Planning ahead can help you stick to your weight loss goals. Having a seven-day plan simplifies grocery shopping and meal preparation. It can also help you resist temptation and deal with dieting challenges such as meals out and social occasions. A diet plan for a moderately active person features 1,500 to 1,700 calories per day, composed of a variety of natural, whole foods can be simple to follow, once you stock your pantry.
Monday
For breakfast, toast two slices of 100 percent whole-grain bread and top them with 2 tbsp. of natural peanut butter and 2 tsp. of honey and have them with a large apple. For lunch, make a sandwich with 2 oz of deli turkey and 1 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese and 2 thin slices of pear on a whole-wheat English muffin, along with 1 cup of carrot sticks. For dinner, grill 4 oz. of mahi-mahi and top it with a salsa made with chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup of white beans, lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Serve with 1 cup of sautéed kale and a medium baked sweet potato. At snacks, enjoy an all-natural granola bar, 1 cup of strawberries and 6 oz. of nonfat Greek yogurt with the rest of the sliced pear and 1 tbsp. slivered almonds.
Tuesday
Have a cup of low-sugar, high-fiber cereal with 4 oz. of skim milk and a peach for breakfast. For lunch, top a salad of 2 cups of spinach, 1/2 cup of orange segments, 1/2 cup of chickpeas, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. olive oil with 3 oz. of water-packed tuna. At dinner, wrap 3 oz. of grilled ground buffalo in a whole-wheat wrap with 1 oz. reduced-fat pepper jack cheese, a 2 tbsp. salsa. Have 1 cup of steamed edamame pods on the side. For snacks, enjoy 1/2 oz. of raw almonds and half of a sandwich made on whole-grain bread with 1 oz. turkey breast, lettuce and Dijon mustard.
Wednesday
Start with 1 cup of low-fat, plain yogurt topped with 10 unsalted pecans and 1/2 cup sliced pineapple. For lunch, broil a vegetable patty and serve with 2 tbsp. of hummus, shredded lettuce, tomato and onion on 2 slices of whole-grain bread. Have an apple on the side. For dinner, have 1 cup of minestrone soup with a large salad made with butter lettuce, 1 oz. turkey breast, 2 oz. of ham, two hard-boiled egg whites, 1/4 cup white beans, grape tomatoes, cucumber and a dressing made with 2 tbsp. of red wine vinegar and 2 tsp. of olive oil. At snacks, have 1/2 cup of strawberries with 1/4 cup of trail mix and later, a slice of toast with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter.
Thursday
Make a breakfast pizza by spreading 1 1/2 tbsp. of almond butter over a whole-wheat tortilla and topping with 1/4 cup chopped pear. Place it under the broiler until the pears start to brown slightly. For lunch, have 2 cups of vegetable soup alongside a slice of whole-wheat bread and 1 cup of pineapple. At dinner, serve yourself 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat spaghetti tossed with 1 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 cup of sautéed spinach, 3/4 cup sautéed broccoli, 1 minced garlic clove and 8 grape tomatoes. Top it with 1/2 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. At snacks, have 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, a grapefruit and cut-up vegetables.
Friday
Start with 1/2 cup of uncooked oats mixed with 3/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese and ½ cup sliced strawberries. Melt 2 oz. of part-skim mozzarella over sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves on 2 slices of whole grain bread. Have 1 cup of grapes and 1 cup of carrot sticks on the side. For dinner, roast 4 oz. of chicken breast and have with 1 cup of baked potato wedges and a large green salad topped with 2 tsp. of sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. olive oil. At snacks, make a smoothie with one scoop whey protein, 1 cup skim milk and 1/2 of a banana and, later, a serving of whole wheat crackers with 2 tbsp. of hummus.
Saturday
Scramble 3 egg whites with 1 oz. lean turkey sausage and have 1 taosted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 2 tsp. of olive oil spread. At lunch, make a large spinach salad with baby spinach, 1/2 cup of pinto beans, 10 matchstick carrots and 2 tsp. of sunflower seeds. Dress with 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. of Dijon mustard and 1 tsp. of olive oil. Enjoy a whole-wheat tortilla with 1/4 cup of hummus and a banana on the side. For dinner out, order grilled chicken with steamed vegetables and a large green salad. Snacks include 1 cup of low-fat yogurt topped with a sliced kiwi and a low-fat string cheese with whole-grain crackers.
Sunday
Have two whole-grain toaster waffles with 1 cup berries and 1 tbsp. of peanut butter in the morning. For a brunch, enjoy an omelet made with three egg whites, one egg, 1 cup sautéed spinach, chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of feta cheese. Have 1 cup of fruit salad on the side. For a family dinner, bake 5 oz. of lean pork chop and serve it with a mixture of 1 cup of black beans and 1/2 cup of steamed wild rice along with a salad of 1 cup sliced tomatoes topped with fresh basil leaves, 1/2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. olive oil. For a snack, enjoy a small bran muffin on the go.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
- "Clean Eating Magazine"; Your 14-Day Clean Eating Meal Plan; Heather Bainbridge, R.D.; November/December 2009
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