Light meals / snacks

[sjwaste]

Since I decided to change my diet, I've definitely struggled most with the between meal snacks. Let me explain:

I go to school at night, so between that and work, I don't consistently have time to hit the gym. As a result, I was probably about 30 lbs over what I wanted to be, so I decided to stop eating two big meals a day and instead eat 5x a day, ~300 calories per meal. So far, that's made it so that I don't get too hungry at any point such that I'll eat a giant, out of control meal. 1500 calories a day has me down to 188 now, where I had started at just over 200 after New Years. It doesn't sound like a ton of calories, but spread out over the day, I'm only slightly hungry, albeit constantly. I digress, not a diet thread, this is YACT.

I eat breakfast (usually a McD's Egg McMuffin), lunch (Lean Cuisine or Eating Smart, safeway's knockoff), and dinner (see lunch, or if its the weekend, I cook). That leaves two more meals a day that I have to fill. On school nights or if I work late, a clif bar is usually the 3pm snack, but it gets old. Tonight, w/ my fiancee out of town, I decided to waste some time in the kitchen and cook whatever I had in the fridge. Found a butternut squash and decided to roast it.

The following happened:

1. Heated up a little bit of leftover white rice from the Chinese restaurant, added some milk and nuked it.

2. In the middle of that, a couple of chunks of the roasted squash, topped with a bit of chipotle salsa.

3. I topped it all with a poached egg, with a bit of tabasco in the water.

4. Seasoned it all liberally with salt, pepper, cayenne, and a touch of MSG.

This might be one of my regular meals. It's light, fairly complete, and filling. For anyone else that snacks or eats small meals, what are some of your recipes that break up the monotony of convenience foods?

 

[blue703]

For breakfast, have a carton of yogurt. For lunch, eat a bagel. For dinner, eat whatever you want. Repeat on weekdays. Then on the weekend, eat like a king. I find myself saving some money this way.

 

[irishScott]

1 small can of tuna + 2 pieces of bread
Extra crunchy peanut butter + 2 pieces of bread

That's about it.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
Since I decided to change my diet, I've definitely struggled most with the between meal snacks. Let me explain:

I go to school at night, so between that and work, I don't consistently have time to hit the gym. As a result, I was probably about 30 lbs over what I wanted to be, so I decided to stop eating two big meals a day and instead eat 5x a day, ~300 calories per meal. So far, that's made it so that I don't get too hungry at any point such that I'll eat a giant, out of control meal. 1500 calories a day has me down to 188 now, where I had started at just over 200 after New Years. It doesn't sound like a ton of calories, but spread out over the day, I'm only slightly hungry, albeit constantly. I digress, not a diet thread, this is YACT.

I eat breakfast (usually a McD's Egg McMuffin), lunch (Lean Cuisine or Eating Smart, safeway's knockoff), and dinner (see lunch, or if its the weekend, I cook). That leaves two more meals a day that I have to fill. On school nights or if I work late, a clif bar is usually the 3pm snack, but it gets old. Tonight, w/ my fiancee out of town, I decided to waste some time in the kitchen and cook whatever I had in the fridge. Found a butternut squash and decided to roast it.

The following happened:

1. Heated up a little bit of leftover white rice from the Chinese restaurant, added some milk and nuked it.

2. In the middle of that, a couple of chunks of the roasted squash, topped with a bit of chipotle salsa.

3. I topped it all with a poached egg, with a bit of tabasco in the water.

4. Seasoned it all liberally with salt, pepper, cayenne, and a touch of MSG.

This might be one of my regular meals. It's light, fairly complete, and filling. For anyone else that snacks or eats small meals, what are some of your recipes that break up the monotony of convenience foods?

WTF!?!

 

[LtPage1]

Isn't MSG super carcinogenic?

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Full rack of baby back ribs with garlic mash potatoes.

 

[timswim78]

For small snacks I like:
- Cheese sticks
- Mixed nuts (I sometimes do a 50:50 ratio of mixed nuts:soy nuts to cut down on cost and fat)
- Apples
- Celery with peanut butter
- Wheat toast with peanut butter and nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spread)
- I sometimes make a big pot of dhal (smushed red lentil beans with lots of spices, tomatoes, and onions) and freeze little portions that I can heat up in a minute

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: timswim78
For small snacks I like:
- Cheese sticks
- Mixed nuts (I sometimes do a 50:50 ratio of mixed nuts:soy nuts to cut down on cost and fat)
- Apples
- Celery with peanut butter
- Wheat toast with peanut butter and nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spread)
- I sometimes make a big pot of dhal (smushed red lentil beans with lots of spices, tomatoes, and onions) and freeze little portions that I can heat up in a minute

I always thought that dhal was made w/ chick peas? Is your choice of beans a personal recipe or a cultural one timswim78?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I'm a real snack junkie, so if/when I ever put on some weight that's why and if I ever need to drop it that's what I change. I never really worry about the meals, as long as I'm not snacking too much I can drop weight pretty easily. It's just a matter of replacing unhealthy, high fat stuff with low-cal, low-fat semi-equivalents. When you're jones-ing for a salt fix skip the potato chips, Doritos, pretzels, etc and instead have a pickle, a rice cake, a piece of celery or a cup of natural popcorn. When you're craving sweets skip the candy and have some sugar-free Jell-O or a piece of fruit. For your coffee break avoid the do-nuts or pastries and have a low-fat yogurt and a banana. If you're a big snacker that alone should be enough to drop weight without dieting for the meals themselves.

 

[knawlejj]

Originally posted by: irishScott
1 small can of tuna + 2 pieces of bread
Extra crunchy peanut butter + 2 pieces of bread

That's about it.

Those things, or

A bowl of oatmeal + peanut butter

 

[Crono]

Carrots
Kashi Go Lean or Go Lean Crunch
Matisse and Jack's Energy Bars
Peanut Butter sandwich
Fried Egg sandwich with mayo, ketchup, and tabasco

 

[rcxEric]

bash instant noodles add powder n u shake dat shit an eat it like chip all in da bag. iz pricey, guess that y they call it high society chips

 

[nageov3t]

reading the OP is making me really want to puke.

I don't really snack, but when I do, it's usually something like a slice of deli meat rolled up with a slice of cheese and tomato or a cup of sugar free pudding.

 

[Red Squirrel]

When I have the munchies or simply have no time to make something I usually fill a bowl with peanuts, almonds, or/and cachews. Whatever is in the house at that time.

Sometimes grapes. I've been trying to watch my diet too because I eat so much fast food, and I find myself eating 1-2 bananas and a pear, as an actual snack. I'm skinny so I don't actually have to eat much to be satisfied, I just love eating a lot, so I've been slowing that down before I get a heart attack. Tech support really makes you want to get the really bad stuff.

 

[SmoochyTX]

For snacks, I also like a pudding cup. In the mornings if I don't have time for breakfast or for a morning snack I like some yogurt and a piece of toast. Fruit is always good. I also love those 100 calorie Nabisco snacks.