When you or a client is trying to lose weight or eat better, it’s sometimes easier to just have someone tell you what to eat. Following a meal plan created by dietitians is a helpful place to start. Before you choose the right meal plan for you, you’ll have to figure out what your daily calorie goal is.
A 1500 calorie diet may be a great starting point for you. Most people will typically lose weight eating between 1500 – 1800 calories per day. Use this calculator (https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html) to help figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day. There’s a simple calculation you can use to calculate the amount of calories you should be eating in a day to lose half to a whole pound per week. Let’s say you need to eat 2,000 calories per day. Eating 500 less calories (1500 calorie diet) would result in losing roughly 1 pound a week. Eating 250 less calories (1800 calorie diet) would result in losing roughly half a pound a week.
We know how many calories you should have daily, but now what kind of foods should you eat and avoid? Download our 1500 calorie meal plan to help you get started. You should try to limit eating processed foods, added sugars, deep fried foods, sugary cereals, sodas, etc. It’s best to focus on eating a diet that is rich in whole foods, vegetables, fruits, grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.
FOOD MUST HAVES
- Whole grains (bread, pasta, rice)
- Fruits (apples, bananas, pineapple)
- Vegetables
- Starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, butternut squash)
- Non-starchy vegetables (lettuce, tomato, carrot, bell peppers)
- Nuts and legumes (lentils, beans, walnuts, pistachio, almonds)
- Dairy (greek yogurt, milk, eggs, cheese)
- Meats (chicken, turkey, fish)
- Fats (olive oil, avocado, walnuts)
FOODS TO AVOID
- Sugar sweetened beverages (cola, fruit juices)
- Refined sugar (sugary cereal, muffins, candy)
- Fast foods (fries, pizza, chicken nuggets, chicken wings)
- Processed foods (spam, frozen pizza)
- Deep fried foods (corn dogs, donuts, potato chips)
This looks like a long intimidating list of foods to have and avoid so let me give you some tips that can be a useful resource to come back to. The key to success is planning, prepping and considering downloading our 1500 calorie diet plan to use as a guide and help you get started.
TIPS ON STOCKING FOODS FOR 1 WEEK on a 1500 CALORIE DIET
- Have 4-6 types vegetables in the fridge
- Have 3-4 types of fruits
- Have at least 2-3 types of grains in the pantry
- Have at least 2-3 type of nuts in the pantry
- Have at least 2-3 types of protein in fridge/freezer
- Consider 2-3 dairy products in the fridge