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Day 5 of the 1200 calorie diet meal plan features another quick and easy frozen entree for supper. For this menu I chose to include Lean Cuisine’s Cafe Classic, Parmesan Crusted Fish. For better taste, I prefer to prepare my own fish meals or order something at a quality restaurant. But hey, in a pinch this meal should be o.k. As with Day 3, I suggest adding 1/2 cup of boiled green peas and a slice of Arnold’s Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins with some avocado spread to round out the nutritional balance. Lunch includes a 3/4 cup serving of whole wheat macaroni and cheese. How about making this easy dish the night before so it is cooked and ready heat and eat the next day? To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below. 1200 Calorie Diet Meal Plan (Day 6) Breakfast 2 Waffles (Kashi-Honey Oat, 160 calories) Yogurt Peanut Butter Spread 1?2 cup Orange Juice (For the Yogurt Peanut Butter Spread: Simply mix 2 oz. of fat free plain yogurt and 1/2 tbsp. of peanut butter. This is an easy and delicious way to add a little more calcium and protein to your diet. And it eliminates the less healthy butter/margarine and/or syrup. Might save you some calories also!) Snack 1 String Cheese Snack (Sargento, 80 calories) Lunch 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese (Hodgson Mill, 250 calories) 1/2 medium apple water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Note: I add about 1/3 cup of Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese Blend to the mix for added flavor. I also keep the serving size to 3/4 cup for a total of 4 servings per box not 3 1-cup servings as suggested on the box.) Snack Starbucks Cafe au Lait w/Nonfat milk (Tall, 60 calories)* *(Note: Starbucks Caffe Latte Tall with nonfat milk has 40 more calories than a Cafe au Lait of the same size with nonfat milk if my research is accurate!) Supper 1 Lean Cuisine, Cafe Classics, Parmesan Crusted Fish 1/2 cup boiled green peas 1/2 roll (Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins, 50) 1/4 medium Avocado Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1190 Total Fiber = 25.9 g Fat = 21% Carbs = 59% Protein = 20% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 986 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 7 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, iron comes up short for women who are premenopausal (with a regular monthly period). Today might be a good day for a supplement. The meal plan is also a little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with an additional serving of milk, cheese, or ice cream. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. Hope this latest 1200 calorie diet meal plan helps. Here are the links for the first few days of the most recent weekly plan: Diet Menu Plan Weekly Diet Menu: Day 2 1200 Diet Menu: Day 3 Low Fat Diet Menu: Day 4 Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight loss1200 calorie diet meal plan 1200 diet diet meal plan meal plan diet weight loss calories healthy meal plan

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I’ve recently shared a number of different ways to enjoy healthy low calorie snacks. Today I have a low calorie gingerbread TREAT for you to make. Snacks provide you with a healthy source of some extra calories when you really need it along with valuable nutrients. This can be especially important on a low calorie diet. A treat, on the other hand, may or may not add to your overall nutritional balance but it can go a long way in satisfying a desire for “something else”. Just keep in mind that if you want to succeed with your low calorie healthy diet, you will need to restrict how often you have treats and keep the portion size small. The original recipe for Blueberry Gingerbread comes from the American Institute for Cancer Research. It is an example of how you can have your cake and eat it too! This gingerbread is as sweet and tasty as a treat might be. Yet one small piece will cost you only 90 calories. Made with whole wheat flour, low calorie buttermilk, unsulfured molasses, and blueberries it actually provides some important nutrients as well. I bake the gingerbread in a 9 X 9 x 2″ square baking pan. When the cake has cooled after baking, I cut it into 18 pieces. Then I freeze these pieces, each separated with a small piece of wax paper, in a large Ziploc freezer bag. One small piece of cake can be just what I need when nothing else will do! It’s easy to defrost/microwave a small preportioned 90-calorie treat. I eat it slowly and enjoy every bite! Blueberry Gingerbread (makes 18 pieces) Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour 3/4-cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp., divided 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 tsp. 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup light buttermilk 1/4-cup canola oil 1 large egg 3 tbsp. unsulfured molasses 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9 x 2″ baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together whole wheat and all purpose flours, 3/4-cup sugar, baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until blended. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, egg, and molasses, until well combined and creamy. