Complicated diets and calorie counting are time-consuming, leading to diet fatigue and eventual abandonment of your goals. Dieting can be easy when you create a meal plan using simple guidelines. An easy meal plan includes enough calories so you feel satisfied, while incorporating foods that require minimal fuss and preparation.
Calorie Strategy
To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. For most people, a diet of between 1,400 and 1,800 calories will yield weight loss. Divide your chosen calorie number up over three meals and two small snacks. For example, if you want to follow a 1,500-calorie diet, plan on three 400-calorie meals and two 150-calorie snacks. Make these meals happen roughly at the same time every day to prevent hunger from setting in and causing you to overeat or make poor choices.
Meal Components
A balanced diet includes whole grains for B-vitamins and fiber, lean proteins, fresh produce for antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and low-fat or nonfat dairy for calcium and vitamin D. You also want to incorporate some heart-healthy fats, such as olive oil or nuts, to promote hormone production and vitamin absorption. Make each meal contain two servings of whole grains. One serving is equal to 1/2 cup of grains, an ounce of cereal, a slice of whole grain bread or 1/2 cup of whole-wheat pasta. Each meal should also contain 2 to 3 oz. of protein, using choices such as seafood, white fish, white-meat poultry, pork tenderloin, extra lean beef, tofu or beans. Round out each meal with ample amounts of fruits and/or vegetables, a glass of skim milk, nonfat yogurt or low-fat cheese and 1 tsp. of oil or 1/2 oz. of nuts.
Snack Ideas
Use snack time to fill in any nutrition you missed at meals. Snacking also helps keep your hunger under control to prevent binges. Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, fresh fruit and nuts are good choices. A few 150-calorie options include: a slice of whole-wheat toast with 2 tsp. of peanut butter, a banana with 12 almonds, a cup of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of blueberries or a peach with a low-fat string cheese.
Sample Plan
An easy 1,500-calorie diet plan could begin with a breakfast of 1 cup of cooked oatmeal with 1 cup of skim milk, 1/2 oz. of toasted walnuts, two egg whites and 1 cup sliced strawberries. For lunch, have a sandwich made on two slices of whole-grain bread with 2 oz. of turkey, mustard, sliced tomatoes and romaine lettuce with 1 cup of baby carrots, an apple and a glass of skim milk. For dinner, broil 3 oz. of chicken breast and have with 1 cup boil-in-the-bag brown rice and 2 cups of green salad dressed with 1 tbsp. of olive oil dressing. Your snacks could include a smoothie made with 1 cup of skim milk with 1 cup frozen berries and 1 tsp. of honey and 1 1/2 tbsp. of almond butter on two large celery stalks.
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