[cinlo]

I've tried keeping up with the calories on my own and for right now it''s just not doable for me. I really need some guidelines to stay on track. I'd like some menu ideas that are easy and simple to prepare. I don't care for frozen meals. I'm even happy to repeat the same breakfasts and lunches with just a bit more variety for dinners. Can anyone point me to some websites or books to help? Thanks!

[luckymommy]

My favorite website is skinnytaste.com. It's for people doing Weight Watchers or calorie counting. The recipes are creative and delicious.

For my first meal, I usually eat egg whites (1/2 cup...50 calories) with some veggies that I have pre-sliced for the week (I put in red onion, bell pepper and cilantro) I top it off with some mild salsa.

For lunch, you could do a salad with some salmon or make a quinoa salad that is super easy: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/04/m...noa-salad.html This salad is amazing and quinoa is a wonderful grain to use because it's a complete protein. Again, I double the recipe to have enough for me and the rest of my family.

For dinner, you could make enough chicken for an entire week. This recipe calls for chicken with some cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of mushroom in a carton because I don't like canned things)...toss in some broccoli and cheese and there you go! Here is the recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recip...p?recipe=59319 I doubled the recipe and it lasts me for the week, along with others in my family.

I hope that helps!

[Sheena82]

Hi cinlo

The bbc good food website has loas of simple recipies and you can sort by calorie range as well or dietry requirements. I usually have the same breakfast either avocado and nuts or all bran, and pick a few staple recipies that you like and stick to them until you are in your groove!

Hope that helps

[Alyssa Autopsy]

i have some healthy lo-cal snacks
a handful of cashews has protein and is 160 calories
1 can tuna (in WATER NOT OIL) with a bit of mayo, grated carrots, chopped celery, and on slices of cucumbers, is only about 200 calories
1 chicken breast is only like 150 calories
and of course, veggies!
i get bagged frozen veggies and steam them in the micro, even with butter it's super-lo-cal
as for breakfasts, have lo-cal cereal with ALMOND milk... it's got like 50 calories less per cup than normal milk
and of course apples, bananas, and oranges are great snacks

[Bloopers]

I do tortilla wraps and it's about 300-350 cals for a large wrap. I use Pam (0 cals) to fry a piece of 4 oz chicken (110 cals), one large tortilla wrap (180 cals), lettuce (i don't count cals for lettuce), and whatever sauce you like, usually I use hot buffalo sauce which puts me at 0 cals also or I use honey mustard and that makes it around 300+ cals. I add lots of lettuce and it's very filling.

I also like ham/turkey sandwiches and it puts me around 300-350 cals per sandwich as well and I STUFF them with lettuce, ham, slice of cheese, and some mayo.

You can also try those 70 calories veggie patties. I forgot the brand, but I recently bought them and they're very good for what they are. The patty along with buns, lettuce, ketchup/mayo puts me at about 250-300 calories.

Or I buy frozen broccoli and spray some pam, and I use pre-packaged teriyaki chicken flavored sauce and add that with 8 oz of chicken.

I also buy canned tuna and frozen fish to bake as well.

I snack on 100 calorie granola bars, the 100 cal bags of kettle corn, reg corn on the cob, etc... just make good use of your calories... I try not to eat any empty calories that won't fill me but at the same time, I try not to deprive myself of things I really want to eat. I also only drink water (my fav thing to drink) so I never had a problem with soda or other high cal drinks.

Good luck! Just explore and you'll find what you like and work around some main food items

[Aldergrove BC]

This week I decided to try meal prepping out. I only did 5 days worth for my Mon - Fri work week, and it looked like this...

Breakfast 8 am
2 Coffee's (1 cream 1 Splenda per)
1 Banana sliced on
1 piece whole wheat bread

Snack 10 am
1 apple
1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch 12 pm
1/2 cup quinoa salad (has cucumber tomato bell pepper and olive oil in it)
1 chicken breast

Snack 2 pm
Cucumber Bell Pepper Baby Tomatoes w/ 1 tbsp ranch

Dinner 6 pm
Basa Fillet cooked with a lil butter
steamed veg (either broccoli, asparagus, zuchini)
Salad w/ Italian

Snack - 9 pm
Tea

This mean plan is around 1200 cals a day.

[sontaikle]

My favorite filling breakfast that is under 200cals is two eggs scrambled with whatever non-starchy veggies are lying around. It's very filling and tasty if you have the right stuff.

If you like straight up scrambled eggs then mixing spaghetti squash with it is one way to bulk up the eggs with a very very low amount of calories.

[Mia Zoe]

@luckymommy

Thanks for the suggestion. I really loved it!


I love omelette with mushroom, veggies or cottage cheese, tuna salad with veggies and grilled chicken breast with veggies... They all are easy to make, low in calories and delicious.

[sontaikle]

Originally Posted by Mia Zoe

I love omelette with mushroom, veggies or cottage cheese, tuna salad with veggies and grilled chicken breast with veggies... They all are easy to make, low in calories and delicious.

I love things mixed with veggies! So delicious and healthy :3

My favorite veggie to mix with anything is red peppers. I roast them myself and they add so much flavor to any dish

[Mia Zoe]

Originally Posted by sontaikle

I love things mixed with veggies! So delicious and healthy :3

My favorite veggie to mix with anything is red peppers. I roast them myself and they add so much flavor to any dish

I love all kinds of veggies. Red peppers! Oh, so yummy! Rice-stuffed/cottage cheese-stuffed roasted red peppers are my favourites!