"I've read over your fat loss nutrition series and I like the information because it is easily understood (not necessarily applied :) and cuts to the chase. While I understand the principles involved in regards to eating about 10-12 calories per pound of my current body weight (and adjusted this level as I lose weight) and choosing the vast majority of my foods from the GROCERY STORE LIST you presented a few days ago, could you please provide a sample meal plan which incorporates the right foods and also keeps me within my caloric limits for fat loss and weight loss?"
-Cindy from Minneapolis, MN
Cindy:
Sure thing, and this is something I've had a number of people ask me to do, so, in the coming weeks and months, I'll develop a whole bunch of meal plans at different calorie levels so everyone is covered. Based on your current weight of 139 pounds, here is a sample 1400-1500 calories meal plan:
Breakfast
6 egg whites Scrambled in 1 Tbsp Brummel & Brown Yogurt Spread
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread/toast + 1 tbsp all natural peanut butter
1 cup raspberries
*400 Calories
Mid Morning Snack
1 oz of almonds (about 25)
*160 Calories
Lunch
*combine into a salad
4 oz. turkey breast
3-4 cups of baby romaine lettuce
1/2 bell pepper
1 cup carrots
1 oz. of shredded Cheddar cheese
4 tbsp Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette Dressing
*375 calories
Mid Afternoon Snack
1 scoop chocolate protein powder in 8 oz. water
*120 calories
Dinner
4-5 oz. grilled chicken breast w/ 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce
Grilled Asparagus Spears (about 15 medium) sprinkled with 2 tbsp Kraft Grated Parmesan cheese
*260 calories
Dessert
*(hey, everyone likes something sweet and you can't feel too deprived...I know I may take heat for this from some of the other "fitness guru" types out there for the inclusion of "junk carbs", but I don't care...I think compliance is better when stuff like this included)
Skinny Cow Brand Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
*140 calories
The thing I hate about a lot of "healthy meal plans" is that the preparation time for the meals is lengthy and not practical for most busy folks. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the healthy recipes you see in fitness magazines and such sound really tasty, but most people just don't have the time to cook elaborate meals like this, especially during the week. When I get home after a 14 hour day, I really don't want to be faced with a half hour of meal prep, and I'm sure a lot of my readers are in the same boat. I don't mind firing up the grill throwing on few chicken breasts and asparagus spears...no biggie there. I tried to keep practicality in mind when I wrote up the plan above.
Also, this is just meant as an example. If you don't want something on there, just substitute a caloric equivalent....this is the most important thing. Most of the foods listed on the plan are high TEF foods: your body is going to use a lot of energy to digest and absorb them. This is an added bonus to you: of the 1450 or so calories you'll consume, figure on about 200+ of them being used to digest and absorb...this means your net consumption is probably more like 1200-1300 calories.
Developing meal plans is a great idea for anyone. Yes, you still have to measure out portions and keep track of your calories, but it makes shopping easier, food prep more efficient, and you don't have to worry about what you are going to eat. If you get to the store on the weekend and get the food in the house, you are all set. I know a number of people who follow meal plans Monday-Friday when the work week is heavy and they need a more streamlined approach to their eating, and then allow themselves a little more leeway on the weekends with 1 or 2 meals on each day. This approach works well for many. The key here is giving yourself A LITTLE MORE LEEWAY ON THE WEEKENDS....it's not an excuse to eat with reckless abandon with no regard to portions or nutritional quality.
Although I promise to add more meal plans as the weeks and months go on, there is a great meal planning program out there which I've mentioned on this blog before which will allow you to build meal plans around your own food likes, dislikes and individual specifications...click on the banner below for more info:
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