Monday
Breakfast
Eat 1 cup oatmeal (like Bob’s Red Mill) made with hot water and topped with 1/2 banana.
Lunch
Make a spinach salad by topping 3 to 4 cups baby spinach leaves with 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped; 2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled; 5 mushrooms, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup croutons; 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese; and 3 slices red onion. Toss ingredients together, then drizzle with a flavored vinegar, such as red wine, balsamic or seasoned rice vinegar. Finish off your meal with a pear.
Dinner
To make a savory Asian patty, mix 1 pound ground turkey breast with 8-ounce canned water chestnuts, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 4 green onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 4 teaspoons soy sauce. Shape mixture into 4 patties. Freeze 3 for later use. In nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patty over medium heat until thoroughly cooked throughout. Serve with a side dish of 3/4 cup cooked rice tossed with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil.
Round it out with 2 cups steamed broccoli florets and 1 cup berries on the side
Tuesday
On the menu today: a classic peanut-butter sandwich followed by little Tex-Mex flavor.
Breakfast
Toast one English muffin and sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese (any type). Buke or broil until cheese melts. Eat it with 1 pear.
Lunch
Spread 1 slice raisin bread with 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter. Top with 1/2 banana, sliced. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey and cover with another slice of raisin bread and drink with 1 cup fat-free milk.
Dinner
Heat things up with a spicy chicken olé. On a 12-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil, center a 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast. Top with 3/4 cup canned corn with peppers, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (optional). Fold foil into a packet. Bake on cookie sheet at 450 degrees F about 18 minutes.
Pair it with a citrusy avocado salad: On lettuce leaves, arrange 1 tangerine, peeled and divided into segments; 1/4 ripe avocado, thinly sliced; 1 slice red onion. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.
1500 Calorie Meal Plan for 7 Days
Wednesday
Keep it up with lots of filling whole grains and some easy veggie pockets for your midday meal.
Breakfast
Cook 1/2 cup oats with 1 cup fat-free milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 cup berries, and pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Lunch
Cut a whole-wheat pita in half. Spread 3 tablespoons of hummus in each pocket. Stuff with tomato and cucumber slices and baby spinach leaves. Sprinkle each stuffed pita pocket with flavored vinegar. Eat it with 6 ounces light yogurt and 1 kiwi.
Dinner
For entrée, whip up some sweet honey pork. Cut 1 pound pork tenderloin into 8 slices. Pound slices into 1/4-inch-thick medallions. Freeze 6 medallions. Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook 2 medallions over medium heat until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Continue cooking pork until tender, about 3 minutes.
Make apricot couscous as a side. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup chicken broth; 2 dried apricots, cut into thin strips; and 1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind until boiling. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup couscous. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Serve with 1 cup steamed green beans.