Weekly Diet Plans For One Person

Planning a balanced diet for just one person is a relatively simple process that involves deciding what you want to eat, understanding your nutritional needs, and discovering low-calorie foods you enjoy. As you attain a healthy weight with the help of your weekly meals, you will no longer be one of the 68 percent of Americans whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify as either overweight or obese.

Benefits

Planning for one week at a time enables you to vary your food selection frequently, ensure you are eating the right number of foods from the categories on the USDA's ChooseMyPlate.gov website, and tailor your per-meal calories to your individual needs. Losing weight through planning your own meals also teaches you new food preparation habits and techniques, while possibly reducing your risk of high blood pressure from consuming too many high-sodium processed foods. Weight loss in general reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease brought on by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Portion Sizes and Daily Needs

Plan your weekly meals around your desired calorie level, the number of servings you need from each food group, and your personal schedule. A low-calorie diet of between 1,200 and 1,400 calories means you need about 200 to 300 calories for breakfast, 150 to 250 calories from snacks, and lunch and dinner meals in the 425- to 450-calorie range each. Plan to eat 1 to 1 1/2 cups of vegetables and fruits, 4 to 5 ounces of grain-rich foods, 3 to 4 ounces of meat or protein-rich foods, 2 1/2 cups of dairy and up to 17 grams of healthy oils each day.

Breakfast and Snacks

Planning a substantial, filling breakfast will help you consume less food throughout the day and control your calories. Healthy 200- to 300-calorie breakfast meals include one boiled egg, a bowl of oatmeal and a half-cup of fresh fruit, or a small whole-grain bagel, 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, 1 cup of fruit and a half-cup of fat-free yogurt. Other breakfast choices for the week include individual packets of oatmeal, single servings of quick-cooking grits, two scrambled eggs or a half-cup of cold cereal. Prepare your own snacks for the week by buying small single-serve containers of yogurt, packing 1/4-cup servings of trail mix in small snack bags, and buying a variety of whole fruits to have as snacks.

Lunch and Dinner

Make lunch and dinner meals easy and healthy by setting aside several hours over the weekend to prepare for your week ahead. Shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken and package the meat in 2- to 3-oz. servings. Use the meat in spinach wraps, served over quick-cooking individual brown rice packets, or on a green salad. Use low-sodium canned beans for two meals each week. Combine black or kidney beans with brown rice, or make 4 cups of vegetable and bean soup by combining 1 cup of beans, 1 cup of chopped vegetables and a low-sodium vegetable broth. If you enjoy seafood, buy individually frozen tilapia or salmon patties and bake them in your oven.