How do you make sure you get all the nutrients you need for the day while watching your calorie and carbohydrate intake? The secret is to plan ahead.
Jill Weisenberger, a dietitian and author of The Diabetes Weight Loss Weekly Plan, points out that meal planning depends on many factors, including your taste preferences, medications you take, and activity level.
The general advice to follow is to keep carbohydrates consistent, meaning eat the same amount of carbohydrates for breakfast, lunch and dinner to avoid having too much or too little blood sugar. weisenberger recommends setting 45 grams as a target intake for the three main meals of the day. “If carbohydrate intake is below 30 grams, it will be difficult to get all the nutrients you need, such as fiber and phytochemicals,” which are health-improving nutrients contained in fruits and vegetables.
The following sample meal plan provides 1400 calories. Supplementing with healthy snacks is all you need to reach your personal calorie goal.
Breakfast
If you’re in a hurry in the morning, eat a mix-and-match breakfast, such as hard-boiled eggs, nuts or seeds, part-skim cheese sticks, peanut butter, or yogurt for protein; toast, crunchy crackers, or unsweetened ready-to-eat oatmeal for whole grains; plus any kind of fruit, such as dried dehydrated fruit, bananas, or apples.
Menu
- Avocado toast and eggs.
- Latte made with half a cup of milk with 1 % milk fat.
- Medium sized orange.
Avocado toast and eggs
This is bound to be one of the most satisfyingly simple breakfasts, as avocado and whole wheat bread are rich in fiber. Sprinkle with seasoning if you want other flavors.
Ingredients for 1 serving: 1 slice of 100% whole wheat bread; 1/5 avocado; 1 egg; salt and pepper.
How to do it: Spoon out the avocado onto the bread, top with the hard-boiled or half-boiled egg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 235 calories, 10 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 164 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 194 mg sodium. Fat provides 52% of the calories.
Lunch
Eating a sandwich without two slices of bread is good for controlling carbohydrate intake. Have a small whole wheat pita or some thin rye crackers with a protein, veggie salad, or soup for a satisfying lunch.
Menu
Whole wheat pita with curried tempeh (a naturally fermented soy product), a Waldorf salad and watercress.
Curry tempeh, Waldorf salad
Soy products replace chicken in this fruit and nut salad. Use 100% whole wheat pita bread, 70 to 90 calories per serving (you can use mini pita bread or half of a large pita bread).
Ingredients for 3 servings: 227 g tempeh; 0.5 cup water; 0.4 cup vegan mayonnaise or light mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon curry powder; 1 apple, cored and chopped; 0.25 cup chopped cashews; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 2 tablespoons golden raisins; 3 cups watercress; 1.5 100 percent whole wheat pita, cut in half.
How to do it: Place tempeh in a microwaveable bowl and drizzle with water. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. Pour off water and crush with a fork. Tempeh should be thick or easy to crumble.
In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, soy sauce, and curry powder. Add the tempeh, apple, cashews, celery, and raisins and mix. Add the pita bread and add the watercress.
Per serving: 433 calories, 21 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 22 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 6 grams fiber, 11 grams sugar, 453 milligrams sodium. Fat provides 45% of the calories.
Snacking options
Weisenberger noted that snacks (usually fruits and vegetables) should be used to fill in the nutritional gaps of the main meal.
Here are some of her favorite snacks:
- Cheese with tomatoes, basil and black pepper.
- Portobello pizza: Take a large mushroom, clean it, then add tomato sauce and low-fat cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Apple and peanut butter: This is a classic combination that provides fiber, protein and fat, a combination that successfully curbs hunger.
- Mao beans and nuts.
- V-8 Juice: Drink this juice while preparing a full meal to eliminate hunger pangs. Make your own low-sodium V-8 juice by mixing regular juice with a salt-free additive.
Dinner
Find some great one-pot cooking recipes that include lots of vegetables. Cook up a big pot when you have time and freeze it for a quick meal for the week. One serving of soup (about two cups) is a very generous portion.
Menu
- Chicken tortilla soup.
- Lime soda.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is a great one-pot cooker, perfect for a cold night. This soup can be frozen, so make a double batch and freeze half.
Ingredients for 8 servings (2 cups each): 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 565 grams skinless boneless chicken breasts; 1 tablespoon paprika; 2 teaspoons cumin; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 411 grams crushed tomatoes; 4 tablespoons green chilies; 937 ml low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups hot water; 1 425-gram can sodium-free black beans, drained and rinsed; 5 tortillas, cut into strips, 1.3 cm wide; 2 avocados, cut into squares; 227 grams finely chopped light cheddar cheese; 2 limes, cut into wedges; 1 cup chopped cilantro.
Method: In a large saucepan or Dutch pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic; sauté to soften. Add chicken breasts, paprika, cumin, and salt; stir well until all ingredients are coated with spices. Add tomatoes, peppers, broth and hot water and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and let cool until ready to handle. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to puree the soup (thicker). Chop the chicken with a fork and return to the pot with the black beans. Cook for another 20 minutes.
Before serving, place the tortilla strips, avocado and cheese in a bowl and ladle the soup over. Squeeze the lime juice and garnish with cilantro.
Per serving: 466 calories, 30 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 14 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 432 mg sodium. Fat provides 42% of the calories.