Health, Low Calorie Breakfast & Lunch?

I'm currently eating cereal for breakfast and going to start drinking a cup of water with an egg or two (yes, I'm replacing orange juice with water). I'm lazy to cook and cereal is quick & easy for me. But it's not that healthy. I eat flakes & strawberries with a cup of low fat milk. The brand of the cereal is 'Eating Right' a safeway brand. Any suggestions for a low calorie breakfast?

But I really need suggestions for a low calorie snack/lunch. I only eat a protein bar on my school days because the food they have at my college is unhealthy and expensive and it doesn't take good. I'm actually starving on school days. Protein Bars are small and that's all I eat those days during school. I hope it isn't dangerous. I mean I eat break fast at 6 am and usually eat the protein bar (290 cals) at 11 am or 12 pm. I get home at 3 pm on Mon/Wed and at 5 pm on Tues/Thur.


Any suggestions would be great! Something small and low calorie though. I don't want to eat something big to be honest. But I do want to eat every 3 hours and dont' want to starve myself.

Breakfast

Check out my recipe for tofu spread. It has protein, tastes good and goes well on toast. I like to use it on Nature Valley whole grain bread. I mentioned tofu aftertaste, but after I drained tofu it was gone.

http://caloriecount.about.com/deserts-instant -pudding-ft126383

In general oatmeal is always a good choice, or omelet with some sautéed mushrooms.

lunch

1 serving of quick cooking oatmeal

2 servings of oatbran

1 serving of cheddar cheese (with strong flavor)

1 serving of fat free cottage cheese (optional)

Mix oatmeal with oatbran, and add 1 coup of hot water. Let it absorb, add a bit more and mix in cheese sliced in to small pieces (easier to mix). Let it all mix together, microwave for 1 minute to let it melt even more, and mix well. You can keep it in tapowear. WIth cottage cheese it's around 400 calories, without 320.

You can also make sandwiches with veggie burgers and whole grain bread. For sauce fat free greek yogurt with dijorn mustard.

UD

My normal breakfast:

1/2 cup oatmeal  150 cal

1/2 tbsp honey  30 cal

1/3 cup craisins  65 cal

3 pecans crushed  30 cal

2 egg white 1 egg omlete with veggies  150 cal

3 oz shredded hashbrowns cooked with no fat cooking spray  70 cal

total for breakfast= 495, Sometimes I just do the oatmeal and its only 275 cal

Lunch option:

1 can tuna  150 cal

brown mustard  5 cal

onion/ relish

2 slices of bread  110 cal

orange  85 cal

1/2 c lowfat cottage cheese  80 cal

carrot  30 cal

total lunch= 460, Sometimes I will add 1/2 cup of skim milk at 80 cal.

Original Post by tnf4life:

I'm lazy to cook and cereal is quick & easy for me.

i'm not one to cook first thing in the morning. so i cook my steel cut oats for the entire week on Sunday evening. they microwave nicely and are very tasty. i also find that a little protein in the morning helps me get through the day better. i usually have protein left over from dinners throughout the week, so i just use a small portion of that, but your egg would work just as well.

good luck!

I used to eat a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. Two slices of 35 calorie bread, and two tbsps of peanut butter is a 260 calorie breakfast - not bad if you find you need more calories later in the day.

Try packing a snack other than a protein bar. My mid morning snack is usually half a cup of blackberries and half a cup of raspberries. Mid afternoon snack is usually 6 or 7 strawberries and a rice cake or something on par with that. That's stuff that's not really hard to pack - but it's still a low calorie snack.

For breakfast, a quick, easy and filling thing I make is the following:

One yogurt (Dannon lowfat).

About a quarter cup of cereal (right now I'm using Honey Bunches of Oats - but just the bunches cereal)

One grapefruit.  (I cut the grapefruit into bite size pieces).

I take this to work.  When at work, I add the cereal to the yogurt (you can add granola if you want...anything that works for you).  Then I eat the grapefruit.  I also have a cup of coffee.  This is very filling and healthy breakfast.  Plus, it's super easy to put together.

the prior replies are good, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit...

If you have a costco membership, look for kirkland weight loss shakes.  They are meal replacement shakes and, IMO, they taste a lot better than slim fast shakes.  Those are very quick and easy for a breakfast on the go.

Clementines are a good snack, and only 40 calories.  Best part, they are easy to peel with you fingers.

My normal breaskfast is .  Quaker Weight Control Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal, Banana, Hard-Boiled Egg.  I leave the quaker box at my office.

My am snack is usually a Slimfast Bar (Oatmeal Raisin) and a pear.

My afternoon snack changes, 3 oz Pepper jack Cheese with Wheat Thins (1 serving)or Grapes

By the time I get home I have to force myself to eat.

Have a peanut butter and banana sandwich for breakfast, or lunch. You'd get whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and fruit. It's energy packed and quick to throw together. Add a yogurt or a glass of milk and you're set.

Or you could make oatmeal, as everyone else suggested. Throw in some dried fruit or nuts, and cook it in skim or soymilk.

You might like to roll up a scrambled egg or two, ham, and a bit of cheese in a whole wheat tortilla to eat on your way out the door.

Don't be afraid to eat hearty meals - your body needs energy during your long days! Best of luck.

My new favorite breakfast (also would work as a lunch) is a sandwich made with:

1 Double Fiber whole wheat English muffin, toasted

1 Laughing Cow Lite French Onion wedge, 1/2 spread on each side of muffin

3 or 4 slices of lean turkey breast (deli thin style)

I also eat some fruit or veggies on the side to round it out.  It is so yummy, and the protien and fiber actually keep me full until the next meal!

If you're trying to lose weight you may want to consider a lower carb breakfast option... I would suggest:

70 - 100gr of lean ham (try Tesco's cooked wiltshire ham)
1 weight watchers yogurt
1 Papaya

This should be a <300Kcals breakfast

I also think cereal bars have loads of sugar.... try replacing this snack with a small pear (aprox. 60 kcals) or a small banana (aprox. 120 Kals)

Good luck!

If you want something easy, consider making sandwiches and soup.  There are quite a few canned soups (even low sodium if you are watching salt) that are less than 100 calories per cup.  For sandwiches you can't beat the Sara Lee bread at 45 calories per slice.  Even with regular cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich is only 160 calories.  Peanut Butter / Jelly is only 200 if you use low cal peanut butter and jelly.  Sliced turkey sandwich with a generous helping of Turkey is under 200 calories too.  Add a cup of soup and you are still under 300 calories with a quick filling meal.

Eating out - I feel like I am indulging when I get egg drop soup (100 cal per cup) and spring roll (100 cals or less).  My college age girls are picky but they found one frozen line the love - Lean Cuisine.  It is also quick and easy - their canneloni and other pasta dishes are excellent and only 260 calories.