Meals: Day 4 (also ideal for Diabetics)

Breakfast:

Oatmeal:

1 cup Non-fat yogurt 120 calories
1/3 oz or 10g Protein powder (soy, whey, rice) 35 calories
¾ cup or 175g Oatmeal (regular, unenriched, no salt, cooked w/water) 110 calories
½ oz or 14 g Raisins 45 calories
7 halves (½ oz, 14g) Walnuts 95 calories
10 nuts (½ oz, 14g) Almonds or Hazelnuts 90 calories
¼ tsp Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) 5 calories

Directions:

Cook oatmeal in water. Add remainder ingredients. Use Calorie-free sweetener if desired.

Total breakfast Calories = 500

Lunch:

1cup, 145g or 5oz Non-fat cottage cheese* 120 calories
1 large stalk (65g) Celery 10 calories
1 cup (242g) Soup, lentil or pea (low-salt, canned) 125 calories
½ tsp Herbs and Spices**** 5 calories
23 nuts (1oz, 28g) Almonds, raw 160 calories
5pcs (18g) Apricot, dried 80 calories

Total Lunch Calories = 500

Snack:

3.5 oz (100g) Turkey breast, white, deli cut* 110 calories
2 tbl guacamole or avocado 60 calories
½ cup blueberries (or other berries) 40 calories

Directions:

Spread guacamole over turkey, and eat with toothpick or fork. Have berries for dessert.

Total snack = Calories 210

Dinner:

Lemon Chicken:

5oz (150g) Chicken breast, skinless/boneless (boiled or baked) 220 calories
¼ cup (2oz, 56g) non-fat yogurt 30 calories
1 tbl Olive oil 120 calories
2 tbl lemon juice 5 calories
½ tsp Herbs and Spices**** 5 calories

2 cups broccoli and cauliflower, steamed 20 calories

1 cup (5oz) red wine or 2 cups dark grapes 110 calories

Directions:

Combine yogurt, lemon juice, ½ herbs and spices, ½ olive oil, and baste chicken with this after it is cooked. Sprinkle remainder of olive oil and herbs/spices over steamed veggies.

Total dinner = Calories 510

For more recipe ideas, visit our low-calorie cookbooks page.

top of page

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 of page

** 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. top of page

*** 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 of page

**** Herbs and Spices
A low-salt, all-in-one spice mix, such as Veg-it or Spike, works well and is convenient.
top of page

Home | What's New | CR Science and Research | CRONies | Links + References | 2000 Poll: By The Numbers Webmastering+Admin