It is tough to stick to a healthy meal plan for one day when you are alone. This is especially true when you have no plan on what to cook for dinner that day. Here is a simple and healthy meal plan for an individual based on the USDA’s suggestions of what constitutes an ideal diet.
One Day Meal Plan | Start Eating Right!
Breakfast – Start Eating Right!
- Cook in the microwave: ½ cup whole-grain oats and 1 cup water. Top with nonfat milk or soymilk, and fruit, such as sliced strawberries and sliced bananas. By switching from a bowl of cold, dried cereal to one of hot whole-grain cereal and fruit, you’ll take in approximately 100 fewer calories each day. That one simple change to your daily diet could help you drop about 10 pounds in one year. Plus, hot cereal has more “staying power.” It tends to fill you up better – and longer – than dried cereal.
- 1 cup tea or coffee with, if you desire, a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda)
Midmorning Snack
- 1 large navel orange or 2 tangerines
- 1 steamed 6-inch corn tortilla with fresh or grilled vegetables (such as onions, green bell peppers, and mushrooms), no-salt-added salsa, and one thin slice of fat-free cheese. Good fat-free cheese brands include Alpine Lace, Lifetime, and Smart Bea. Warm the tortilla between slightly moistened paper towels in the microwave for about 1 minute, then top with veggies and salsa, and fold.
Lunch
- 2 cups mixed greens with 1 cup of other veggies (such as cucumbers and tomatoes), dressed with aged balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon canola oil. Canola oil is a healthier choice than olive oil, but always keep in mind that no oil, even so-called “good” ones, should be considered a weight-loss food. Coating your salad with oil can tally up as many calories as a scoop of premium ice cream.
- 1 or 2 cups hearty bean soup, such as the Black Lentil Soup. The soup makes 8 cups. Freeze what you don’t eat today in single-serving containers for easy-to-thaw-and-heat-up soup for later in the week.
- 1 ear of corn on the cob
Midafternoon Snack
- 6 ounces of nonfat plain or no-sugar-added yogurt (good choices include Dannon Light & Fit, Stonyfield Farms, and fat-free, plain Greek-style yogurts such as Chobani and Fage)
- 1 apple
Dinner
- A gigantic Farmer’s Market-style salad with a variety of fresh seasonal produce and herbs, such as fresh baby arugula and radicchio, and red wine vinegar sassed up with a little horseradish, all topped with a few slices of avocado. Enjoy visiting your local Farmer’s Market every week and asking the vendors, “What’s new and tasty this week? What would make great ingredients for my salad?”
- 4 ounces of Braised Fish with Marsala, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Spinach. When dining out and ordering seafood, request that your seafood not be salted or basted in calorie-dense ingredients like olive oil and butter.
- 1 baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream. (Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are a great food for helping you lose weight. It’s what we put on top of it – butter, cheese, and bacon bits – that turns a potato into a waistline-busting food.)
- 1, 2 or 3 cups (you can never go overboard on fresh veggies!) ofsteamed fresh vegetables, such as asparagus or broccoli, with lemon juice and sautéed garlic
Dessert
- No-sugar-added frozen 100% fruit bar
1-Day Clean-Eating Meal Plan
Quick, clean and satisfying, this wholesome clean-eating meal plan sets you up for a healthy and successful day.
Eating clean doesn’t have to be complicated or cumbersome. This 1-day meal plan is a perfect example of just how deliciously simple clean eating can be.
These daily eats are free of additives and foods with long ingredient lists and full of real foods like fresh vegetables, dairy and whole grains. Quick, clean and satisfying, this wholesome meal plan sets you up for a healthy and successful day.
Meal Prep Tips for this Week
- Make the Spiced Chickpea “Nuts” and put the grapes in the freezer a day ahead of time.
Breakfast
318 Calories
• 1 serving Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie (1 3/4 cup)
A.M. Snack
240 Calories
• 1 serving Spiced Chickpea “Nuts” (1/4 cup)
• 2-inch cube sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz.)
Lunch
375 Calories
• 1 serving Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad
P.M. Snack
295 Calories
- 1 medium apple
- 26 unsalted roasted almonds (1 oz.)
Dinner
473 Calories
• 1 serving Roast Chicken with Parmesan-Herb Sauce
Evening Snack
104 Calories
• 1 cup frozen grapes
Not sure if this is the plan for you? We offer a variety of meal plans for different health conditions, needs and diets. Find the meal plan that works best for you.
