| Meal plan at a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast/Snacks | Lunch/PM snacks | Dinner/Evening snack |
| Egg tortilla/cottage cheese bowl | Green Goddess Wrap/Buffalo Chickpeas | Salmon that melts the green onions |
| Mango smoothie/cottage cheese bowl | Cabbage salad with chicken/energy bites | Fritter Salad/Plusted Mini Pepper |
| Yogurt parfait/Almond | Cabbage salad with chicken/energy bites | Turkey and mushroom penne |
| Egg tortilla/yogurt parfait | Cabbage salad with chicken/energy bites | Chicken & Broccoli Salad/Apple |
| Yogurt Parfait/Buffalo Chickpeas | Avocado Tuna Salad/Energy Bite | Tzatziki Bowl |
| Yogurt Parfait/Cottage Cheese Bowl | Avocado Tuna Salad/Energy Bite | Rice/Chicken frying pan with apple and nut butter |
| Egg tortilla/cottage cheese bowl | Green Goddess Wrap/Energy Bite | Fish Taco Bowl/Yogurt Parfait |
Day 1
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Bullockman
Breakfast (370 calories)
Snacks (170 calories)
Lunch (406 calories)
PM snacks (109 calories)
Dinner (742 calories)
Daily Total: 1,797 calories, 82g fat, 104g protein, 171g carbohydrates, 39g fiber, 1,991mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: Omit am snacks and PM snacks.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add a glass of apple with cinnamon almond butter as an evening snack.
Day 2
Breakfast (427 calories)
Snacks (170 calories)
Lunch (384 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (413 calories)
Evening snacks (122 calories)
Daily Total: 1,778 calories, 91g fat, 97g protein, 158g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 1,578mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: Omit PM snacks.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add one medium apple to lunch and add 1 ounce. Whole wheat baguette slices until dinner.
Day 3
Photographer: Jen Cause Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daly
Breakfast (301 calories)
AM snack (206 calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted dry roasted almonds
Lunch (384 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (625 calories)
Daily Total: 1,778 calories, 102g fat, 104g protein, 141g carbohydrates, 28g fiber, 1,365mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: Omit PM snacks.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add a glass of apple with cinnamon almond butter as an evening snack.
Day 4
Photographer: Jen Cause’s food stylist: Julian Hensalling, prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
Breakfast (370 calories)
AM (301 calories)
Lunch (384 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (394 calories)
Evening snacks (95 calories)
Daily Total: 1,806 calories, 97g fat, 104g protein, 147g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 1,801mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: I’ll skip the snack.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add 2 tablespoons. Evening snacks from almond butter.
Day 5
Photographer Victor Protasio, food stylist Chelsea Zimmer, prop stylist Christina Daily
Breakfast (311 calories)
Snacks (109 calories)
Lunch (375 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (514 calories)
Daily Total: 1,789 calories, 88g fat, 94g protein, 169g carbohydrates, 41g fiber, 1,673mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: Omit PM snacks.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: A serving of a cottage cheese snack jar with fruit as an evening snack.
Day 6
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Doriesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Breakfast (301 calories)
Snacks (170 calories)
Lunch (375 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (414 calories)
Evening Snacks (291 Calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 2 tablespoons. Almond Butter
Daily Total: 1,812 calories, 98g fat, 90g protein, 156g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 1,212mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: Omit the evening snack.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add 1 meal massage kale salad to dinner.
Day 7
Breakfast (370 calories)
Snacks (170 calories)
Lunch (406 calories)
PM snacks (261 calories)
Dinner (478 calories)
Evening Snacks (139 calories)
Daily Total: 1,821 calories, 88g fat, 93g protein, 175g carbohydrates, 31g fiber, 2,059mg sodium.
It will bring you to 1,500 calories: I’ll skip the oranges for breakfast and skip the PM snacks.
It will bring you to 2,000 calories: Add one spinach smoothie for breakfast.
FAQ
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If there’s something I don’t like, is it okay to mix and match the food?Yes, if you have a meal you don’t like, repeat the meal with this plan or browse more of our unsucked sugar and high protein recipes for additional inspiration for reference.
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Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?If your routine is simple, you can eat the same breakfast or lunch options every day. Each option we choose is a protein-rich diet, so a simple swap should work for most people. If you are closely monitoring your calories and other nutrients, it is a good idea to adjust your snack or two to achieve your goals.
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Why is there no change in 1,200 calories?The meal plan no longer offers changes to 1,200 calories days. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low to meet their nutritional needs for most people, and even unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
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What is the difference between added sugars and natural sugars?Added sugar refers to sugar or sweeteners added during processing. These include honey, maple syrup, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and more. They are added to give the food taste and have little or no nutritional value. Natural sugars are sugars that occur naturally in food. Foods containing natural sugar include unsweetened dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
How sugar affects your health
It’s no surprise that the added sugar is not exactly beneficial to our health. However, you may be surprised to hear that the average American adult consumes 17 glasses of sugar every day. The added sugar is not only found in sweetened drinks and desserts. Often you will find them in cereals, granola bars, salad dressings, breads, crackers, nut butter, and more. These sugars add calories, but minimize nutritional benefits (depends on the type of sugar you add), and excessive intake can have some serious health effects. Research has linked higher risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and cognitive decline, combining higher intakes of added sugar.
I chose to skip the sugar added in this plan, but it doesn’t have to be completely off the table. Researchers recommend limiting sugar added to 25 grams, or about 6 teaspoons per day. If you’re looking to reduce your added sugar intake, take a glance at the nutrition labels and see where they’re heading towards your routine. You might be surprised!
I’ll dig deeper
Top 7 sources of sugar added to our diet
How to reduce despicable additional sugar
