5-Day Meal Plan

Are you looking to drop a few pounds?  Well decreasing your portion sizes is one of the easiest ways to lose those extra pounds you may have gained during the winter months.  The five day meal plan below is based on 1500 calories.  This may be WAY TOO LOW for some of you or even too high for others.  This is just one reason why meeting with a Registered Dietitian is so important because they can cater a diet specifically to meet your needs.

 

So if you are busy with work, school, family, etc and don't have much time to exercise and need an easy meal plan then something like this may work for you.  Of course if you feel these meals are way too small and you are very tall, muscular and active then increase your portions or add whole, natural foods the the meal plan during snack times.  I modified these meals below to add more snacks and of course drink water all day long.

Or maybe you are just stuck in a rut and need some meal ideas.  So here you go:

Day 1

Breakfast

·   ¾ cup (C) cantaloupe cubes

·   1 C 2% cottage cheese

·   5 whole-wheat crackers - Triscuits

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - green tea with lemon

Snack
· 1 medium apple
· 1 Tbs natural peanut butter or 14 raw almonds, glass of water

Lunch

·   Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (2 slices wheat bread with 1 tablespoons [Tbsp] natural, chunky peanut butter and 1 Tbsp all-fruit spread- Polaners is a great brand)

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - unsweetened iced tea

Dinner

·   5 ounces (oz) boneless chicken breast, broiled or grilled

·   5" baked sweet potato, topped with 1 teaspoon (tsp) unsalted butter

·   Salad (2 C tossed field greens, topped with 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, ¼ C grated carrots, and ¼ C sun-dried tomatoes), drizzled with 2 Tbsp fat-free vinaigrette dressing

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - water with lemon

Snack - before or after dinner

·   8 oz low-fat yogurt (favorite flavor), topped with 1 Tbsp wheat germ

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - water

Day 2

Breakfast

·   Scrambled eggs (½ C egg whites with 1 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese and 2 Tbsp salsa, prepared using cooking spray)

·   1 slice toasted rye bread, topped with 1 tsp soft margarine

·   8 fluid ounces (fl oz) skim milk

Snack

· 1 medium pear

· light string cheese, glass of water with cucumber slices

Lunch

·   Turkey sandwich (2 slices lite wheat bread with 3 slices roasted turkey breast [1-oz  slices], 1-oz slice low-fat Swiss cheese, 2 lettuce leaves, 2 slices medium tomato, and 2 tsp deli mustard

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Dinner

·   5 oz grilled salmon

·   ⅔ C seasoned brown rice, prepared with 1 tsp olive oil

·   1 C cooked summer squash, topped with 1 tsp soft margarine

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Snack - dessert

·   ¾ C low-fat frozen yogurt (favorite flavor)

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - water

Day 3

Breakfast

·   1 C cooked kasha, topped with 2 Tbsp slivered almonds and ½ C fresh, sliced strawberries

·   6 fl oz skim milk, added to kasha and/or consumed as a beverage

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - green tea

Lunch

·   Pasta salad (1½ C cooked whole wheat or Ronzoni Garden Delights pasta [cooled], tossed with 2 diced plum tomatoes, 5 large sliced mushrooms, ½ C chopped red or yellow bell peppers, 2 Tbsp chopped, fresh scallions, 3 sliced jumbo black olives, 1 oz crumbled soft goat cheese, and 1 tsp olive oil)

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Snack
· 1 C canned pineapple chunks in juice not syrup, drained
·  1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

Dinner

·   Burger (1 black-bean burger on a reduced-calorie hamburger bun, topped with 1/4 avocado and 1 Tbsp low-sodium barbecue sauce or salsa, lettuce, tomato and onions)

·   Spinach salad (1½ C baby spinach, tossed with ¼ C fresh mandarin orange slices), drizzled with 1 Tbsp chunky blue-cheese dressing

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Snack - before or after dinner

·   ¾ oz or about 20 large dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Day 4

Breakfast

·   1 C bran flakes or similar cold, dry cereal, topped with 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts and ½ C fresh blueberries

·   8 fl oz skim milk

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - green tea with lemon

Snack

·8 oz low-fat yogurt (favorite flavor) or Nonfat, plain Greek is best, more protein and less sugar

·1 medium peach or banana

Lunch

·   1 small (4") wheat pita bread, served with ⅓ C hummus (favorite flavor) with 1/2 English cucumber in slices

· Cup of light Progresso soup

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Dinner

·   5 oz center-cut pork chop, broiled or grilled

·   1 medium baked potato with skin, topped with 1 tsp soft margarine, 1 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream, and 2 Tbsp fresh, chopped chives

·   1 C cooked, drained turnip greens, topped with 1 tsp soft margarine

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Snack - Dessert

·   4 reduced-fat chocolate-chip cookies

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Day 5

Breakfast

·   1¼ C oatmeal cooked in 8 fl oz of skim milk, topped with 2 Tbsp golden, seedless raisins and 2 Tbsp chopped pecans

·   1 large hard-boiled egg, seasoned as desired

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice - green tea

Snack
· 1 medium orange
·  handful of pistachios

Lunch

·   Tuna salad (mix 5-oz water-packed tuna with 2 Tbsp chopped white onion, 1 Tbsp lite mayonnaise, and 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, then arrange 1 C shredded lettuce and 3 slices medium tomato on plate and top with tuna mixture)

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Dinner

·   8 large shrimp, grilled

·   1 C steamed broccoli florets, seasoned as desired

·   1 C wild rice, prepared with 1 Tbsp butter

·   1 C fruit sorbet (favorite flavor)

·   Calorie-free beverage of choice

Snack - before of after dinner

·   10 large baby carrots, served with 2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing for dipping

·   8 fl oz low-sodium, canned vegetable juice

The important thing to remember is try to keep your meals balanced and include as many food groups as you can at each meal.

Reference: RD 411

*Menus planned using Food Processor SQL by ESHA.