Simple 7-Day Meal Plan to Lose Weight Designed by an RD
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Losing weight doesn’t need to include elaborate, fancy meals. My clients seeking weight loss are always looking for ways to make meal planning easier. Who can blame them? Complicated macro formulas and recipes that require you to calculate nutrition info only add more frustration to the process.
As a registered dietitian, I’ve got some simple tips and tricks to take the guesswork out of the what-should-I-be-eating question that I’ll share in my seven-day meal plan for weight loss. I’m a card-carrying omnivore, but you can modify these meals to make them vegetarian or vegan if you’d like.
A sustainable diet is one that’s easy to follow and, most importantly, enjoyable to eat. Let’s start with shopping tips.
Recommended Weight Loss Shopping List
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For starters: Don’t shop on an empty stomach. There’s a reason stores place those frosted cookies front and center when you step through the automated door. Don’t fall for them! The best time to hit the grocery store is after a meal, as you’ll be less tempted by impulse buys.
Seasonal produce will be the least expensive and most nutritious but don’t forgo frozen fruits and veggies. These are cost-effective, convenient, and have a long shelf life. Frozen, chopped vegetables can be used in soups, stews, and stir-fries while frozen fruit is great in smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.
Fruit
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Berries (fresh or frozen)
Cantaloupe
Cherries (fresh or frozen)
Citrus fruit
Dates
Grapes
Honeydew
Nectarines
Peaches (fresh or frozen)
Pears
Plums
Pomegranate
Prunes
Raisins
Watermelon
Vegetables
Vegetables that are high in water and low in starch content are nutritious and filling when trying to limit intake. They add color, flavor, texture, and extra vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to your meals. Below are a variety of choices.
Asparagus (fresh or frozen)
Artichoke
Broccoli (fresh or frozen)
Cabbage
Carrots (fresh or frozen)
Cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic (fresh or minced)
Greens (fresh or frozen)
Leeks
Peppers
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions (fresh or frozen)
Radishes
Parsnips
Snap peas
Snow peas
Spinach (fresh or frozen)
Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini
Beans and Legumes
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Plant-based protein like beans and lentils has been linked with weight loss and improvements in body composition. Experts believe their fiber content helps modify your gut microbiome, boost your metabolism, and use fat stores for energy. Add them to salads, soups, stews, and wraps. Choose:
Black beans
Cannellini beans
Edamame
Garbanzo beans
Great Northern beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Red beans
Split peas
Lean Protein
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Good news for red meat eaters. A recent meta-analysis did not find a connection between red meat intake and being overweight or obese. But, limiting red meat — especially processed meat — may help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Good lean protein choices include:
Beef: chuck, sirloin, tenderloin, ground that’s 90% lean or higher
Bison
Chicken, skinless
Whole eggs and egg whites
Fish
Seafood: crab, scallops, shrimp
Tempeh
Tofu
Turkey, skinless
Whole Grains
Despite the low-carb hype, you should include whole grains in your diet for weight loss. Whole grains provide filling fiber that will help you eat less. This fabulous fiber also helps modify your gut bacteria to improve your metabolism. Here are some examples:
Barley
Buckwheat
Brown rice
Bulgur
Farro
Quinoa
Rolled oats
Sprouted bread/grains
Steel-cut oats
Whole-wheat pasta
Whole-wheat bread or tortillas
Low-fat Dairy Products
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Dairy products provide calcium, protein, B vitamins, and other nutrients to your diet. Choose low-fat dairy products to manage calories, cholesterol, and fat intake.
Cheese, made with part-skim or 2% milk
Cottage cheese: low-fat or fat-free
Kefir
Skim or 1% milk
Plain Greek, low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Fats and Oils
Fat is OK to eat! A recent analysis of studies evaluating types of foods with weight and cardiovascular risk factors found that nut and seed intake was associated with less weight regain and fat mass. Just be aware of your portion size when enjoying:
Almonds
Avocados
Avocado oil
Canola oil
Cashews
Chia seeds
Flaxseeds
Hazelnuts
Olive oil
Peanut oil
Peanuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
Walnut oil
Whipped butter
Now that you have an idea of what to stock your fridge and pantry with, let’s move on to the meal plan! This plan will provide 21 meals of roughly 1500 calories and 75–95 grams of protein (20–25% of calories) daily. This is an estimate for most women for healthy weight loss.
Men can increase the serving sizes of grains or protein to allow for a higher calorie level. For example, double the grains at breakfast and add 2 ounces of protein at lunch or dinner. A 150-calorie snack could also be included twice per day to bump calories up to 1800 and protein to 90–110 grams.
