If  breakfast is the most important meal of the day, lunch definitely comes a close second!  It’s almost midway through the day, and it’s important to re-fuel yourself, but not to eat too heavy that you want to fall asleep at your desk.  I love to eat big salads with protein for the healthiest low calorie foods.  I like to stay around 350-400 calories or so for lunch.   Here are some of my healthiest low calorie favorites!

Garden salad with lean protein. I love to mix baby spinach with arugula.  I add celery, tomatoes, carrots and about 3-4 ounces of lean chicken, salmon, or tuna.  Don’t skimp on the spinach or vegetables becasue they are the lowest calorie foods. Salads are some of the most nutritious low calorie foods you can eat.   If you like , you can add a tablespoon of goat or feta cheese for added flavor.  I dress it with a mix of  olive oil, crushed garlic clove, Celtic sea salt to taste and a lot of fresh squeezed lemon juice. I’ve gotten use to salad dressings without vinegar.   Fresh Lemon alkalizes your body.  I use it on almost everything!

Fresh Vegetables with Hummus.    Yum, yum, yum…what else can I say about hummus!  .  Hummus is not that high in fat.  It’s got the good fat – olive oil.  I eat about 1/2 cup at lunch with all the fresh, filling low calorie vegetables I have on hand.  Crisp celery, sugar snap peas, carrots, or just about any vegetable you prefer is delicious.  This is soooo easy and provides lots of high fiber low calorie foods for lunch!

Vegetable sandwich on Eskiel bread.  Eskiel bread is my all time favorite!  It’s loaded with fiber and made from sprouted grain full of enzymes my body needs.    I prefer the sesame. I keep it in the freezer and toast it to make sandwiches.   I know in Weight Watchers each slice is 1 point.  I like to spread the bread with mustard , then layer lettuce, sprouts, dill pickles, sweet onion, tomato and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Every now and then I’ll add avocado if I have some and can afford the extra calories.   The whole sandwich is 4-6 points, depending if you have the avocado or not.

Quinoa with lightly steamed vegetables.  Quinoa is considered a perfect protein.  Quinoa is a South American grain.  It’s been around for over 6000 years.  The Incas considered it sacred and called it the “mother of all grain”.  I like to cook quinoa in chicken broth.  When there’s about 5 minutes left to cook, I throw in  cut up vegetables to soften them a bit.  I like to use celery, asparagus and zucchini, or any healthy low calorie foods of your choice.   I eat it with fresh squeezed lemon and often a tablespoon of humus mixed in.  Simply divine!

Bon Apetite!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s your fuel for the day, so make it count.  Make sure to eat high energy low calorie foods to get you  going.   Eggs, whole-grain porridge,  even pancakes can be very sustaining low calorie foods for breakfast if you don’t eat too much!  My husband cooks me an omelette with fresh vegetables most mornings! I’m a pretty lucky woman!

The key to keeping any food low-calorie is to eat in moderation.  Eat like the French!  They really do know how to eat.  Fresh whole foods, butter, cheese, but only a little bit.  No deprivation, only moderation.  Small bites of rich foods are very satisfying and will keep you full longer..

Water.Before you eat anything, drink 16 ounces of water to flush out your body.  Our bodies have been working very hard through the night cleansing and repairing itself.  Water will help flush out toxins and hydrate the body.  It will also fill you up.  Drink  a lot of water throughout the day.  It’s one of the most low calorie foods there is… and it’s free!   At the first sign of hunger, always drink a glass of water before you eat, especially if you need rapid weight loss today.  That may be all you need.


Eggs.  1-2 Whole egg omelet with fresh, sauted asparagus, garlic, onion, tomatoes and zucchini (any vegetable you like.)

Eggs are the most nutrient dense low calorie  foods there is. The only nutrient they lack is vitamin C. They’re great lean protein, easy to carry, and very versatile. My acupuncturist scolded me once when I told her I only ate egg whites.  She said the richest part of the egg is the yolk.  Eggs are important for our brain.  Good fat. So good for you!  I’ve eaten them ever since.

Steel Cut Oats.  Yummy topped with 1 tbsp. agave syrup and cinnamon.  Steel cut oats seem to keep me satiated longer than rolled oats.  This is because they are very high fiber low calorie foods.  I also like how chewy they are!  I love blue agave syrup because it’s as sweet as honey, only low on the glycemic index.   Agave syrup and cinnamon mixed together will definitely keep your blood sugar even.

Pancakes.

1 c. buckwheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tbsp. sugar

1 egg beaten

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

If I’m not focused on food combining, I’ll eat a pancake made with buckwheat flour.  You can use whole wheat if you like, but I try to stay gluten-free when I can.   Combine flour with an egg and some milk.  Stir to consistency desired and top with pure maple syrup, honey or dip in applesauce.  Whole grain pancakes are very filling, but don’t over do it.  One large or 2 smaller pancakes are enough when you are counting calories.    Fresh blueberries in the batter make it even yummier still! 

Bon Apetite!

No one likes to feel hungry.  The best way to stay full is to either eat foods with a  ton of fiber, or a little fat!  A healthy diet needs both.

Fiber.  High fiber low calorie foods cleanse our digestive track and keep everything moving smoothly so toxins don’t have a chance to accumulate and be absorbed.   High fiber diets have been shown to aid in losing excess body fat and lowering blood pressure. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, beans and legumes are all great choices.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are the lowest caorie foods.   The National Cancer  Institute recommends 20-35 grams of fiber daily.  Nutrient dense low calorie foods don’t have to be boring!  Eskiel Bread is my staple.  I love it!  My favorite lunch is celery, sugar snap peas and carrots with 1/2 cup hummus.  Trader Joe’s tahini- free Hummus is my favorite.  Not to high in fat and extra lemony!

Fats. My choice of fats is extra-virgin olive oil.   I love to make a dressing of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic and sea salt. I make a big batch of it and keep it handy.  I drizzle  it on salads and vegetables.  I will even  marinate fish in it.  I also enjoy butter,  cheese, yogurt and eggs.  I just don’t over do it.   Trans fats are the bad ones.  Anything partially hydrogenated I stay far away from.  It’s even in ketchup – so be careful!  Fats are essential for keeping your hormones balanced and also work as an appetite suppressant – keeping you full longer.

Food combining principles based on the body ecology diet say not to eat carbs with fats because  you will gain weight.   As you are aware, fats aren’t exactly the lowest calorie food.  They also say you can eat as much protein and good fat as you like as long as you don’t mix with carbs.    Whether you believe in food combining or not, experience tells me when I do mix carbs and fat,  I tend to gain weight easier.  So just to be safe,  no matter if I food combine or not, I always like to stay under about 1300 calories a day.  That’s about 25 points a day if you do Weight Watchers.  I’ll give myself an extra 200 calories if I work out that day.

I have found that the best way to lose weight is to remain under a certain amount of calories (or points) and eat the best food possible.  We need fats, but not too much.  A tablespoon of oil in our dressing, 1/2 cup of hummus with our fresh vegetables, salmon – all are excellent fats.  I have comprised a filling, low-calorie food  guide of some of my favorite healthy foods for you to enjoy.

Stay away from processed foods.  Most “low-fat” foods that come out of a box or a bag are refined carbohydrates and will pack on the pounds.  I eat filling low calorie foods to keep trim.  When I reach for a pre-packaged “diet” food, although it may be low-calorie, I am hungry very soon after.  It’s then sooo much harder to stay within my calorie goal of the day.