What foods do you find filling? (Vegetarian/Vegan)

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blueyegrl
blueyegrl Posts: 248 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I posted this in the Vegetarian group, but just in case, wanted to post it here too. (Just a heads up, I do eat cheese and eggs, but try not to very often. I also do not eat any meat..chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc...)

Original post: I have to go grocery shopping this weekend, and I need foods that fill you up. I get hungry just about every two hours and I can't stand it! I'm currently doing "ok" with about 1,700 calories, but would love to go lower. I don't even know how people do 1,200 calories! I'm ALWAYS hungry. I'll eat an orange (which I love!) and then a half hour later I'm starving. I'll have black beans with brown rice and pineapple salsa, and a half hour later I'm starving. Oatmeal with apple juice concentrate, raisins and cinnamon, same thing. I've heard mixing carbs and proteins in the same meal are supposed to be filling, but not sure how to go about doing that AND keeping the calories down.

So what do you eat that you find filling? What is your daily calorie intake (average)? Do you find your starving at the end of the day like me?! LOL Just wondering what others do.
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Replies

  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    I'm not a vegetarian but I do eat some vego meals. Top of my list for filling would be:

    Breakfast
    Egg on wholegrain toast - will keep my full till lunch with just 1 egg, 1 slice toast
    Baked beans and tub of natural yoghurt (not mixed together obviously haha)
    Small handful cashew nuts and a yoghurt

    Lunch
    Salad with chickpeas and quorn chicken style pieces - super filling and mine is only about 260cals
    Flavoured tofu sandwich (in Australia they have pre-flavoured tofu which is reasonably low cal per serve but you could marinade your own)
    Spinach and ricotta bagel or English muffin

    Dinner
    Lentil soup with wholegrain roll
    Tofu stir fry or curry with basmati rice or noodles
    Pasta or jacket potato with five bean chilli

    Hope that helps
  • aekaya
    aekaya Posts: 163 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian and I find that drinking a glass of water right after I'm done eating really helps fill me up!

    I'd also recommend eating more soups as those are very filling and low-cal (especially if you do them homemade - buy some vegetable bouillon that you can dissolve in water anytime, then just add stuff like quinoa, and any veggies and spices you can think of to make a really delicious soup). I also find that baby carrots and nuts make very good snacks in between meals, and since they take a long time to chew, I feel like I've eaten a lot more than I actually have.

    When I go grocery stopping, the foods I get that are very filling include: apples, carrots, 100-calorie bars of dark chocolate, quinoa or bulgur, sweet potatoes, and any whole grain breads.
  • kate_n_pjs
    kate_n_pjs Posts: 86 Member
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    I start my day with a tofu scramble on very seedy bread or a tortilla or almond milk with some protein powder and Kashi shredded wheat

    I have two snacks per day and they are always a protein and a fruit or vegetable. (ie. hummus and carrots, apple and almonds, protein powder and 1/2 luna bar)

    Lunch is usually a soup or a big salad!! Like the person before me said...veggie broth and lots of veggies some of my favorites right now are Butternut squash and Kale, Pumpkin corn chowder and Spinach, Tofu and White Beans...and of course Chili!!

    Drink water ALLL DAY

    Dinner: roasted or stir fried veggies, more soup or big salad, always a protein: tofu, tempeh, or Gardein brand is my favorite meat substitute.

    My calories are about 1400-1600. Take a look at my food diary too, it is public. If you want any recipes send me a message.

    kt
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    subbing quinoa for the brown rice not only cuts a few cals I think, but IMO it tastes better, is more filling, and has more protein which is a win.
  • brybre0413
    brybre0413 Posts: 212 Member
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    I have to agree with water...
  • blueyegrl
    blueyegrl Posts: 248 Member
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    I definitely taking the water advice to heart and it is seem to working, though I'm living in the bathroom now! lol thank you for the other ideas! Feel a lot better making my grocery list now!
  • NotSoShabby
    NotSoShabby Posts: 31
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    A breakfast idea that's quite filling ... oatmeal with a sccop of protein powder ( made with Almond milk) very filling !!
    or plain Greek yogurt with a scoop of protein powder and some mixed berries.

    I love Brussell sprouts, I find them very filling, I steam them, at 150 calories for 20 sprouts you can't go wrong !!

    Soup is very filling and low in calories, ( just skip the cream based ones) with a slice or two of Ezikiel bread (which has no flour and is made of sprouted grains)
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I'm mostly vegetarian and at 1200 calories, and I rarely feel hungry-- sometimes I go over my limit, but that's usually because I feel like having chocolate and/or booze. Take a look at my food diary if you'd like. I eat a lot of soups, raw fruit, vegetables (raw and cooked), yogurt, eggs, rice, lentils, and beans. I also eat 6 times a day, which I think helps.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    Water, tempeh and lentil stews over brown rice. Also, for some reason, fresh pineapple really fills me up!
  • rinzainab
    rinzainab Posts: 26
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    subbing quinoa for the brown rice not only cuts a few cals I think, but IMO it tastes better, is more filling, and has more protein which is a win.

    I had Quinoa with black beans for dinner today, Yummy!!! and filling.
  • wreath7
    wreath7 Posts: 104 Member
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    homemade soup, for sure! i like to cook broccoli and something like fish, if you eat that.
  • timingsands
    timingsands Posts: 83
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    <<<Chana saag (spinach and chickpea curry) with rice. The rice is exactly one cup - I just spread it out to make the portion seem larger, hahaha! But the chana saag itself is a very generous portion and without the rice, is less than 300 calories.

