Weight-Loss Lunch ideas needed

[Sara06]

I'm home all day with kids. Lunch is whatever I feed the kids. A PB&J sandwich, with healthy bread and natural PB equals nearly 400 calories. Or a tuna sandwich with mayo, about the same. I don't like it without mayo. I make homemade macaroni and cheese. I have no idea what's in that, but I'm sure it's a lot.

I need something quick, healthy and affordable. I'm not a fan of salad.

Any ideas?

 

[KaraCooks]

Why do you think the PBJ is bad or the tuna?

My standard lunch is tuna (with mayo and mustard) on whole grain bread, an apple, and some chopped veggies. I eat that probably 5 days out of 7. I also love a 1/2 pb sandwich as a snack.

Don't start thinking of calories as the enemy. They're not. If you're eating, say, 1500 calories a day, then a 500 calorie lunch is not unreasonable.

 

[Sara06]

I probably eat 1500 calories in a day and I'm just gaining and loosing the same 5 pounds over and over. I figured I had to go lower. I think my breakfasts and dinners are reasonable, so I figured I had to cut lunch.

 

[KaraCooks]

What do you eat for breakfast and dinner? If you're gaining and losing the same 5lbs, then you're eating a lot more than just cutting 200 calories from a pb sandwich will fix.

Maybe if you show us a typical day we can help some.

 

[Sara06]

An avergae day would be-

Breakfast- 1 1/4 cups honey nut cheerios

Snack- granola bar

Lunch- PB & J (nibbling on the kids crusts. I gotta cut that one)

Snack- whole wheat crackers

Dinner- half a chicken breast, frozen veggies, brown rice (1/2 cup)

After dinner- I'd probably have about 250 worth of stuff

 

[KaraCooks]

Honestly that doesn't look like 1400 calories to me. Are you sure that's all you're eating? Also, I gotta say that's NOT a healthy eating plan by any stretch of the imagination.

Just some thoughts:

Breakfast- 1 1/4 cups honey nut cheerios

This is not a great breakfast. It's all carbs, it's all sugar, and there's nothing there to keep you full throughout the morning. It's also got a lot of sodium in it. Why not have something healthier and include some fruit in it. Oats, yogurt, eggs, a smoothie of some kind ... anything you can add fruits or veggies to.

Snack- granola bar

Totally wasted calories. All carbs and sugar. Have an apple and some cheese instead.

Lunch- PB & J (nibbling on the kids crusts. I gotta cut that one)

There's nothing wrong with PBJ but what about a piece of fruit or some chopped veggies to go with that?

Snack- whole wheat crackers

Carbs and .. um .. carbs. And sodium. Lots of sodium. What about chopped veggies. Or a boiled egg and some veggie juice. Or something like that.

Dinner- half a chicken breast, frozen veggies, brown rice (1/2 cup)

Honestly I'd say this is probably the only truly healthy thing you're eating all day. It's balanced and healthy.

But the other thing is that there are no healthy fats that I can see. You NEED to make sure that 20%-30% of your diet is healthy fats. Without those fats, there are other vitamins and minerals that your body can metabolise.

It's not just about calories - it's about the RIGHT calories. You need more fats, more veggies, and less carbs in your plan. And probably less sodium - which is probably causing a bit of your weight fluctuation.
After dinner- I'd probably have about 250 worth of stuff

 

[Frances]

I have to agree with Kara on the cereal part. I "stopped" dieting for a couple months now as I was dealing with something personal that took a lot from me. I didn't gain anything, and found I still ate what I was eating while dieting.

But one day, I was at the grocery store and saw these great Multigrain Rice Krispies flavoured with honey. I bought a box and tried them. They were tasty, but not filling at all. I was hungry again (not just for a snack...hungry) by 10:30. Skip cereal all together. I think it makes us sluggish and lethargic. I went back to my breakfast of poached eggs with fruit salad and a slice of toast and was able to sustain myself again.