FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

I find myself RAVENOUS in the afternoon at work, sometimes an hour after lunch.

What are you ladies eating for lunch that isn't leaving you starving the rest of the day?

I know, protein fills you up, but what exactly are you eating?

For lunches, Lean Cuisines leave me starving, as do salads.

For snacks, 100 cal packs dont do it for me, the sugar leaves me starving. I can eat carrots, apples, etc but im still really really hungry.

There has GOT to be a trick?

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

I have a salad first. Then a LC or WW meal or a sandwich on high fiber bread. And a lot of water.

I'll also have a banana or apple in between breakfast & my "salad course".

And usually have a snack of fruit again before I leave work.

100 Cal packs usually just satisfy a sweet need, not fill me up.


I'll also sometimes load up on points for lunch so I am satisfied/not hungry and eat much lighter at home for dinner where if I'm tempted to eat more out of boredom, there's always something to do (laundry, load/inload dishwasher, etc).


ETA: Agree on the sodium in the prepared meals so I do not have them every day!

Message edited 1/10/2008 12:11:10 PM.

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

My lunch is usually a Caesar salad (very little dressing and no croutons since I'm low carbing) along with a broth-based soup. The soup really fills me up.

For snacks, I usually have 2 a day - either one mid-morning and one after lunch or one after lunch and one after dinner. For filling snacks, I usually have -
- Sugar free/Fat free Jello pudding snacks - 60 calories and they come in great new flavors like Dulce de Leche (so good!), chocolate mint, and mochaccino.

- Garlic pickles - only 5 calories each. Lots of sodium though, so I make sure I drink plenty of water on those days.

- Pistachios and almonds

ETA:

- Almond butter or peanut butter with celery sticks or jicama. I love jicama As some others have mentioned, peanut (and almond) butter are very filling.

Message edited 1/10/2008 7:54:55 PM.

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

I find that eating some type of grains in the AM helps a lot. I usually have oatmeal or cheerio's for breakfast.

I always have a mid-morning snack (around 10:30) of either carrots & PB or some almonds. Some days some fruit.

Lunch consists of mostly protein & little carbs. I don't eat LC or WW food bc it is filled with sodium. Usually Turkey breast, or grilled chicken with veggies

Mid afternoon snack like fruit or a Protein bar...

100 calorie packs curb my sugar temptation...

SF Jello is always a good option
Almonds
Carrots
Celery
Banana

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

a good snack is a sliced apple with a tablespoon if peanutbutter divided among the piese.
Yumms

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

Protein and a samll amount of fat are the key to feeling full. If you have an apple, have a piece of low fat cheese or some peanut butter with it.

Sometimes as a snack, I have 4-5 dried apricots and a very very small handful of almons (like 8-10 almonds).

lunch i usually have a yogurt, some cheese and crackers and a piece of fruit. Try some grilled chicken in your salad, it will have a bit more sticking power.

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

For lunch, I usually eat a Lean Cuisine/WW meal as well. Sometimes I switch it off with a Turkey sandwich on light bread and a salad.

For breakfast, I usually have Cheerios or Oatmeal at about 8am. Like Kissy331, I have a 10:30 snack as well, usually yogurt.

I try to go to the gym around noon to take a class or run a couple of miles on the treadmill and have lunch around 1-1:30.

For afternoon snack, I do something like a 100 calorie pack of popcorn (very filling and it takes a long time to eat), light Laughing Cow cheese with crackers, or sometimes a sweet or salty 100 calorie pack.

We usually eat dinner around 7-7:30. If I'm ravenous right when I get home I try some sugar free jello, 1/2 can of Progresso 0pt soup or other veggies (grape tomatoes and cucumber are my favorites).

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

So many good tips girls!! 100 cal packs of popcorn sound great!! So does the cheese and fruit.

Keep 'em comin!

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

i cut up red peppers into strips and carrots and dip them in lite dressing. Sometimes I will have some hummus.

Two laughing cow light cheeses spread on a handful of pretzel nuggets.

Soup is always good for filling you up. No matter what you eat, if you can have a cup of a broth based soup, you will feel full.

lunch is usually a salad with some protein like chich peas or red kidney beans. Sometimes I add some avocado too. I also get sushi/sashimi which is really filling even if you don't eat the rice.

Lots of water and the more I drink, the fuller I feel. I don't like the packaged stuff anymore. The salt is off the charts!

Re: FILLING Lunch/Snacks that are Low Cal?

What's been working for me lately is I eat a yogurt with granola and strawberries for breakfast and that is enough to hold off my hunger for hours. I am sometimies not even hungry for my mid morning snack...and that never happens.