1200 Calorie Diet Menu

A 1200 calorie diet meny may be followed in cases where a bit more time can be taken in order to lose weight. It should limit your intake of excess calories, but provide all of the nutrients the body needs – while creating variety in your meal plan to avoid monotony. These sample menus provide various options healthy and nutritious options.

A daily 1200 calorie diet menu should include five servings of grains, two servings of beans or meats (or poultry or fish), four servings of low fat dairy products and two servings of fruits and vegetables. We’re constructing our sample menus to include three full meals of apprxoimately 300 calories apiece, plus two snacks of 150 calories apiece.

BREAKFAST:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, keeps your energy high throughout the day. So even while following a low calorie diet plan, you should be sure that your breakfast includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables. You can pick from the following options.

Cereals:
½ cup oatmeal, or
1 slice, whole grain toast, or
1 whole wheat bagel, or
1 bran waffle

Fruits:
One small banana, or
¾ cup raspberries, or
½ cup fresh orange juice

One egg white

1 glass skim milk

Tea or coffee

LUNCH:

Option one:
1 whole wheat roll
1 bowl of vegetable salad (lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomato, sliced mushrooms, olives)
Two pieces of whole grain bread with 1 teaspoon mustard sauce
4 crackers with low fat cheese

Option two:
2 oz. skinless chicken breast
1 wheat pita bread
Three ounces of lean meat
One plum

DINNER:

½ cup of beans, or
Two small tortillas, 0r
1/2 bowl brown rice, or
4 oz. whole wheat pasta

½ bowl broccoli and carrot salad without any dressing, or
1 cup fresh fruit

2 oz. salmon, or
3 oz. roast lamb slice, or
2 oz. lean roast beef, or

One serving (40 calories) of sour cream, or
One slice of low fat mozzarella cheese

SNACKS:
There are many choices of snacks (100 calories apiece) such as 1 oz. oil roasted peanuts, 1 oz. mixed nuts,  a small bowl of citrus fruit, or one banana.

This is just a small sampling of the ways that healthy, low-calorie foods can be combined to create healthy, nutritious and interesting menus. Try to incorporate low-fat methods of cooking such as roasting, braising and broiling (rather than sauteing or frying) to cook meat, poultry and fish. Make smart snacking choices by choosing healthy options instead of high calorie, ready to-eat snacks.  Be sure to drink lots of water throughout the say, as it is calorie-free and helps to keep your metabolism high while keeping your system healthy. And as you probably know, a 1200 calorie diet menu isn’t optimal for weight loss by itself; including regular exercise in your daily routine is the best way to ensure that you’ll be able to take off those pounds necessary to reach your optimal weight.