Low cal high protein ideas

[Bbq1]

I'm currently following my own calorie counting diet but I'm struggling looking for lunch ideas for under 400 cals. Quite keen for them to be high protein if possible. I'm looking for 'normal' lunches such as jacket with tuna or beans on toast. When I googles it suggestions for things like Avacado Tea sandwiches were coming up! I have neither the time nor the inclination to be faffing around making stuff like that. Please help me compile a list of quick and easy go to. lunch ideas. TIA.

Boring but true that 100g of cooked chicken/turkey/beef has about 165 kcals and 30g of protein. So i tend to eat a big salad with veg and precooked sliced meat in, or make a sandwich with the same amount of meat and some veggies.

I also eat prawns a lot for lunch- make a quick dressing half ketchup, half light mayo bit of paprika or worcestershire sauce, use that to make a prawn cocktail or prawn sandwich. Similarly smoked salmon is good in a sandwich/salad and very high protein.

If i'm eating something slightly less high in protein I tend to eat 2 babybel light cheeses with it. Processed but each one has 5g of protein for only 42 cals, so 2 of then adds an easy 10g protein to any other lunch in a pinch!

Eggs or sardines/mackerel. In a sandwich or with salad.

Anything involving eggs. Omelette or poached egg on toast

Ceasar salad.

Google search Crustless quiche, really easy and very filling. For two servings I would use 4 large eggs beaten with 70g fat free Greek yogurt, 2 smoked bacon medallions, onion and red pepper. You can use anything you like and if you have the calories to spare you can add cheese. Sometimes I’ll make it with Mediterranean veg and feta. Always with a large salad with a bit of dressing.

Some great ideas here!!

Whatever green veg/mushrooms you have in the fridge.

Steam it for 3 mins in the microwave, add seasoning and a tsp of real butter then 1 or 2 boiled eggs.

And you have a warm salad. It's really filling, takes less than 5 minutes to make, you can have loads of veg and the egg adds protein.

I boil up half a dozen eggs at a time and keep them in their shell in the fridge for snacking. You can use wafer thin chicken or ham instead if you want.

I like green beans, asparagus, baby button mushrooms and baby corn in mine.

Comes in at around 250 - 300 calories depending on if you have 1 or 2 eggs (68cals for a medium egg)

Chicken salad with boiled egg
Sardines on toast and a protein yoghurt
Tuna omlette and a salad
Turkey mince curry

Egg whites, low fat Greek yog (or 0% fage). Chicken and turkey breast. White fish. Seeded bread.

my go to high protein lunch is seeded bread sandwhich with slices of chicken and salad with egg whites

2 whole eggs, 3 egg whites in an omelette with cheese and whatever veg you feel like.

I know your asked for food ideas, but I'm also tracking my protein intake and I will very often have a protein shake in the morning. Optimum Nutrition protein powder is 24g of protein per serving (250ml) when mixed with water and only 113 calories and 1.3g of sugar. Might be an option to get your protein up if that's what you're concerned about. Otherwise high protein foods such as skinless white meats, beans or tofu is always a good option. Prepare for the week and add to your lunches/salad/veg.

Can you get skimmed milk cheese in the UK? It's lovely sliced and mixed with chopped raw onion and apple in a dressing of olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Leave in fridge for a few hours to marinate. Top with cumin and enjoy. Virtually fat free, filling and full of nutrients.

Also very high protein and as a make-ahead thing to cut down on hassle it can be left marinating for several days. It only gets tastier.

Also, poached chicken breast.
Add hot water from kettle to saucepan. (No salt).
Bring to boil.
Chicken breast goes in sliced vertically (so it's in thinner pieces).
Back up to boil.
Take off heat.
Cover.
Leave unattended for 20 minutes. By then it's cooked through and juicy for a few days' salads, coronation chicken, sandwiches etc.

Do you mean cottage cheese?

No, how would you slice that?

I mean this:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handk%C3%A4se

If you can't get hold of anything similar maybe try chopped cheese strings and some parmesan bits to add more of a cheese taste?

Haha, yes sorry, I forgot the sliced part! 😁Thanks for the link but I don't recall seeing similar locally. I'll do your cheese strings and parmasan idea because it sounds delicious. Thank you.

Just bought a Lindahl yoghurt from Sainsburys - Lemon Cheesecake flavour - normal yoghurt size (150g), its 92cals and 18g protein. Good for after a salad.

For work (so packed lunch) I often have a wrap (the free from / gluten free ones are low cal, the ones I have at the moment are about 80 cals, you can get higher protein ones too) with chicken salad or a bacon/egg mayo combo.

a Big handful bag salad leaves with a salmon fillet. I buy the frozen ones and put a pre mixed seasoning on top of it then microwave for 2.5mins. I get frozen edemene beans peas and or sweetcorn and add that all too the salad. For a dressing I mix half sweet chilli sauce with half soy sauce. It's delicious.

Swartz All Season - salt paprika pepper

Anything with turkey , chicken, mackerel, sardines, salmon ,prawn , tuna. lindhals yoghurt , omelettes , I've been on a high protein diet for around a year now.