When you are trying to lose weight, aiming for a calorie intake of 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day makes sense. This calorie range provides you with a reasonable amount of food so you do not feel starved, but is low enough in calories to prompt a change on the scale. When following any low-calorie plan, focus on getting your basic nutrition first. Eat at least six 1-oz. servings of whole grains, 3 cups of milk, 5 oz. of meat or beans, 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of fruit. Emphasize whole grains for a minimum of half your grain servings, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, colorful produce and unsaturated fats.
1,300-Calorie Day
For a day lower in your calorie range, start with two slices of whole wheat bread topped with 2 tbsp. of hummus and 2 chopped, hard-boiled egg whites. Have a medium-size kiwifruit on the side. At lunch, start with a cup of minestrone soup to help satisfy your appetite. Then, make a wrap with a whole-grain tortilla filled with 2 oz. of deli turkey, fresh romaine leaves, mustard and sliced tomato. For dinner, have 1 cup of cooked whole wheat pasta with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, 1 1/2 oz. of part-skim mozzarella cheese and 2 oz. of extra lean turkey. Have 1 cup of sliced, steamed zucchini as well. For snacks, have a cup of puffed rice cereal with 1 cup of skim milk and a cup of nonfat, plain yogurt with 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries.
1,400-Calorie Day
Have a toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 1/2 tsp. of peanut butter and 1 cup of skim milk at breakfast. For lunch, make a salad with 3 cups of baby spinach, 1/2 cup of pear slices, 1/2 oz. of blue cheese and 3 oz. of chopped chicken breast. Dress with 1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tsp. of olive oil. Enjoy 8 oz. of nonfat, plain yogurt with no-calorie sweetener for dessert. At dinner, have 3 oz. of steamed shrimp mixed with 1 cup of quinoa, a chopped tomato, slivered cilantro, lime juice and 1/4 of an avocado. For snacks, have 1 cup of grapes and a glass of skim milk with 1 1/2 cups of O-shaped, oat cereal.
1,500-Calorie Day
Start your morning with a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with 1 cup of blueberries and 1 oz. of chopped almonds. At lunch, have a sandwich made on 2 slices of whole wheat bread with 3 oz. of water-packed tuna, 1 tbsp. of low-fat mayonnaise and a sliced tomato. For dinner, roast a 3 oz. chicken breast and have it with 1 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of steamed broccoli. For your first snack, have a glass of skim milk with a serving of graham crackers. For your second snack, have 1 1/2 oz. of low-fat cheddar cheese with five woven wheat crackers.
1,600-Calorie Day
Start a 1,600-calorie menu plan with 2/3 cup of dry oatmeal cooked with 1 ½ cups of skim milk, a chopped apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon. At lunch, have a veggie burger on a whole grain roll with tomato and spinach leaves. Enjoy 1/2 cup of jicama wedges with 1 oz. of baked corn chips and salsa as a side. For dinner, broil 3 oz. of beef tenderloin, trimmed of all fat, and serve over a bed of sautéed red and yellow peppers. Bake a medium russet potato and top with 1/4-cup of non-fat Greek yogurt and minced chives. For your snacks, have 3 cups of air-popped popcorn tossed with 1 oz. pf shredded Parmesan cheese and a plum with 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt.
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