Harder when the weather gets cold....

I find it really difficult to get in my daily veggies and stay on track with my calories when it is cold outside.  I usually eat a big spinach and romaine salad with almonds, mandarins, and vinegar for lunch.  This keeps my daily calories in check and gives me plenty of veggies.  But, when it is 35 degrees and gray and rainy outside, a salad isn't satisfying.  I want something hot.  I normally end up going to get a hot sandwich or some soup.  This messes with my daily calories, only leaving me with about 300 for dinner.

I don't really think there is a purpose to this post, other than to ask for suggestions for warm, savory foods that won't mess with my calorie count.  does any else have a problem living off raw fruits and veggies (ok, not literally, I have a well-balanced diet but I am a vegetarian) when it is so cold and blustery?

I'd suggest drinking some tea when you get in the mood for something hot!  Or make up some amazing homemade vegetable soups and bring them along (you can get some containers that are cup/bowl size and freeze them).  Or a hot veggie wrap!  I love getting a piece of pita bread and topping it with tons of onions and tomatoes and toasting that.  It's delicious!

Ever made a warm salad? If you really like salads, you can start playing with all sorts of additions of warm foods. Spinach is an excellent base for warm salads. Below are some things I might use:

1. Steamed or Boiled Beets (not canned) Very filling!
2. Steamed Broccoli
3. Steamed Asparagus (if you can find it in the winter..)
4. Flavorful rice (I add 1/4 cup right on top for a little body/warmth)
5. Hard boiled egg (if you eat them)
6. Any kind of warm squash! (Bake until just slightly firm. Works better for salads).
7. Eggplant (I lightly cook these in a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette).
8. Spice! Add a little heat to your salad with hot pepper flakes or chili peppers.
9. Warm Dressing: I find that good quality (not kraft/wishbone/etc) honey mustard or green goddess dressings are pretty good when served warm over a warm salad. 

I completely understand how you feel in all this. When it's cold out, I tend to ditch fruit/veggies almost entirely. I have to very consciously make myself eat things like warm salad. 

Have you considered finding a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group? If not, you might want to look into it. I get a giant box of fresh organic veggies and fruits every week and it keeps me eating them because I simply refuse to waste good food!

Good luck!

P.S. Like sukibahsoun says, tea is a good way to go. I highly recommend Genmaicha (brown rice green tea) if you can find it. There's another post on green tea:http://caloriecount.about.com/green-tea-ft155 406#4

My favorite lunch when it gets cold is a cup of soup from Trader Joe's (if you have one they sell soups by the box that are very nutritious and low in sodium! I like the roasted red pepper and tomato or the latin black bean) with whole wheat pita bread and some hummus. It's only about 295 calories for the whole thing or less depending on the soup. You can find a TON of low calorie soups like Campbell's Select Harvest that make an amazing 98% fat free clam chowder for 110cal for a cup!

Also, I roast up a bunch of butternut and spaghetti squash during the winter with a little olive oil and eat that throughout the day, especially butternut. With some ketchup it tastes like roasted potatoes to me (don't ask me why haha) but it's AMAZING and so good for you! Take advantage of the wintery foods and check out the Recipe Browser for ideas!

I find it much easier to eat heathier in the colder months because I'm craving for all those veggies and things like baked potatoes for lunch. Baked potatoes especially because they keep me full until dinner and I can put things on them like bolognese (which can be very low in cals if you make it so).

Home made veg soup is a great option too as sukibahsoun mentioned! Infact now I think I'll go make a batch up for the rest of the week!

I actually find that low-calorie soups/stews/chili are more satisfying than salad for an equivalent amount of calories.

Mine are usually about 60 percent non-starchy vegetables (usually it has zucchini, onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, spinach -  sometimes I include eggplant, butternut squash, etc.).  The calories from this part are pretty negligible.  It's about 20 percent or so beans - added protein and quite filling.  Then, another 20 percent or so lean ground turkey or tvp (as a vegetarian, you would use tvp, tofu, or could just leave this out completely).  Sometimes I make it spicy and eat it with greek yogurt on the side. I don't add potatoes, I prefer to add more beans if I want more carbohydrates - I find them more filling.  I always add fat at lunch - usually it's nuts on the side or parmesan on top.

I tend to make really thick chili-style soups - I find them a lot more satisfying. Sometimes I puree a couple cups of the finished soup & add it back in to thicken, and sometimes I dump a can of pumpkin puree in.

Since a cup of vegetables usually is only about 30 calories or so, I can eat 2-3 cups of soup plus sides for a very filling, hot, and satisfying lunch or dinner that packs in lots of vegetables, with plenty of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and healthy fat. 

You can make a great soup for the same amount of calories as a salad, as others have already pointed out.  Also, there are some great, satisfying vegetable curries if you look at Indian cooking.  Another option is to make a fritatta (if you eat eggs) for dinner and take part of that for lunch.  It can be filled with vegies, and eaten hot or cold.  If you have access to a microwave, it is super easy to bake a potato or a sweet potato for lunch, and I find them pretty satisfying with hardly any toppings.

I don't like eating raw veggies when it's cold either. I enjoy salads and crunching on fresh veggies in the summer but in winter, I cook the veggies, I make stews, and add more frozen veggies to meat dishes--chili, stirfrys, chicken curry, etc. Oh, I just noticed you are vegetarian, but you could add them to your hot meals, I suppose.

sokkies

Off the top of my head: Stir fries, veggie lasagna, vietnamese vegetarian Pho (there's a recipe in the recipe browser), veggie panini (yum, this is making me hungry).

I usually work in the healthy style soups that are like 180 cals for my lunch and a salad. Plus I drink hot tea 3-4 times a day when it's blustery out. Pretty much fixes me up.

Also, instant low sodium Miso Soup from trader joe's. It's great.

I don't have any suggestions, but I can commiserate with you. I find the cold weather makes me want to "stoke the furnace" and I have a hard time controlling my appetite. I can go all day without eating when it's hot outside.