I tried 7 low calorie high street lunches – the best is just 443 kcals, only costs £5 and kept me full until dinner
ON the move? Or working from the office? You might not always have the time, patience or desire to plan ahead and make yourself lunch.
So, what do you pick up instead that will fill you up, without a massive hit of calories?
That’s what I went on a mission to discover.
I’m a hungry girl, and as I’ve been told countless times before, I have a very ‘healthy appetite’.
In fact, I could snack all day, if it wasn’t for the fact I would blow up like a balloon.
So, to stop the snacks, I need to eat meals that satisfy me.
When I pick up lunch from a high street chain, I’ve often been left feeling hungry an hour or two later, so I was keen to find some options that actually left me satisfied.
Here are my top seven picks – tried, tested and given the approval for their satiety status.
Pret
Sweet Chilli Chicken Baguette
- Price: £6.20
- Calories: 456
A fresh baguette filled with chicken breast coated in sweet chilli sauce, a layer of rich soya and coconut satay sauce and crunchy cucumber, topped with fresh coriander and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
That’s Pret’s description of this tasty lunch.
I actually often find myself hungry after Pret meals, but that could be because I choose unsatisfying salads.
So, a baguette was my option on this particular day.
It’s noticeable how much chicken there is in this baguette, which makes a change because sometimes you can feel really short changed when it comes to the amount of meat in a wrap or sandwich.
The sweet chilli sauce is great and the fresh bread is so moreish – but not moreish enough that I wanted to eat more, because I was actually full afterwards.
The impressive 27g of protein probably helped there, as it is the most satiating macronutrient – nutrients your body needs in large amounts, including fat and carbs.
Itsu
King Prawn Rice Box salad
- Price: £6.99
- Calories: 407
When I want a ‘fancier’ high street lunch, I head to Itsu.
But I’m used to just eating tiny sushi rolls and then feeling famished an hour later, so I was keen to try this rice box, which sounded far more filling thanks to wholegrain brown rice, veggies, prawns and seeds.
My prawn count was on the low side, with just seven prawns, however this was a really tasty box of food.
I tucked into this on a depressingly damp British spring afternoon and as it’s a warm salad, it was the perfect antidote to a grey day.
Each box is filled with a very generous layer of brown rice, stacks of veggies, seeds and herbs, and prawns covered in a chilli-style sauce.
The sesame sauce does add on more than 100 calories, but I found it didn’t even really need a sauce as the meal is packed with so much flavour.
The whole rice box took a fair while to eat and I was fuller eating this than most of my other high street lunches.
And, what’s even more positive is that I felt satisfied for the remainder of the afternoon too.
Boots
Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich
- Price: £3.75
- Calories: 429
A classic sandwich, suitable for veggies, this Cheese Plougman’s had to make my low calorie lunches because although I don’t eat cheese sandwiches often, I bloomin’ love them.
This sits at 429 calories, which isn’t the lowest pick available.
But if you want to feel full then this could be a good option and it does still sit under the 500 calorie mark.
Expect two wholemeal bread sandwiches filled with a very generous amount of cheddar cheese, pickle, mayonnaise, tomato and some small bits of lettuce – although it could do with more of the greens in my opinion.
If you’re watching your fat then be wary of this lunch, however, as it contains a whopping 46 per cent of your daily intake of saturated fat.
So, maybe ensure your other meals balance out your daily intake.
Starbucks
Tuna Melt Panini
- Price: £5.85
- Calories: 443 calories
For a comforting lunch that also packs in an impressive 28g of protein, this could be a good option.
A ciabatta roll is filled with tuna, medium cheddar and mozzarella full fat soft cheese with a sprinkling of sweetcorn and spring onion.
I loved this. It’s a bit on the small side and I’d have liked some more sweetcorn, but the flavour is lovely and the roll is moreish.
The tuna is really nice and I love how much protein this packs in.
I had this at around 11am and didn’t need to eat again until the late afternoon, proving just how filling a protein-rich meal is.
My usual mid-afternoon grazing session didn’t even cross my mind!
Joe And The Juice
Joe’s Club
- Price: £7.80
- Calories: 467 calories
A classic Club sandwich, with a Joe And The Juice twist, this did really hit the spot at lunch.
And knowing I was eating a pretty packed-out sarnie for under 500 calories was quite satisfying.
It’s essentially bread filled with vegan pesto, tomato, chicken and avocado.
OK, so the picture of Joe’s Club online makes out like the tomato and chicken are pouring out of the sides. They are not.
But still, there’s a generous amount of chicken (hello, protein) and the toasted bread is delicious.
It’s not too thick and heavy, so I wasn’t left with any bread bloat.
I am a bit confused about the vegan pesto in a chicken-based sandwich however. But either way, it still tasted great!
Greggs
Pesto and Mozzarella Pasta,
- Price: £3.25
- Calories: 375
Who doesn’t love creamy, cheesy pasta? Especially when it racks up less than 400 calories.
This tasty option from Greggs caught my eye and I get plenty of change from £5 too, which is rare these days.
Expect pasta in a pesto dressing with slow-roasted tomatoes, peppers and spinach topped with mozzarella.
Pasta does typically fill me up a fair bit, even without a big source of protein such as chicken or fish, and this was no different.
A tasty dish that didn’t leave me needing biscuits/crisps/cakes 30 minutes later. Plus, it does still contain 14g of protein.
Costa
Plant-Based Fabulous Falafel and Houmous wraps
- Price: £4.35
- Calories: 478 calories
As much as I love eating fruits, vegetables and other plant foods, I also include meat in pretty much every meal.
So choosing the vegan option is always a rogue move for me.
But, I was keen to try this Costa wrap, in collaboration with Bosh! plant-based chefs.
Described as a spinach and pine kernel falafel in a spinach wrap with spiced sauce and hummus mix, and pink pickled onions, it was the green tinge of the wrap which caught my eye.
Plus, falafel, with its high fibre content, is always going to be a filling option.
As a meat and cheese eater, I was sceptical that this would stop my stomach rumbling into the afternoon. However, I was proven wrong.
I actually felt full whilst eating this, which rarely happens. The wrap was incredibly soft and the falafel tasted so fresh.
The downside? It definitely needed more of the pink pickled onions.
They were delish and if I’d have had my way, I’d have chosen an entire wrap filled with them.
But that’s just me. Not everyone wants to spend their afternoon with onion breath.
Bloating: Foods to eat and avoid
Eating the right foods can prevent bloating as well as reduce when it occurs.
But it depends entirely on what your symptoms are.
If you are bloated and constipated, eat:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Bran flakes
- Oats
- Skin-on potatoes
- Dried fruits such as apricots and raisins
If you have trapped wind, avoid:
- Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale
- Beans (baked, kidney, butter)
- Lentils
These foods, including pulses like beans and lentils, are good to add into the diet slowly as they are high in fibre.
While they are not advisable to help in the moment, they do help in the long-run by boosting gut health.
Try adding them slowly into your diet.
If you are bloated with diarrhoea, you may have a stomach bug and should eat:
- Plain foods: bananas, white rice, bread or toast
- Boiled potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Small and frequent meals
Other tips for preventing bloating are:
- Exercise regularly
- Chew with your mouth shut
- Eat smaller more frequent meals than large meals
- Avoid fizzy drinks, alcohol or caffeine
- Limit processed, sugary, spicy or fatty foods