Low Calorie Meals Diet

More than 1/3 of adults in the United States are obese, according to a 2010 study published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association." Being obese increases your risk of chronic disease and early death. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body needs. A low-calorie diet may be necessary if you need to lose weight quickly for health reasons.

Diet Basics

A low-calorie diet should contain about 1,200 calories. Eating less than this amount daily can make it more difficult for you to meet all of your nutritional needs. Try to eat three meals and one snack a day. Each meal should contain about 350 calories, and your one snack should have about 150 calories. To keep your meals balanced and meet all of your nutritional needs, try to include a food item from each food group. Do not skip meals when following a low-calorie diet for weight loss. Skipping meals can make you very hungry at your next meal and cause you to overeat.

Breakfast

A breakfast meal on a low-calorie diet may consist of 1 cup of whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of nonfat milk, a small banana, and one hard-cooked egg. Foods high in fiber, like whole grain cereal and fresh fruit, help you feel full longer for appetite and weight control. Another low-calorie breakfast meal may include a two egg white omelet with 1 slice of fat free cheese, 1/2 cup of leftover vegetables, served with two slices of whole wheat toast, 1 tsp. of margarine and a small orange.

Lunch

A low-calorie lunch meal may include an entree salad with 3 oz. of grilled chicken on top of 2 cups of mixed greens with 2 tbsp. of low-fat salad dressing, a small apple and a 6 oz. container of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt. Choosing lean cuts of meat and low-fat and nonfat food items can help you save calories without sacrificing portions. Another low-calorie lunch meal may include a roast beef sandwich made with two slices of whole wheat bread, 3 oz. of very lean roast beef luncheon meat, lettuce and tomato, and 1 tbsp. of low-fat mayonnaise with two small plums.

Dinner

A low-calorie dinner meal may include 3 oz. of extra lean ground beef formed into a hamburger patty and grilled and served on a whole wheat hamburger bun with a tossed salad with 1 tbsp. of fat-free salad dressing. Or, you can make a low-calorie shrimp stir fry with 15 pre-cooked shrimp stir fried with 1.5 cups of mixed vegetables and low-sodium soy sauce served with 1/2 cup of brown rice.

Snacks

Snacks make up an important part of any weight loss plan by helping control hunger in between meals to prevent overeating at mealtimes. Healthy low-calorie snacks for a low-calorie diet include 1 cup of whole grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk, two rice cakes with 2 tsp. of peanut butter, and a small apple, five whole grain crackers with 1 slice of fat free cheese, and 1/2 cup of diced melon.