Hello fellow dieters,

I'm on a calorie restricted diet while maintaining a regular exercise routine. I weight lift and do cardio 4 times a week. My weight loss has stalled in the past 3 months and I believe that it's due to the fact that I'm intaking too much calories during dinner time.

My work schedule often runs into the wee hours of night, so I'm often left eating dinner on campus. The food I'm eating are at least 1000 calories or maybe more, and I only need something close to 500 or 600 calorie meal. I was wondering if anyone could recommend what type of food I can prepare ahead of time and bring to work with me. I've thought about preparing sandwiches but would like a bit more variety in my dinner plan. Thanks ahead of time.

600 calories is enough to have a decent meal. On google they have this website by Men's Journal and it has a list called Eat This and Not That. That has a list of different fast food restaurants that u can eat a under 500 calories. This is for when u are on the go and need something quick to eat. I dont recommend eating this every day but this is for whn u need smthg quick. Also the lean cuisine s are good for something quick. Add an apple and a salad or some baked chips and u have a nice well rounded meal that will leave u satisfied. Sandwiches are a good choice especially turkey they are low cal and low fat with some 100% whole wheat bread it is yummy and good for u. Low cal low sodium soup is good with the sandwich also. One of the main things I do is plan what I am going to eat and journal all of it so that I stay with in my calorie range also by doing this and if there is somethg Im craving I can incorporate that in and adjust some other food for something healthier. I only been calorie counting for almost a month now but that is what I been doing and it works so far I lost 13 lbs good luck!

Do you have access to a refrigerator and microwave? If so, you can really make almost anything!

500 calorie dinners.

My dinners typically are in the 300 calorie range and I have a lot of variety! I like one "pot/dish" meals like lasagna, enchiladas, chili, stew, stuffed peppers or zucchini, etc but you can always invest in a tupperware with split compartments. I do this with my daughter when we have busy days, filling the large compartment with vegetables and the two smaller compartments with a protein and a starch that usually incorporates another vegetable.

Thank you for sharing that link. I was struggling with low cal meals myself and I'm getting tired of Smart Ones/Lean Cusines. lol

Pretty much any dish can be made healthier if you know how to tweak it and know basic cooking techniques. No matter how many I see, www.skinnytaste.com is the best healthy cooking blog ever.

That's a really useful link, thanks for sharing!

I'd like to make lasagna and all that stuff you listed, but don't you need an oven to make those things?! I have a microwave and fridge.

You can cook them at home, let cool, and separate them out into containers for your fridge or freezer.

Another idea is to bake a casserole (like lasagna), freeze it for a few hours until it's frozen, but not completely solid, and cut it into the 4-9 servings (depending on the size of the dish). You can then take the "squares" and baggie them up in your freezer. Each one would be a lunch and can be heated up in the microwave, just grab one in the morning before leaving for work.

Things like burritos are already in single servings. You would just cook up the filling, fill low calorie wraps (I like Ole Wellness high fiber/low carb for 90 calories), add your cheese, and wrap. Each one can be put into parchment paper and frozen. Then you have your own healthy freezer burritos that you can "grab and go." This works like magic for "breakfast burritos" too. I know it's one of the quickest breakfasts when we're rushing in the morning.

Hey,

I agree that Eat This, Not That is a great resource with their online tips and their books, there is a lot of good info there. I like some Lean Cuisines but I have been getting tired of them. Perdue makes chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, they just have to be cooked but it doesn't take long and they are yummy. How about some of the lighter soups by Progresso or Campbell's? Whole wheat pasta with some Smart Balance melted or marinara sauce is pretty good too.

Good luck.