Meal Plan Sample for One Week
It’s daunting, frustrating and time consuming. Yes, I know. Putting together a meal plan that is not only yummy but healthy AND loved by the whole family can be a pain in the butt. I know this because this is typically the first reason people seek my expertise as a dietitian. You wanna know a secret? It’s not my favorite thing to do for myself either. But I LUV offering ideas to others. Check out this meal plan:
Monday:
Breakfast-smoothie
Lunch-rice, chicken, broccoli, avocado
Snack-protein/energy ball
Dinner-bean taco salad with quinoa
Tuesday:
Breakfast-oats, peanut butter, raspberries
Lunch-sweet potato, ground turkey, spinach salad
Snack-protein/energy ball
Dinner-BBQ chicken, rice, cabbage, spinach, peppers
Wednesday:
Breakfast-smoothie
Lunch-rice, chicken, broccoli, avocado
Snack-protein/energy ball
Dinner-BBQ chicken salad with quinoa
Thursday:
Breakfast-egg muffins, peppers, avocado
Lunch-sprouted bread, almond butter, pepper/tomato salad
Snack-protein bar
Dinner-crockpot chicken soup
Friday:
Breakfast-oats, peanut butter, raspberries
Lunch-lunch meeting
Snack-protein bar
Dinner-leftovers
Saturday:
Breakfast-applesauce muffins
Lunch-egg salad on sprouted bread
Snack-yogurt
Dinner-out with family
Sunday:
Breakfast-egg muffins, peppers, avocado
Lunch-egg salad on sprouted bread
Snack-apple, peanut butter
Dinner: crockpot veggie meatballs, pasta
Ok, I admit it. At first glance it looks a tad overwhelming but if you really look at it, there is a good amount that is repeated and there are even times for meals away from home. Typically, my meal plans are less intense and offer more repetition. One thing I have found to be consistent is that when we are sticking with the same meal/snack on 1-2, (sometimes 3) days, the success rate for weight loss is higher.
How to meal plan?
If you have never set up a meal plan for yourself, this is a good place to start. Grab 2-3 ideas for dinner, 1 for breakfast (yes, one…keep it simple), 1 for snack and a few for lunch. Find you favorite recipes and get planning. For this post, I wanted to give you an overview of what a meal plan may look like but in my FREE 30 days to fit challenge, I actually walk you through a meal planning session. (EDIT: Currently not available. If you are interested in this challenge, let me know here).