I need a 4-5pm 'get home' meal that won’t push me over my calories, but will fill me.
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I like two slices of low cal bread made as toast with a quarter cup of cottage cheese, sliced bananas, and honey drizzle on top.1
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cottage cheese with cucumbers or peppers?1
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There's a ton on great suggestions in here already. I was just going to add- how's your protien and fiber through the rest of the day? I find if I start my day with enough protien escpecially, I am not as hungry and raveneous when I get home for the evening. It's easier to get started on dinner without wanting to inhale everything before I can cook it.1
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I meal prep so when I get home I dish up, heat and eat. Otherwise, I find a coffee and some almonds can hold me off.1
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Many great ideas here.
When I want something that's ready in seconds, that I can eat pretty quickly, and will keep me full for a while, my go-to is usually Greek yogurt. My favorite is Fage 2% with strawberry. I often toss on half an ounce of walnuts because I love the taste of the combo. Something I'm nowhere near as fond of but keep on hand for hunger emergencies are protein bars and right now I have some Atkins chocolate shakes. The shakes last me a long time because I only grab one when nothing else is available.
I also usually have something prepped in my fridge that I'll be using for meals/sides. It can also work as an emergency snack. That varies, but it's almost always something relatively high in protein or fiber. Right now, I have some cowboy caviar and already prepped fresh cilantro in a different container. I also often make veg soup so can grab a cup of that and throw in some beans and parmesan.1 -
I eat a quest protein bar at my hungry time in between meals. It is great tasting and puts hunger at bay. Ranges in 180 to 210 calories. Ive learned to not be a frequent flyer of my favorite bar(high end calories) and go for the 180 non choc bar most days0
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Lately I have been doing pretty much only crock pot meals during the week so they are ready within 30 minutes of getting home if not sooner. So I don't need a get home snack. But if I did, maybe chicken salad with crackers, or spinach and artichoke dip.... or crackers with some pepperoni or salami. Or a piece of salami wrapped around a piece of string cheese.1
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I also high recommend this! (Eating it right now 🤣) only 80 calories for the box. Which fills a cereal bowl so it’s a decent volume
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Thank you for mentioning this! I tend to shop the fresh produce aisle and don't look at what new things are available in the freezer section. Will definitely give them a try!0
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Do you drink enough water? I really feel dehydrated right after work. If I stick to finishing my water I should have drank at work, those cravings are more manageable. If I still need something, a Greek yogurt works until I can eat dinner1
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Edit: accidental double post0
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MichelleMcKeeRN wrote: »Do you drink enough water? I really feel dehydrated right after work. If I stick to finishing my water I should have drank at work, those cravings are more manageable. If I still need something, a Greek yogurt works until I can eat dinner
This is something I’m working on. I definitely don’t (can’t go to the toilet when I want at work, so I restrict it). I drink loads when I get in. How long does it take the drinking water to help you with cravings?
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I have a granola bar with water either at my 10pm or midnight break on work nights, and it usually does a good job of tying me over to when I get up the next day.1
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unstableunicorn wrote: »I have a granola bar with water either at my 10pm or midnight break on work nights, and it usually does a good job of tying me over to when I get up the next day.
Man people are so different! I would need 10 granola bars to do anything for my hunger. I actually actively avoid them because they don't contribute anything to my satiety.0 -
I find a plateful of chopped fruits and veggies super helpful for between meals0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »unstableunicorn wrote: »I have a granola bar with water either at my 10pm or midnight break on work nights, and it usually does a good job of tying me over to when I get up the next day.
Man people are so different! I would need 10 granola bars to do anything for my hunger. I actually actively avoid them because they don't contribute anything to my satiety.
ditto.0 -
I'm an educator, and I'm often hungry when I get out of work.
I actually try to have a snack available for the drive home (I know people say don't eat behind the wheel but it works for me) so when I get home I'm not ravenous. I usually have a protein bar, maybe jerky, sometimes rice crispy squares (surprisingly low calorie!)
If I do eat at home, my favorites are:
Microwave popcorn (Bulky, easy to make, easy on calories.)
Yogurt (sometimes in a smoothie)
Coffee
Boiled Eggs
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Also I would have you consider trying some sugarless gum. Sometimes is an oral fix as much as anything. Your mouth is busy but it isn't eating. Flavors like mint tend to decrease hunger -- there's sort of an "all done eating" signal that it gives to your mind.
Note: chewing gum won't really make you feel full if you're genuinely hungry. But chewing gum can help with stress/boredom eating. And it is good for your teeth so there's that.1 -
How about a broth based soup (or just broth to sip on)? Warm liquids help your stomach feel full because they're taking up space, but you're not getting a bunch of calories.
Hard boiled eggs & string cheese are my favorite low cal, high protein snacks. Specifically pickled eggs because I like the vinegar taste.0 -
I quite often get those little packets of prepackaged popcorn that cone labeled as 65kcal or 135kcal. They are in a variety of flavours. They’ve saved me more than once and are filling enough.0
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MichelleMcKeeRN wrote: »Do you drink enough water? I really feel dehydrated right after work. If I stick to finishing my water I should have drank at work, those cravings are more manageable. If I still need something, a Greek yogurt works until I can eat dinner
This is something I’m working on. I definitely don’t (can’t go to the toilet when I want at work, so I restrict it). I drink loads when I get in. How long does it take the drinking water to help you with cravings?
