breakfast calorie dilema!

I'd go for a smaller bowl of porridge/oatmeal or reduce or eliminate the toppings. A half cup of dry oats is 150 calories, and if made with water that makes a LOT of porridge. Try it with cinnamon (adds iron and calcium in addition to flavor). Add 70 calories for a hard-boiled egg if you want more protein.

Processed cereals are never going to be better for you than porridge, and I guarantee they won't keep you full nearly as long.

Maybe try a fat free yogurt porridge mix. Use the porridge as a topping to the yogurt. That way you get plenty of protein and not so many carbs. And you still get a topping Also, fresh fruit rather than raisins has more fiber and less sugars so it's a bit healthier for you and is supposedly more filling.

I think your 350 calorie breakfast is fine. If you like it and it keeps you full, its really not alot of calories for the first meal of the day........keep up the good work!:bigsmile:

I agree with everyone above, try eating half the amount and add a egg for protein.

I eat eggbeaters with ham and fat free cheese or low cal oatmeal.

Thats true they dont, i tried having cornflakes today and had to get another bowl because it just didn't go to anything. Thankyou, that sounds manageable, so half a cup? if i do that and add maybe a tablespoon of porridge that will only be around 200 calories. Brilliant thankyou!

Another idea (though it will up the calories a bit) is "overnight porridge" or "refrigerator oatmeal", which is simply equal parts old fashioned dry oats and yogurt with a splash of milk. Mix the ingredients, give them a stir, and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning, just eat it (or warm it up if you like).

I add peanut butter and cinnamon to mine - even more protein and adds some nice flavor.

It comes pretty close to your current breakfast in terms of calories, but I guarantee it will keep you full and fueled for the long haul, and it's so incredibly easy to make and tastes magnificent.

Focus on QUALITY of calories for your breakfast instead of QUANTITY. Sugar will never fill you up. Complex carbohydrates, fat, and protein will. You'll get more mileage out of a calorie of protein than any carbohydrate, but you need carbohydrates. That's why oatmeal is such a great breakfast food (by no means perfect, but pretty good when you add some protein). It's heavy in complex carbs to fill you up fast, and the protein will keep you fueled properly for a while.

You could also try cinnamon (as another poster noted) or nutmeg or even just a tablespoon of real maple syrup or honey for a little bit of flavor.

Cinnamon has a few significant advantages as a flavoring.

First, it's fairly high in iron and calcium - two things that most ladies tend to struggle with (even just a teaspoon is 5% of your iron and 3% of your calcium - not a HUGE amount but not shabby for a mere spice!).

Second, it's an appetite suppressant and helps regulate blood sugar so you'll feel full longer. When I had craving problems before I upped my proteins and reduced my carbs, cinnamon gum was about the only thing that helped.

Third, it adds massive amounts of flavor for almost no calories (6 calories a teaspoon).

I've been experimenting with creative ways to eat more cinnamon.

Cinnamon + Oats + Protein = you will not go hungry.

I've even experimented with putting whey protein powder in oatmeal, but I like refrigerator oatmeal better and I'll happily use the calories for something I enjoy more.

smaller portion - remove the dried fruit lots of calories - replace with nuts for protein you will feel more full and have a crunch at the same time with the nuts. .


also add a small snack mid-day like 1 cup of carrots, or a sliced cucumber or some other veggie you like. I find I need the crunch factor to make me think I am eating lots when the calories are just not there.

I saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil, and then add 2 scrambled eggs = about 250 calories.

Breakfast is one meal in a day, it really does not matter when you eat the calories.

Being the low weight you are I appreciate that 350 calories is a significant amount of your daily allowance. If you want to keep your breakfast as it is you have a couple of choices to maintain or slowly lose weight.

Split your remaining calories over 2 or 3 other meals.
Up your exercise a little.

Dried fruit is nice and provides good nutrition but it is a calorie dense food. Also the higher sugar content will give you a bit of a boost but may reduce the length of time breakfast keeps you full.