Simple & Effective: 7-Day, 1,200-Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Healthy eating doesn't have to be difficult, though it may not come naturally to everyone at first. However, it’s something you can learn. Once you understand how to create balanced meals, you'll know which foods best support your overall health, provide energy, and boost immunity. You can also tailor your eating to specific goals, like weight loss.

If losing weight is your goal (whether for health reasons like type 2 diabetes or heart disease), you can begin with our 1,200-calorie meal plan. Designed by registered dietitians, this plan simplifies meal prep for a week’s worth of balanced and tasty breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas that support healthy weight loss.

While 1,200 calories may work for some people, it can be too restrictive for others. Always consult your doctor before starting any new diet, as Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D., C.D.N, of the Good Housekeeping Institute, advises. Based on your activity level, you might want to explore higher-calorie meal plans, like those with 1,300 or 1,500 calories.

Consider this meal plan as a foundation for long-term healthy eating and gradual weight loss, if that’s your goal. “Structured plans like this can teach you how to create a balanced diet. You can then adjust it to fit your personal needs and preferences,” Sassos explains. Focusing on nutritious foods regularly helps prevent unhealthy yo-yo dieting, which can harm your health. However, remember that weight is just one aspect of overall health—hydration, regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress management are also key.

This plan is designed as a base of 1,200 calories, but you can build on it by increasing your servings of vegetables and fruits. Adding more protein (1–5 ounces) to meals can also ensure you feel satisfied. Combining fiber from produce with lean protein creates a flexible strategy for safe, gradual weight loss. You might also consider complementing this plan with a daily multivitamin.

Before starting any diet, especially for weight loss, it's essential to understand the broader context of health, body image, and the potential dangers of diet culture.

Day 1: 

• Breakfast: Combine 3/4 cup bran flakes, 1 banana and 1 cup fat-free milk in a bowl.

• Lunch: Build a pita sandwich with 1 mini whole wheat pita, 3 ounces turkey breast, 1/2 roasted pepper, 1 teaspoon mayo, mustard and lettuce. Serve with 1 stick part-skim mozzarella string cheese and 2 kiwis.

• Dinner: Serve 4 ounces broiled flounder or sole with 2 sliced plum tomatoes sprinkled with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, broiled until just golden. Eat with 1 cup cooked couscous and 1 cup steamed broccoli. Enjoy with a single-serve ice cream for dessert.

Day 2: 

• Breakfast: Blend 1 cup frozen berries, 1/2 banana, and 8 ounces of low- or fat-free milk into a smoothie. Grab 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs on your way out the door.

• Lunch: Heat up 1 cup vegetable soup and serve with 1 veggie burger on a slice of whole grain and seed toast or an English muffin. Pair with 1 cup of fresh grapes.

Our Picks: Best Canned Soups 

• Dinner: Brush 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast with barbecue sauce and grill. Garnish chicken with chopped scallions and a squeeze of lime juice. Combine 2 heaping cups of sautéed spinach with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes and serve with 1/2 plain baked or sweet potato.

Day 3: 

• Breakfast: In the microwave, cook 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats with low-fat or unsweetened soy milk. Add 1/2 apple (sliced or chopped), 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of cinnamon.

• Lunch: To make a chicken salad, toss 4 ounces shredded skinless roast chicken breast with 1/4 cup sliced red grapes, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds or nuts of choice, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Serve over lettuce. Eat with 1 large piece of multigrain toast.

• Dinner: Serve 4 ounces steamed shrimp with 1 baked potato topped with 3 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon unsweetened Greek yogurt, plus 3 cups spinach, steamed. Finish the meal off with 1 ounce of chocolate or a 100- to 150-calorie ice cream bar.

Day 4: 

• Breakfast: Top 1 cup of plain or low-sugar Greek yogurt with 1 cup berries of choice and 1/3 cup low-sugar granola to make a simple but delectable yogurt parfait.

• Lunch: Heat 1 cup tomato soup and serve with a sandwich made with 1 mini whole-wheat pita, 3 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, 1 teaspoon horseradish, mustard, tomato slices and lettuce. Eat with 2 cups raw veggies and 1/4 cup of hummus.

• Dinner: Serve 4 ounces poached salmon with a slaw made by tossing 1 1/4 cups coleslaw mix and 2 sliced scallions with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Add spices, herbs and seasoning as desired. Pair with 1 cup of a 100% whole grain, like quinoa.

Day 5: 

• Breakfast: Combine 1 cup Cheerios, 1/2 cup berries, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds and 6 ounces plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt in a bowl.

Our Picks: Best Dairy-Free Yogurts

• Lunch:Make a quesadilla by spreading 1/4 cup fat-free refried beans over a 100% stone-ground corn tortilla. Sprinkle on 1 ounce shredded part-skim cheese. Top with salsa and another tortilla; microwave 45 seconds on high or grill. Serve with cucumber spears and 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese or Greek yogurt topped with 2 clementines.

• Dinner: Serve 3 ounces roasted pork tenderloin with 1 cup baked acorn squash, mashed with a pinch of cinnamon; 2 to 3 cups salad greens with a dash of olive oil and as much vinegar as desired; and chocolate or a 100- to 150-calorie ice cream bar for dessert.

Day 6: 

• Breakfast: Toast a 100% whole-grain frozen waffle and spread 2 tablespoons nut butter on top. Add 1 small sliced banana plus cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve with 8 ounces fat-free milk.

• Lunch: Make a tuna pita with one mini whole-wheat pita, 2 ounces water-packed tuna, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, mustard, cucumber and onion slices. Serve with 10 baby carrots and 2/3 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with a small pear.

• Dinner: Make jambalaya by combining 3/4 cup cooked brown rice with 1/2 cup corn, 2 ounces cooked sliced turkey sausage, 1/3 cup salsa and 1/4 cup no-salt-added black or navy beans until heated through. Eat with 3 cups spinach sautéed with garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Day 7: 

• Breakfast: Layer 1/2 toasted English muffin with 1 ounce reduced-fat sliced cheese, 1 sliced tomato sliced, 1 cup steamed and drained spinach and 1 poached egg. Serve with one grapefruit.

• Lunch: Make black bean salad by tossing 1/2 cup canned black beans, 1/2 cup orange slices, chopped red bell peppers, red onion, scallions and any other desired veggies with 1 teaspoon vinegar. Serve over salad greens and alongside one 100% stone ground corn tortilla and a piece of fruit.

• Dinner: Serve 3 ounces broiled or grilled flank steak with one baked sweet potato with 1 teaspoon butter, 1 cup steamed zucchini and 1 1/2 cup berries.

This 7-day meal plan helps limit calories while ensuring balanced nutrition for weight loss.