1000 Calories A Day Meal Plan

You’re probably familiar with meal plans now.

They’re pre-planned lists of specific foods and meals to eat on specific days.

Most people that want to lose weight will automatically assume they need a meal plan, but that’s not the case.

There are no ‘magic’ foods that will help you lose weight, and there are no foods that are inherently ‘bad’ that will stop you from losing weight (or make you gain weight)

In fact, most people are much better off NOT eating to a plan, and instead eating in the way they normally would, but within a certain calorie target.

The reason for this is that if you use a meal plan to lose weight, when you HAVE lost the weight, you won’t have taught yourself how to eat OUTSIDE the confines of a meal plan.

This might mean that you simply go back to how you were eating before and gain all the weight back.

Having said that, there are some advantages to following a meal plan

Pros of following a meal plan:

• Reduces decision fatigue: you don’t have to think about what meals to make each day, you could even prep them in advance then just reheat and eat

• Nutrient density: it you’re eating ad-hoc it can be easy to miss out on vital nutrients like protein and vitamin c, with a meal plan you can make sure all of this is accounted for, so all of your bases are covered, all of teh time

• Reduces waste: If you know exactly what you’re eating, and how much of it you’re eating, you’ll cut down on waste which is great for the environment and your pocket

Cons of following a meal plan:

• Lack of variety: Most of the time when you follow a meal lan you’ll be eating the same foods day after day. Some people don’t care about this, but if you value variety, a meal plan might not be for you

• Overly restrictive: Most meal plans (especially 1,000 calorie meal plans) won’t include ‘fun’ foods that most people love, stuff like wine, beer, chocolate pizza and ice cream, so if you’re going to successfully adhere to a meal plan, you need to understand that there’s no room to fit these things int your diet

• No appreciation of calorie balance: If you eat to a meal plan, you probably won’t understand how calories work. This won’t help you at all when you finish your diet and stop eating to a set meal plan

If you still want to lose weight using a meal plan, then here are a few different examples for you.

🧆 Standard/Traditional 1,000 Calorie-a-Day Meal Plans

These meal plans will suit people that don’t have any specific dietary requirements, and contain a good balance of protein, carbs and fat

Example 1

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Small banana	90g	90	1.1
	Low-fat Greek yogurt	1 cup (240g)	120	21
	Honey	1 tbsp (21g)	64	0
Total			274	22.1
Lunch	Whole wheat bread	2 slices (60g)	160	8
	Turkey breast	3 oz (85g)	90	19
	Swiss cheese	1 slice (28g)	106	7
	Lettuce, tomato, mustard	–	20	0.5
Total			376	34.5
Snack	Carrot sticks	1 cup (128g)	50	1
	Hummus	2 tbsp (30g)	70	2
Total			120	3
Dinner	Grilled chicken breast	4 oz (113g)	187	35
	Roasted vegetables	1 cup (140g)	120	3
	Cooked brown rice	1/2 cup (98g)	110	2.5
Total			417	40.5
Daily Total			1,187	100.1

Example 2

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Small apple	120g	80	0.4
	Oatmeal	1 cup (234g)	154	5
	Almond butter	1 tbsp (16g)	90	2
Total			324	7.4
Lunch	Whole wheat wrap	1 (60g)	90	3
	Canned tuna	3 oz (85g)	100	22
	Lettuce, tomato, cucumber	–	20	0.5
	Greek yogurt dressing	1 tbsp (15g)	60	0.5
Total			270	26
Snack	Medium orange	154g	62	1
	Almonds	10 (12g)	70	2
Total			132	3
Dinner	Grilled salmon	3 oz (85g)	206	22
	Steamed asparagus	1 cup (134g)	40	3
	Quinoa	1/2 cup (90g)	110	4
Total			356	31
Daily Total			1,082	67.4

🍳Vegetarian 1,000 Calorie-A-Day Meal Plans

Vegetarian meal plans don’t include any meat or fish, but protein can still be derived from eggs, cheese, milk and tofu.

