To ask for your favourite low-calorie but filling meals

[Amandinezea]

I’ve just made butternut squash soup (squash, garlic, stock) served with two poached eggs and I’m nicely full for under 250 cals. I need more similar suggestions please!

I had the most divine mushroom 'risotto' at a restaurant the other day, made with cauliflower rice. It was amazing.

DH and I enjoy Thai curry soup, so instead of a green or red curry with rice/noodles, which we love, you make the curry with more liquid and tons of vegetables and lean meat. The liquid volume, and the savoury spiciness seem to really fill you up.

The mushroom risotto and curry soup sound great!

A lot of supermarket now stock pasta that’s made from things like brown rice or lentils. It’s much higher in protein than regular wheat pasta. If you weighed out a portion (90g) and then had a nice chunky homemade veg sauce that would be a nice healthy meal.

Tin of lentils? You can buy a whole packet for 50p and do half a dozen meals!
A cup of pasta is 220 cals so a bowl would be at least 400
Pastrami and pesto are not low calorie

Whatshallidonowpeople Yes I know, but I decided to have lentil curry for lunch today when I was already standing in Tesco at 8am, and we only have a microwave at work which wouldn't cope with the 10 min boil then simmer. So tin it was!

This is lovely: www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/view/recipe/courgette-chickpea-coconut-curry

I swap out the can of coconut milk for a few scrapes from a hard block of creamed coconut. You don't need rice with this.

Shakshuka! It’s a weekly staple in for DH and I. I make the one via Tori Avey because the recipe is so detailed.

Very quick soup made with a sachet of miso - any veg you fancy some cooked chicken and rice noodles

OP asked for meal not snacks.
Asda own brand pastrami comes in at 140 cals for 100 grams, around the same as chicken breast. Its high in protein and carb free. Salad is very low cal, and you don't eat a whole jar of pesto. Just a teaspoon will do in a salad, which is 80 cals.
So as I said, thats 250 cals.

Mmm I second shakshuka! Wish I hadn’t started boring pasta bake now!

Lentil curry: red lentils out of a packet, tin of tomatoes, some curry paste & whatever spice you fancy,, an onion, whatever extra veg you like (I usually put spinach & mushrooms in mine). No idea how many calories but it can't be many. I batch cook it and put it in the freezer for work lunches.

Don't forget that if you leave milk out of porridge or remove the yolk from aboiked egg, you leave out a lot of nutrients.

Roasted: peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, courgette, butternut, sprouts, Swede, aubergine and onion. Drizzle of olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Served with 60g pasta and a sprinkle (10g) reduced fat cheese.

Lola I love shakshuka!

Vegetarian lasagne using aubergine as the pasta layer and lentils as the meat. Skip the bechamel sauce and instead use shredded mozzarella on top. Approx 350 calories.

Cauliflower rice is lovely if its fried rather than steamed, albeit more calorific.

I make a brunch dish with 4 large mushrooms, spray of olive oil, small amount of cheese in each mushroom, strip of vine tomatoes, sprig of thyme, and some Parma ham or similar wafter thin ham. I also pop in a couple of sun dried tomatoes or antipasti tomatoes. Put in oven for 20 mins. Salt and pepper to taste

Eggs! A 2-egg omelette is under 200kcal and has around 20g of protein, so it'll keep you going. Add a big salad and a slice of rye bread and you've got a good filling lunch. Or have them poached, boiled or scrambled. Basically, eat lots of veg (raw or sauteed in a small amount of oil/butter) for bulk, with protein and a small amount of low-GI carbs.

1 slice of wholemeal toast (80 cals), half a tin of baked beans (168) , 1 poached egg (75 cals), = 323 cals. I usually have this after swimming and it fills me up for about 4 hours.