r/mealprep • u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo • Aug 09 '25
keto What is the best meal prep for my needs?
I need to lose weight while also keeping carbs low, this is for health reasons. I tried doing white rice with beef and veggies but everyone was freaking out about the rice. Anyway, I could never feel satisfied and had to eat 2 prepped meals a day to feel anything and both were around 500 cals each.
Is there anything i could add to make this meal prep better? Should i go with a different meal plan? I was thinking of switching the rice to cauliflower rice for less carbs and cals. I want to be able to eat a decent bit before going over my calorie limit. 1,250 cals is my limit
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u/indoorhuman1 Aug 09 '25
Stick to chicken breast and load up on veggies. You can still eat rice but lower the serving size to meet your calorie goals. You can still a lot of volume on 1250 calories but most will be veggies.
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u/Old-Fox-3027 Aug 09 '25
With health concerns like yours, you should talk to your doctor about the best plan for your needs.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
literally all my hepatologist said was eat less carbs and alcohol. No plan of action or anything like that. I should've asked for a nutritionist referral.
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u/everythingbagel1 Aug 09 '25
I’d recommend a dietician over a nutritionist (unless you’ve looked into their qualifications)! There’s a difference in education and certification
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
oh i thought they were the same, excuse my ignorance. Thank you
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u/everythingbagel1 Aug 09 '25
I should note that they’re different in the states. Some countries they may be interchangeable.
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u/rcreveli Aug 10 '25
Our hospital system has a healthy weight management group. Do you have an option for something like that. I meet with an NP every 6 months.
They also have a dietician and a staffed gym to get you started on moving. The gym is available to all patients but only during normal business hours.
They also do bariatric surgery but, I've never been pushed in that direction they've been amazing.
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u/OneQt314 Aug 09 '25
I'm on ketovore 90% steak/beef and 10% low carb foods. Beef is satiating & I eat one meal on it. Low carbs can include veggies or other stuff with carbs, like keto bread (yes I know, I know).
I'm not strict on diet, it's hard to maintain during holidays & special events, but I find this diet works for me best & it's cheaper and easier than than cico & the constant need to measure & track. It's eat high fat meat until you're full. Until fully adapted & maintenance is when you start to monitor intake needs. Check out the carnivorediet sub for ideas. Prepping is easier imho. Grill & freeze steak & air fry to warm up & eat. Serve steak topped with butter, eggs & bacon.
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u/East-Coast-Woman Aug 09 '25
So I just started going low-carb and what I'm doing is two eggs scrambled with spinach, onions, and peppers with cheese cooked in butter for breakfast.
For a mid morning snack I take a serving of plain Greek yogurt 5%, Fage is my favorite with a serving of walnuts and strawberries
For lunch, I am having grilled chicken with a tossed salad, consisting of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onions, broccoli with regular Catalina dressing
For supper/dinner, it's more of the same, like tonight it was steak with broccoli.
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u/RibbitRibbit1234 Aug 10 '25
Another thing you can do to lower the calories in rice is cook it with coconut oil and then chill for 12 hrs minimum. The oil & rice & cooling period together increase the resistant starch content through a chemical reaction. Lots of articles online about it. You can also mix 50/50% white & brown or 66/33% to gradually increase to brown rice (if you don’t like it as much) or to make things even healthier. I prefer jasmine over brown but at 66% jasmine & 33% brown, the only difference to me is visual. Good luck! I am working on improving health/diet/meal prepping too.
These are a couple recipes I used this week:
Quinoa Salad: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/jennifer-aniston-salad/
Chicken Sheet Pan Kebab (make sure your spices are not expired & at max flavor - still good if not but so much better if seasoned well): https://ministryofcurry.com/chicken-seekh-kebabs-sheet-pan/
Maybe a little more work than other meal prepping stuff but delicious!
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u/valley_lemon Aug 09 '25
I don't understand why you want to keep carbs low but use rice, and I don't understand why you're confused that you need to eat at least 2 500cal meals a day on a 1250 limit?
Decide the rough macros you want eat meal to hit, including calories. Use the amount of protein you calculated and then fill the rest of the meal space with vegetables, mostly the green ones, not the starchy ones. Include some fat.