Day 1
Breakfast
½ cup cooked rolled oats
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chia seeds
Drizzle of honey
1 scrambled egg (cooked in non-stick spray)
1 (8 oz.) cup skim or 1% milk or 5 oz. plain Greek yogurt (100- to 120-calorie type)
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 320, Carbs: 37g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 11g
Lunch
1 serving Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Dried Cherries
1 small banana
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 505, Carbs: 74g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 18g
PM Snack
1 (5 oz.) plain low-fat Greek or Siggi’s fat-free yogurt (100- to 110-calorie variety)
½ cup fresh or frozen berries of choice
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 180, Carbs: 29g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 1g
Dinner
1 cup broccoli, steamed
3 oz. chicken, air-fried, baked, or broiled
1 medium sweet potato, baked
2 tsp. whipped butter
1 medium orange
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 433, Carbs: 48g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 6g
Daily Total
Calories:1438
Carbs: 188 grams
Protein: 90 grams
Fat: 35 grams
Day 2
Breakfast
Avocado toast with fried egg and cheese:
1 slice whole-wheat bread (toasted)
¼ fresh avocado or 1 Tbsp. guacamole
1 fried egg
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 412, Carbs: 32g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 24g
Lunch
4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
½ cup black beans, cooked
½ cup grape tomatoes
1 Tbsp. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing
½ cup red grapes
6 Triscuit crackers
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 405, Carbs: 40g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 16g
PM Snack
1/2 cup Wheat Chex
2 Tbsp. mixed nuts
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 203, Carbs: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 8g
Dinner
3 oz. salmon, grilled or broiled
1 cup brown rice
1 cup green beans, steamed
1 Tbsp. whipped butter
½ cup frozen peaches
5 oz. plain Greek yogurt, low-fat (100- to 110-calorie variety)
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 555, Carbs: 52g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 21g
Daily Total
Calories: 1575
Carbs: 153 grams
Protein: 79 grams
Fat: 69 grams
Day 3
Breakfast
½ cup cottage cheese, low-fat
1 pear
½ whole-wheat English muffin
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 456, Carbs: 51g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 20g
Snack
5 oz. Greek yogurt, low-fat
1 Tbsp. almonds, chopped
Nutritional breakdown:Calories: 196, Carbs: 11 grams, Protein: 17g, Fat: 8g
Lunch
4 cups baby spinach
1 medium apple
2 oz. turkey breast
1 tsp. feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette
12 wheat thin crackers, low-fat
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 433, Carbs: 63g, Protein 16g, Fat 9g
Dinner
7 asparagus spears
1 small dinner roll
1 cup blueberries
1 Tbsp. whipped butter
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 459, Carbs: 65g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 15g
Daily Total
Calories: 1544
Carbs: 189 grams
Protein: 91 grams
Fat: 51 grams
Day 4
Breakfast
1 hard-boiled egg
1 slice whole-wheat toast
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 cup cantaloupe
8 oz. skim or 1% milk
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 302, Carbs: 30g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 15g
Snack
100-calorie bag popcorn
1 part-skim mozzarella cheese stick
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 178, Carbs: 20g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 7g
Lunch
Chicken Stir-fry:
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 oz. chicken, cut into 1” pieces
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. ginger, minced
½ cup brown rice
1 medium pear
Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add canola oil and heat for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and chicken pieces and stir-fry together for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the soy sauce and minced ginger and toss to coat. Serve over brown rice. Eat the pear for dessert.
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 580, Carbs: 70g, Protein: 41g, Fat 19g
Dinner
3 oz. sirloin steak, grilled
4 cups mixed greens
½ cup grape tomatoes
1 tsp. blue cheese crumbles
2 Tbsp. reduced-calorie Italian dressing
1 medium potato, baked
1 tsp. whipped butter
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 410, Carbs: 45g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 17g
Daily Total
Calories: 1470
Carbs: 164 grams
Protein: 91 grams
Fat: 57 grams
Day 5
Breakfast
Yogurt parfait:
5 oz. plain Greek low-fat yogurt (100- to 110-calorie type)
½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 tsp. chia seeds
12 almonds, chopped
1 slice multigrain toast
1 tsp. whipped butter
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 436, Carbs: 59g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 14g
Snack
1 medium apple
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
8 oz. skim or 1% milk
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 285, Carbs: 40g, Protein 12g, Fat: 11g
Lunch
2 slices vegetable pizza, thin crust
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 carrot, shredded
¼ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette
1 medium orange
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 443, Carbs: 65g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 16g
Dinner
3 oz. white fish (tilapia, flounder), baked
1 medium sweet potato
1 Tbsp. whipped butter
1 cup green beans, steamed
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 361, Carbs: 34g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 14g
Daily Total
Calories: 1525
Carbs: 197 grams
Protein: 79 grams
Fat: 55 grams
Day 6
Breakfast
Breakfast burrito:
1 eight-inch whole-wheat tortilla
½ cup black beans
1 scrambled egg
2 Tbsp. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. salsa
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 381, Carbs: 45g, Protein 22g, Fat 17g
Snack
1 part-skim mozzarella string cheese stick
1 medium pear
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 145, Carbs: 36g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g
Lunch
1 cup baby carrots
3 oz. tuna salad (made with light mayonnaise)
2 slices rye bread
2 tomato slices
½ cup red grapes
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 407, Carbs: 60g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 10g
Dinner
3 turkey meatballs
½ cup marinara sauce
½ cup whole-grain pasta
1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 cups baby spinach salad
2 Tbsp. light Italian dressing
5 oz. plain Greek yogurt
Nutritional Breakdown:Calories: 613, Carbs: 63g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 20g
Daily Total
Calories: 1546
Carbs: 205 grams
Protein: 80 grams
Fat: 51 grams
Day 7
Breakfast
1 cup raspberries
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 349, Carbs: 32g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 21g
Snack
2 tangerines
1 part-skim mozzarella string cheese stick
Nutritional breakdown: Calories: 150, Carbs: 21g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 6g
Lunch
4 cups romaine lettuce
8 kalamata olives
1 tsp. feta cheese
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette
3 Medjool dates
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories 473, Carbs: 88g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 12g
Dinner
1 four-ounce turkey burger
1 “slim” multigrain bun
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 cup cauliflower, air-fried or steamed
Nutritional Breakdown: Calories: 483, Carbs: 28g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 24g
Daily Total
Calories: 1455
Carbs: 169 grams Protein: 72 grams Fat: 63 grams