3 Healthy Meal Plans to Help You Lose Weight

Our heart healthy meal plans are designed to provide you with three days’ worth of meals that align with the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines for heart healthy living. Each of these plans is packed with nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. They can help serve as a guide to help you plan your daily meals and snacks, which can help you better manage your weight.

These healthy diet plans meet specific nutritional criteria:

1. They all contain between 2,000 and 2,200 calories/day (make sure you know how many calories you should be eating each day based on your weight goals and adjust these healthy meal plans accordingly)
2. They’re contain 7 to 10 percent of daily calories from saturated fat
3. They contain little-to-no trans fat
4. They contain healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated)
5. They’re high in fiber
6. They’re low in cholesterol (less than 300 mg/day)
7. They’re low in sodium ( less than 2,300 mg/day)
8. They include 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
9. They include 6 smaller meals per day, which helps control food cravings

Click on the links below or scroll down the page to see each of the healthy meal plans.

Healthy Meal Plan 1

Healthy Meal Plan 2

Healthy Meal Plan 3

Breakfast
	Amount	Food	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Calories
	4	Egg whites	16	0	0	64
	1	Whole egg	6	0	4	70
	1 medium	Banana	1	31	0	121
	1/2 cup	Oatmeal	5	27	3	150
	1 cup	Low Sodium V8	2	10	0	50
	Total:		32	68	7	455
Morning Snack
	1 cup	Raw carrots	1	9	0	35
	Total:		1	9	0	35
Lunch
	2 oz.	Dietz & Watson reduced sodium turkey	12	1	1	60
	1 slice (.5 oz.)	Mozzarella cheese	6	1	5	60
	1	South Beach Diet whole wheat wrap	5	25	3	110
	1.5 cup	Romaine lettuce	0	3	0	15
	1 medium	Tomato	1	5	0	25
	1 T	Olive oil	0	0	15	120
	1 tsp.	Red wine vinegar	0	0	0	5
	1 serving (16 crackers)	Whole Grain Wheat Thins	2	21	6	140
	2 T	Sabra Supremely Spicy Hummus	1	2	6	80
	Total:		27	58	36	615
Afternoon Snack
	1.5 T	Almond butter	5	5	12	146
	1 medium	Apple	1	22	0	80
	Total:		6	27	12	226
Dinner
		Chicken picatta	32	18	16	260
	2 cups	Romaine lettuce	0	5	0	20
	1 tsp.	Olive oil	0	0	5	40
	1 tsp.	Balsamic vinegar	0	2	0	5
	1/2 cup	Black beans	7	25	1	140
	Total:		39	50	22	465
Nightime Snack
	1	Sargento Light String Cheese	6	1	3	50
	1 scoop	EAS Whey Protein	23	2	2	120
	1 cup	Skim milk	8	12	0	80
	Total:		37	15	5	250
	Grand Total:		142	227	82	2046

 

Healthy Meal Plan 2

Breakfast
	Amount	Food	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Calories
		Spinach and tomato omelet	16	8	8	152
		Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal	8	38	4	217
	Total:		24	46	12	367
Morning Snack
	1/2 cup	Fat free Greek yogurt	12	5	0	65
	Total:		12	5	0	65
Lunch
	3 oz.	Dietz & Watson extra lean roast beef	18	0	2	90
	1 slice (.5 oz.)	Swiss cheese	5	0	5	70
	2 slices	Whole wheat bread	8	32	2	160
	1.5 cup	Romaine lettuce	0	3	0	15
	1 T	Olive oil	0	0	15	120
	1 tsp.	Red wine vinegar	0	0	0	5
	1 serving (6 crackers)	Triscuits	3	19	4.5	120
	2 T	Sabra Hummus	1	3	6	70
	Total:		35	57	34.5	650
Afternoon Snack
	8	Celery sticks	0	8	0	30
	2 T	Peanut butter	8	7	16	190
	Total:		8	15	16	220
Dinner
		Balsamic glazed salmon	29	8	17	310
		Veggie Pita	17	49	14	357
	1 medium	Sliced tomato	1	5	0	25
	Total:		47	62	31	692
Nightime Snack
	1/4 cup	Walnuts	4	5	16	170
	Total:		4	5	16	170
	Grand Total:		130	190	109.5	2164

Healthy Meal Plan 3

Breakfast
	Amount	Food	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Calories
	2	Eggs	12	2	9	140
	1	Trader Joe’s whole wheat mini bagels	4	22	.5	90
	2 T	Trader Joe’s Garlic Hummus	2	5	3	50
	1 cup	Blueberries	1	21	0	84
	1 cup	Skim milk	8	12	0	80
	1 cup	Coffee (w/ Splenda or Truvia)	0	0	0	2
	Total:		27	62	4.5	446
Morning Snack
	1 oz.	Almonds	6	5	15	170
	Total:		6	5	15	170
Lunch
		Tuna and Arugula Salad	24	37	10	231
		Veggie Reuben	16	40	13	310
	Total:		40	77	23	541
Afternoon Snack
	2 T	Trader Joe’s Garlic Hummus	2	5	3	50
	1 cup	Sliced red pepper	1	5	0	26
	1 scoop	EAS Whey Protein	23	2	2	120
	1 cup	Skim milk	8	12	0	80
	Total:		34	24	5	276
Dinner
		Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce	30	5	15	310
		Spaghetti Squash with Fontina Cheese	6	14	9	150
	1.5 cup	Romaine lettuce	0	3	0	15
	1 medium	Cucumber	1	5	0	25
	1 T	Olive oil	0	0	15	120
	1 tsp.	Red wine vinegar	0	0	0	5
	Total:		37	27	39	625
Nightime Snack
	1/2 cup	Low fat cottage cheese	12	5	2	90
	Total:		12	5	2	90
	Grand Total:		156	200	88.5	2148

---

Next: Nutritional Value Calculator

Go From Healthy Meal Plans Back to Understanding Calories

Go to The Healthy Eating Guide Home Page

Copyright 2011, The Healthy Eating Guide