Overeating is not healthy for you, but neither is starving yourself. Too many calories entering the body will turn to fat. Not enough calories in the body will slow the metabolism causing you to retain fat stores (the body goes into survival mode). Either method defeats the purpose of dieting.
Different people will need varying amounts of calories per day depending on a lot of things like age, gender, metabolic rate, exercise, medical conditions and more, but the following gives you a general idea of what to shoot for.
A daily diet of 1,200 calories has a standard calculation of 180 protein calories, 660 carbohydrate calories, and 360 fat calories.
5 Day 1200 Calorie Meal Plan---4 Meals/Day
Measure the amount of food you eat based on the appropriate serving sizes usually shown on food packaging.
|
Day 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
Unsweetened fruit juice 1 small bowl of cereal with skim milk |
260 |
|
Lunch |
1 banana 1 orange |
130 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
1 small bowl of nonfat yogurt or 1 piece of fruit |
90 |
|
Dinner |
Fried rice and vegetable curry |
700 |
|
Total |
1,180 |
|
|
Day 2 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
1 large melon slice 2 slices of toast with butter 1 hard-boiled egg |
337 |
|
Lunch |
100g of cottage cheese baked potato 100g of baked beans |
380 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Muesli meal replacement bar 1 piece of fruit |
240 |
|
Dinner |
Pasta salad with a little olive oil and vinegar |
250 |
|
Total |
1,207 |
|
|
Day 3 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
2 pieces of grilled bacon 2 slices of toast with butter and jam |
420 |
|
Lunch |
100g of tomatoes with bread and butter 1 piece of fruit |
172 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
1 pack of low-fat fries 2 pieces of fruit |
190 |
|
Dinner |
Chicken chow mein with vegetables |
350 |
|
Total |
1,132 |
|
|
Day 4 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
1 small bowl of cereal with skimmed milk Unsweetened fruit juice. |
260 |
|
Lunch |
Fresh vegetables 1 frozen cod meal |
470 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Low fat yogurt A piece of fruit |
100 |
|
Dinner |
Caribbean rice & peas |
430 |
|
Total |
1,260 |
|
|
Day 5 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
1 small bowl of Muesli with skimmed milk Unsweetened fruit juice |
410 |
|
Lunch |
Small slice or personal size French bread pizza Large portion of green salad |
380 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
200g of mixed vegetables |
140 |
|
Dinner |
Baked potatoes |
300 |
|
Total |
1,230 |
5 Day 1200 Calorie Meal Plan---5 Meals/Day
Serving sizes found on packaging should be adhered to in these meal plans as well. For fruits and vegetables, measure between 1/2 cup and 1 cup per serving.
|
Day 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
One hard-boiled egg One half grapefruit One piece whole wheat toast |
206 |
|
Morning Snack |
Chicken breast roasted, skinless Pita bread One small apple |
177 |
|
Lunch |
Hamburger, lean 5% fat Lettuce salad, radish, onion Reduced fat Italian dressing |
172 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Turkey breast roasted, skinless One piece whole wheat toast Almonds |
209 |
|
Dinner |
Grilled salmon Asparagus One boiled medium potato |
462 |
|
Total |
1,226 |
|
|
Day 2 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
Pork loin, lean, broiled Tomato One piece whole wheat toast |
221 |
|
Morning Snack |
Tofu Brown rice |
201 |
|
Lunch |
Chicken breast roasted, skinless Sweet potato-medium-baked Butter Green beans |
278 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Ham, extra lean 4%fat Cheese-low fat cheddar or Colby Cracker-saltine |
133 |
|
Dinner |
Cod Fillet |
387 |
|
Total |
1,220 |
|
|
Day 3 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
2 eggs Cheese-low fat cheddar or Colby Peach One piece whole wheat toast |
286 |
|
Morning Snack |
Tuna Mayonnaise-low calorie Dill pickle Whole wheat bread-one slice Almonds |
247 |
|
Lunch |
Turkey breast roasted, skinless Pita bread Broccoli |
213 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Boiled egg Brown rice Lettuce salad, radish, onion Caesar dressing, low calorie |
228 |
|
Dinner |
Roast beef (tri-tip) Pasta Pasta sauce, marinara Brussels sprouts |
332 |
|
Total |
1,306 |
|
|
Day 4 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
Ham, extra lean 4%fat One small potato-pan fried Grapes |
294 |
|
Morning Snack |
Peanut butter Cracker-saltine |
218 |
|
Lunch |
Tuna Mayonnaise-low calorie Cauliflower Lettuce salad, cucumber, sweet pepper Caesar dressing, low cal |
273 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Chicken breast roasted, skinless One piece whole wheat toast Celery |
126 |
|
Dinner |
Beef, top round, broiled Sweet potato-medium-baked Portabella mushroom Green beans |
289 |
|
Total |
1,200 |
|
|
Day 5 | ||
|
Meal |
Food |
Calories |
|
Breakfast |
Whole egg (large)/ 2 whites-scrambled Oatmeal Milk 1% Sugar |
269 |
|
Morning Snack |
Turkey breast roasted, skinless Whole wheat bread-one slice Cherries Walnuts |
285 |
|
Lunch |
Grilled halibut Black beans Butter Tomato |
291 |
|
Afternoon Snack |
Cheese-low fat cheddar or Colby Pasta Asparagus |
248 |
|
Dinner |
Roast beef (tri-tip) One small baked potato Butter Spinach |
266 |
|
Total |
1,359 |
Food Alternatives
Many people find that following certain diet such as a 1200 calorie meal plan proves difficult if they have food allergies. Below is a list of food alternatives to help you.
Breakfast
Gluten-free breads and hot cereals are becoming widely available. Those with dairy allergies might try almond or soy milk and steer clear of yogurt. Eggs are usually a good bet for most, but if you have allergies to eggs then try other options like fruit and oatmeal.
Lunch
Vegetables and lean meats make great lunches and are an almost failsafe way to keep your meal allergy free. Amy's and Hodgson Mills make many gluten and dairy free products that can be found at your local grocery stores.
Dinner
Incorporate staples like acorn squash or zucchini to avoid eating potatoes all the time. These foods do not often carry allergen properties. Avoid using bread crumbs on your meats if you have gluten allergies. Brown rice can also be a good substitute for wheat pasta. You can even find brown rice noodles at most stores.
Snacks
Black beans and dips like hummus are good snack substitutes for those with nut allergies. Popcorn and rice cakes are generally allergy friendly foods as well that make for healthy and filling snacks.