    My chana saag recipe is definitely not authentic but still tasty and is simple to make:

    1 can spinach (I drain it out of compulsion but you could retain the juice and omit the water later)
    1 can chickpeas (I drain and rinse the chickpeas)
    4 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 medium red onion, chopped
    1 tablespoon chopped garlic
    5 dried red peppers or 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
    1 cup water
    1 cup non-fat yogurt
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    3 teaspoons cumin (less or more to taste)
    1 teaspoon turmeric
    1 teaspoon coriander
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 teaspoon ground pepper
    salt to taste

    Sautee onions, garlic, and dried red pepper in olive oil in a large saucepan on med-high heat until onions are semi-translucent. Add spinach, chickpeas and tomato paste, stirring frequently. Add water and all spices and salt (not the cilantro). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until onions are cooked through. Stir in yogurt, lower heat to medium and boil until the liquid is slightly reduced (about 8 to 10 minutes), stirring the contents frequently. Add cilantro, cook for about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with naan or rice and salad. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
  • chai_latte
    chai_latte Posts: 94 Member
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    I skimmed through the previous posts and pretty much have the same diet:

    I am vegetarian BUT I am avoiding cheese, bread, potato, pasta, etc. I feel they are high carbs/fats and pack on the lbs very easily...

    To fill myself up:

    I make sure I drink upto 2-3 L of water a day
    make lunch/dinner with:
    quinoa
    eggplant
    salad (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, onions etc.)
    mushrooms
    I think the big bag of frozen vegetables from Costco is amazing, lasts me a long time and I can keep eating it without feeling guilty the whole day (add spices and gulp it down)
    yogurt
    low fat/low sodium cottage cheese
    tofu is a must also in my food plan
    beans (frozen green beans)
    also chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans
    protein powder
    buy the low fat 100 calorie popcorn bags for snack time
    oatmeal
    almond milk
    fruits: bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, etc.
    nuts: almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds
    flax seeds

    Oh and for cooking/frying rarely - I only use Pam cooking spray :)
    phew! hope that helped :)
  • pph79
    pph79 Posts: 78
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    I drink alot of water (6-9 classes per day) and i found the bags of mixed vegetables and stir fry that you find at the local store or Wal Mart are pretty filling and low on calories. I'll add like Tofu or Morningstar chicken strip to it, and as long as you don't add ALL the sauce that comes with some of the stir-fry ones, the sodium isn't too bad either.
  • sunshine__angel
    sunshine__angel Posts: 366 Member
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    If you like soy products, things like veggie burgers, hot dogs or lasagna are good and also fill you up. If you eat eggs, omelettes are filling and adding cheese helps as well. You could always have cereal with milk in it. Bread always fills me up or pasta but it's sometimes hard to eat those with low calories. Other than that salads can be filling depending on portion size and soups and stews are good for that, too!
  • tbrp
    tbrp Posts: 386 Member
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    One of my favorites is spaghetti squash with either marinara sauce, or a little balsamic vinegar. Spaghetti squash is very low in calories, and very filling. And pasta topping works great with it.
  • lar4444
    lar4444 Posts: 2
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    I'm a vegetarian also, and currently trying out the vegan diet. So I know about the always being hungry feeling. I am dead set on the sweet potato. Not only is it a superfood, but it keeps me full for HOURS. I just heat it in the microwave and eat it like a baked potato and it tastes great plain. Keeping away from the butter cuts calories. Also, munching on nuts throughout the day is a sure way to keep your tummy satisfied.
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    rice, oatmeal, beans, lentils, quinoa, oatmeal, whole grains...ummm. peanut butter

    my diet is more varied, i swear!
  • significance
    significance Posts: 436 Member
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    I don't even know how people do 1,200 calories! I'm ALWAYS hungry. I'll eat an orange (which I love!) and then a half hour later I'm starving. I'll have black beans with brown rice and pineapple salsa, and a half hour later I'm starving. Oatmeal with apple juice concentrate, raisins and cinnamon, same thing. I've heard mixing carbs and proteins in the same meal are supposed to be filling, but not sure how to go about doing that AND keeping the calories down.

    Perhaps the problem is the sugar? Oranges, pineapple, apple juice and raisins all contain a fair bit of sugar, which you metabolise quickly, which will tend to give you a quick spike and then leave you hungry. Use water instead of fruit juice for your oats and that will give you free calories that you can use to add nuts, for more sustained energy. Leave out the salsa from your rice and beans, and that will give you calories free to add a bowl of salad, or more beans.
  • gem_angel
    gem_angel Posts: 27
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    i find that fruit makes me hungry if i eat it as a snack or with a small meal, so i started incorporating it into a larger meal like breakfast or lunch.

    i eat 6 times a day, three larger 200-400 cal meals and three 90-150 cal snacks. my favorite breakfast is 1/2 cup southwestern egg beaters, 1/4 cup black beans and a laughing cow cheese wedge cooked together in the microwave. i usually pair it with a smoothie with greek yogurt, soymilk, and frozen fruit or i'll have 1/2 cup kashi dry cereal. if i'm really hungry i'll have all three. tonight for dinner i had a sweet potato filled with 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup tomato, 1 tbsp reduced fat mexican cheese, and 1 tbsp plain fat free yogurt, it was very filling and delicious.

    i guess my staples would be egg beaters, black beans, cheese and lots of veggies.

    oh, and i agree with every one else about the water, i drink at least 96 ounces a day, usually more.

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