Example 1:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Scrambled tofu	4 oz (113g)	160	16
	Spinach	1 cup (30g)	7	1
	Whole wheat toast	2 slices (60g)	160	8
Total			327	25
Lunch	Chickpea salad	1 cup (164g)	220	8
	Mixed greens	2 cups (60g)	20	1.2
	Cherry tomatoes	1/2 cup (75g)	13	0.6
	Balsamic vinaigrette	2 tbsp (30g)	80	0.2
Total			333	9.8
Snack	Greek yogurt	1 cup (240g)	120	21
	Blueberries	1/2 cup (74g)	42	0.5
Total			162	21.5
Dinner	Lentil curry	1 cup (198g)	230	16
	Brown rice	1/2 cup (98g)	110	2.5
Total			340	18.5
Daily Total			1,162	75.8

Example 2:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Oatmeal	1 cup (234g)	154	5
	Almond butter	1 tbsp (16g)	90	2
Total			244	7
Lunch	Whole wheat wrap	1 (60g)	90	3
	Hummus	2 tbsp (30g)	70	2
	Lettuce, tomato, cucumber	–	20	0.5
Total			180	5.5
Snack	Greek yogurt	1 cup (240g)	120	21
	Strawberries	1/2 cup (72g)	23	0.5
Total			143	21.5
Dinner	Quinoa-stuffed bell peppers	2 halves (280g)	250	12
	Mixed greens	2 cups (60g)	20	1.2
	Balsamic vinaigrette	2 tbsp (30g)	80	0.2
Total			350	13.4
Daily Total			917	47.4

🍏 Vegan 1,000 Calorie-A-Day Meal Plan

Vegan meal plans don’t include any animal products AT ALL. This makes it very difficult to get adequate amounts and quality of protein, so if you’re aiming to build muscle, a vegan meal plan probably isn’t your best option

Example 1:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Overnight oats	1 cup (234g)	270	7
	Chia seeds	1 tbsp (12g)	58	2
	Almond milk	1 cup (240g)	40	1
	Blueberries	1/2 cup (74g)	42	0.5
Total			410	10.5
Lunch	Quinoa salad	1 cup (185g)	222	8
	Chickpeas	1/2 cup (82g)	120	6
	Bell peppers	1/2 cup (75g)	15	0.5
	Lemon-tahini dressing	2 tbsp (30g)	80	1.5
Total			437	16
Snack	Apple	1 medium (182g)	95	0.5
	Almonds	10 (12g)	70	2
Total			165	2.5
Dinner	Lentil curry	1 cup (198g)	230	16
	Brown rice	1/2 cup (98g)	110	2.5
Total			340	18.5
Daily Total			1,352	47.5

Example 2:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Avocado toast	2 slices (60g)	200	6
	Sliced tomato	1 medium (123g)	16	1
	Nutritional yeast	1 tbsp (5g)	20	3
Total			236	10
Lunch	Vegan sushi rolls	6 pieces	250	5
	Edamame	1/2 cup (100g)	120	10
Total			370	15
Snack	Carrot sticks	1 cup (128g)	50	1
	Hummus	2 tbsp (30g)	70	2
Total			120	3
Dinner	Chickpea curry	1 cup (198g)	220	8
	Quinoa	1/2 cup (98g)	110	4
Total			330	12
Daily Total			1,056	40

🥑 Keto 1,000 Calorie-a-Day Meal Plan

The Keto diet essentially outlaws carbs; this means that you’ll be eating mostly protein and fats if you’re on Keto. Remember; Keto isn’t necessary for fat loss, all you need to do is create a calorie deficit, and you can do that by eating carbs

Example 1:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Avocado	1/2 medium (100g)	120	1.5
	Fried eggs	2 large (100g)	140	12
Total			260	13.5
Lunch	Grilled chicken breast	3 oz (85g)	140	26
	Mixed greens	2 cups (60g)	20	1.2
	Olive oil and vinegar	2 tbsp (30g)	120	0
Total			280	27.2
Snack	Almonds	1/4 cup (28g)	160	6
Total			160	6
Dinner	Salmon	3 oz (85g)	140	16
	Steamed broccoli	1 cup (156g)	55	4
	Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	100	0
Total			295	20
Daily Total			995	66.7

