what are your favorite filling foods that are low-calorie?
right now my go-to food is butternut squash, which is pretty filling (i microwave it and eat it with sea salt)- but i'd like to branch out to some other yummy low-cal options...
Oatmeal, not technically low cal like veggies but keeps you going for ages! Actually it's almost TOO filling, to the point that I can't stomach it first thing.
Popcorn is a fav too, really fills me up and pretty cool cal wise.
Cabbage. A pound of cabbage has 100 calories. I roughly chop it + an onion (100 calories) and bake them in a glass casserole dish for 25 min at 400. Add some soy sauce and hot sauce if I am in the mood. It's a huge amount of hot, filling food for 200 calories.
I like to eat soups to fill me up. All the liquid, noodles, and veggies make my tummy full. I am in love with chicken noodle soup right now. I have been eating it twice a week.
Salad.. just plain old lettuce salad.. I put in what ever veggies are on hand (trying to keep celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, bell peppers and cucumbers on hand at all times these days) I make it in a huge bowl that lasts me 2 or 3 days because I use a 6 cup bowl to eat salad from that I figure has about 5 cups of salad. I top it with a slice or 2 of turkey breast lunch meat rolled and cut thin to kind of shred it and some low fat grated cheese and some Wishbone Light Sweet and Spicy French Dressing. If I remember right this early in the AM it's like 200 cal (I use 1/4c dressing) and keeps me full for hours!
I love butternut squash, but tend to overeat it, so I avoid it.
What I'm loving right now is a huge veggie stew that I make. I load it up with tons of veggies, then place it in 5 containers to have for each of the days of the work week. Dividing it up ahead of time is key to me, as I then won't over eat it. I load it up with celery, carrots, cabbage, turnips, string beans, mushrooms, zucchini, onions. I saute it and add canned whole tomatoes and spices and cook for a bit. DELISH and oh so filling. I like to add a sprinkle of parmesean cheese before I serve it. Sometimes I'll add sauteed chicken breast to it for a meal, as opposed to a snack, which is how I usually eat it.
I'm also big on veggie soups, which I puree using an immersion blender.
Cabbage is great. I make a yummy red cabbage slaw.
Huge salads fill me up. Baby spinach, romaine hearts, hearts of palm, grape tomatoes, colored peppers, red onions is my base. Then of course there's all the embellishments. Right now pomegranate seeds are high on my list.
Egg white omlettes. Loaded with sauteed veggies.
Cucumber salad. Great, filling low cal snack. Thinly sliced kirbys (a type of cuke), thinly sliced red onion, a bit of vinegar, water, a pinch of salt.
Roasted veggies. My poor family is now sick of them but I eat them twice a day, every day. I like a variety at every sitting so I generally have brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, corn, cauliflower, onion and asparagus. I just open frozen bags of veggies, stir in a tiny amount of olive oil and roast on 400 for 20-25 minutes.
Roasted veggies. My poor family is now sick of them but I eat them twice a day, every day. I like a variety at every sitting so I generally have brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, corn, cauliflower, onion and asparagus. I just open frozen bags of veggies, stir in a tiny amount of olive oil and roast on 400 for 20-25 minutes.
I never thought of using frozen veggies. This is good to know, thanks.
My filling foods are the ones I am willing to eat very slowly.
Lite veggie soups
roasted veggies
cottage cheese
Last edited by Beverlyjoy; 11-14-2010 at 11:39 AM.
Oatmeal, not technically low cal like veggies but keeps you going for ages! Actually it's almost TOO filling, to the point that I can't stomach it first thing.
Popcorn is a fav too, really fills me up and pretty cool cal wise.
Oh, yeah. 100 calorie popcorn (I love the kettle corn!) and oatmeal are two biggies for me, too. Also, a banana, a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt or a serving of cottage cheese fill me up, too.
Cabbage. A pound of cabbage has 100 calories. I roughly chop it + an onion (100 calories) and bake them in a glass casserole dish for 25 min at 400. Add some soy sauce and hot sauce if I am in the mood. It's a huge amount of hot, filling food for 200 calories.
I also really get a good feeling of satiety from higher fat/protein foods like eggs (or egg whites), low-fat cottage cheese and greek yogurt, and sliced deli meat.
I know you specifically mentioned low-cal foods, and the foods I mentioned are rather calorie dense, but I suggested them because, if I'm looking for filling power without a lot of volume, these are my go-to foods. A half-cup of cottage cheese for 90 calories is sometimes more satisfying to me than 200 calories of roasted veggies (which I also love!).
these are such great ideas!!!! i have to admit, my veggie intake is very low- veggies die a horrible death in my fridge- i have got to change that. i do not like salads, but i DO like roasted veggies- so i think i will try that...
i also forgot about popcorn- i have an air popper, so i can do that easy...
i used to eat oatmeal, but i stopped for some reason- i may start that again. yum!
this winter i am loving the warm, filling foods...
filling foods?