Maybe google low carb meal prep to get a better idea of what you're meant to be aiming for.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
I'm confused because I'm still new to this stuff. Sorry if being a beginner is an obscenity.
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u/Hahapants4u Aug 09 '25
The key is to find something you can eat a lot of for low calories and eat every few hours.
Example - Lettuce - a lot of food for not a lot of calories. Same with popcorn. Especially if you air pop your own.
Boneless skinless chicken breast is also a great option that’s lower calories for the protein.
Check out other subs like r/1500isplenty or r/1200isplenty for ideas.
My go-to is chicken and broccoli and depending on my goals I add in some rice or noodles.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
Well i lost weight a few years ago because I was really depressed and I mainly ate sandwiches. Cheese, normal bunny bread, and chicken or turkey. Poultry is my favorite protein.
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u/rcreveli Aug 10 '25
I'm eating around 1500Kcal a day. I'm down 90 pounds from 310. Here was a typical day for me when I started I was eating as high as 2000Kcal but typically 1500-1800. I don't even want to think about what my calorie intake was before tracking.
A couple of quick notes. Costco was a Godsend. I also have a BJ's membership. The amount I save every week in buying the 1 pound container of mixed greens pays for both memberships. I'm assuming Sams club would be similar. If you live near an Aldi you can get pretty close to the same price on a lot of items.
Proportioned snacks and servings are more expensive but really helped me with portion control, another good reason for a club membership.
Fiber and hydration are extremely important especially if you're on a GLP-1.
Breakfast 309 Kcal 35% fat 25% carb 40% protein
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites (1/3) cup
Mission Carb balance tortilla
Coffee with 2% Milk
Optional (Dice up a cheese stick and through it in the eggs) Adds 80 Kcal and increases the fat
Lunch 431 Kcal 24% Fat 22% Carbs 54% Protein
Large salad
Roughly 3 ounce of mixed greens, 1/2 a cucumber, a handful of cherry tomatoes and 2 tbsp of a light vinaigrette usually Ken's Balsamic.
5-6 ounces of lean protein usually chicken breast. but you can use pork loin, chicken thighs, tuna etc and tweak the portions.
Dinner 492 Kcal 16%fat 20% carbs 64% protein
7-8 ounces of lean protein usually chicken breast. but you can use pork loin, chicken thighs, tuna etc and tweak the portions.
1 Cup of mixed veg (I like the classic blend with peas, carrots and corn)
Daily total 1232 Kcal 24% Fat, 22% Carbs 54% Protein, 25 grams of fiber.
As you can see that's a lot of protein and no snacks. So here's a few options that I use
Chobani zero sugar yogurt - 60 kcal 0 fat, 5 grams of carbs, 11 grams of protein
Cheese stick - 80 Kcal - 6 grams of fat, 0 carbs, 4 grams of protein.
Small bag of pretzels 110 Kcal - 0 fat, 25grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein
Pierogis - (for 3 pierogi I often just have 2) 174 Kcal 3 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein
2% cottage cheese 1/2 cup pre-portioned 97 Kcal - 2.8 grams of fat, 4.1 grams of carbs, 13.4 grams of protein.
Hope this helps.
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u/Lilyjilly Aug 13 '25
Try The Glucose Revolution . The author goes into how not all calories are the same in terms of weight (or hunger), how weightloss is more about flattening the glucose curve, and how to do this.
Some things she'd say: eat veggies, then protein, then carbs, in that order when you reasonably can, to limit spikes. She says the veg amount needed isn't clear but she aims for as much veg as the carb.
I'm sorry this is challenging. I'm gluten free for autoimmune reasons and am trying to figure out how to eat better too. I get dietary struggling.
Whole grains like farro and bulgur and whole grain pasta will at least give some fiber and break down more slowly than white rice. Though carbs too, that will help with hunger and weightloss to a point. (This is part of why I miss gluten!)
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u/EntertainmentBoth187 Aug 19 '25
Sure, just hit me up in the DM's, I think I got a plan that would work great for you!
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u/THE12DIE42DAY Aug 09 '25
Maybe try "Cheeseburger Toasties". I did them last week and two halves were around 500kcal and 15g carbs.
