabbage.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    I lave butternut squash pasta, carrot pasta and courgette pasta! Caulirice is another great alternative to rice: gives a huge volume for very limited calories.
    Mushroom burgers instead of regular are really nice
    bulking up all curries/cassoroles/pasta dishes with lots of veggies.
  • cadpro78
    cadpro78 Posts: 125 Member
    I made a great meal last night with cauliflower, whole wheat elbows, chicken breasts, and spinach, and a little mozzarella on top, and I was surprised with MFP said it was only 232 calories with 20g of protein. Btw, I cut the chicken breast into 2 pieces to make it more managable for diets.

    Note to self: I probably would add a bit more flavor with spices or seasoning to the caulifower/elbow/spinach/cheese mixture. It was a little bland but it was good and filled you up.

    Ingredients
    0.50 cup, Whole Wheat Elbows
    1 Piece, Boneless Chicken
    79 milliliter, Diced White Onion
    1 TBSP, Diced Red Onion
    0.25 cup (28g), Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
    1 cup, Cauliflower head- Raw
    1 clove,Garlic (minced)
    1 tbsp, Spices, dill weed, dried
    0.25 cup, Chopped cilantro

    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare onions, chicken cilantro, garlic, dill weed, and spices in advance if you can. Pound chicken breast and add seasoning.
    2. Cook pasta into boiling water and drain in sink.
    3. Cook spinach and add 1/3 cup water to pan while cooking and cover it.
    4. Boil cauliflower until a little soft, not completely mushy, but can be pressed for your comfort.
    5. While cauliflower is cooking, begin to cook the chicken breast.
    6. Prepare pan with aluminum foil lined to add the elbows mac pasta, spinach, cauliflower, and cheese. Then place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
    7. Enjoy!

    Nutrition Facts
    Servings 2.0
    Amount Per Serving
    calories 232
    % Daily Value *
    Total Fat 5 g 8 %
    Saturated Fat 2 g 10 %
    Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
    Trans Fat 0 g
    Cholesterol 40 mg 13 %
    Sodium 230 mg 10 %
    Potassium 462 mg 13 %
    Total Carbohydrate 28 g 9 %
    Dietary Fiber 5 g 18 %
    Sugars 4 g
    Protein 20 g 40 %
    Vitamin A 6 %
    Vitamin C 40 %
    Calcium 16 %
    Iron 12 %
    * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
    Zuchinni Pasta (5-10x less calories than normal pasta with a huge volume)
    PB2 Peanut butter (1/2 normal peanut butter calories and good taste)
    Protein fluff (protein shake, diet soda, xanthan gum: it's less than 150 calories with tons of fluff)
    Aspartame-free diet soda
    Coffee with water and artifical sweeteners (not the healthiest but literally 0 to 5 calories)
    Shrimps (20 for 60 calories, super high protein, and cooked with low oil and 0-calorie spices is heavenly)

    I do a lot of the same things as you. :) I haven't tried zucchini pasta yet but I do really like spaghetti squash! PB2 and protein fluff are saviours when you get that late-night sweet craving. I'm not a coffee fan, but I'm an avid tea drinker. I have tons of different flavours of David's Teas and they keep me satisfied between meals! Sometimes I'll make my own matcha lattes with almond milk and stevia as well.

  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    edited August 2017
    myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
    Anyone makes certain foods high in volume, good taste, and low in calories?

    Here are mine:

    Zuchinni Pasta (5-10x less calories than normal pasta with a huge volume)
    PB2 Peanut butter (1/2 normal peanut butter calories and good taste)
    Protein fluff (protein shake, diet soda, xanthan gum: it's less than 150 calories with tons of fluff)
    Aspartame-free diet soda
    Coffee with water and artifical sweeteners (not the healthiest but literally 0 to 5 calories)
    Shrimps (20 for 60 calories, super high protein, and cooked with low oil and 0-calorie spices is heavenly)

    Also do you guys sometimes forget to eat and sometimes binge on junk food to meet the calorie limit?

    Here's what I do:

    3 junior chickens + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1200 calories)
    2 junior chicken + mcchicken + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1300 calories)
    3 junior chickens + small fries + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1500 calories)

    * Note: I round calories up to the nearest hundred for the benefit of the doubt and to prevent under-estimation.

    Where are you finding 20 shrimp for 60 calories? Are those the itty bitty tiny ones? (In which case, why bother?)

    I mean, yes, they're good and low-calorie, but they're not *that* low calorie. Like, I ended up buying the 60-70s at Whole Foods by accident (I like the wild-caught frozen ones, and that's what they had), and 80 grams was 56 calories ... but even that wasn't 20 pieces of shrimp!
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
    Anyone makes certain foods high in volume, good taste, and low in calories?

