[Meg]

- made you look!

I'm a big fan of what I call 'Big Food' - that is, lots of food for the calories. I'm definitely a bulk eater and end up feeling cheated if my meal is some itsy, bitsy tiny thing that half covers a saucer. So I'm always on the lookout for high-volume, filling Big Food. Anyone have any good ideas? I'm kind of stuck on my popcorn bowls full of salad.

Also, what else helps to fill you up? I've noticed that hot things work for me - like oatmeal, soup, Cream of Wheat, chili etc. Even a cup of chai tea with SF vanilla syrup can be dessert. Maybe because hot things take longer to eat and slow me down? (I usually inhale my food - I know we're supposed to eat slowly, but when I roll in from the gym, there's no stopping me ).

What's your favorite (diet-friendly) meal that leaves you full and satisfied?

[Ilene]

Mine are at the moment, stir fries, home made vegetable soup, large ceasor salad. Kids won't eat anything else but Ceasor salad so I make a large bowl they eat maybe half a cup, DH a cup, and I have a dinner plate FULL, I don't of course put alot of dressing on it, if they want more they add some, I also don't add croutons or bacon bits to mine just a bit of parmesan... I'm into the tea lately too or just hot water and a lemon slice... I'm a speed eater too Meg, git out of my way when I'm hungry!!

[Only Me]

Yep, I'm another speed eater. It started the 2 summers I worked at a canoe tripping camp. If you didn't eat fast, you didn't get a chance for seconds, and I needed the extra food then. And now, with 3 young kids to provide food, drinks, napkins, etc for all by myself most dinner times, I often find I have to quickly eat a couple of bites at a time when I get a chance. I've been trying to slow myself down by drinking a cup of water when I first sit at the table, before I dig into my food.

I love big salads too. I buy mixed spring greens in a huge tub at costco and eat 90% of it myself. I eat a big plate of it most days at lunch, with tomatoes, cucumber, etc. (whatever salad veggies are in the fridge). I like balsamic vinegar as dressing. Or I'll mix dijon mustard or salsa with fat free plain yogurt as a dressing. And topped with one or two of: parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, some homemade hummus, eggplant dip, hard boiled egg white.

I also like soups that are tomato or vegetable broth based and heavy on the veggies. Or low fat "cream" soups (leek, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) made with a bit of olive oil to sauté the onion/celery/carrot/whatever, water or broth to cover the veg (and a potato or two for thickening) to cook it, then puréed and 1% milk (or skim) added to get it to a nice soup consistency. Salt, pepper, seasonings etc to taste depending on kind of soup. I find this is more filling/lasts longer than just tomato veggie soups.

Tonight I made a lentil/brown rice/veggie soup that was thick and filling. Veggie bean chili that's heavy on the veggies is nice too. Or curried lentil/veggie soup. I make a lot of soups/stews in winter.

In the summer, I liked to make a big bbq wok full of chopped up fresh veggies tossed with herbs and a bit of olive oil whenever we were having bbq anything.

[jansan]

I am also a fan of homemade soups. Today I made a 'creamy' one from cooking till soft a sweet potato in good chicken broth then pureeing it, then adding veggies, chicken meat, and abit of cumin. Very good.

(This one if more complex) I also have been making risotto with minimal olive oil to saute a quarter of an onion, 3-4 tablespoons arborio rice, then slowly adding broth and stirring. When rice is almost done (you will have to add more broth as it cooks), add and cook lots of veggies such as mushrooms, frozen atrichoke hearts, asparagus, squash, scallions, celery, peppers. And some lean cooked meat if you wish. At the end add a very small amount of a strong dry grated cheese such as romano. Oh my goodness. So very good and filling.

Also stir fries. With these I prefer to lightly nuke the veggies first then add them at the end. Easier to cook them without oil.

