If you want to lose weight, you need to eat healthy and balanced meals. Here are some helpful tips to plan your meals for weight loss:
- Make low-carb or keto meals that are good for you: Choose protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, or tofu. Eat vegetables that have few carbs, like greens, cauliflower, broccoli, or others. Add some fat for taste and satisfaction.
- Eat natural foods instead of processed foods: Natural foods have more nutrients and make you feel full longer than processed foods, which have extra sugar, salt, and chemicals. Natural foods also have more fiber, which helps you control your hunger and digestion.
- Drink a lot of water and avoid sweet drinks: Water is important for your body and helps you feel full. Sweet drinks, such as soda, juice, and sports drinks, have a lot of calories and sugar that can stop you from losing weight.
- Eat with attention and listen to your body: Eating with attention means you focus on your food, your feelings, and your body signs. It helps you enjoy your food more and not eat too much. Listen to your body and eat only when you feel hungry, not when you are bored, stressed, or used to.
- Plan and make your meals before you eat them: Planning your meals before can help you save time, money, and calories. You can also avoid eating without thinking and make better choices. Making your meals before can also help you follow your diet and serving sizes.
To give you some examples, here is a 7-day meal plan for weight loss that you can change as you like. The plan has natural foods that are good for you. You should decide how much food you need, based on your weight loss goals, how active you are, and what you need.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | egg with spinach and tomato | tuna salad with lettuce, cucumber, and tomato | bean chili with cauliflower ‘rice’ | apple slices and peanut butter |
| 2 | oatmeal with blueberries, milk, and seeds | hummus and vegetable wrap | salmon with sesame, purple broccoli, and sweet potato mash | tangerine and cashew nuts |
| 3 | avocado and egg on a slice of rye toast | quinoa with broccoli and almonds | chicken stir fry and soba noodles | blueberries and coconut yogurt |
| 4 | smoothie with protein powder, berries, and oat milk | chicken salad with lettuce and corn | roasted vegetables, lentils, and tahini dressing | rice cake with nut butter |
| 5 | pancakes with raspberries and Greek yogurt | vegetable soup with two oatcakes | fish tacos with slaw | boiled egg with pita slices |
| 6 | apple slices with peanut butter | omelet with mint, pea, and feta | baked sweet potato, chicken breast, greens | cocoa protein ball |
| 7 | muffin with eggs and vegetables | tofu bowl with crispiness | lentil Bolognese with zucchini noodles | carrot sticks and hummus |