One week meal plan for 2 people 1400 calories

Now I know that yesterday I mentioned that most plans are for 2 -4 people and that I normally make mine for 6. Well I had a request for a meal plan for 2 people and figured that I would put it up here for you to see what it would look like. Most of the dinners however will feed 4-6 people so the adjustments that would need to be made would be done only on the lunches where leftovers are used.

As the title said this is a meal plan for someone that is looking to have an intake of 1400 calories or less. I allowed some fudge room on the meals to make way for snacks when wanted. With out snacks the meals alone per day work out to be between 1074 and 1185 calories a day! I think that you will see that this is not so little food that you would be hungry all the time. However there are some tricks that help you to think you are full sooner. My favorite one is to use a smaller plate!! Yes it can be that simple. If you are use to loading up your plate with a full meal and you have an 8 to 10 inch eating surface on your plate you are going to over eat! If you switch to a plate with a smaller surface such as a 6 inch plate you will fill your plate and still see that you are getting a lot of food. Try it you might be surprised!

On to the menu!!!!!

Saturday~ Total intake from meals 1042 ~ Snack calories for the day 400!!

Breakfast -

406 calories

Toasted English muffin w/ 1tbs peanut butter spread on each half, top with 1/4 cup sliced bananas

Side of 20 blueberries

Lunch

260 calories

Fiesta Grilled Chicken Lean Cuisine

Dinner

376 calories

Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed potatoes

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/turkey-meatloaf-mashed-potatoes-00000000008039/index.html

Sunday~ Total intake from meals 1088 ~ Snack calories for the day 350!!

Breakfast

391 calories

Omelet ( 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites) Filled with fresh spinach, tomatoes and 1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)

2 Slices of toast (no butter)

Lunch

376 calories

Left over serving of Turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes

Dinner

321 calories

Pork tenderloin with Cabbage apple slaw

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pork-tenderloin-cabbage-apple-slaw-00000000011459/index.html

Monday ~Total intake from meals 1105 ~ Snack calories for the day 300!!

Breakfast

407 calories

Koshi Go Lean Cereal ( 1 cup) 1 cup blueberries, 2 tbs walnuts, 1 cup low fat milk

Lunch

403 calories

Lean Cuisine Tuscan Panini with 3/4 cup grapes

Dinner

259 calories

Chicken with Spinach and mushrooms

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-spinach-mushrooms-recipe-00000000020576/index.html

Tuesday~Total intake from meals 1094 ~ Snack calories for the day 350!!

Breakfast

409 calories

2 whole grain frozen waffles topped with 1/4 cup non fat plain yogurt, 1 tbs slivered almonds, 1/4 cup raspberries and 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Lunch

321 calories

Left overs from Sunday's dinner! Pork tenderloin with Cabbage apple slaw

Dinner

364 calories

Pork chops with Mustard Sauce

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pork-chops-with-mustard-sauce-recipe-00000000021032/index.html

Wednesday~Total intake from meals 1124 ~ Snack calories for the day 300!!

Breakfast

431 calories

Large Raisin Bagel with 2 tbs light cream cheese

Lunch

295 calories

Left over Chicken with Spinach and mushrooms

Dinner

398 calories

Chicken and vegetable pot pie

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-vegetable-pot-pie-00000000008065/index.html

Thursday~Total intake from meals 1158 ~ Snack calories for the day 300!!

Breakfast

406 calories

Toasted English muffin w/ 1tbs peanut butter spread on each half, top with 1/4 cup sliced bananas

Side of 20 blueberries

Lunch

364 calories

Left over Pork chops with Mustard Sauce

Dinner

388 calories

Chicken with Sweet Potato salad

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-roasted-sweet-potato-salad-00000000008027/index.html

Friday~ Total intake from meals 1074 ~ Snack calories for the day 400!!

