Low-Calorie Breakfast and Lunch ideas

Kari,

I've been making smoothies every day for breakfast...I don't have a precise recipe, but I use: almond milk, 1 banana, frozen strawberries & frozen peaches.

there are a lot of variations on this.... I've also used: almond milk, 1 banana, and on 2 tablespoons of all natural peanut butter.

Hope this helps!

for breakfast I often hav egg whites with a mix of onions peppers and tomoatoes - sauted in olive oil (just a little) I also sometimes make salsa with tomatos chipotle chile, cilantro, garlic salt and onion. (no cheese - one yolk max (try three whites) no bread (sorry). I heap on the sauted vegetables.

Little additions of flavorful, but low calorie vegetables to more substantial foods have helped me stay at my 1200 cal a day goal for 1 month! - and I've lost 10 lbs. - and the biggest surprise of all, it was easy once I got the hang of eating differently. I do the cauliflowerr mock mashed potato thing. Any vegetable you can add really helps - I use butter, but track the amount used in calories.

I sometimes make a curry squash soup, using frozen squash and a little butter and curry powder. (easy and fast) also tuna salads, - lettuce, olive oil and vinegar and tuna fish, no mayo, adding red peppers, cucumbers, anything like that. I try to keep apples and oranges around and make sure I eat them for snacks. Also I gave up all dairy (except butter) which eliminates cheese. I use tons of unsweetened almond milk in coffees and ice coffees, but it's only 40 calories a serving, Blue Diamond has a coconut/almond milk mix, unsweetened at 45 calories a cup - works great in banana smoothies (add cocoa if you need it) but no sugar.

I keep v8 juice around too. the key to my success has been - no sugar. That cuts out tons of foods that are high in calories. I found, I am eating more than ever, especially veggies but feeling so good! good luck, focus on good stuff you like to eat

I like english muffins or low calorie wheat bread with laughing cow light cheese and some fruit. I also do smoothies with frozen fruit and unsweetened almond breeze (40 calories per cup). There's also PB2, a low calorie peanut butter powder that you add water to make.

For lunch i do a lot of canned soups - i know, high in sodium, but it gets the job done. I keep an bowl at work so its easy to grab. Then ill add fruit or a lowfat yogurt to lunch. I also do low calorie bread with Tuna or egg white salad. Green salad with a low cal dressing is always a good bet. Its always helpful to pre-pack and measure the night before so that in the morning you don't have to think about it. Good luck!

For breakfast I mix one whole egg and 2 egg whites for around 100 calories, and then add a piece of toast which is 50 calories. Sometimes I add low-fat cheese or some sugar-free jelly to mix it up. Filling but under 300 calories

Grits are usually 100 per pouch...I see people eating instant oatmeal that is around 100 calories as well.

As for lunch, I buy the Orowheat Sandwich Thins which are kinda like flat hamburger buns that I put deli shaved lunchmeat on and eat it with mustard. My roast beef is 60 calories for 6 slices and my turkey breast is 50 calories for 6 slices, the sandwich thins are 100 cals and the mustard is none. I alot of times eat this with dill pickles which are also calorie free!!!

I make egg muffins by filling a muffin tin half full with sauteed veggies (red pepper, onion, mushrooms, spinach etc). Then beat a dozen eggs and 1 tsp. baking powder and pour over top so each is about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Each is less than 100 calories. You can freeze them then thaw the night before and pop them in the microwave for a quick breakfast. I usually do two per meal with a piece of fruit...about 250-300 calories.

Another favorite is a frozen waffle (I use Vans gluten-free) with a Tbsp of peanut butter and a banana...310 calories.

Breakfast

*Instant oatmeal packets are my lifesavers! I prefer the stuff you actually cook, but the packets are so easy (not to mention already measured) and great for the office or a busy morning that it's hard to resist. They are usually around 100 cals, leaving you plenty of cals to add honey, pumpkin, peanut butter, berries, apples, bananas, cinnamon…whatever flavors you like. Oatmeal is one of the only breakfasts that keeps me full until lunch.
*1/2 grapefruit + boiled egg with salt and pepper
*Low fat Greek yogurt + granola + berries - just make sure you measure the granola because the cals add up quickly
*1 scrambled egg + 1 egg white + wholegrain toast - a slice of toast always keeps me full for some reason
*I don't usually bother with cereal for breakfast anymore…it NEVER keeps me full.

