Meal Planning for a Week - Weekly Diet Meal Plans

Following a proper diet is definitely one of the best methods of losing weight. Many people think that a weight loss diet is a strict diet where you have to give up eating all your favorite foodstuff. But extreme fad diets hardly work. More you avoid eating your favorite foods, more you will crave for it. Hence, you must have a meal plan that is flexible and easy to follow for a long term. A weekly diet plan is easier to chalk out and follow.

It is essential to have a balanced and nutritious diet in order to have a healthy life. However, if you are losing weight, you need to cut down on certain foods and include only those foods that do not lead to weight gain. You should also note that it is always advisable to consult your physician before following any diet plan.

Weekly Diet Plan

The following is a list of foods that are to be eaten for breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner. There are several options given in each of the sections so that you can have a different meal every day. This will also prevent your diet meal plan from being boring and monotonous. You must have only one of the listed food items in each category every day for breakfast, lunch, mid afternoon snacks and dinner respectively.

Breakfast

# 1 ~ Oatmeal with milk - 1 bowl
# 2 ~ Sliced Cantaloupe - 1 cup
# 3 ~ Sliced Strawberries - 1 cup
# 4 ~ Fat free yogurt - 1 cup
# 5 ~ Orange, banana, apple or pear - 1
# 6 ~ Piece of toast - 1
# 7 ~ Egg white - 1
# 8 ~ Sugar free (low sugar) muesli - ½ cup
(You must have 1 glass of water or 1 cup of herbal or green tea or coffee or 1 cup low fat milk along with any 1 of the above options)

Lunch

(The vegetables that you should eat are carrots, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, celery, corn and beans)
# 1 ~ Stewed vegetables
# 2 ~ Salad with bacon and low fat cheese
# 3 ~ Salad of green vegetables with lemon juice
# 4 ~ Boiled chicken breast/veal - 100g
# 5 ~ Boiled fish/prawns - 100g
# 6 ~ 2 Grilled Tomatoes with whole wheat toast
# 7 ~ Boiled vegetables
# 8 ~ Broiled sirloin steak

Mid-Afternoon Snacks

# 1 ~ Crackers
# 2 ~ Fat free frozen yogurt - 1 cup
# 3 ~ Prunes, almonds, hazelnuts - 3
# 4 ~ Peach, apricot, pear - 1
# 5 ~ Orange juice - 1 glass
# 6 ~ Carrot or cucumber - 1
# 7 ~ Fresh fruit juice – 1 glass

Dinner Meal

# 1 ~ Salad of green leafy vegetables
# 2 ~ 1 Baked potato with toast
# 3 ~ Fried egg whites - 2
# 4 ~ Boiled fish
# 5 ~ Fruit salad with fat free yogurt - 1 bowl
# 6 ~ Fat free Chicken salad - 1 bowl
# 7 ~ Vegetable lasagna or a bowl of pasta
# 8 ~ Grilled pork chops

This is a low calorie diet plan for weight loss. It is essential to avoid chocolates, desserts, sweets, dairy products and excess rice and other starch containing foods in your weight loss diet. You can either make healthy fast food at home (like a homemade hamburger without cheese) or go for substitutes like dark chocolates for the regular candies. If you have decided to plan your weekly meals altogether, you can download the following meal planner template which will make your job a lot easier.

Meal planning for a week in advance will be helpful and will also save your time with your grocery shopping. Healthy eating is a must, hence, follow this weekly diet plan for a healthy life and effective weight loss. Good luck!