Dreaming to eat balanced meal? To understand how to create efficient diet menu plans, you have to grasp the basic elements of diet. Complicated? It will be really simple for you with our smart ideas and awesome plans.
With us, you will find out your way of planning and will learn how to make the best choices for keeping your calories down.
What’s more, we’ll provide you with efficient info on how to keep your blood sugar stable by creating a diabetic meal plan. For those people who want to inspire their own menu, we offer to use our easy-to-follow sample plans.
Table of Contents
Love eating, but don’t know how to lose weight? Start your day with one of these perfect meal plans that help in weight loss.
But before using these plans note 2 healthy tips:
- Tip 1. Daily caloric intake
Don’t overeat! How to do it? Easily! Calories should be spread out evenly over the day. The most efficient way is to add 3 meals of about 400 calories each and 2 snacks of about 100 to 120 calories each to make up a 1400 calorie meal plan. - Tip 2. Food selection
Choose foods that are calorically light but nutritionally dense. These can be fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, legumes, whole grains and seeds.
Day 1 plan
- Breakfast: 1 English muffin, two teaspoons butter, one egg, poached, ½ grapefruit (400 Cal.)
- Snack: 1 medium banana (100 Cal.)
- Lunch: Tuna low-calorie salad sandwich made with three ounces of water-packed tuna, two slices whole wheat bread, two tbsp. non-fat yogurt, 1 rib celery; three ounces baby carrots, one apple (400 Cal.)
- Snack: 3 ounces cubed tofu (100 Cal.)
- Dinner: 1 cup broccoli, steamed; 1 sweet potato, baked; ½ grilled chicken breast (400 Cal.)
Love to snack as much as want to lose weight? Adding snacks having more nutrients but fewer calories is a good choice. To sustain your energy and hunger levels use “protein-fruit pairing”. This can be one apple and a cup of skim milk.
Day 2 plan
- Breakfast: Chicken, grape and walnut salad made with 3 oz grilled chicken breast, chopped; 3 tbsp. chopped walnuts, ½ cup grapes (cut into halves), 3 tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt, 3 cups romaine lettuce, salt and pepper. All the ingredients should be mixed together (400 Cal.)
- Snack: 1/3 avocado, sliced (100 Cal.)
- Lunch: White Spinach, Bean and Sausage Soup made with 1 tbsp. olive oil, one 14 oz. smoked sausage cut into pieces, 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; three cups low sodium chicken broth, 4 cups baby spinach, two 15 oz. cans rinsed cannellini beans, drained; salt and pepper (400 Cal.)
- Snack: 2 cups mixed berries (100 Cal.)
- Dinner: Pesto Tofu Pasta Bowl made with 2 oz. whole grain pasta, 2 oz. tofu, cut; 2 cups baby spinach, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp. grated parmesan, 1 tbsp. prepared pesto (400 Cal.)
Day 3 plan
- Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal topped with ½ cup berries and ¼ cup non-fat plain yogurt plus 12 oz. non-fat latte ( 349 Cal.)
- Snack: Apricot canapés made with 16 dried apricots, 2 ounces shelled pistachios, chopped; eight teaspoons crumbled blue cheese, ½ teaspoon honey and freshly ground pepper (64 Cal. per piece – 150 Cal.)
- Lunch: Black bean Burrito made with one whole wheat tortilla, ½ cup black beans, mashed; two tbsp. salsa, 2 tbsp. fat-free plain yogurt, one ounce shredded Cheddar cheese. To make this burrito mash beans with salsa and cheese. Spread this on a tortilla and wrap into a burrito shape. Cook burrito in a pan on all sides and top with yogurt. (400 Cal.)
- Snack: Berries with Cream. You’ll need one cup berries and three tbsp. whipped cream (150 Cal.)
- Dinner: Citrusy shrimp with asparagus. To make this use: 1 cup dried couscous, ¾ pound raw large shrimp, peeled; ¾ pound asparagus spears, trimmed; 4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp. lime juice, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/4 cup chopped chives, salt, pepper, and virgin oil. Cook asparagus for 3 minutes. Boil couscous with lemon juice. Grill shrimp. Arrange couscous with asparagus on a serving plate and top with shrimp. Drizzle with dressing (honey, chives, lemon juice). Total: 350 Cal.
