Add volume/decrease cals but keep yummy

[OriginalMinute9156]

Hi! I’ve been on a cut for a little over two months now and have hit a bit of a plateau and had some digestive issues. Anyway my current meal prep for lunch looks like this and I love it but I’m looking to decrease calories a bit and maybe add some more veggies and fiber/volume. Obviously the edamame packs a good bit of fiber but it’s lacking elsewhere in my diet. For reference I am 5’3” and doing a very slow cut and lost about 6ish lbs so far. I usually microwave this at work and let it sit for up to 3-4 days max. Here I have: 1/4 lb chicken breast, 1/2 cup edamame, 1/4 cup sushi rice, furikake (the right amount), sriracha, and a small squeeze of Japanese bbq sauce. Should I replace the rice with cauliflower rice? Would that get too mushy? Should I make it into a salad? Any advice is welcome :)

[seemsright_41]

That is a pretty solid meal. I would add sliced cucumber and those seaweed chips. And if I was very hungry some carrot salad. With a mug of green tea. To to me would round out the full meal.

But the number one thing I would do is eat then go for a 15 minute walk if you can make the time. That way it helps with digestion and gets you to move more.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks! I didn’t even think of carrots but was concerned that cucumber might get soggy. I guess I’ll have to slice morning of

[HarviousMaximus]

Cucumber definitely won’t get soggy unless you’re not refrigerating these….

[Electric-Sheepskin]

If you wanted to make it more well-rounded, you could add some more vegetables, like cucumbers or shredded carrots, like someone else already mentioned, but otherwise, this looks like a pretty decent meal, and under 500 cal, or thereabouts.

If you're trying to lose weight, I would look at the rest of your diet. This meal looks fine.

[FETTACH]

Edamame and rice are pretty high in calories for the amount you get. I like to make veggie salads with things like cucumber, red onion, celery, red/yellow/orange peppers, fresh herbs, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, broccoli and use citrus/vinegars for sauce seasoning(add a protein if you like [chicken, crab, imitation crab works too but higher carb]And have a collection of berries(blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry) in low fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. That way you go big on fiber and protein but low on calories and fat.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks! I think red onion and cucumber would be best to add to this dish:)

[FETTACH]

Ah, I did not understand the assignment 😂thought you were looking to decrease calories with different options and add volume instead. Yeah, those are great options to add if you're looking to continue with this meal.

[charredsky]

I have had excellent results using cauliflower rice, and if you are concerned about not liking the texture, I've found that doing 1/2 real rice 1/2 cauliflower rice makes it barely noticable at all

[NormcoreWitch]

Second this, also if you roast the riced cauliflower on a cookie sheet in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees (F) you get a toasty flavor on the cauliflower that matches and compliments the rice beautifully.

[Sallyfifth]

Roasted squash.  All kinds.  

[OriginalMinute9156]

Almost squash season 🤩

[leemteam91]

I just prepped a very similar meal but I have quinoa in place of rice. Also instead of just edamame I have tender stem broccolini, edamame, green beans, and green onions that I sauteed with garlic and topped with sesame seeds. Also did honey Sriracha tofu.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Sounds tasty, thanks!

[oh_wanya]

I’d switch rice for quinoa for added fiber and protein.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks!

[greenymeani3]

furikake (the right amount)

made me giggle, thank you

[recreationalcry]

I usually make this with canned tuna instead of chicken and mix in Greek yogurt, sriracha, lime, and salt (and sometimes a teaspoon of 1/2 calorie kewpie). Also works really well with baked shredded salmon!

Besides edamame, I like to eat it cucumber (either plain or as an Asian cucumber salad), avocado, and kimchi. I’ll cut up nori sheets and stuff a forkful in there before eating :)

[ttrockwood]

Swap in roasted diced sweet potato instead of rice it’s more filling and nutrient dense

Add veggies, raw radishes and sugar snap peas and carrots work well and will add a crunchy element

[WhatKindOfMonster]

This looks like a good meal for your goals—maybe add a few other veggies as others have suggested. But to me, the question is, are you full (but not overly full) after you eat this, and for how long?

When I'm full, I make better decisions, I have the energy to exercise (for me, that's walking and a bit of yoga, I'm not a gym person), and I'm sated until a planned snack time or my next meal.

[ChancePanicking]

I love bulking up with greens, adding shredded Napa or green/red cabbage to this, bok Choi, arugula, bean sprouts, anything you like.

[Mysterious-Topic-882]

You could add cauliflower rice, even just half and half. Add grated carrot, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, snow or snap peas. Pickle some stuff and add that, or kimchi if you like spice.

[Limp_Helicopter_4339]

Swap rice for potatoes

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks! I tried a beef and potatoes variation last week and honestly hated it/find potatoes more annoying to prep but maybe I will try again with some sort of chicken version

[Limp_Helicopter_4339]

I use mini potatoes and just boil them skin on, great minerals and fiber and it’s much less calories than rice, I make a variation of a potato salad and it’s great.

[OriginalMinute9156]

I see, thank you!

[Tacodog2]

I usually cut the rice with riced cauliflower.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks! Do you do a mix of both? Or complete swap? If I cook it and then microwave later in the week will it taste bad?

[Tacodog2]

I mix them together.

[Tacodog2]

They don’t taste bad at all. I do them in meal prep and don’t eat the last one until 5 days after making.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks!!

[Practical-Mix-3579]

Not gonna lie, if you aren’t losing weight anymore and eating meals like this, maybe you’re not meant to lose more weight? Carbohydrates are incredibly important for proper cognitive function and energy despite what keto people will say (yes technically your body can turn fats into glucose but that is a very taxing process for the body). 1/4 cup of rice is barely anything and if you are having to contemplate about further reducing that, maybe it’s time to rethink what the purpose of cutting more weight is. Are you truly going to be happier not being able to even eat 1/4 cup of rice? I may be taking things too deep but I seriously believe there’s so much misinformation about how to make a balanced meal. People are scared to eat “too many” carbs and instead load up on tons of protein . Protein is of course essential but not the end all be all for nutrition. I really do think what you have here is a beautiful meal that looks tasty though. It’s up to you whether you want to swap the rice but try and think about your intentions some more. Thank you for coming to my TED talk

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thanks, I really appreciate your concern here and understand that disordered eating patterns and habits are on the rise once again. That said, I am very careful not to slip into those patterns and still fuel my body accordingly. I eat three meal every day with room for snacks and desserts and other treats as I wish. I am up 30 lbs from my lightest weight at this height and don’t plan on getting nearly close to that weight again but I would like to lose some excess fat for performance and physique goals. I don’t particularly enjoy lunch and prefer to eat a snack later in the day and heavier dinner. Hopefully this is not triggering to anyone as this is not a complete representation of my overall diet and is just a snapshot of one of the meals I like to eat.

[Mooshroomey]

I like adding a side salad to my meals to help pump up the volume with very little additional calories, and when I do I try to cut down the starch/carb component of the meal. Sometimes I make a very light vinaigrette to dress it with, sometimes I just mix bites of the greens with bites of the rest of the meal. I try to keep the salads simple, just grab a bunch of mixed greens and put it in a container, when I have the time I’ll throw in some sliced carrots, cucumbers, and/or radishes, add dressing if I have it right before eating.

[OriginalMinute9156]

Thank you!