Low (ish) Carb Down Day Staples
Hard-boiled eggs & Deviled Eggs. I like to make fast and easy deviled eggs by slicing hb eggs in half and topping each half with some mayo, mustard, and black pepper. If you like things spicy, some cayenne powder or hot pepper sauce would be good on it too. Approximately 90 - 120 calories per "deviled egg", depending on the size of the egg, how much mayo and what kind of mayo. OR HB Egg with mustard for Pretzel with salt and mustard taste.
Savory snack plate. I like to eat slowly from items on a plate, such as olives, ham or turkey slices wrapped around Laughing Cow or a little regular cheese or cream cheese, mixed giardinara (spicy, crunchy, pickled veggies), etc. You mix and match what's on the plate depending on what you have, but some other items are slices of pepperoni, bacon slice cut into pieces, deviled egg, cubes of cheese, sauerkraut, (I like savory, spicy, salty, and pickled stuff together since I was a kid), crackers, bits of good bread with evoo, etc. Of course, you have to adjust for the calories in whatever you have. Nibble on any combination of these things or whatever else you like, and it can be very satisfying and take a while to eat.
Thin sliced lunchmeat with LC Cheese wrapped around a dill pickle. Soy Rice Crackers from TJ’s.
Cream of Chicken Broth I add 2 tablespoons of light cream (55-60 calories) to 2 cups of chicken broth (I use bouillon cubes or paste). Grated (cooked) zucchini is nice too...it "feels" like noodles.
***Check Lean Cuisine. There are 2 or 3 of their frozen dinners that have 200 cals or less. The steak tips with portabello mushrooms and broccoli is 170. There are a few chicken ones as well. Not the best choice, but in a pinch and paired with a salad and no-cal dressing, a complete meal
***I love turkey pepperoni and light string cheese as a snack! Microwave turkey pepperoni too
Curry Chicken I also recommend curry pastes. I don't use the Kitchens of India brand, but another that comes in a jar I keep in my fridge. I heat up some onions in a little bit of oil in a pan, then my protein, then whatever frozen veg I want (often cauliflower, which takes curry very well), then add some curry paste and water. Simple, fast, very low calorie, and very tasty. YUM! **Maybe try Thai Chili sauce???
*** Progresso Light Soups; particularly the Southwestern Vegetable variety, with 60 calories per cup. Not high protein, but (for me) very satisfying.
Eggfuyung (1 egg plus 2 whites and half a bag of bean sprouts, mustard powder and ginger and coconut aminos or soy sauce for a big plate of food under 150cal
Green salad with ACV or Balsamic Vinegar and a can of tuna (or 4oz very lean beef or chicken or pork) and a chopped small apple or small orange segmented for under 250cal
Fish tostada! crisp a thin corn tortilla (40cal or less) in microwave for 2 minutes. Pan cook a 4oz tilapia filet with some lime juice and sea salt and place on tortilla, top with 1 cup or more preshredded cabbage mixed with .25 cup greek yogurt and 2T or so green salsa and a dash more lime juice for a 200cal meal
Mexican Cottage Cheese Salad 160 cals
1/2 cup 1% fat cottage cheese (80 cals)
1/4 cup kidney or black beans, drained (60 cals)
1/4 cup chunky salsa (20 cals)
Combine ingredients and serve on lettuce if desired
1 cup any lettuce or field greens (8 cals)
Fried rice
I coated 3 filets of tilapia or shrimp, cut up in bite-size pieces, in seasoning (just grabbed one - I think it was Creole) and cooked it in a small skillet with a bit of coconut oil.
While that was cooking, in a large skillet, on medium/high, I stir fried the "coleslaw mix", green onion, mushrooms, some frozen peas, and seasonings (salt, pepper, ginger, a bit of cayenne, garlic, onion powder).
In a bowl, beat a couple eggs (I've used up to 5 eggs before). If you are saving calories, then just use the egg whites. Mix in 5 T. soy sauce.
Pour the egg/soy sauce in the skillet and mix well. Add the seafood and mix and heat everything well. Adjust seasoning.
Cucumber Salad **Half of this recipe is enough for the week!
2lbs cucumber- I half peel mine. slice somewhat thin 108 calories (approx 4 cukes)
2 oz Thin Sliced Red Onion 22 calories = 1/2 cup or ~ 1/4 red onion
1 cup Rice Vinegar (Must be the Sugar Free one!! I made the mistake of NOT getting Sugar free- 25 cal/T!!) The Sugar Free is Calorie FREE!!
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (can use fresh garlic)
Couple shakes of Onion powder- optional
1/4 tsp Dill Weed
Pinch or 2 or Crushed Red Pepper (the kind for pizza topping) OPTIONAL
Whole recipe 130 Calories!!! I don't count spices
I mix all the dressing ingredients in the bottom of my Tupperware then add the cukes and onions. At this time I will stir all the ingredients together, then put the lid on and try to hold the tupperware in different positions to cover all the vegetables. Stir in a few hours if you think about it!
Swai with Cilantro Rice 140 cals
Pan fried swai (4oz) 70c
Sprinkle with onion and garlic powder, S & P
Serve on corn tortilla 45 cals - microwave for 2 minutes, turn over after one minute
Optional: 1/4 of a bag of frozen cauliflower "riced" 45c
lime juice, cilantro, diced tomato 25c
Blueberry "Cobbler"
Handful of blueberries
Handful of oats
1/2 c. cottage cheese
Sweetener to taste
I use frozen blueberries and nuke them for 20 seconds or so, then smush them up a little. Throw in the oats (old-fashioned or quick), cottage cheese, and the sweeteners. Mix it all up, nuke it for 20 seconds to a minute (I like it warm) and eat.
I add a Splenda and Truvia packet, and a couple squirts of sf DaVinci Blueberry syrup. Very adaptable - add more oatmeal, less cottage cheese, different fruit, etc.
Good filling DD breakfast 103 cals OR 105 cals
1/4 cup cooked quick steel cut oats 38 cals OR 1/4 cup 1% cottage cheese 40 cals
1/4 cup pumpkin puree 20 cals
1/4 cup egg beaters 30 cals
cinnamon and nutmeg
pumpkin pie spice - optional
walden farms 2 TBSP SF maple syrup 15 cals
8 gtts stevia or 2 packets
blend and heat in the microwave for 1:45 or so
Thai Curry on my down days. I use low fat coconut milk, curry paste, chicken or shrimp, chicken broth, fish sauce, lime juice and whatever veg I have around. It's good over shirataki and pretty filling. It should be quite low calorie since the coconut milk I'm using is only 60 calories a cup.
Miracle Rice rinsed and dried --one wedge parmesan peppercorn melted in--(I use the Sonoma Jack light version, but I know Weight Watchers does one too--the sonoma light is only 25 calories. a little extra S & P
really, such a nice bowl of yummy for 25 cals.
Just had one of those low cal hot chocolate drinks. 38 cals for a big mug of hot sweet chocolaty goodness. Certainly hit the spot and took away the empty feeling.
Beef broth with a good splash of apple cider vinegar and Tabasco
Healthy Choice Honey Balsamic Chicken (210 calories and fabulous!). I even eat the Honey Balsamic Chicken for lunch on UDs - it's that good!
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