For a filling low cal dessert, take half a box of sf jello (one level tablespoon)(the box that uses 4 cups of water) Strawberry is my favorite flavor. Dissolve jello in 3/4 cup boiling water. Add ice and water to equal 2 cups water total (including dissolved jello). Add fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. put in frig to set. Prepare and cool about 6 to 8 oz fruit such as fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries or canned peaches in juice, or a whole banana, etc. When the fruit is almost thawed or drained, and the jello is set, blend them all together till frothy. Put in 4 or 5 serving cups and return to frig till set. This is excellent. If you can tolerate milk, you can use some ff in place of water.

Have you read Volumetrics by barbara rolls? That is one of the authors main themes - filling, satisfying foods with lots of bulk and few calories. There are recipes in there too. She basically suggests foods with lots of moisture in them. Wet stews, soups, lots of fruits and veggies. Consider the volume of 10 grapes sitting next to 10 raisins. Which would seem more filling?

Jan

[AnneWonders]

Soups. Raw vegetables, especially cauliflower. High fiber cereals (before noon, otherwise I tend to overdo). 94% fat free microwave popcorn by the bag . Pasta and lots of vegetables with marinara. Eggs. Diet jellos and puddings. Yogurt. Lean meat of any sort. Fruit.

Anything with high fiber or protein content, or things I need a spoon to eat pretty much do it for me.

Good thing I did this post after supper!

Anne

[RobinW]

I do the salad and soups too. But when Im really needing big bowl of something, its usually to the freezer I head. I love boiling up a pot of peas (frozen not canned) toss them with your fav seasonings or flavour with your fav salad dressing and dig in!! OR if you can find the baby brussel sprouts, boil up a bowlful of those, cut them in half (so they soak up the seasoning you use) and toss with butter and parm cheese!! Mind you I usually only have this once a month (tom) so I dont get wigged out about the butter. But it sure fills up the belly and tastey too!

Oh!! and precooked spaghetti squash fried in a tbs of olive oil, many many cloves of garlic, then simmered in lowfat cream mushroom soup! Toss in some precooked chicken too, add a dash or 2 of parm cheese, and your good to go. Add any seasonings you may like. Curry is good for a change sometimes. If you want a bit more flavour, add a blob of fat free sour cream when you serve it. This is actually my replacement for comfort food. Its still creamy, and very satisfying.....does the trick.

Hope that helps
Robin

[Hyacinths]

Grilled veggie fajitas really fill me up. I have a little George Foreman countertop grill, which I use to grill a batch of veggies (red peppper slices, onion, etc.) sprinkled with Mexican seasoning or a smoky-tasting seasoning blend (Chicago Steak Seasoning from Penzeys Spices is a big favorite). The grill is nonstick so I don't need to use any oil. Then I throw it onto a tortilla with some tomato, lettuce, salsa and a little bit of lowfat sour cream. Yum!

[Elanajel]

Marinated bean/grain salad. Any canned beans (I often use black-eyed peas, black beans or chickpeas)--drain and rinse the beans thoroughly to get rid of excess salt. Stir in some already cooked grain (choice of kasha, bulgur, barley, quinoa, millet). Add finely chopped raw veggies (fennel, radish, celery, red onion, carrot). Flavor however you would like--light dressing, a bit of olive oil and spices, etc. This is a complete vegetarian protein because of the bean-grain combination.

Tastes great--less filling. Oh, I guess that line has been used before.

[almostheaven]

I eat two eggs every morning. I either have sliced tomatoes and a whole grain muffin with them, or some whole grain cereal. Eggs tend to fill me up and get me through to the afternoon, sometimes without even needing that mid-morning snack.

For a big meal though, with so few calories, I generally add in a heap of cooked cabbage or sauerkraut with my meal. They both go good with chicken or turkey, and you can eat a jumbo size of the stuff and not get enough calories to even count. LOL

[Sweater Girl]

I am a bulk eater too and I definitely find that hot stuff seems more satisfying, so Ali will head down to Independant this afternoon and buy some Chai, coffee and other stuff (soup supplies) to stop her from feeling hungry. I might also start again with the oatmeal in the morning soon... I get soooo f@$%ing cold in the winter too, so it's been a tough couple of days for me. I have been sore and cold which doesn't help any...


