7-day Meal Plan

Did You Know?
According to the dietary guidelines given by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), our daily intake of food for a 2000-calorie diet must comprise 6 ounces of grains, 2½ cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of milk and dairy products (low-fat), and 5½ ounces of lean meat and beans.

Whenever we are caught in a rat race, we skip our breakfast, gobble up something and call it lunch, while dinner becomes our heaviest meal for the day. Finally, after indulging in a toothsome dinner we cannot resist the temptation of our bed.

Moral of the story? Lack of discipline as far as our eating habits are concerned. The best way to incorporate some good eating habits is to plan our meals. This will help to regulate the daily nutrient and calorie intake.

The first important thing to consider while planning meals is calorie requirements. The average daily calorie requirement for a moderately active adult is 2000 calories. The calorie intake must be appropriately distributed among the meals consumed throughout the day.

Given here is a sample meal schedule for a week.

Breakfast:

• ½ cup oatmeal with ½ cup low-fat milk and ½ cup strawberries added to it
• An orange-banana smoothie prepared from ½ cup orange and banana slices blended with 1 cup low-fat yogurt

Lunch:

• Turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, mustard and mayonnaise
• Pasta salad prepared from ½ cup cooked pasta and 1 cup fresh tomatoes and broccoli, and some garlic

The Vegan Option:

• The turkey breast sandwich can be substituted with a chickpea sandwich prepared using ½ cup smashed chickpeas, chopped onions and garlic sautéed together.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 1 cup fruits and desired nuts

Dinner:

• 1 cup steamed brown rice tossed with 1 cup veggies, namely carrots, cauliflower, fava beans, etc.
• 1½ cups warm milk

Breakfast:

• 2 pancakes
• 1 cup skim milk blended with 1 banana and ½ cup raspberries

Lunch:

• Lean roast beef, spinach, tomato slices and 1 slice of low-fat cheese on a whole wheat pita
• 1½ cups fruit juice

The Vegan Option:

• Instead of the pita with beef, prepare a lentil salad with low-fat feta, sun-dried tomatoes and capsicum.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 1 carrot and 1 celery stick

Dinner:

• Capellini with broccoli cream sauce
• ½ cup cooked capellini pasta added to ½ cup low-fat cream sauce and topped with boiled broccoli
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt topped with ½ cup berries and 1 tbsp. honey

Breakfast:

• Honey peanut granola prepared by baking together ½ cup oats, wheat germ and peanuts with a mixture of 1 tsp. honey, 1 tbsp. brown sugar and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 cup skim milk blended with 1 banana and ½ cup strawberries

Lunch:

• Tomato soup and side salad containing cucumber, carrots and broccoli
• Whole grain, grilled tuna sandwich with a slice of low-fat cheese, lettuce and tomato slices
• 1 cup cold low-fat milk blended with ½ cup dry fruits and nuts

The Vegan Option:

• Substitute the tuna sandwich with a veggie sandwich made from 2 slices of whole grain bread and 1 cup sliced onions, avocados, bell peppers and baby spinach leaves, 1 tbsp. vinegar and 1 tbsp. olive oil.
• Instead of the tomato soup, opt for a 3-bean salad to fulfill the protein requirement.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 1 slice of whole grain bread with 2 tbsp. honey
• ¼ cup soaked almonds

Dinner:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa added to ½ cup sautéed onions and cauliflower topped with cranberries and nuts
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt topped with 1 cup seasonal fruits

Breakfast:

• 1 cup rice porridge with 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 banana
• ¼ cup soaked almonds

Lunch:

• Chickpea and parsley soup with 1 cup stir-fried rice and veggies
• 1 cup fruit salad topped with ½ cup low-fat ice cream

Mid-afternoon snack:

• Tangy mung bean salad with ½ cup sprouted mung beans and finely chopped tomatoes, onion and lemon juice

Dinner:

• Tomato-onion spaghetti containing ½ cup cooked pasta topped with 1 cup onion, eggplant and zucchini slices cooked in Italian tomato pasta sauce
• 1 cup low-fat pudding

Breakfast:

• 2 boiled eggs
• 1 cup fruit salad topped with 1 cup low-fat yogurt

Lunch:

• Smoked salmon sandwich with ½ cup tomato and cucumber slices, 1 slice of low-fat cheese and whole grain bread
• ½ cup steamed veggies

The Vegan Option:

• Substitute the salmon sandwich with mung bean soup containing ½ cup boiled whole mung beans and ¾ cup vegetable stock, along with garlic and onions sautéed in 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 1 seasonal fruit

Dinner:

• Vegetable pasta prepared from 1 cup cooked pasta tossed with 1 cup veggies and spices, and Greek salad to go with it
• Strawberry milkshake prepared from 1½ cups skim milk and ½ cup strawberries

Breakfast:

• 1 cup breakfast cereal in ½ cup low-fat milk, topped with ½ cup apple pieces
• 1 slice of whole grain bread with 1 slice of low-fat cheese

Lunch:

• Tangerine chicken made from 1 cup fried chicken pieces sauced up with tangerine sauce prepared from 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup diced onions and bell peppers, 1 tbsp. peanut oil, and 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 cup steamed rice
• Mixed fruit smoothie prepared from 1 cup mixed fruit pieces blended with 1 cup cold skim milk

The Vegan Option:

• An avocado-tomato sandwich assembled from 2 slices of whole grain bread with 1 cup tomato slices, avocado slices and mixed greens can be consumed instead of the tangerine chicken and rice.

• For the tangy component, prepare a citrus and black bean salad by tossing ½ cup grapefruit and orange pieces with ½ cup rinsed black beans, and ¼ cup avocados.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 1 banana

Dinner:

• ½ cup mashed potatoes with 2 tbsp. low-fat butter and 1 tsp. garlic
• Vegetable noodle soup prepared by adding ½ cup whole wheat noodles or pasta and vegetable stock, 1 cup sautéed onions, carrots and broccoli with 1 tsp. garlic along with seasoning and spices
• 1 cup frozen yogurt topped with ½ cup watermelon pieces

Breakfast:

• Two slices of whole grain bread
• 2 boiled eggs
• 1 grapefruit

The Vegan Option

• To avoid eggs, replace them with 1 whole wheat bagel (small) with peanut butter and low-fat cheese.

Lunch:

• Chicken stir fry comprising ½ cup chopped chicken fillets, 1 cup red and green bell peppers and shallots
• 1 cup steamed rice
• 1 cup vanilla-walnut milk

The Vegan Option

• Roasted vegetable gnocchi prepared from 1 cup gnocchi, 1 cup mini bell peppers, yellow squash and spinach can replace the chicken stir fry and rice.

Mid-afternoon snack:

• 4-5 whole grain crackers and low-fat cream cheese

Dinner:

• Vegetable tarts topped with 1 cup zucchini and eggplant slices, and low-fat cheese
• Berry smoothie made by blending 1 cup mixed berries and 1½ cups low-fat yogurt

Along with a meal schedule, planning out the exercise regimen is equally essential to balance the energy (calorie) intake. Plan out the weekly schedule for meals as well as exercise according to your personal intentions and requirements like weight loss, weight gain, low sugar intake, etc.

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness." - Edward Stanley