best UK low cal snacks and meal ideas – a masterlist for new dieters

hi guys, wasn’t sure if this was the right flair to post under, but i’ve been in a calorie deficit for about 16 weeks now and i want to share any some of my picked up on food advice for those just starting out. when i started out my weight loss journey there were so many different pieces of advice online, i didn’t know how to begin or what foods to eat. more specifically it has really taken me a while to understand which low calorie foods are the most satiating and make you less likely to overeat in the long run. feel free to comment any of your other favourites for new dieters!

1. chicken fillets – usually i eat 150g a serving and i ONLY buy from tesco as asda’s are usually slightly higher in calories (for some unknown reason, and this pattern tracks even for other things they sell like frozen corn). chicken is very satisfying because of the protein content so i try and eat it at least once a day – protein is definitely a big must if you are someone who craves feeling full after eating
2. eggs – same story, i usually cut 1-2 into quarters and add into salad
3. ground buffalo chicken (244cal/serving) – i got this recipe from a woman’s instagram @caloriedefecitqueen or something like that?? 150g chicken breasts, in a blender with 20g lightest cream cheese, 20g fat free cottage cheese and 20g quark with garlic powder and paprika. when you pan fry it it breaks into chunks and boom, flavourful minced chicken. i add mine to salad for a very satiating big lunch bowl
4. any of the lindahls quark yogurts – i get mine from Asda but they sell them in tesco too and they’re on offer , 4 for £3. Good flavours like lemon cheesecake and white chocolate, and very high protein so super filling and good for breakfast or snack. usually 83-90kcal per 150g
5. @myprotein sell 0cal flavoured syrups, i have the chocolate one which i add to coffee and/or yogurt snacks to satisfy my sweet tooth
6. any single serve recipes from this site: https://weightlosswithveera.com she has a chocolate mug cake recipe that’s around 134kcal a serving and it really satisfies my raging chocolate cravings
7. barebell protein bars – you can get these from Holland and Barrett , usually around 215kcal a serving but they literally taste like candy bars once you get past the protein in them.
8. almond milk – in general i use this for everything from coffee to homemade cookies and smoothies. its truly great for when you need to save calories but i wouldn’t recommend it for fullness eg in a protein shake
9. this protein powder from amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0013GG58Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share the vanilla flavour is so sweet and yummy, its a good meal replacement or for use in smoothies or homemade yogurt bowls
10. homemade brownie pops – https://upbeetandkaleingitblog.com/frozen-brownie-protein-fudge-pops/ this recipe has saved my life and chocolate cravings recently, i sub the yogurt with half light cream cheese and don’t add the dates or PB and it works out at 85kcal a serve, very creamy and chocolatey
11. diet sodas, current favourite is Pepsi diet lime, so refreshing
12. twinings biotin strawberry aloe Vera tea, i have 1-2 cups a day when i get that afternoon slump
13. this sounds slightly insane but STOCK CUBES. probably not good to do it loads because of the salt content but sometimes a chicken or beef stock cube dissolved in water can be really filling, just to tide you over between meals if you’re struggling.
14. canned tuna . LIFE SAVER i buy it canned in spring water from Asda and it works out at 96kcal per tin. i mix it with hellmans “lighter than light” mayonnaise (which is another great staple, 10kcal per 15g) and salad and its very filling, lots of protein. however to avoid mercury poisoning i dont think you want to be eating in excess of 3 cans per week (tuna chunks are better than tuna steaks tho, i heard)
15. McDonald’s mini McFlurrys. sorry but these are a lifesaver for me when i have a sweet craving. usually i take a walk and get the Oreo mini McFlurry , its 133kcal per serving and makes me feel so happy
16. these electrolyte 0cal tablets from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/crzZXKV these are just good to keep your vitamins up, I get the blackcurrant flavour

protein bars are a trial and error thing by the way and over these few months ive spent a few quid where i didn’t want to on products that ended up being shit. i have a list on my phone of the protein products I’ve tried that taste godawful (TO ME). I find that grenade, clif bars, myprotein (excluding the syrups lol) and ufit all taste fucking horrible, but ARLA (which you can find in all major supermarkets usually) is decent and the milkshakes are good. there’s also a brand called ehrmann which do a chocolate mousse at Morrisons, it’s very low cal and yummy for what it is.

that’s all i can remember for now, what also helped me on my journey was reading the book “ultra processed people” by chris van tullenken, it truly opened my mind. i have always struggled with a chocolate addiction but now when i go to the shops instead of going mental and buying cookies and ice cream and sweets and brownies i just calmly note which foods are likely to trigger my sugar cravings due to their natural palatability and manage to walk on by. it was truly a game changer for me when i realised it is very hard to enjoy chocolate and sweets and candy in moderation if you have a history of overindulgence, because these foods are designed on purpose to be addictive. you’re not supposed to be able to put them down after one bite. so for me i just don’t keep them in the house anymore and try to make better alternatives for my body. ( I understand this doesn’t work for everyone)

Please feel free to add any more suggestions in the comments as im always looking for more mealspo!