Cheers!

Ali

[karynlee]

I love a serving of Knorr's tomato soup mixed with 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of kidney beans - a power lunch, for sure, and very filling!

[Sashenka]

I like warm food. Don't laugh, but I take veggies in the morning out of the fridge in order to make salad for lunch. I always eat huge plate of spinach/tomato/cucumbers/sweet peppers without dressing. This is inaddition to lunch. I just like the taste of veggies.
Another thing which fills me up is miso soup. I buy ready to go single servings (package of 8) - it contains one pouch with miso paste and one with dried seaweeds/tofu. I usually eat it when I am feeling I need some food inside. i also found that half of package of chocolate in the ff milk fills me up too.

I never dring cold water, only warm (even on hot days). I drink teas and never coffee. Anything warm is gooood!

[WaterRat]

Veggie soup: start with a can of seasoned tomatos, add a can of seasoned beans (I like S&W Santa Fe), then lots of veggies - onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, spinach, whatever. Add water to make it the consistency you like from stew to soup. Sometimes I add more chiles to make it spicier.

Pasta with veggies: saute some onions and garlic, add zucchini that has been choped into tiny pieces (but not grated), when all that is nearly soft, add a can of seasoned chopped tomatos (can you tell these are a staple in my house? ) and cook until most of the liquid is gone. You can add more Italian seasoning if you like. Serve over pasta of your choice, sprinkle with parmesan if you like.

I also make BIG salads with varying kinds of lettuce and chopped cabbage. Then I add fresh tomatos, maybe onions, avocado and topped with about 1/2 cup of warmed up black beans (or whatever kind you like). For a dressing, first I put on some rice vinegar, then salsa and ff sour cream. I like to eat this with a warmed up tortilla on the side. Yum. If you're in a rush, you can dump a lean cuisine or smart ones frozed "Santa Fe Rice & Beans" over the salad, add the dressing and you're good to go.

One more that depends on how you feel about fairly processed food: Take a can of Chun King Chow Mein - the kind that comes with 2 cans taped together (the chicken is the best), heat it up in a large pan, then put in a full package of frozen stir fry veggies and warm through. Eat over rice, or just plain. The sauce in the can is more than enough to coat all the veggies.

[Laura Leigh]

Meg, when I saw your subject line, I had to laugh because I immediately knew exactly what you meant! I find that anything with cabbage or lots of soy products fill me up really well. When I am in the mood to feel stuffed without doing any damage to my maintenance, I make the following soup from Barry Sears, Soy Zone book.

Chunky Miso Soup for 1

1 T. barley
4 cups of water, vegetable broth, or low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/3 tsp. toasted sesame oil (can substitute canola or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 medium cabbage, shredded
2 think slices of fresh, peeled ginger
6-8 green or wax beans
1/4 cup kidney beans
8 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into squares for soup
4 T red barley miso paste
1 green onion, sliced

1. In your soup pan, simmer barley in water or broth for 20 minutes.

2. In a separate pan, add sesame oil. Saute onion and celery over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cabbage and saute 2 to 3 minutes more.

3. Add sauteed vegetables, ginger, and green beans to barley broth and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

4. When you are ready to serve, take one cup of broth from pot and stir in miso paste until smooth. Return broth and miso paste to soup pot, remove from heat and gently stir. Add tofu and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to avoid heating the miso because direct heat will destory some of the beneficial culture.

5. Ladle into BIG soup bowl and top with scallions. Enjoy!

This recipe is approximately 400 calories total. It has approximately 28 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, and 12 g fat.

Most of the Zone recipes are high volume and fulfill my need to eat a lot.

[Ilene]

That miso soups sounds delish I'll try it next week...