Is this really not enough??

[GoldieGal]

Breakfast: 1/4 cup of porridge

Lunch: Piece of fruit or salad

Dinner: veggies and a bit of chicken

I never ate much to begin with, just the things I ate weren't particularly healthy. Obviously I don't eat the same exact things everyday but it's around the same amount of calories yet apparently this isn't enough?

Will the consequences of this be that bad? Please help!

I just came to ask for help / advice since I know google can be unreliable. I'm definitely not here to brag because I clearly don't know what I'm doing when it comes to food.

This actually confirms even more that you do have disordered issues with food. The app told you it wasnt enough, it was there in black and white. Realistically anyone over the age of 4 also knows a piece of fruit or a biscuit is not lunch and yet you still need others to to validate your diet. In all honesty you sound like you need imput from a professional.

@MerchantOfVenom 1/4 of oats not cooked porridge. I don't have friends that would care to hear about my small problems in life. And why would I go see a health professional over possibly needing to adjust my diet? Especially in the middle of a pandemic.

I eat less than this amount....everyone is different

You didn't answer my question about adding shakes? A Jake shake is 700 calories and contains all nutrients and vitamins

@Imissmoominmama My sister has the app and do out of curiosity I downloaded it.

OP it does sound like you need to educate yourself on nutrition. While the foods you are eating are healthy in and of themselves, the reason people always bang on about balances diets is that a limited diet will over time create vitamin deficiencies. You need healthy fats for brain and metabolic functions and you also need healthy fats to aid absorption of vitamins. You need PUFA and other long chain fatty acids. Whole grains, root vegetables and some dairy foods contain beneficial sources of fibre that is needed for a healthy gut that hugely influences physical and mental wellbeing.

You are certainly eating healthy from the perspective of ommiting unhealthy foods. But you don't have a balanced diet and while you may get away with it it can lead to serious issues in older age like osteoporosis and even neurodegenerative diseases.

I'm not saying this to spite you, people who eat the wrong things whether under or over eating are at risk of these health issues.

Also, what do you drink? Do you drink only water or is it possible you are drinking calories which is helping maintain a normal weight?

That's nowhere near enough. I'd be wondering if you have lost your period eating so little.

@KaptainKaveman I've already made it clear that this was never my intention. Stop making this assumption.

It's not just about calories. Do you want to ensure your diet covers all the different nutrients needed for you to be healthy and stay well?

I'd say it'll be lacking a bit in Vitamin B, protein, iodine, calcium.

Some fat is good for you.

If you exercise you need protein to repair.

It does read rather like a diet a teenager would put themselves on not realising that there's more to a healthy body than eating small amounts of only low calorie foods.

It’s not hugely different from my daily intake but I do eat more protein (and currently due to work schedule have lunch around 4pm so have a small supper)

B: 2 egg omelette with spinach and tomatoes
L: chicken salad (today it’s 2 small chicken thighs)
S: Zero fat Greek yogurt with fruit

I’ll have piece of fruit around 1pm.

I don’t get hungry. I cycle to work and back (2 x 30 mins) and drink 2litres of water.

I would add in some nuts to your porridge & pulses to your evening meal. You won't be getting enough minerals. There's not enough calcium or iron, for a start, if you're eating that every day. And it's not enough fibre either.

Cronometer is a good free app. If you put in what you've been eating, it'll tell you whether you are meeting the minimum targets for macronutrients (e.g. carbs, fats) and micronutrients (eg. minerals and vitamins.)

You aren't really getting much in the way of omega 3's either. You could add in ground flaxseed to your porridge or swap out chicken for salmon sometimes.

Everybody has different requirements. For all we know, you could be 2' 3" and your diet would be adequate. If you feel ok and aren't dropping weight, then the internet can't override that. Malnourishment will show itself to you in other ways than google. You'll start to feel crap, sleep patterns will change, you'll get headaches, feel groggy, have skin conditions etc.

Your diet looks inadequate to me. If you're worried, google some more about a healthy diet, and eat that instead. If your metabolism slows down, you can speed it up again.

I'm similar OP.

I have coffee for breakfast, peppermint tea or a normal tea for lunch usually, then I have dinner. Dinner lots of veg, one small potato, some meat. If I really want a snack, a banana or some grapes.

I suspect this post will be zapped soon. It's starting to get competitive.

sounds like exactly the sort of "meals" I would have allowed myself as an anorexic teen OP, sorry

That would be fine for me. But I'm old and my appetite has shrunk.

Apart from it being ludicrously insufficient, my question is- "where's the enjoyment in your eating?"
Do you not regard meals as an occasion ever? Do you dine out in restaurants or get a take away occasionally? Do you all sit down together as a family?
I don't know. Your whole listing of your daily diet just seems to suck out the fun of it

can't be more than about 500-600 calories. Not enough, no

I have coffee for breakfast, peppermint tea or a normal tea for lunch usually, then I have dinner.

You do also realise that's disordered eating... It's not at all healthy to suppress your appetite with tea and coffee.

Come on Op, try to see your food restricting isn't normal! Who on earth measures out dried oats in cups and works out what 1/4 cup is? Justify start tipping porridge into a bowl, Chuck in some berries, nuts, a bit of peanut butter or Nuttella to make it taste less like wall paper paste.

Try not to get hung up on calories and exact portion sizes, there's really no need. You don't have to make any food off limits to be healthy.

You might consider that eating 3 meals a day doesn't suit you. Some people prefer to eat smaller amounts more frequently, say 5 small meals a day. If you are the sort of person who thinks very rigidly and finds comfort in set "rules" and patterns then that might work for you.

I don't think you've said whether you're actually underweight OP? For a rough idea try a BMI calculator. Depending on your height, metabolism and build, maybe you are fine. It does sound like you don't eat a lot, but it's possible your weight is in the normal range.

The main thing that jumped out at me was the lack of protein in 2 meals out of 3. Could you try adding something like a boiled egg or a piece of cheese to your lunch? Mix some seeds/nuts in with your oats?

I measure dry oats in American cups (although I would say half a cup is a decent portion).

If you do it that way then you can add twice the amount of liquid and cook it in a bowl in the microwave so that you save washing a pot.

Quarter of a cup feels pretty meagre though op. If you don't fancy more porridge then have a slice of toast & peanut butter or something as well, or a banana.

Hi @GoldieGal its healthy ish but just not enough calories.

Some suggestions - have a look online for the basal metabolic rate for your height. That tells you how many calories you need to aim for.

Then start sneaking in extra calories. For example,

Breakfast: 1/4 cup of porridge - up to 1/2 cup and use milk not water. Add seeds or nuts to top.

Lunch: Piece of fruit or salad - this is very little, could you add a slice of toast? Soup?

Dinner: veggies and a bit of chicken - add a little brown rice alongside this, roast veggies in olive oil, eat chicken with skin on etc

@LadyH846 Does that app set a minimum requirement for carbs? If so, it's misleading. The minimum requirement for carbs is 0%
We only need fat and protein.