Daily Exchange Plan for Weight Loss

The daily exchange plan for weight loss first made its debut in the 1930s as a way to help diabetics keep track of food intake. Many mainstream weight loss programs have since adopted the concept, most notably publicized by Weight Watchers until the late 1990s. The basis for these diets were lists provided by the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association.

The Basics

• There's no need to join or buy anything to follow an exchange plan for weight loss. It's based on a well-balanced, common-sense diet that divides foods into categories and provides guidelines about how much of each category you should eat each day. Within the categories, you can mix and match foods, as long as you stay within the total amount. For example, one protein exchange could be 1 oz. of lean beef, ¼ cup of water-packed tuna or 2 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese. If the protein you choose is higher in fat, you also have to figure a fat exchange.

Your Personal Weight Loss Plan

• Your personal weight loss plan depends on how many calories you need to ingest in order to lose weight. For a person who is 50 to 100 lbs. overweight, a good daily goal is 1,400-1,500 calories. A 1,500-calorie food plan might consist of five starch exchanges (foods like bread and pasta), eight protein exchanges, four vegetable exchanges (some vegetables are free exchanges), three fruit exchanges, two dairy exchanges, three fat exchanges, and three or four free exchanges.

A Daily Menu Sample

• To put that into food terms, you might have the following daily menu:

  Breakfast: half of a whole wheat English muffin (one starch exchange) with 1 tbsp. peanut butter (one fat, one protein) and half a large banana (one fruit exchange), plus 6-8 oz. nonfat, sugar-free yogurt (one milk exchange)

  Morning snack: 1/4 cup cottage cheese (one protein) with 1/2 cup canned unsweetened pineapple (one fruit)

  Lunch: 1/2 cup canned tuna packed in water (two protein), 1 cup salad greens and 1/2 cup tomatoes (two vegetable), 1 cup low-fat croutons (one starch) plus cucumbers, green onions and 1 tbsp. fat-free salad dressing (three free exchanges)

  Afternoon snack: 3 cups plain, air-popped popcorn (one starch)

  Dinner: 4 oz. baked chicken (four protein), 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (one starch, one fat), 1/2 cup broccoli (one vegetable), 1/2 cup summer squash (one vegetable)

  Dessert or evening snack: 2 teaspoons tahini (one fat) spread on a small apple, sliced (one fruit)

  Any of the choices can be substituted. For example, you may prefer 2 oz. of lean ham and steamed asparagus to tuna and salad greens. That's the beauty of the daily exchange plan for weight loss. As long as you know what constitutes an exchange, you can tailor your diet and eat what you like.