7 Day Quick and Easy Sample Menu Plan
[This plan can be adapted for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet. Just click the link for each day of the diet provided here to read tips and more on how to increase the calorie count from the baseline of 1200. Recommendations are included at the end of the page for each day's menu.]
This sample week long menu plan requires very little work. However the cost of the plan is likely to be more than my previous 7-Day Plan because it incorporates having one meal out (fast food restaurant) each day. Depending on what works for your schedule, you could choose to have your meal out at either lunch or supper. Just switch things around to suit you best.
Most fast food restaurants are now required to list the calories in the foods they serve somewhere in the restaurant. It might be on the menu board, on a poster off to the side, or possibly in brochures. If you can’t get the exact meal as suggested in this sample menu, look for something similar with a comparable number of calories.
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Breakfast
1 cup Enriched Soy Milk (Soy Dream, 120 calories)*
¾ cup Heart to Heart Kashi Cereal
½ cup Blueberries
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 cup Enriched Soy Milk (Soy Dream, 120 calories)*
Lunch
Schlotzsky’s Chicken and Pesto Pasta Salad (326 calories)
Schlotzsky’s Fresh Fruit Salad (123 calories)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 piece Laughing Cow Cheese, light original (50 calories)
1 medium orange
Supper
1 Hummus and Tomato Sandwich
(Start with 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla and spread one side with 2 Tbsp. hummus. Top with ½ cup spinach leaves, 1/2 cup tomato slices, ¼ cup feta cheese. Roll up and enjoy. Quick, easy. Ready in minutes.)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1247
*To save about 40 calories a cup and still have comparable nutrition, substitute a cup of nonfat cow’s milk for the soymilk. I often switch between drinking cow’s milk and soymilk. Having a few small cartons of shelf stable soymilk in the cupboard means I have something convenient to grab for a quick and easy meal (paired with cereal) or a filling snack on its own when I’m on the go.
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Breakfast
½ cup Trail Mix (Make your own in minutes. Approximately 188 calories)*
1 stick Mozzarella String Cheese (Horizon, 80 calories)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)**
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
¼ cup almonds, dry roasted preferably unsalted
Lunch
1 Subway – Deli Style Roast Beef Sandwich (220 calories)
1 Veggie Delite Salad (50 calories without dressing or croutons)
1 Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt (80 calories)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 medium orange (Yes, the same snack as the Day 1 menu but hey, it’s a good choice!)
Supper
1 cup Fat Free Barley Soup (Health Valley – 90 calories)
1 Veggie Cake (veggie cake/burger by MorningStar – 130 calories)
½ cup Lite Vanilla Ice Cream (Blue Bunny – 100 calories)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1202
*Trail Mix – Make up enough for several mini-meals or snacks. Combine 1.5 Cups of Multigrain Chex Cereal, ½ cup raisins, ½ cup craisins original, and ½ cup dry-roasted pistachio nuts. Mix then add ½ cup servings to mini zip lock bags. Store in a cool, dry place. This makes about 3 cups total for six ½ cup servings or about 188 calories per serving.
Note: Multigrain Chex Cereal is fortified with iron. If you are post-menopausal you may want to choose a different whole grain cereal with less iron.
**Light N’ Healthy Calcium Orange Juice by Tropicana. I included this juice because it is a source of a little extra calcium and it helped the numbers to add up right for total of approximately 1200 calories. However, I believe a regular orange juice product (with or without added calcium) would be a better choice for not too many more calories. Why would it be better? Light juice is made by adding water to plain orange juice. That dilutes the available nutrients, which may or may not be added back in. In my opinion, the original mix of nutrients as nature intended is always best.