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and whisk enough to mix; leaving some lumps is better than over mixing, which makes the gingerbread tough. (If using frozen blueberries, spread in one layer on paper towels and blot dry.) Add blueberries to the batter, folding gently. Spread batter in prepared pan. In small bowl, combine remaining tbsp. of sugar with remaining cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake gingerbread 35-45 minutes until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool, then cut the cake into 18 pieces. Freeze pieces in a freezer safe container or bag with each piece separated by a small piece of waxed paper. Nutrition based on 18 pieces: 90 calories/piece 3 grams total fat 15 grams carbohydrates 1.5 grams protein 1 gram dietary fiber 110 mg sodium (Source for the original recipe: The American Institute for Cancer Research.) All I did to the original recipe is change the portion size so it would work well with a low calorie diet. If gingerbread does not appeal to you, maybe you have another cake recipe or other treat you could prepare and save in small low calorie portions. You might be surprised at how much it can help to keep you on track and not feel so deprived! Hope you give the low calorie gingerbread a try. It’s good! Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food (well, at least most of the time)!! calories weight loss calories, weight lossgingerbread blueberries low calorie weight loss treat snack whole wheat dietary fiber

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Day 4 of the latest weekly diet plan is a low fat diet menu. As with Day 3 of the plan, which is quite similar to the first day, Day 4 is a close match with Day 2. The reason for this is too keep things simple and reduce the number of food items you will need to buy for the week. The variation for today comes with dinner. On Day 2 the menu called for having Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni by Lean Cuisine. The menu plan for today includes the Lean Cuisine Spa Classic of Grilled Chicken Primavera supplemented with steamed broccoli. This 7 day plan is centered around having a reasonably healthy frozen entree for dinner. If you would prefer to do more cooking or choose to eat one meal out each day you may want to take a look at a couple of my previous weekly plans: 7 Day Diet Sample Menu Plan (1200 calories or more) Week Long Low Calorie Menu Plan (1200 calories or more) This menu has a little less fat than I would like for overall balance, however, it is an excellent source of protein and dietary fiber. It also includes plenty of whole grain carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. All combined these dietary components will help to keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day IF you are taking in enough calories. Even when dieting, 1200 calories may not be enough for you. I provide some resources at the end of this article to give you some tips on how to determine an adequate dietary intake for your needs. I also have suggestions for modifying this basic menu to increase the calorie count. To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below. 1200 Calorie Menu (Day 4) Breakfast 1 serving Homemade Instant Oatmeal (236 calories) 1/2 pear 1?2 cup Orange Juice Snack 1 container French Vanilla Yogurt (Dannon - Light ‘n Fit, 100 calories) Lunch 1 Tuna Fish Sandwich with Avocado 1 medium apple water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (NOTE: When following the weekly plan you will hopefully have leftover from Day 2. ) To prepare a tuna fish sandwich with avocado: Make tuna fish salad with 1 small can of white tuna (canned in water, about 1/2 cup tuna). Mix with 1 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp curry powder. Makes enough for two sandwiches. Spread 1/2 tuna fish salad on one slice whole wheat sandwich thin by Arnold. (Reserve the remaining tuna salad in the refrigerator for another day.) Add 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mexican cheese blend. Microwave the open sandwich on low to medium for about 30-40 seconds (enough to melt the cheese). Remove from microwave and top with slices of avocado (1/4 medium avocado) and then the second slice of bread. Snack Starbucks Cafe au Lait w/Nonfat milk (Tall, 60 calories) 4 Triscuits Reduced Fat Crackers Supper 1 Lean Cuisine (Spa Cuisine Classics) Grilled Chicken Primavera 1 cup Steamed or Boiled Broccoli Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Be sure to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1211 Total Fiber = 31.4 g Fat = 15% Carbs = 60% Protein = 25% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1004 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 7 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) [Note: Although this menu is a little lower in fat than I would like (only 15% fat) it shouldn’t be a problem. Most women need more than 1200 calories to keep metabolism running smoothly. Consuming more than 1200 calories makes it easier to get all the nutrients you need including a little more fat. I strongly encourage you to make sure you are getting enough calories in the first place. There are many reasons why 1200 calories is likely to be too little. A couple of my previous articles will help you learn how to determine your minimum SAFE calorie intake. 1. How Many Calories Per Day Do I Need? 2. 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started ] 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, iron comes up short for women who are pre-menopausal (with a regular monthly period). Today might be a good day for a supplement. The meal plan is also little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with an additional serving of milk, cheese, or ice cream. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. If you would like some ideas for adding an additional 100-300 calories you may want to see some of my previous articles on healthy low calorie foods with 100 calories or less: Healthy Low Calorie Beverages: 100 Calories or Less More Low Calorie Snacks: 100 Calories or Less Here are the links for day one, two, and three of this latest weekly plan: Diet Menu Plan Weekly Diet Menu: Day 2 1200 Diet Menu: Day 3 Hope today’s low fat diet menu helps! Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight losslow fat diet menu menu plan 1200 calories 1300 calories 1400 calories 1500 calories weight loss diet sample menu