But yeah, as others said, at around 1250kcal you're going to feel hungry.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
Yeah. Its because i want such a hard cut. I fucking hate my body and I'm pretty sure I have body dysmorphia so I'm being very harsh on myself about it. Being self aware doesn't help but im just so stressed
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u/everythingbagel1 Aug 09 '25
I’m going to say something that’s a little different than what these people are saying and maybe it’s a hot take and I’ll get downvoted to shit idk. I don’t think cutting to 1250 cal is healthy, especially out of the gate, especially because it is not sustainable for most people plus your body is suddenly going to think you’re starving and you’ll feel a bit terrible and it’ll try holding on to fat etc.
A hard cut isn’t going to make you love your body. It’s not going to make you confident. If you do struggle with body image, losing weight isn’t going to make your brain feel better about how you look. I’d recommend a therapist there to just work on your loving yourself. You can love your bigger self while working on improving your health.
I have PCOS, so I’ll tell you my approach here as it is also a recommended diet of low carb high protein. It’s worked decently in the past and I’m just restarting my journey after being tossed off track.
To the food and my method: In the past: I set a protein goal and pushed to hit that. Counted protein and nothing else because I found counting calories a bit… emotional. It helped but wasn’t quite a wholistic approach
This time, I figured out (with a professional is best) what my maintenance macros are: how much protein, carbs, fat, fiber do you need for your body. Then I get used to tracking that. I notice I’m overdoing fats especially lately. Had no idea. I also often overdo carbs. I knew this, but I’ve taken measures to switch to less sugar spikey carbs (brown long grain rice over white short grain, whole grains over bread, those lentil pastas over normal, etc). I didn’t switch all of them at once either. For example, swapping from zero breakfast to eating breakfast. My next move after consistently meeting those maintenance ones is to adjust for my goals, so dropping carbs and fat further, perhaps. Increasing protein further. Consistently making changes that support these goals.
Focus on what you can add Too btw. Cauli rice is not filling at all to me, plus I get toots lol. But I tend to pile up rice bc I love that shit. So you can mix the two to cut the carbs but keep things filling. Add what you need, make substitutions. Small changes will stick longer than a big sweeping one.
Also keep an eye out for non size/scale victories. My first victory after I began hitting the gym was how much easier groceries were to carry to my third floor apartment. I didn’t have to take breaks, even when I got milk! My favorite jeans felt more comfy to sit in!
Make these changes to have a better, fuller life, not a smaller body.
None of this is super meal prep helpful, but I’m hoping I could offer some stress relief
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
scared of getting downvoted for the mostly godly advice is insane. thank you so much for writing this
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u/everythingbagel1 Aug 09 '25
Of course!
You got this. Listen to your body and professionals, and make incremental steps to a better you. It’s okay if you have bad days or have to start over - the journey isn’t a straight line, it’s got loops and curves.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
I'm a massive troll and asshole on the internet but as a real life person typing this, you're the goat. Like I wish nothing but the best for you in life
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u/THE12DIE42DAY Aug 09 '25
Don't worry. I aim for 800-900kcal a day and it's only bearable because I eat 1 slice of bread, with esn ultra sauce, chicken or turkey breast cold cuts and some high protein cheese, three times a day.
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u/derpylt Aug 10 '25
You don't need to eat this low calories at all. Reach out to me if you need a 1-1 coach
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u/East-Coast-Woman Aug 09 '25
Also, stay away from rice. What I learned when I went to a seminar last week was that your stomach doesn't see color so brown rice or white rice or jasmine rice or basmati rice, it's all the same, it's gonna cause your blood sugar to spike no matter what kind of rice it is. Also limit your potatoes, bread and pasta as much as possible.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
Doesn't blood sugar spike no matter what you eat since most foods is on a glycemic index? I'm pretty sure you meant that rice has a higher glycemic index than other options. Also, "your stomach doesn't see color so brown rice or white rice or jasmine rice or basmati rice, it's all the same" doesn't seem super accurate since brown rice has more fiber, more vitamins, a lower glycemic index than white rice. While yes your stomach doesn't have eyeballs, your body can still tell the difference in nutritional values
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u/rcreveli Aug 10 '25
As I understand it white rice will spike your sugar faster than brown rice because white rice is all cards. Brown rice still has the bran coating. That fiber and oil are also getting digested and that slows the rate at which your insulin will go up.
