Healthy Meal Planning
One of the most common questions I get is what should I eat? How many calories should I eat?, and What percentage of healthy fat, protein and carbs should I eat each day?
Nutrition accounts for 70-80% of results. That includes the quality and quantity of calories and the ratio of macros in each meal. So when meal planning, it’s important to choose foods tailored to your specific fitness goals and give you the proper nutrients to help your body function more efficiently. Turmeric, for example, has been shown to aide in weight loss and body fat reduction. Including Turmeric and other fat burning foods as core staples in your diet can help you see results faster.
Sample Meal Plan for Weight Loss
Here’s a sample meal plan for a 125 – 135 pound woman, so you’d need to adjust it according to your weight. You can substitute wherever you like, but it gives you a good foundation to start with and an idea of what nutritional break down each meal should have. Want a meal plan customized specifically for you? Contact me.
| Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fats (g) | Calories | |
| 7:30 a.m.: Breakfast | ||||
| 1 cup blueberries | 0.5 | 10 | 0 | 41 |
| 4 egg whites | 14 | 1 | 0 | 68 |
| 1/3 cup oatmeal | 3 | 17 | 2 | 92 |
| Totals: | 17.5 | 28 | 2 | 201 |
| 10:30 a.m. : Snack | ||||
| 1 tbsp peanut butter | 4 | 3.5 | 8 | 95 |
| 1 multigrain rice cake | 1.5 | 14 | 0.5 | 70 |
| 1 scoop whey protein powder *mix according to instructions | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 87 |
| Totals: | 23.5 | 19 | 9.5 | 252 |
| 1:30 pm: Lunch | ||||
| 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ½ cup brown rice | 2 | 23 | 0 | 110 |
| 4 oz chicken breast | 35 | 0 | 4 | 187 |
| ¼ cup marinara sauce | 2 | 5 | 3 | 55 |
| Small green salad | 1 | 9.5 | 0 | 49 |
| Totals: | 40 | 37.5 | 7 | 401 |
| 4:30 pm: Afternoon shake | ||||
| 1 tbsp peanut butter | 4 | 3.5 | 8 | 95 |
| 1 scoop whey protein | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 87 |
| 1 cup plain low fat yogurt | 6 | 8.5 | 2 | 77 |
| Totals: | 28 | 13.5 | 11 | 259 |
| 7:30 pm: Dinner | ||||
| 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 cup broccoli | 4 | 7.5 | 0.5 | 40.5 |
| Medium green salad | 2 | 14 | 0.5 | 73.5 |
| 7” corn tortilla | 1 | 9 | 1 | 45 |
| 4 oz turkey breast | 34 | 0 | 1 | 153 |
| Totals: | 41 | 30.5 | 3 | 312 |
| 10:30 pm: Evening shake (this keeps your metabolism burning so you don’t lose muscle while you sleep | ||||
| 1 tbps flaxseeds | 2 | 3 | 4 | 55 |
| ½ cup strawberries | 0.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 30 |
| 1 scoop whey protein | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 87 |
| Totals: | 20.5 | 9 | 5 | 172 |
| Total Daily Intake | 170.5 | 137.5 | 37.5 | 1,597 |
| % of total calories | 44 | 35 | 21 | – |
Healthy Food List
Protein
- Fish
- Eggs & egg whites
- Chicken breasts
- Turkey breast
- Cottage cheese
- Milk proteins, whey powder
- Lean red meats
- Peanut butter (all natural)
Carbohydrates
- Fresh vegetables
- Beans
- Fruit
- Oatmeal
- Mixed grain or whole grain bread
- Whole grain rice
- Whole grain pasta
Fats
- Flaxseed oil
- Fish oil
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Raw nuts
- Peanut butter (all natural)
Fat Burning Foods
- Salmon – active ingredient: omega-3 fatty acids
- Eggs – active ingredient: protein, healthy fats
- Ginger – active ingredient: gingerol
- Avocado – active ingredient: monounsaturated fats, mannoheptulose
- Grapefruit – active ingredient: naringin
- Tofu – active ingredient: genistein
- Pomegranate – active ingredient: massive antioxidant load, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
- Dairy – active ingredient: calcium, protein
- Chili peppers – active ingredient: capsaicin
- Green tea – active ingredient: epigallocatechin gallate (ECCG), caffeine
- Spinach – active ingredient: glutathione, alpha lipoic, acid, fiber