Lunch

*turkey sandwich + carrots and hummus
*salad loaded with carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, a homemade vinegar & oil dressing and a sprinkle of feta cheese, maybe a few pieces of grilled chicken
*veggie soup with rice or corn cakes
*and if you're in a hurry, subway is always a great option…plenty of choices that will fit into your calorie "budget"

good luck!

love these ideas!

This sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it.

egg white omelet with ham, sauteed veggies and a bit of parmesan:)

I like cereal or oatmeal. Both keep me full until lunch time.

I often make a fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast. I use 1/2 cup berries with a 6 oz light and fit yogurt and 1/4 cup of lowfat granola. Has a little sweet and a little crunch with alot of favor! For less than 200 calories there are so many flavor/fruit options! My favorites are blackberries or blueberries- yum!!:)

Breakfast - Like many here, I'm an oatmeal fan. Filling without many calories. Sometimes I'll have 2 pouches - but wait in between (at least 1/2 an hour) because sometimes it takes a while for your tummy to realize it's been fed.

2nd choice is a banana. Quick & easy.

Lunch -- today I had a burrito bowl - chicken, rice, black beans, lettuce, salsa. Seemed like a lot of food but ended up being around 350 calories. Just be sure to avoid cheese/sour cream/guacamole/chips as they have a lot of fat & the tortilla as it alone is 150-200 calories.
Best part of that - that was fast food eating out...try that at McD's

Another recipe that worked really well for me were these bbq chicken salads/wraps. I got some lettuce, some broccoli cole slaw mix (broccolli slivers, carrot slivers, and cabbage), chopped up some tomato, you can add black beans but I didn't last time, chicken breast, bbq sauce. Best to skip the tortilla / pita - but if you want it watch what kind you get, it matters. Also watch the bbq sauce amounts - a lot of calories there and it doesn't need to be swimming in it to add taste.
For work I keep it in 2 tupperwares - the bbq sauce & chicken (and beans if you choose) to be heated (my preference), and the veggies. Easy to measure your servings that was too.
With pita bread is ~300 calories

Lest you think I'm all burrito...my 3rd favorite dish is chili on pasta. Chili has ground turkey (or meatless crumbles) ~1 lb, 1/2 bell pepper (or however many of whichever you choose), 1/4 an onion, cook all that. Then add kidney beans, black beans, and/or pinto beans, your preference - 2 normal sized cans or 1 big can, chili seasoning, small diced tomato 1 big can. It's pretty thick, like a stew more than a soup, but that's how I like it. Serve alone, with a small serving of pasta (my preference, watch serving size), or if you're extra healthy with a salad (to cool your chili spices).
Chili alone, 1/12 of the pot (a big pot...that's what I usually eat is ~1/12 + a little pasta) is ~175 calories

If I'm lazy, I like the chicken marinara cafe steamer meal. Hard to find a tastier, more filling meal for <350 calories. Especially one that easy to prepare.

I make egg muffins by filling a muffin tin half full with sauteed veggies (red pepper, onion, mushrooms, spinach etc). Then beat a dozen eggs and 1 tsp. baking powder and pour over top so each is about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Each is less than 100 calories. You can freeze them then thaw the night before and pop them in the microwave for a quick breakfast. I usually do two per meal with a piece of fruit...about 250-300 calories.

I'm going to try this - thanks!

This morning I had a Greek yogurt with blueberries, which was about 150 calories and quite filling.

This was a switch from my usual instant oatmeal packets, which are around 130-160 calories. I make them with almond milk instead of water - the unsweetened almond milk only adds about 30 more calories, and I think it tastes much better than making it with water. I also sometimes add strawberries or blueberries to the oatmeal.