Example Food Plan Based on 1800 Calories

These food plans are to help you gather a better understanding of how to create a healthy, balanced diet to help you achieve your goals. This is based on 1800 Calories with a 40% Protein 40% Carbs and 20% Fat Macro Split. Please ensure you have worked out your own calorie needs and adapt the plan accordingly, there is no need to be in such a large Calorie Deficit If you don't need to be. It is not healthy or sustainable…this is just an example of what a 1200 calorie balanced diet looks like.

ou can find tasty recipes here which will fit in with your food plan (each recipe is coded at the bottom, for example 1C 1P 1F 1V 1S = 1 Carb, 1 Protein 1 Fat 1 Veg 1 Sauce, so this would fit an evening meal, if you don’t think a food plan is for you visit here for a guide on how to macro track your daily food intake.

A few rules...

With the food plan you can have black tea and coffee/ herbal teas, you are allowed 100ml a day of skimmed milk/same calories alternative. You can have 50g a day of reduced sugar and salt sauces, use 1 cal spray, maximum 20 sprays a day and you should not cook with any oil unless this is included as your fat choice. 

Make sure you mix your foods up and don't stick to the same foods, your diet should be colourful and varied. Although you can mix meals up and put meals together (if you have to) try and stick to eating regular and balanced meals throughout the day as per the plans. Be adventurous! You can use spices, stock, seasoning and small amounts of low calorie condiments like balsamic, soya sauce, fish sauce etc.

Please make sure you are drinking 8 glasses/ 2 litres of water a day.

Enjoy!

Shopping List

Carbohydrate option

  • 40g Porridge oats with water (raw weight)

  • One bagel thin/ bread thin/ folded flat bread

  • 2 Slices brown bread (around 60 calories a slice)

  • 90g Cooked pasta (about 37g raw)

  • 90g Cooked rice

  • 4 Plain rice/ corn cakes

  • 200g Cooked white or sweet potato

  • One large tortilla wrap/ Pitta bread

  • 80g Medium banana

  • 200g Cooked beans (white, black, kidney, all in water)

  • 90g Cooked lentils

  • 1 Nest egg noodles (50g)

  • 90g Cooked cous cous

Protein option

  • 1 Scoop protein shake with water (avg.100 calories, low fat & carbs)

  • 100g Cooked lean meat/ fish (chicken, turkey, white fish, tuna (not in oil). The raw weight is on average 140g but you must weigh the food after it is cooked.

  • 5 Medium egg whites or 3 large egg whites (see fat option for full egg instruction)

  • 80g Smoked salmon (if having this DO NOT have the fat option as well)

  • 100g Cooked salmon fillet (if having this DO NOT have the fat option as well)

  • 200g fat free cottage cheese

  • 200g Fage/ Skyl plain 0% fat free greek yogurt

  • 200g Fat free plain Quark

  • 150g Prepared tofu (this also contains 1 fat option so adapt accordingly)

  • 2 Veggie sausages (about 70 calories per sausage)/ 3 low fat Chicken sausages (about 50 calories per sausage)

Fat option

  • 2 medium eggs (if having this DO NOT have the full protein option, try and add in egg whites to cover your fat and protein options- 1P 1F= 2 eggs, 3 egg whites.)

  • 15g Nut butter

  • 10g Oil

  • 15g Lighter butter

  • 30g Avocado

  • 25g Nuts

  • 25g Low fat/ Reduced fat cheese

  • 20g Light Mayonnaise/ Cream based sauce

  • 20g Cream

  • 70ml Light coconut milk

  • 30g Olives (not in oil)

Breakfast

1 Carbohydrate option
1 Protein option
1 Fat option

PLUS 100g all green vegetables, and lower carbohydrate or low sugar vegetables such as cauliflower, aubergine, mushrooms or parsnips
or
100g lower carbohydrate fruit such as berries, apples or oranges.

*If you choose not to have vegetables at breakfast you can swap for fruit or have it with other meals

 

Snack one

Half Carbohydrate option

Half Protein option

Lunch

1 Carbohydrate option
1 Protein option
1 Fat option

PLUS 100g all green vegetables and lower carbohydrate or low sugar vegetables such as cauliflower, aubergine, mushrooms or parsnips
or
100g lower carbohydrate fruit such as berries, apples or oranges.

Snack two

Half Carbohydrate option
Half Protein option

Dinner

1 Carbohydrate option
1 Protein option
1 Fat option

PLUS 100g all green vegetables and lower carbohydrate or low sugar vegetables such as cauliflower, aubergine, mushrooms or parsnips
or
100g lower carbohydrate fruit such as berries, apples or oranges.

 

A Feel Good Meal

In addition to your food plan you are allowed one feel good meal a week (avg. 600 calories), if you choose to macro track you should go 400 calories over on your chosen feel good meal day.

If you drink alcohol you should try and reduce how much you drink, if you follow the food plan then you can have alcohol within your feel good meal calories.

If you are finding it hard to stick to one feel good meal a week and need more flexibility you can look at macro tracking or we can change your food plan to have more flexibility on other days. Just contact us HERE to ask for our help.

The idea of a feel good meal is not to reward yourself but for you to enjoy your life and not feel as though you are on a constant restricted diet.

 

NUTRITIONMaricarmen JaramilloComment