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Breakfast
3/4 cup Kashi Heart to Heart cereal (110 calories)
1 carton Vanilla Soymilk (Soy Dream, 120 calories)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)**
12 pieces Dry Roasted Almonds
Snack
1 Low fat Stonyfield Farm Yogurt (130 calories, your choice of flavor)
Lunch
1 Chicken Grilled Taquito (Taco Bell, 310 calories)
1 medium apple (bring from home)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 String Mozzarella Cheese
Supper (very much the same as day 2, planned so you can finish the soup)
1 cup Fat Free Barley Soup (Health Valley – 90 calories)
1 Veggie Cake (veggie cake/burger by Morningstar – 130 calories)
4 Nabisco Triscuits – Reduced Fat
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1230
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Breakfast
½ cup Trail Mix (Make your own in minutes. Approximately 188 calories)*
1 stick Mozzarella String Cheese (Horizon, 80 calories)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)**
Snack
½ cup fresh blueberries
1 kiwi
Lunch
1/2 Grilled Veggie Burrito (Qdoba Mexican Grill – about 330 calories for half, save the other half for tomorrow’s lunch)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 cup Soy Dream Soy Milk, enriched vanilla (1 cup = 120 calories)
Supper
1 Hummus and Tomato Sandwich
(Start with 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla and spread one side with 2 Tbsp. hummus. Top with ½ cup spinach leaves, 1/2 cup tomato slices, ¼ cup feta cheese. Roll up and enjoy. Quick, easy, and ready in minutes.)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1212
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Breakfast
2 Honey Oat Waffles (Kashi – 160 calories)
Apple butter
3 Tbsp. Apple Butter (Eden Foods – 60 calories)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)*
Snack
1 cup Soy Dream Soy Milk, enriched vanilla (1 cup = 120 calories)
Lunch
1/2 Grilled Veggie Burrito (Qdoba Mexican Grill – about 330 calories for the half leftover from lunch on Day 4)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1/4 cup Almonds, whole
Supper
Make a Twice-Baked Potato with toppings
1 medium potato, baked
1Tbsp. Light Butter (Land O’Lakes Butter with Canola – 50 calories)
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1/4 cup Black-eyed Peas
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (Kraft, Grate-it-Fresh – 20 calories)
(Scrub the potato well so you can eat the whole thing, skin included, for a great source of dietary fiber and nutrients. Pierce potato with a fork and bake in a microwave oven about 4-6 minutes on high. Slice the baked potato open across the top and blend in the butter with a fork. Top with the Black-eyed peas and steamed broccoli. Then add grated parmesan. Reheat for a short time. Enjoy!)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1221
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Breakfast
3/4 cup Multigrain Chex Cereal* (General Mills, 160 calories)
1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (Soy Dream, 120 calories)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)**
Snack
½ cup fresh blueberries
Lunch
1/2 Grilled Pacific Salmon (Long John Silver’s – about 150 calories for 2 fillets)
1 Corn Cobette w/o butter (Long John Silver’s – 90 calories)
1 kiwi fruit (bring with you to eat AFTER lunch)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 Mozzarella String Cheese (Horizon – 80 calories)
Supper
(Spinach Salad with a Whole Wheat Pita and Hummus)
2 cups Spinach Leaves
1/2 cup Red tomatoes chopped
1 Mozzarella String Cheese cut into small pieces
1/2 cup Black-eyed peas
1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (Extra virgin, 60 calories)
1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Whole Wheat Pita (159 calories)
3 Tbsp. Hummus (75 calories)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Total Calories = 1224
*Note: Multigrain Chex Cereal is fortified with iron. If you are post-menopausal you may want to choose a different whole grain cereal with less iron.
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Breakfast
2 Honey Oat Waffles (Kashi, 160 calories)
3 Tbsp. Apple Butter (60 calories)
Vanilla Soy Milk (1/2 cup)
1⁄2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana – 25 calories)*
Snack
1 Medium Apple
Lunch
1 Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken (McDonald’s, 300 calories, includes the almonds)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
Snack
1 cup Soy Dream Soy Milk, enriched vanilla (1 cup = 120 calories)
Supper
Twice Baked Potato
(Microwave 1/2 cup of washed and cut broccoli in a microwave oven. Set aside. While the broccoli is cooking, wash/scrub a medium to large size potato, then bake in microwave for 6-10 minutes on high. Remove potato from the microwave and carefully slice open the top to avoid burning yourself with the steam. Lightly mash inside with a fork and add 1 Tbsp. Light Butter. Top the potato with the cooked broccoli, 1/4 cup canned, rinsed Black Eyed Peas, and 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Return the potato to the microwave and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes.)
1 Medium to Large Baked Potato (160 calories)
1/2 Cup fresh broccoli cut into small pieces
1/4 Cup Black Eyed Peas cooked
1 Tbsp. Light Butter (Land O’Lakes Light Butter with Canola, 50 calories)
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (20 calories)
1/2 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream (Blue Bunny, 100 calories)
Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee
(Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.)
Total Calories = 1202