Sample plan: 1400 calories per day
Want to lose your weight on a daily 1400 calories diet? Look no further! Focusing on sample plans of foods that pack maximum recipes with a minimum of calories, saturated fat and additives will efficiently help to lose your weight. Start changing your current eating style right now. Remember, proper nutrition and improved eating habits should remain a priority.
Here is a sample 1400 calorie meal plan:
Breakfast
Choose one of the following for breakfast:
Meal 1:
- One apple
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- ½ toasted cinnamon raisin bagel
Meal 2:
- English muffin (with jam)
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- ½ cup berries
Meal 3:
- 1 cup cooked oatmeal
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup non-fat milk
Low calorie meals are often not satisfying.
Eating low-calorie filling foods that can make you feel satiated is a good idea.
Eat fibrous vegetables, foods with high contents of water or drink low-fat dairy.
Mid-morning snack
Here are 3 examples of healthy mid-morning snacks:
- Snack 1: 2 cups melon balls
- Snack 2: one half cup almonds
- Snack 3: raspberry protein smoothie
Lunch
Choose one of the following for your lunch:
Meal 1:
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- ½ cup celery sticks
- ½ cup baby carrots
Meal 2:
- 2 Small Rolls
- Veggie salad
- 2 tbsp. chopped eggs
Meal 3 – Turkey Sandwich:
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 2 tomato slices
- 4 slices turkey
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Afternoon snack
This is a perfect time to get protein as well as quick energy from seeds and nuts.
- Snack 1: ¾ ounce unsalted husked sunflower seeds.
- Snack 2: 1 oz. roasted almonds.
- Snack 3: 1 ounce unsalted pumpkin seeds.
Dinner
Make your dinner light and healthy by dividing your plate into parts. Fill 1/4 of your plate with your chosen carbohydrate, 1/4 of a plate with protein and the rest of it with vegetables or some healthy salad.
Meal 1:
- 6 ounces broiled salmon
- ½ cup brown rice
- Vegetable salad
- 1 cup fat-free pudding
Meal 2:
- Baked potatoes
- Shellfish
- Leafy green vegetable salad
Meal 3:
- 4 oz. broiled lamb
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cup mixed lima beans, corns and peas
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 cup iced herbal tea
Timing Is Everything
Knowing when to eat is just as important as knowing what to eat to get ripped. Using a 1400 calorie meal plan will help you lose the weight you want but timing your meals will help you maximize the efficiency of the calories you take in without giving them a chance to be stored as fat.
Your Biggest Meal
During a normal day when you are simply performing day to day activities, following your basic meal plan is a good idea, as long as you remember to consume the bulk of your calories in the late afternoon to early evening. This ensures you don’t get to bed with a full stomach and a bunch of calories hanging around waiting to be stored as fat. If you are planning on going to the gym, eat your biggest meal an hour or two before. This allows you to digest your food and will make the calories accessible for when you need them the most.
Putting Your Calories Where They Do The Most Good
Your first meal of the day is the one that gets you going. It gives you the energy you need to jumpstart yourself into a full and active day.
You can divide up your meals in many different ways:
- 3 large meals, 2 small snacks.
- 2 small meals, 1 large meal, 2 small snacks.
- 6 small meals, 2 snacks as needed.
The key is knowing what you will be doing throughout the day and planning your calorie intake to support those activities.
Mapping your activities out for each day at the beginning of the week will help you to plan your meals more effectively. Each day may be slightly different, but all will fall within the 1300 to 1400 calorie range. Its also good to know which are the best supplements to get ripped. This ensures you will always get the nutrients you need no matter what level of activity you have planned for the day.
Maintaining A Healthy Balance
When you are in good health, your body is in a state of balance. If you gain too much weight, that throws everything out of balance and will often cause a number of health issues that will continue to keep your body on an unsteady path. Eating the right foods is important, especially from a nutritional standpoint. The key is eating the right foods, in the right combination to provide you with not only the nutrients you need but also the calories your body needs for fuel.
Maintaining a sustained blood sugar level is important, especially for diabetics.
