This meal plan will provide you with freedom that other diets lack!
Is it safe to say that, at some point, every single one of us has started a new diet. Usually only to fall right on our faces a few days or weeks later, right? I’ll be the first to admit that it has happened to me… more than once. If it’s happened to you, too, just know that you’re in good company! We’ve been there, and we know how to get around it. This meal plan for long-term weight loss success will help you jump the hurdles and avoid the barriers that you’ve run into in the past.
Meal planning allows you to save time, money, and unnecessary grocery shopping trips. It also assists you in sticking to your food budget and purchasing exactly what you require for the week. A mix and match meal plan stockpiles basic ingredients in your fridge to create various meals throughout the week. It also includes a meal planning guide to help you add tasty variety to your menu. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to add diversity without adding hours of extra meal prep each night when you pair the items in various ways each night.
Just to give you a glimpse into how simple a mix and match meal plan is, all you need are four simple ingredients to create an infinite number of meal combinations; protein, starch, non-starchy veggies and lastly, dress it up -to add variety and flavor, use sauces, seasonings, dips, and dressings. These four dietary groups will serve as the foundation for all of your meals. Every day, mix and match them to make fresh meals.
How is this Meal Plan Different than the Rest?
Most meal plans are designed with specific breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks, all already pre-selected for each day. This can be helpful to some, but certainly not for everyone. You see, every individual has different preferences, budgets, and caloric needs. One meal plan — no matter how great and nutritious — will not work for everyone. This meal plan allows you to customize your daily menus to fit your specific needs.
When your diet is built around foods and flavors that you love, you’re much more likely to stick to it long-term. Furthermore, you can’t stick to a meal plan if you can’t afford it, which is why we’re going to provide you with plenty of mix and match recipe options. Lastly, each of us has different caloric needs for weight loss. A 2000 calorie-a-day diet won’t work out for you if you should be eating closer to 1500 calories per day. For this reason, it’s important for you to figure out how many calories you should be consuming each day to reach your specific fitness goals.
First Step: Find Out What YOUR Caloric Needs Are
You can use the Mayo Clinic’s Calorie Calculator to determine how many calories you need to maintain your body weight. Once you have that number, subtract up to 500 calories per day. That will be your daily caloric intake for weight loss!
Related: How Many Calories Should You Be Eating Daily to Lose Weight?
Mix and Match Meal Plan for Long-Term Weight Loss Success
Once you know how many calories you need to eat to reach your goals, you can start choosing yummy recipes to try from the list below! We have breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even snacks that will help you lose weight (and enable you to enjoy amazing food along the way).
To make things even easier, we’ve included the calorie content per serving for each recipe as well. You may also want to take advantage of our Clean-Eating Menu Planner to help organize your weekly meals and grocery list. Let’s get to it!
Breakfast Options
- Egg and Turkey Sausage Breakfast Tacos (334 Calories Per Serving)
- Oatmeal & Quinoa Recipe (329 Calories Per Serving)
- Chocolate Chip Vegan Pancakes (445 Calories Per Serving)
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats (227 Calories Per Serving)
- Make-Ahead Egg & Veggie Muffins (118 Calories Per Serving)
- Hummus Breakfast Bowl (354 Calories Per Serving)
- Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake (245 Calories Per Serving)
- Rise and Shine With These Greek Egg Muffins! (45 Calories Per Serving)
- Easy On-the-Go Avocado and Egg Breakfast Sandwich (426 Calories Per Serving)
- Blueberry French Toast Casserole (123 Calories Per Serving)
Lunch Ideas
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Pecans and Apples (215 Calories Per Serving)
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup Recipe (134 Calories Per Serving)
- Turkey and Spicy Hummus Club (390 Calories Per Serving)
- Overstuffed Veggie Sandwich (484 Calories Per Serving)
- Thai Chicken Veggie Salad with Peanut Dressing (263 Calories Per Serving)
- Flush The Fat Away Vegetable Soup (181 Calories Per Serving)
- Kale Salad with Chickpeas & Maple Dijon Dressing (294 Calories Per Serving)
- Skinny Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps (376 Calories Per Serving)
- Southwest Veggie Wraps (369 Calories Per Serving)
- Salmon & Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing (519 Calories Per Serving)
Dinner Recipes
- Light & Elegant White Fish and Vegetables (237 Calories Per Serving)
- One-Skillet Chicken and Broccoli Dinner (130 Calories Per Serving)
- Baked Lemon Salmon and Asparagus Foil Pack (386 Calories Per Serving)
- Slow Cooker Thick & Chunky Beef Stew (317 Calories Per Serving)
- Zucchini Lasagna (341 Calories Per Serving)
- Shrimp Taco Bowls (330 Calories Per Serving)
- Skinny Chicken Tortilla Casserole (314 Calories Per Serving)
- Low-Carb Turkey Club Lettuce Cups (382 Calories Per Serving)
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole (374 Calories Per Serving)
- Grilled Pork Chops with Asparagus and Pesto (332 Calories Per Serving)
Healthy Snacks
- Classic Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce (149 Calories Per Serving)
- Herb-Roasted Nuts (204 Calories Per Serving)
- Baked Banana Chips (77 Calories Per Serving)
- Avocado Stuffed Deviled Eggs (94 Calories Per Serving)
- Skinny Cheeseburger Boats (237 Calories Per Serving)
- Tuna Cucumber Sandwiches (81 Calories Per Serving)
- Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches (114 Calories Per Serving)
- Skinny Peanut Butter-Yogurt Dip (40 Calories Per Serving – Add Calories of Fruit)
- Baked Sweet Potato Chips with Rosemary and Sea Salt (257 Calories Per Serving)
- No-Bake Workout Bars (333 Calories Per Serving)
A Few Final Notes
Which of these awesome recipes are you most looking forward to trying? Once you choose a few, determine how many servings of each recipe you’ll need to eat each day in order to reach your goals. Remember to utilize your leftovers as well to save yourself time and money.
Also, check out our Busy Woman’s Guide to Meal Prepping to make preparing your food easier than ever. Lastly, enjoy the freedom that this meal plan for long-term weight loss success provides you with!
If you enjoyed this post, discover related content:
- Five Simple Snack Hacks
- Lunch Box Kebabs | 5 Sandwiches-On-a-Stick!
- Saffron Shrimp & Peach Rice Bowls
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