Meals: Day 1
(perfect for Diabetics, too)
Breakfast:
1 cup (5oz, 145g) Non-fat cottage cheese* 120 calories
23 nuts (1oz, 28g) Almonds, raw 160 calories
1 cup (5oz, 150g) Strawberries (or other berries) 50 calories
Nutrition Snack** (e.g. one Balance bar) 200 calories
Total breakfast Calories = 530
Lunch:
5 oz. (140g) Chicken breast, skinless, boiled, baked
or roasted* 230 calories
½ cup (80g) Broccoli (steamed, boiled, or raw) 25 calories
½ cup (60g) Cauliflower (steamed, boiled, or raw) 15 calories
1 tbl Olive oil (extra virgin) 120 calories
½ tsp Herbs and Spices**** 5 calories
1 medium Orange 65 calories
Directions:
Cook chicken (or other protein) as desired or use canned
variety. Add to plate with broccoli and cauliflower. Add olive oil and
herbs and spices. Have orange for dessert.
Total Lunch Calories = 460 calories
Snack:
1 cup non-fat yogurt * 120 calories
6 nuts (1/2 oz, 14g) macadamia nuts 100 calories
Total snack = Calories 220 calories
Dinner:
2 cups Green, leafy salad (may include lettuce, cabbage,
spinach) 20 calories
¼ fillet (3oz, 90g) Salmon, canned low-salt or fresh-baked* 185
calories
7oz (200g) Sweet potato, baked 180 calories
1 tbl Olive oil 120 calories
½ tsp Herbs and Spices**** 5 calories
1 tbl Vinegar 5 calories
Directions:
Sprinkle vinegar and ½ tbl olive oil and ½
herbs and spices over salad. Sprinkle ¼ tbl olive oil and remaining
herbs over fish. Sprinkle remaining olive oil over sweet potato (have
this for dessert).
Total dinner = Calories 515 calories
For more recipe ideas, visit our low-calorie
cookbooks page.
Use this Quick-Jump Table to Access Each Day's Meal
in a Seven-day Week:
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Day 1 | Day 2
| Day 3 | Day 4
| Day 5 | Day 6
| Day 7
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Notes:
These meals are merely suggestions. Once you become familiar
with nutritious, low-Calorie food choices, such as the ones above, menu
and meal combinations are endless … so be creative!
* Vegetarians and Vegans
Adequate protein and omega 3 fats may be deficient in vegetarian or vegan
diets. Other nutrients which are a bit tricky to get on a totally non-animal
diet: vitamin B12 (no, fermented foods & spirulina do not contain
it -- supplements are absolutely necessary for vegans and a good idea
for the ovo-lacto); calcium, zinc, and iron (vegan iron is both relatively
rare and not very bioavailable). It is especially important for veg(etari)ans
to put their diets through nutrition software (see "References and
Resources" below) to work out exactly how much you're getting of
these & other nutrients. When you do your blood work, a ferritin test
is especially important for veg(etari)ans. If you do not eat fish (or
supplement with its oil), consider a flax supplement. In addition, true
vegans are especially vulnerable to protein (amino acid) deficiency. Substitute
meat, dairy and egg choices above with suitable vegetable-only protein
products (tofu, rice-protein powder, beans, brewers yeast, etc). top
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** Adding extra Calories
The number of additional Calories will depend on your sex, age, activity
level, metabolism and length of time on CR. A good rule-of-thumb:
If you are losing more than 1 pound per week, you may
be cutting Calories too fast.
One may add Calories by including extra nuts, olive oil
or fruit. Alternatively, Nutrition Snacks*** may added – they are
a good choice since one knows exactly how many Calories are in each serving.
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*** Nutrition Snacks: Bars,
Muffins, Shakes and Mixes
The best Nutrition Snacks are based on recipes developed by others practicing
CR. For example, check out Sherm’s Brownies and MegaMuffins
as well as Walford’s Beyond
The 120 Year Diet. These recipes were developed using nutrition-analysis
software.
It is understandable that the convenience of commercial
products may be desirable at times. The following products appear to be
the least processed of the numerous brands available; they may be found
in grocery or health-food stores:
Balance Bar (200 Calories per bar): there are several varieties offered by
this brand; all are “Zone” balanced. The Outdoor bar seems
best due to better-quality ingredients, least saturated fat and lack of
vitamin/mineral fortification (you should be getting plenty from the remainder
of your diet; otherwise, take a multivitamin). The Almond Brownie is also
acceptable; however, it is fortified.
Nutribiotic ProZone bars and mixes (around 200
Calories per bar or mix serving): There are several varieties offered
by this brand; all are “Zone” balanced. Like the Balance Outdoor
bar, the ProZone bars and shake mixes contain quality ingredients and
are not fortified.
Rebar (160 Calories per bar): Includes high-quality
organic vegetable and fruit ingredients. It does not contain protein or
fat. If using this product one may add, for example, raw almonds and non-fat
yogurt, to “balance” the meal.
Balance Bar Trail Mix Bars - Fruit & Nut
(210 Calories
per bar): Includes organic and/or other high-quality ingredients in their
meal-replacement bars. They also make a fruit/soy protein drink. top
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**** Herbs and Spices
A low-salt, all-in-one spice mix, such as Veg-it or Spike, works well
and is convenient.
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As noted in the Cautions and Hazards
of the Calorie Restriction Society's web
site, please lower Calorie intake very gradually. The four meals above
roughly add up to around 1700 -1800 Calories per day. If you are just
beginning CR, this regimen will probably be too low in Calories. To compensate,
carefully add extra Calories to each meal (see this note**).
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