Developing a menu plan helps you stick to your weight-loss goals. It keeps your eating in line with your calorie needs for weight loss and can also help prevent meal skipping, which often leads to extreme hunger and binges. By planning meals in advance, you can ensure you fulfill your nutritional needs and always have a healthy meal available.
Step 1
Figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. Visit a site like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid to get a personalized estimation of calorie needs according to your weight, height, age, gender and activity level.
Step 2
Divide your calorie needs up over three meals and two snacks, recommends Joanne Larsen on the Ask the Dietitian website. Each meal should contain approximately the same number of calories. For example, if losing a pound per week means you need 1,600 calories daily, plan three meals of 400 calories each and two snacks of 200 calories each.
Step 3
Design your plan to include a serving of protein, a healthy carbohydrate and a small amount of unsaturated fat at each meal. Aim to get 45 to 65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent from protein and 20 to 35 percent from fats, recommends the Institute of Medicine. Make up nutritional gaps with your snacks --- for example, go for dairy and fruits.
Step 4
Plan to eat proteins low in saturated fat like shrimp, egg whites, turkey or chicken breast, fish and beans. Opt for whole grains or starchy vegetables for most carbohydrates. Choose nuts, avocados and plant oils as your main sources of fat.
Step 5
Determine if there are times during the week when you will have to eat out. Visit restaurant websites so you can plan what to order in advance and make sure it coincides with your calorie goals.
Step 6
Write down your meal plan for one week. Check calories and nutrients against a nutrition book or online.
Step 7
Create a shopping list from your meal plan. Visit the store just once per week to avoid impulse purchases that do not fit into your weight-loss plan.
Step 8
Evaluate your experience with your meal plan after one week. Make changes to meals you did not enjoy or that were unsatisfying.
Tips and Warnings
- Have a two or three meals that you can always fall back on when you are need of a quick option. Stock your pantry with whole-grain cereal for an easy, low-calorie and nutritious breakfast, keep pouches of water-packed tuna and whole-wheat crackers for lunches and cans of beans and frozen brown rice for a fast dinner. Keep a few bags of frozen vegetables in your freezer.
- If you have special dietary needs, create your meal plan in consultation with a dietitian.
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