The following MEAL PLAN is recommended for anyone and provides the daily intake of minerals and nutrients that your body needs to stay strong and healthy.  You can absolutely lose weight on this diet!  It’s loaded with fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and fat.  Most do not realize that eating vegetables is a trick to weight-loss, due to the amount of energy your body utilizes to metabolically break them down. 

As with any food that one consumes, read the food label to understand what a serving size is before over loading your plate and understand your meal plan when planning your grocery shopping list. 

Follow the suggested catagory on the left column for fruit, vegetable, meat, or bread.  The right side of the column provides just a few suggested food items.  (LS or Low Sodium is heighly recommended for weightloss.)  Vegetarians may choose meat substitutes, Tofu, beans, nuts or eggs.

Breakfast
Bread or Cereal…. Oatmeal LS, Total Cereal, Cheerios
Fruit…………………..Apple, Orange, Pear, Apricot, Banana, Cherries, Berries
Milk……………………Skim or 1% (8 oz), Low or nonfat Yogurt

Snack am
fruit (1-2 of choice.  1 fruit is 1 serving size), or Blend 2-3 Fruits with 4 oz OJ 

Lunch
Vegetable……………Cole Slaw, Green Salad, Veggie Salad, Pepper sticks, Broccoli
Vegetable……………LS Cream of Potato Soup  (Choice of Soup, Salad, Vegetable)
Meat (3 ounces)………Tuna, Turkey, Herring, Salmon, Beef, Chicken
Vegetable…………..(Any) Twice baked sweet potato, Aparagus saute’ EVOO & Garlic
Fruit……………… …Fruit Salad or Fruit of Choice, (Avocado & Tomato seasoned, EVOO)

Snack pm
1 0z …………………..nuts or seeds (unsalted)
Milk…………………. 1% Skim or 4-6 oz low or nonfat yogurt

Dinner
Meat (3 Ounces)………………. Chicken Patty, Pork, Beef, Fish, Turkey,
Bread……………… (Bread is optional.  Choose whole grain or wheat bread.)
Vegetable………..Lettuce, tomato and onion (cooked or raw)
Vegetable……….. Baked beans
Fruit………………. Kiwi-Strawberry or a  LS, Reduced sugar content Dessert acceptable i.e. Sherbert

Do your research before starting on a Meal Plan and altering your dietary intake.  Remember to consult with your Doctor or Dietitian so that you can make the necessary changes to a healthier lifestyle. Include various types of exercise (walk, bike swim, roller blade, team sports) to promote bone, muscle and metal health. 

For more information on how to enhance Lifestyle Change read: “How to nutritionally and effectively Down Shift to 1350 Calories per day”; “How Tea’s effect weightloss” and Flatten your Tummy for a Poolside Silohouette“.  There are a few respectable weightloss programs such as USANA’s Macro Optimizer, Reset,  which provides nutritional supplements, so that you can achieve your goal weight effectively.  Check out the various types of Meal Plans and if you should (Avoid Sports Drinks?)  It’s a 310 calorie article you don’t want to miss!

By: Kimberly Crocker-Scardicchio

Literature Research

http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/fruit-nutrition-chart.htmlhttp://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=116#stemhttp://www.ifanca.org/newsletter/2002_07.htmhttp://ezinearticles.com/?Calorie-Shifting-Meal-Plan&id=870062http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930970?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17412526? ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed