How to Plan Your Own Diet Meals

When you are attempting to lose weight, whether a few pounds or a substantial amount, making a plan will help you stay on track and reduce the temptations of fatty or high calorie foods. Diet meals do not have to be bland or tasteless and you can still eat some of your favorite foods as long as the portion sizes are controlled. Plan out small diet meals as well as small snacks to allow yourself food several times throughout the day.

Things You'll Need

• Food log

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Instructions

• 1

  Estimate the number of calories you need to consume each day in order to maintain weight. Keeping a food log for one to two weeks will give you a rough idea of how many calories you consume normally. The average number of daily calories during this time will be your maintenance calories. Subtract 200 from this number to create a calorie deficit. For example, if the average daily calories consumed during your food log was 2,000, then you would start your diet at 1,800 calories.

• 2

  Allow approximately 300 calories for each meal. Even if you are on a strict low calorie diet of 1,200 calories per day, this will allow you to consume three 300 calorie meals and three 100 calorie snacks each day. Always set aside at least 300 calories of your daily limit for snacks throughout the day. These small meals will help you ward off hunger pangs and control food cravings.

• 3

  Include a large amount of nonstarchy vegetables with each meal. Non starchy vegetables such as cucumbers, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and zucchini are low calorie food choices which provide essential vitamins and nutrients. These foods will also help you feel full as you can eat large amounts of them and still keep calories under control.

• 4

  Eat one serving of protein with each meal. A serving of protein is generally the same size as a deck of cards. Stick to lean meats with no visible fat, poultry or vegetarian choices including tofu or tempeh. Processed meats such as sausage or bacon are high calorie foods and may destroy your diet by using up your available calories and leaving you hungry later in the day.

• 5

  Healthy whole grain foods can be added to meals throughout the day although eating vegetables is enough to satisfy your body's basic need for carbohydrates. Check the ingredient list on the label when choosing items such as whole wheat breads or wraps. Avoid any items made with high fructose corn syrup which is simply a type of sugar. The flour should be listed as whole wheat flour, not "flour" which means white or all purpose flour. Include one serving of these healthy carbs with each meal as you prefer as long as it fits into your daily calorie requirements.

• 6

  Add a healthy fat source to each meal. Healthy fats include olive oil, fish, avocado and oils found naturally in nuts. A healthy diet should contain from 20 to 35 percent fat according the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines. Keep track of the calories carefully as high fat foods tend to be high calorie foods as well.

• 7

  Follow your diet plan for at least two weeks and monitor any weight loss. If you are not losing weight, drop your daily calories by another 200 and keep trying.