Calories in and out

[DeniseGoldberg]

I was thinking about my lunches, since around 3-4 I am hungry, I eat a meat and veggies and fruit, I don't eat much bread, I have brown rice 1-2 times a week and pasta 2-3 times a month. I do eat sweet potatoes at least once a week if not more. I guess I need to get more carbs in at lunch?

I don't know if this will help at all, but here's what I do for lunch... this time of year my lunch is usually a big bowl of soup plus low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt. That probably doesn't sound like much, but the soup is my weekend creation. That is, I make a big pot of soup and store it in individual containers (I've been using a ZipLoc container that holds 2 1/2 cups, just to give you an idea of the size) that I can reheat. And some of the containers go into the freezer for later... I start with a recipe, but what goes in the soup depends on what vegetables are in my refrigerator. But always - it includes (cubed) tofu, beans (chick peas or black beans or both). Then I start adding vegetables, which can include carrots, celery, potatoes (white and/or sweet), broccoli or cauliflower, corn, edamame (soy beans). Sometimes I use a tomato-based soup, sometimes it's red lentils, sometimes split peas. So it's a pretty substantial soup, and it keeps me pretty full. Of course, you will need access to a microwave at the office unless you like cold soup!

I always bring fruit for a mid-afternoon snack, and I keep a stash of energy bars (usually PowerBar Pria bars since they are relatively small from a calorie standpoint - 110 calories, very suitable for a quick snack) in my desk just in case I'm hungry. I often keep extra yogurt in the refrigerator for the same purpose.

--- Denise