Low fat but filling lunch box ideas

There_Goes_Trouble

As the title says really.

I have a physically active job where I'm walking all day and I get hungry during the day, but the foods I find filling are things like pastries, bread, cakes etc, e.g. high carbs and high in calories.

Unfortunately I put weight on really quickly and it's hard to shift it.

At present I take spicy couscous for lunch with at least 2 fruits e.g. last week I took melon, apple and grapes. I also sometimes have a piece of malt loaf (no butter) and a small handful of nuts and raisins to eat at 5pm if I'm running after work.

But it's not enough to keep me going all afternoon and I find myself heading to the office biscuit tin around 4pm.

Sometimes I find I'm starting my lunch early because I'm hungry by 10.30am which of course doesn't help, breakfast is 2 shredded wheat with a handful of sultanas and some skimmed milk.

I think I need to re-vamp my meals during the day because I can't concentrate on work when I'm hungry but I don't want to eat rubbish. I need something cheap and filling, but something that's not going to make me fat!!

Any ideas? I'm stumped...

happy35

I am hungry during the day I tend to have fruit and oatcakes as snacks, maybe a tuna salad for lunch and soup for my tea break at about 3.30.

I dont then tend to eat much for tea when I get home, whereas if I didnt have the soup I would eat loads of rubbish when thinking about what I was going to have.

I also eat couscous bulked out with salad, savoury rice and jacket potatoes with tuna mayo

ScarlettOHara_2

flapjack. You can have a very small amount and it staves off hunger quite well. The trick is the small amount though! A 150 calorie piece is about the size of a small match box. Most of the shop portions are too large for a single snack.

Edwardia

Protein staves off hunger, been scientifically proven. Carbs get burnt off as energy and the more refined they are the faster they burn an then you get hungry.

I'd suggest cottage cheese, salad, nuts, fruit.

Fen1

Ditto protein. There's very little in your breakfast, so try adding nuts to your cereal, or alternating with poached/boiled eggs on toast. Alternatively, make extra meat for supper and keep for breakfast the following day. Sounds odd, but might work for you.

welshdent

Beef jerky!! I'm
Not a fan of the tesco stuff but my protein do a nice range. Some
Protein shakes are formulated to be in between meal snacks too so worth looking in to. I also like granola bars.

Mojisola

Everything you're eating is high glycaemic so it will be quickly absorbed, your blood sugars will shoot up and then plummet and your body will start telling you that you need to eat again.

Protein and fat are filling. If you go low glycaemic or low carb, you should be able to manage better.

Silaqui

I used to have this problem.

I have started to eat greek yoghurt for breakfast - I buy the big pots so it's cheaper then just decant it the night before into a plastic container - I thrown in a handful of frozen raspberries (I'm sure any frozen fruit would work as well!) and then by the time I get to work they are defrosted. Before I eat it, I mix in some cereal (current favourite is the all bran golden crunch). This easily keeps me going till lunch, and I'm sure it's the protein in the yoghurt.

Lunch is generally crackers and philly, boring but easy to eat on the go! I take apples for fruit again purely for easiness!

x

There_Goes_Trouble

Thank you!! All brilliant advice as usual, I really do need to do some dietary research to understand food better! I've heard of 'high glycemic' but don't really know what it is...

So protein it is then! I did actually buy some greek yoghurt today, I love it on my cereal with berries, but I find it expensive for every day so it's a treat really. Perhaps it shouldn't be just a treat. I got 2 punnets of raspberries reduced to clear which is why I splashed out on the yoghurt to go with it. Blueberries are my favorites but can't afford those every day. I love that All bran golden crunch too but again, find it very expensive compared to shredded wheat. Also, the SW has no added salt/sugar etc.

Never tried beef jerky.... will have to have a look for the make mentioned above.

Mojisola

There's lots of information here - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1567335

You should be balancing your protein intake with fat. You don't seem to be having very much fat at the moment.

There_Goes_Trouble

Thanks Mojisola.

I do cook a proper evening meal, with vegetables and everything! I live alone so it's easy not to bother but I do try and cook properly most days of the week. E.g two days this week I had a piece of frying steak with potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, spinnach, carrots and gravy. I had a ribeye steak this week as well (did well on the reduced to clears a while ago and trying to use up what's in the freezer before it sits there too long, hence all the steak in one week!) with a jacket spud and salad.

I do aim for low fat though when I can. Like I said, I gain weight much quicker than I lose it!

ETA, thanks for the link, I'll have a good read of that!