    Here are mine:

    Zuchinni Pasta (5-10x less calories than normal pasta with a huge volume)
    PB2 Peanut butter (1/2 normal peanut butter calories and good taste)
    Protein fluff (protein shake, diet soda, xanthan gum: it's less than 150 calories with tons of fluff)
    Aspartame-free diet soda
    Coffee with water and artifical sweeteners (not the healthiest but literally 0 to 5 calories)
    Shrimps (20 for 60 calories, super high protein, and cooked with low oil and 0-calorie spices is heavenly)

    Also do you guys sometimes forget to eat and sometimes binge on junk food to meet the calorie limit?

    Here's what I do:

    3 junior chickens + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1200 calories)
    2 junior chicken + mcchicken + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1300 calories)
    3 junior chickens + small fries + lots of water to lessen your craving for more (1500 calories)

    * Note: I round calories up to the nearest hundred for the benefit of the doubt and to prevent under-estimation.

    What's wrong with aspartame?

    Besides the fact that it's hard to pronounce? I'm not sure if the science is concluded on this, but some say that aspartame is actually bad for you. Anecdotally, I've heard that it actually makes you want to consume more sugar and/or can lead to things like cancer.

    Best case, the science is inconclusive about long-term impacts and eating aspartame can trigger some unspecified level of potential risk. Worst case, it actually is bad for you.

    Aspartame is *the* most scientifically studied sugar substitute on the planet. The science is definitely 'concluded' on this, and since it's been around since the mid '60's, long term studies have also been done.

    If you want to learn about aspartame, (rather than relying on fearmongering blogs or anecdotal 'evidence') I highly recommend reading this thread written by a biochemist MFP member:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    :)

    Thanks! I don't drink diet sodas myself because I feel like they just make me thirstier but I do use the occasional Splenda in my morning coffe.
  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.

    I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...

    why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....

    as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.

    I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.

    Actually for me pasta is evil. I'm diabetic and I wish I could eat it but I can't.

    However, even people who are not diabetic may want lower calorie alternatives when dieting.

    my brother is a diabetic and has been for over 40 years...he eats pasta.

    I get you have to watch carbs but veggies are carbs too...

    Lower calories is one thing but total substitution is something else....
    I choose 2% milk over whole for calories or I choose lean beef vs reg beef for calories...

    I find "food hacks" are for those are low calorie diets because they "think" that is the correct way when in fact it often back fires on people...

    If you give up the foods you love/want to lose weight what happens when you are done? add them back in and gain again???

    not teaching yourself about moderation and portion control by doing this...so you are going to be on a yo yo for a while until you get a handle on the reality which is this...

    You have to lose weight in a way that is totally sustainable for the rest of your life.

    I agree with you. To be honest though, it only takes me 15 minutes at most to make zuchinni pasta and it tastes literally exactly like pasta, and personally, just a bit bitter with that extra crunch. In terms of volume, I can have 4 LARGE plates of zuchinni pasta and It reaches less than 400 calories. By the way this including my package of small shrimps which come with 20shrimps for 60 calories (seems unbelievable, but you can find them if you search hard enough). The taste is amazing and it's not like I'm depriving myself of anything. It's many simple thing. PB2 instead of normal peanut butter. Lower calorie bread. Diet soda. Very similar enjoyment, but you lose weight. If I want mcdonalds though, I'll have it, but 4 junior chickens is my calorie limit for the day XD
  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    Stacyines wrote: »
    When I have an urge to binge - I try to low calorie it too! Have you tried healthy noodles? It's like soy based noodles that are only 50 calories for a WHOLE packet. Super low carb non-fat. They sell it at Costco so I make spaghetti out of it :p

    I'll look into those. An entire zucchini is like 50 calories too and it can make a huge plate of pasta XD
  • myfitnessjourneyto180
    myfitnessjourneyto180 Posts: 93 Member
    toxikon wrote: »
    myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
    Zuchinni Pasta (5-10x less calories than normal pasta with a huge volume)
    PB2 Peanut butter (1/2 normal peanut butter calories and good taste)
    Protein fluff (protein shake, diet soda, xanthan gum: it's less than 150 calories with tons of fluff)
    Aspartame-free diet soda
    Coffee with water and artifical sweeteners (not the healthiest but literally 0 to 5 calories)
    Shrimps (20 for 60 calories, super high protein, and cooked with low oil and 0-calorie spices is heavenly)

    I do a lot of the same things as you. :) I haven't tried zucchini pasta yet but I do really like spaghetti squash! PB2 and protein fluff are saviours when you get that late-night sweet craving. I'm not a coffee fan, but I'm an avid tea drinker. I have tons of different flavours of David's Teas and they keep me satisfied between meals! Sometimes I'll make my own matcha lattes with almond milk and stevia as well.

    Technically, you can make your own almond milk and supposedly it tastes heavenly. Also, you should try zucchini pasta. It's amazing!

    P.S. the volume-to-calories is crazy

    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/22/fc/34/22fc34d0d21cd92a2ee551b00332e081.jpg
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