The water helps with the cravings right away because my belly is full and then reduces cravings throughout the day. I think we confuse hunger with thirst. If I drink a quart of water before work and another quart throughout the work day or at least before I leave work, I feel better all day. Seriously though, I am in meetings a lot and plan my water intake around my meetings.1 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »unstableunicorn wrote: »I have a granola bar with water either at my 10pm or midnight break on work nights, and it usually does a good job of tying me over to when I get up the next day.
Man people are so different! I would need 10 granola bars to do anything for my hunger. I actually actively avoid them because they don't contribute anything to my satiety.
ditto.
Granola bars are often really only marginally better than a candy bar. There's a lot of sugar in there and often although there's oatmeal, if you look at the fiber content it's really, really low. And usually no protein. It's often about the same as a crappy sugary cereal.
Granola bars (in general) have very carefully been marketing themselves as a healthy snack. Especially towards kids. But it's generally *meh* at best. (In general, the cheaper the granola bar, the less nutritious it is.)
Protein bars are usually a better choice -- usually there's just as much sugar, but there is some fiber and protein in there which at least does something a bit more for your hunger and your body in general. Something to consider.0 -
My go-to is popcorn. Crunchy, low cal and filling!0
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MichelleMcKeeRN wrote: »Do you drink enough water? I really feel dehydrated right after work. If I stick to finishing my water I should have drank at work, those cravings are more manageable. If I still need something, a Greek yogurt works until I can eat dinner
This is something I’m working on. I definitely don’t (can’t go to the toilet when I want at work, so I restrict it). I drink loads when I get in. How long does it take the drinking water to help you with cravings?
It's tricky to answer this question because "cravings" are based on both psychological and physical elements.
There's the physical: if you are actually hungry, water will help because it fills your stomach. Warm liquids (tea, coffee, broth) have an additional filling effect. But that will only get you so far...if you haven't eaten all day you can drink all the water you want, you'll still be hungry.
Then psychological: Sooooo much here. We get hungry for so many reasons other than simple physical needs. We see an amazing restaurant dish, stress, boredom, smells, routine, etc. A lot falls under the umbrella of "emotional eating", and there's plenty of discussion threads under that.
Cravings (for a cigarette or a Twinkie) DO tend to last only a few minutes if psychological as long as the stimulus is not ongoing. (You can likely ride out a craving for ice cream if you keep walking past the parlor, but not if you're lingering next to it). That in itself is a tactic.
Also, if you're starving at a certain time, there are tactics to address that. When losing weight a certain amount of discomfort happens (especially in the first week or two.) But being ravenously, distractedly hungry isn't necessary. You may want to consider a lower rate of weight loss, a bigger lunch, a bigger snack. ALSO look into how many carbs you're intaking if that's causing a carb crash eating cycle. You can be eating under your calorie limit, but if you're eating a lot of carbs that can cause you to feel tired and hangry between meals.
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kenyonhaff wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »unstableunicorn wrote: »I have a granola bar with water either at my 10pm or midnight break on work nights, and it usually does a good job of tying me over to when I get up the next day.
Man people are so different! I would need 10 granola bars to do anything for my hunger. I actually actively avoid them because they don't contribute anything to my satiety.
ditto.
Granola bars are often really only marginally better than a candy bar. There's a lot of sugar in there and often although there's oatmeal, if you look at the fiber content it's really, really low. And usually no protein. It's often about the same as a crappy sugary cereal.
Granola bars (in general) have very carefully been marketing themselves as a healthy snack. Especially towards kids. But it's generally *meh* at best. (In general, the cheaper the granola bar, the less nutritious it is.)
Protein bars are usually a better choice -- usually there's just as much sugar, but there is some fiber and protein in there which at least does something a bit more for your hunger and your body in general. Something to consider.
I usually just stick to candy bars if I want a bar snack (love snickers for ~200 calories) or fruits and vegetables if I want something more substantial in volume. If I'm hungry, it's meal-like snacks (usually beans or whole grains, sometimes tuna or chicken bowls) or small sandwiches. Protein bars are too expensive for a candy bar and less tasty so I rarely eat them. There are ones I like that taste really good, but they're 350 calories so there is that.1 -
I’d have a protein shake. I use a pea protein one that is 90-110 cals a serving depending on the flavor. It’s thick and tasty and fills me up. I don’t use protein shakes every day but I do find them really useful when I’m ravenous, or when I’m away from home. it’s just powder so you can easily travel with it and all you need is water to make the shake, so it helps me to make good choices when I’m traveling.
Alternatively, if I were home I’d have a big plate of steamed veg with some salt and hot sauce.0 -
i like 1-2 hard boiled eggs, or a few good sized bites of tuna or chicken salad on 2-3 seed crackers. my husband likes to mash some avocado into tuna fish. you could also try to adding more protein/removing added sugars from your lunch and see if it gets you through to dinner without needing a snack.0
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Avocado often makes me feel full. Lately I've been having some smashed avocado with lemon, salt, and pepper and dipping carrots or these cauliflower crackers in it (They are only 100 calories for 44 crackers!). It especially makes me feel full and holds me over when I eat with the crackers.1
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I find the hunger hits on the way home from work, so I always have an apple or other piece of fruit, a hard-boiled egg, and a small ginger cookie if I have the calories. Comes to around 200cal depending on the size of the apple.0
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I vote for smoothie, I use cashew milk-25cal/cup+frozen (or fresh fruit), non fat plain greek yogurt & add a bit of veggie if you like. Fills me up0
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