One-Day Balanced Meal Plan
While most people are familiar with basic nutrition recommendations like eat more fruits and vegetables, watch your portion sizes and water is the best beverage choice, putting these recommendations together in an all-inclusive balanced eating plan can be tricky. It is entirely too easy to misjudge your eating choices and take in too many, or even too few, calories. Sometimes all you need is a good example to get you started.
Breakfast
Starting off the day with protein has been shown to help control appetite and calorie intake for the remainder of the day. Fill the protein portion of your meal with one whole egg and one egg white scrambled and made into an omelet with a half cup of sliced green peppers, onions and mushrooms that have been sauteed in a teaspoon of olive oil. Round out the produce section of your meal with one medium orange. For your starch, toast a slice of whole-wheat bread and spread with a thin layer — about a half teaspoon — of butter. Drink a large glass of water or a cup of unsweetened tea or black coffee to wash things down. This breakfast provides 295 calories.
Lunch
Mid-day toss together 4 cups of salad greens, one-eighth cup sliced red onion, one-half cup cherry tomatoes and one-fourth cup sliced cucumbers in a large bowl. Add 2 ounces sliced sirloin beef steak, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of a light balsamic vinaigrette over the top. Have a medium — about 5 inches long — baked sweet potato on the side topped with 1 teaspoon butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Drink a glass of water or unsweetened tea for a 325-calorie lunch.
Dinner
When evening comes, cook 3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil. For your sides have 1 cup of cooked whole-grain rotini pasta tossed with 1 tablespoon basil pesto sauce and 1 cup steamed broccoli with a dash of lemon juice. Dinner clocks in at 520 calories.
Snacks
Satisfy your mid-morning hunger pang with a serving of baby carrots for 30 calories. Finish off your day with a night cap of one carton of non-fat, fruit-flavored Greek yogurt containing 140 calories — totaling out your day with 1,310 calories.
Making it Your Own
Calorie needs vary from person to person, so make sure you understand your individual needs. Although the meal examples provided demonstrate a good balance of nutrients, you may need to add or subtract from this 1,300-calorie meal plan to meet your own nutritional requirements. Check with a health care professional to gain a better understanding of how many calories you need in a day to meet your personal health goals. You can modify the plan outlined in this article to add more calories by including additional snacks like 3 cups of air-popped popcorn for 100 calories or a small apple with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter for 108 calories, depending on what you need in a day.
This One-Day Healthy Eating Meal Plan Will Give Your Body the Refresh It Needs
Maybe you spent one too many weeknights trying new restaurants with your best friends or took a week-long getaway to a foodie haven. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with indulging once in a while, you might find yourself looking for a reset to help you feel more energized.
“Overindulging can disrupt your GI system and slow down your digestion,” says Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and the author of Hanger Management. “To rev your metabolism and feel fired up, feed your body right. It’s about nourishing yourself mindfully.”
That means meals packed with the nutrients you need to get your body back to feeling its best. Luckily, you can re-energize yourself in just one day with the help of this meal plan. In general, be sure to include a mix of protein, fiber, and vegetables to give your body the reboot it needs.
Breakfast
“You can’t beat some eggs and whole-grain toast to get yourself back on track,” says Keri Gans, R.D.N. and author of The Small Change Diet. Eggs contain vitamin B12, which gives you energy. They’re also rich in cysteine, an amino acid that helps your body produce glutathione, an antioxidant that becomes depleted when you drink alcohol, she says. Healthy whole-grain toast (note the difference between whole wheat and whole grain) is loaded with filling fiber, keeping you satiated all morning.
For an extra boost: Add a side of sliced banana for potassium, a mineral that helps regulate the levels of fluids in your system and enhances muscle strength, says Albers.
Lunch
Opt for a salad with dark leafy greens (such as spinach or kale), which contain minerals like magnesium and calcium that many of us don’t get enough of. Then add veggies along with muscle-building protein, like chicken or canned tuna, says Gans. If you’re a plant-based eater, top your bowl with vitamin B–rich chickpeas for staying power. (One of these ultra-satisfying salads will do the trick.)
For an extra boost: Drink plenty of water at lunch and throughout the afternoon to stay hydrated, says Albers. Hydration is critical for energy.
Dinner
Broiled salmon with roasted vegetables is an excellent choice for your last meal of the day. The produce gives you antioxidants and the fish supplies protein and healthy fats, says Gans. Or try pasta with shrimp and veggies sautéed with garlic and olive oil for the same benefits.
For an extra boost: Munch on an apple, a pear, or an orange for an after-dinner snack. These fruits are not only filled with vitamins and fiber but also have a high (that is, energizing) water content, says Albers.