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I’ve written several articles about low calorie foods with 100 calories or less. I’ve covered low calorie dairy, fruit, beverages, snack foods for busy people on the go, healthy carbs, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. What haven’t I covered? How about baked goods, canned and packaged goods, and other ready to eat items from the grocery store? I’ll lump these together as “other”. What are some of the best choices? Is there anything reasonably healthy? Whole, fresh, and minimally processed foods are no doubt best for your health and weight loss efforts. But you can find some commercial food items that just might help satisfy your desire for occasionally having something different without an unreasonably high fat, sugar, or calorie cost. The list I’m providing includes foods I have found in local grocery stores as well as those I’ve discovered in my travels around the country (U.S.A.). Given the staggering number of different food products available I’m sure there are more that could be included. I hope you will share some of your ideas with me and other readers. Thanks! “Other” Low Calorie Snacks: 100 Calories or Less Baked Goods ——————————————————- Small cakes/muffins Vitalicious: What’s good: Many of these products have 100 calories or less per serving, provide 4-7 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, and they are low-fat, trans-fat free with no cholesterol. What’s not so good: Typically the sugar count is on the high side. Check the nutrition labels to get the right selection for you and your diet. Zen Bakery: A few of the Zen bakery “cakes” and muffins have 100 calories or less. They are also a good source of protein and fiber to keep you feeling satisfied longer. Unfortunately, the only place I know of to buy these products is Trader Joe’s. There are no Trader Joe’s anywhere close to where I live. Blueberry Bran Cake - 80 calories Blueberry Fiber Cake - 80 calories Apple Cranberry Fiber Cake - 80 calories Cranberry Pomegranate Fiber Cake - 100 calories ——————————————————– Cookies (Check the labels for the sugar content. Those cookies with fruit, such as Fig Newton, have a natural and healthy source for much of the sugar.) 2 Nabisco 100% Whole Grain Fig Newton Cookies - 100 calories 7 Nabisco Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers - Slightly less than 100 calories 2 Nabisco Honey Maid Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - about 100 calories 4 Grace’s Best Petite Sunflower Seed Cookies - slightly less than 100 calories Nonni’s Original Biscotti (20g) 1 serving (2 cookies per individual pkg.) - 90 calories 3 Midel Cookies (Gingersnaps or Vanilla Snaps) - 90 calories 5 Country Choice Vanilla Wafers - 100 calories Nuts/Other Pecan Almond Peanut Clusters by True North (3 pieces/clusters) - about 102 calories 2 cups plain popcorn - 50 calories 1 large whole “fresh” dill pickle spear - about 5 calories (~210 mg sodium). Buy “fresh” dill pickles that are sold in the refrigerator case of your grocery store. These pickles have much less sodium than regular dill pickles and must be kept refrigerated. The sodium count on regular dill pickles is very high! Soup (The sodium content of many soups can be unnecessarily high. Look for soups with less than 700 mg of sodium per 1 cup serving. Amy’s tends to have lower sodium soups.) 1 cup Light Southwestern-Style Vegetable Campbell’s Vegetable soup - 50 calories (480 mg sodium) 1 cup Amy’s Vegetable Barley soup - 70 calories (580 mg sodium) 1 cup Amy’s Low Fat Butternut Squash - 100 calories (280 mg sodium) 1 cup Amy’s Low Fat Minestrone soup - 90 calories (290 mg sodium) 1 cup Amy’s Chunky Vegetable soup - 60 calories (680 mg sodium) 1 cup Amy’s Low Fat Cream of Tomato soup - 100 calories (340 mg sodium) Chips It’s hard to include chips in a healthy low calorie diet. However, there is a way to sneak in a few here and there and make it work if you know what to pick. Most chips have more than 100 calories per 1 oz. serving. You can opt to eat a few less. In addition, if you choose chips with whole grains or pair chips with a tablespoon or two of a healthy dip such as hummus, it can help stabilize blood sugar levels. Keeping blood sugar levels stabile helps to keep hunger at bay. For other benefits of whole grains you might want to read Whole Grains are a Weight Loss Winner XXXXX Athenos Baked Whole Wheat Pita Chips - about 9 chips for slightly less than 100 calories Plocky’s All Natural Corn, Cracked Whole Wheat, and Brown Rice Chips - 129 calories for 1 oz. Whole Grain Tortilla Chips (generic and otherwise) - 1 oz. has approximately 140 calories, however you do have the benefit of the whole grain. Dark Chocolate 1-2 squares of dark chocolate will typically have less than 100 calories BUT it varies by brand. Choose plain dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or more. Frozen Fruit or Ice Cream Bars Weight Watcher’s: Strawberry Smoothy Bar - 60 calories Chocolate Mousse Bars - 60 calories Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars - 80 calories Skinny Cow by Weight Watcher’s: (A problem with the Skinny Cow products is that the sugar count is typically quite high.) Chocolate Bar - 100 calories French Bar - 100 calories Vanilla Bar - 100 calories Skinny Dippers by Weight Watcher’s have less sugar than the Skinny Cow products and only 80 calories. O.k. That’s it. Have you got any product ideas to share? To read some of my previous articles on low calorie snack foods check out my articles page. Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy foods! calories Health calories, Healthlow calorie snacks healthy low calorie snacks store-bought canned packaged 100 calories

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