“The average lunch or dinner, and even some breakfasts, can run up to 800 calories or more, so by simply substituting one 300-calorie meal for a usual meal, you can cut as many as 500 calories a day—and lose 1 pound in a week,” says Cathy Nonas, RD, a researcher at the New York Obesity Research Center. But to make that easy, prepare a list of 300-calorie meals you can turn to after the holiday, or as soon as you need weight loss, recommends Nonas, author of Outwit Your Weight with Julia VanTine. You can start your own list by choosing any of the following 300-calorie meals. And no calorie counting needed! 300-Calorie Breakfasts
1 c Cheerios with 1 sm sliced banana, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, and ½ c fat-free milkQuaker Oat Bran hot cereal with 1 c fat-free milk, and ½ c orange juice1 low-fat apple bran muffin at McDonald’s, and tea1 fried egg, 2 pieces whole wheat toast, and ½ c orange juice8 oz Stonyfield Farm fat-free French vanilla yogurt with 1 Tbsp slivered almonds, ½ med apple, sliced, 1 Tbsp raisins, and 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed [pagebreak]
300-Calorie Lunches
One 6½" whole wheat pita, 4 Tbsp red pepper hummus, ½ c broccoli sprouts, ½ c cucumber slices, 2 pieces looseleaf lettuce, and ½ c cranapple juice 1 c Nile Spice Sweet Corn Chowder, 1 c fat-free milk, and 1 lg apple1 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 Tbsp grape jelly on whole wheat bread (2 slices), and 1½ celery stalks1 c Boston Market chicken chili, and 1 c Boston Market broccoli with red peppersSubway Veggie Delight 6" sub, and 1 c diet soda
300-Calorie Dinners
Amy’s Whole Meals: Veggie Loaf Dinner, and 3 celery stalksLean Cuisine Herb Roasted Chicken, and 1 c 1% milkFantastic Foods Spicy Jamaican Rice and Beans, and 1 steamed broccoli stalkBoca Burger (Vegan original) on a bun with 2 pieces loose leaf lettuce, 1 slice tomato, and 2 tsp ketchup, and 1 c steamed spinach with 2 tsp reduced-calorie margarine3 oz salmon fillet, 1 c garden salad with 2 Tbsp low-fat Caesar dressing, and small oat bran dinner roll6 lg shrimp with 2 Tbsp cocktail sauce, 2 c salad with 2 Tbsp Italian dressing, and iced tea with 1 sugar cube
More from Prevention: 10 Ways To Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