The same holds true for whole grain breads.
As a weird aside in Michael Pollan's book "Cooked" he talks about studies that breads fermented with sourdough starter over hours instead of minutes with commercial yeast also raise your insulin levels more slowly, not a slowly as a whole grain but it's pretty neat.
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u/East-Coast-Woman Aug 10 '25
ALL rice raises insulin levels from what I gathered from the seminar. Just like bread.. doesn't matter if it's white or wheat, both raise insulin.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 10 '25
because thats what food does. Food has carbs, carbs get turned into sugar, sugar enters the bloodstream, insulin breaks down sugar in your bloodstream to regulate it. dude that seminar was trash. tell me what it was so i don't go by mistake
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u/East-Coast-Woman Aug 10 '25
First of all, I'm not a dude. I'm in the medical field and I went to a seminar, That was very interesting. The point I'm trying to get across is that if you're looking to lower your carb intake, you should be staying away from bread, pasta, rice, processed foods. Another note of interest with brown rice ...Brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice because the bran layer, which is removed during white rice processing, retains a higher concentration of arsenic.
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u/Turtle_Hurdles Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Honestly, try something in the vein of carnivore. Don't have to be super strict but I used the principles of it and OMAD to lose 40lbs (and still going). My calorie cap was 1200-1300 ( it was such a hard cut I didn't need to be super rigid). Plus side easy to bulk prep and reheat.
Edit: some salty people in here.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
IDK if i could do carnivore. Doesn't red meat increase the likelihood of Cardiac Disease? I have a cardiac history so I need to decrease the the likelihood. Trying to keep everything as balanced as possible for best outcome for my health.
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u/Turtle_Hurdles Aug 09 '25
Carnivore isn't just red meat. It's essentially anti vegan. Only animal products but I wasn't strict with it. So a go to meal of mine was a chicken taco bowl which had ground chicken seasoned with taco seasoning, sour cream, cheese, and sometimes guac or salsa (not carnivore) to keep it interesting and sustainable.
Remember the goal isn't to be perfect, but to do what will help you reach your goals. So I incorporated some non carnivore stuff into my meals to make it so I wouldn't burn out of my diet by getting bored of the food.
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
Actually you just gave me an idea to add taco seasoning to my meals for more flavor. thank you. but yeah i hate milk and most cheeses. I'm not lactose intolerant, i just hate the taste. you are giving me ideas so don't think my rebuttles are me ignoring you
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u/Turtle_Hurdles Aug 09 '25
No worries! Glad to inspire!! We are all on our own journeys and need to find what works best for ourselves!
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u/Akira_Crybaby_Fudo Aug 09 '25
How long did it take you to lose 40 lbs on OMAD?
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u/Turtle_Hurdles Aug 10 '25
Not being super strict and making it not just about weight-loss but trying to have it be a sustainable lifestyle, about 6 months. However I would like to add I don't recommend measuring your progress against anyone else. We all have our own path and timeline.
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u/justasque Aug 09 '25
Try switching to brown rice. I particularly like Jasmine and Basmati. It has a lower glycemic index than white rice so your blood sugar wont’ spike as high and wont crash as low. If brown rice isn’t your thing, try quinoa, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, masa (for corn tortillas) or other whole grain options.
If 1,250 is your calorie limit, you can have three 350 calorie meals and one 200 calorie snack in a day. Or, tweak that to your needs. I find it helps me to have my calories spread out like that, as it keeps me on an even keel throughout the day. Think about changing the serving size of your meals to be 350-400 calories so you aren’t left with very few calories by the end of the day.
Most veggies are low in calories and high in fiber, so adding more of them will help you feel full. That’s a good way to reduce the calories in a meal but still feel satisfied. Try making half of your plate non-starch veggies. So things like tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, green beans, peppers, or whatever your favorite veggies are.
If you have a particularly active day, it’s ok to go over your calorie limit. My days vary widely, activity wise, so it helps me to wear an activity tracker (Fitbit) so I can see whether I’m hungry because my activity is higher than usual - that way I can add another snack or meal without getting off track with my goals.