Reasons for maintaining proper blood sugar balance include:
- Maximum brain function.
- Constant energy supply for working out or performing strenuous activities.
- Sustains a balanced metabolism.
- Maintains maximum efficiency in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.
While diabetics require balance to function efficiently, individuals who utilize glucose naturally are better able to maintain a steady, healthier weight. When a person is overweight (or even underweight), the way they utilize glucose can change. Eating the right foods at the right time helps to restore that delicate balance by providing calories and nutrients as they are needed and in the right proportions.
Maintaining a healthy balance not only shows you how to get ripped fast, it gives your body the ability to function at maximum efficiency at all times. No matter what the level of activity or what time of day, when your body is in that perfect state of balance, nothing is wasted and the benefits you receive will have longer lasting benefits.
Diabetic meal plan: Perfect ways to create your own diabetic plan
Controlling blood glucose as well as learning how and what food to eat when you have diabetes is essential for maintaining good health. These days you can efficiently control your condition with diet only.
Keeping foods and testing journals that show your glucose test results and your meals is a good idea. This will help to identify any problem and improve your planning. By planning ahead, diabetics can adjust their insulin dose and control their condition more efficiently.
So what does a diabetic meal plan include?
Usually, it includes:
- Three meals,
- Two snacks.
Most diabetics are familiar with diabetes food pyramid. This pyramid focuses on the way in which foods affect levels of blood glucose.
Under a diabetic meal plan, 60%-70% of total daily calories should come from beans, grains, and starchy vegetables. Want to create a sample diabetic plan by yourself? This is possible if you look at the serving allocations that are recommended by this pyramid.
Grains and Starches
- You can have 6 to 11 servings per day;
- You can consume two or three servings for each meal and one serving for each snack;
Suggested serving sizes:
- ½ an English muffin
- ½ cup cooked cereal
- 1 slice of bread
- 1/3 cup of cooked rice
- ½ cup starch vegetable
- ¼ of a bagel
- ½ of a pita bread
- 1 tortilla
Meats
- You can have 4 to 6 ounces a day,
- You can eat up to 3 ounces of meat at 2 meals per day.
Suggested serving sizes:
- ½ cup tofu
- 2-3 oz. cooked fish, poultry or lean meat
- 1 egg
- One cup of cottage cheese
Non-starchy vegetables
- You can have 3 to 5 servings each day;
- You can eat two, three and more servings of vegetables with two or three meals each day;
Suggested serving sizes:
- ½ cup of any non-starchy cooked vegetable
- 1 cup of any raw vegetable
Dairy
- You can have 2 or 3 servings per day;
- You can enjoy 1 serving of no-fat with 2-3 meals or snacks every day.
Suggested serving sizes:
- One cup fat-free or low-fat milk
- 1 cup non-fat yogurt
Important
Food choice can influence your blood glucose. Therefore, planning healthy and suitable meals is important. It doesn’t mean your daily menu should be severely restrictive. Create your daily diet plan that will include lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.Fruits
- You can have 2-4 servings of fruits each day;
- You can enjoy one or two servings of fruits at 2 daily meals or at 2 snacks.
Suggested serving sizes:
- 1 small fresh fruit
- ½ cup fruit juice
- ½ cup canned or dry fruit
Oils, Fats and Sweets
- Oils, fats and sweets should be consumed in limited quantities;
- Eat them in moderation
Suggested serving sizes:
- Two small cookies
- One cupcake
- ½ cup of ice-cream
Suffering from diabetes doesn’t mean you cannot eat nutritious and delicious food. If you manage your daily food intake the right way, you can live a healthy life expecting changes in your condition. Start changing your diet now and get your blood sugar under control.
You can find further details of Diet Plans here.
-
Hi
I love your meal plans. I started with the 1300 plan and that was superb. It was very practical as the ingredients were easy to find. Only I sometimes took the dinner for lunch and vise versa as I felt that the dinner had too much carb. Now that I have lost weight (thanks to your diet) and with little exercise I am going to start the 1400 calorie meal plans. Let’s see what happens. I am excited. Thank you.
-
My husband is a small fram man and I got to lose some weight so I can set up right