Example 2:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Scrambled eggs	2 large (100g)	140	12
	Avocado	1/4 medium (50g)	80	1
	Olive oil	1 tbsp (15g)	120	0
Total			340	13
Lunch	Chicken salad	3 oz (85g)	140	26
	Romaine lettuce	2 cups (60g)	16	1.2
	Cucumber	1/2 cup (52g)	8	0.3
	Ranch dressing	2 tbsp (30g)	140	1
Total			304	28.5
Snack	String cheese	1 stick (28g)	80	7
Total			80	7
Dinner	Steak	4 oz (113g)	260	27
	Broccoli	1 cup (156g)	55	4
	Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	100	0
Total			415	31
Daily Total			1,139	79.5

🍗 High Protein 1,000 Calorie Meal Plan

If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ll need to eat a good amount of protein regularly throughout the day. 1,000 calories likely won’t be enough to support muscle growth, so the best you can probably hope for is muscle maintenance

Example 1:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Greek yogurt	1 cup (227g)	130	23
	Almonds	1/4 cup (28g)	160	6
Lunch	Grilled chicken breast	4 oz (113g)	187	35
	Quinoa	1/2 cup (92g)	111	4
Snack	Cottage cheese	1/2 cup (113g)	90	14
Dinner	Salmon	4 oz (113g)	232	20
	Broccoli	1 cup (91g)	31	3
	Olive oil	1 tbsp (15g)	120	0
Total			1061	115

Example 2:

Meal	Food	Amount	Calories	Protein (g)
Breakfast	Egg whites	3/4 cup (183g)	100	20
	Oatmeal	1/2 cup (40g)	150	5
	Peanut butter	1 tbsp (16g)	94	4
Lunch	Tuna	4 oz (113g)	132	30
	Brown rice	1/2 cup (98g)	108	2
Snack	Protein shake	1 scoop	120	24
Dinner	Grilled chicken breast	4 oz (113g)	187	35
	Quinoa	1/2 cup (92g)	111	4
	Mixed vegetables	1 cup	50	2
Total			1052	151

FAQs

What Should You Eat if You’re On 1,000 Calories per Day?

1000 calories per day, is REALLY low, so it’s important to choose foods that are low in calorie density, meaning they have fewer calories per gram of food. 

This allows you to consume larger volumes (weight) of food hile keeping calories to an absolute minimum.

Prioritise these types of foods

1. Vegetables: Non-starch, fibrous vegetables like leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce), broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini 

2.  Fruits: Opt for fruits that are lower in natural sugars and therefore calories such as berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), watermelon, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits. Try to avoid tropical fruits like Pineapple, Mango and Banana

3. Lean Proteins: Include lean protein sources like skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, white fish (such as cod, tilapia, or salmon), tofu, and low-fat dairy products (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese) to help keep you full and maintain muscle mass.

4. Egg whites: Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein and healthy fats, however fat is something you want to avoid if you’re only 1000 calories a day, so stick to just the whites

5. Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are low in calories and high in fiber and protein. They make a great alternative to higher-calorie carbs like pasta and rice

6. Low-Fat Dairy: Opt for low-fat or skim milk, yogurt, and cheese to get essential nutrients like calcium and protein while keeping the calorie count in check.

How Much Weight Will I Lose If I Eat 1,000 Calories A Day?

This all depends on your current weight and therefore your TDEE.

Let’s say you 2,000 calories a day on average.

If you were to eat 1,000 calories a day, that would mean you’d be a 1,000-calorie deficit each day, or a 7,000-calorie deficit over a week.

This means you’d lose 2 lbs of fat per week or just under 1kg.

So if you ate 1,000 calories a day for 12 weeks (3 months), you’d lose 24lbs (12kg)

Is it Safe to Eat 1,000 Calories a Day?

Again this is highly dependant on the individual.

If you have a sedentary job and you’re already a very light person, you’ll probably feel ok eating 1,000 calories a day.

If however, you are heavier and you have an active job, or play sports or go the gym, 1,000 calories is OT going to be enough to fuel your daily activities.

My philosophy is that you’d diet on as high a calorie amount as possible, so if you can lose weight on 2000 calories a day, definitely do that!