Breakfast

407 calories

Koshi Go Lean Cereal ( 1 cup) 1 cup blueberries, 2 tbs walnuts, 1 cup low fat milk

Lunch

398 calories

Left over Chicken and vegetable pot pie

Dinner

269 calories

White Bean Chili with Jalapeño Bulgur

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/white-bean-chili-jalapeno-bulgur-00000000019592/index.html

So there you have it! Now for the shopping list!!! Make sure to check your pantry before going shopping! Some of these items you may have in your home already!!! Watch your sales ads and coupons for more savings on some of the items. Many grocers have meats at reduced prices on a special day each week... check with your meat market to find out if they do! You can score some deals for as much as 1/2 off the original price!! Just freeze any meat that you will not use right away!

Breads~

1 package English Muffins 1 loaf Whole Wheat Bread

1 package of Large Raisin Bagels

Produce~

2 Bananas 4 white onions 4 bunches spinach (or 3 bags )

2 lbs Red Potatoes 2 tomatoes 1 small head cabbage

1 apple 1 small bunch of grapes 1 lb Mushrooms

1 Red Bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 2 shallots

1 small head lettuce 1 lemon 4 carrots

2 sweet potatoes 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic

2 scallions 1 Jalapeño

Dairy~

1 dozen Eggs Buttermilk( small) Low fat Milk

Non-fat plain yogurt small container heavy cream light cream cheese

Frozen ~

Lean Cuisine Fiesta Grilled Chicken Lean Cuisine Tuscan Panini

1 bag blueberries 1 bag raspberries

1 bag peas 1 package pie crusts

Meats~

1 1/2 lb ground turkey 1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin 4 pork chops

Chicken breast ( boneless and skinless) 2 packs of 4 6 oz breasts and 1 1 lb pack

Canned and packaged goods~

Peanut butter Walnuts Bread Crumbs Dry White Wine

Slivered almonds Dijon mustard pure maple syrup salt

pepper flour thyme ketchup

lime juice Extra virgin olive oil wheat bulgur

Marinara sauce cumin rice vinegar chili powder

honey cilantro tarragon lemon juice

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes kashi go lean cereal 2 15oz cans cannellini beans

Menu Plans

So many of you have been asking what some of my menus look like and how many calories I am eating a day. That is why I am doing this post. Here is the history on this one! When I first started trying to loose weight I fought the idea of counting my calories at all! I knew I could get the weight off and not think about it. Boy oh boy was I wrong! I tried every diet plan out there so that I would not have to personally count the calories or come up with menu ideas. That worked as long as I was only cooking for myself!

I know I am not the only person out there that needed a menu plan that was cost effective and would feed more than 2 people. Have you noticed this?? Almost all plans figure on one to two people needing to eat! Hello world I have a family of 6! Yes I can do the math but lets be real it is not just the math on the portions that needed to be figured out but the adjustment on the cost! Once this was done I realized that it did not matter what plan I was working on it was far to expensive! Not to even begin to mention that it was hard to find things that my family would be willing to eat. Yes world there are picky eaters out there... I guess you could say that I am one of them because I do not like to eat fish! Oh that is right almost every plan in the world has fish 3 out of 5 days! Wait most plans give you only Monday through Friday... guess I am just to not eat the other days!!!!

If that was not enough I found that cooking the menus equaled me cooking all day! Having kids that need to get on buses I found that to make that menu work I needed to be up an extra hour before them just to make the breakfast so that the food would not go to waste. Never mind the lunches because there was no good way that they could have what was on my plan so extra money to lunch meat and other such items for them!

My solution... Make my own menu plan! Now this is just listings of the meals. I do make full menu plans based off of a persons likes, family size and budget as well... yes it is a little side business. Ask me if you would like me to do it for you and I will give you the information! :)

Ok on to what you are really reading this for! The Menu!!!

Most people need to eat between 1050 and 2100 calories a day. You also need to eat at least 3 meals a day. I personally do not eat a ton of snacks and follow the 6 small meals idea. (I can figure those menus as well) The menus I am going to show you are for one day. I normally plan for a week to two weeks depending on budgets etc.

We will start with a menu for 1050- 1200 calories for the day

Breakfast~

One egg, scrambled ( no added milk)

One slice of american cheese

1/2 an English muffin

Coffee

Calorie total 130 If you go for the full English muffin the calories jump to 190

Lunch

Chef salad knock off~

1 serving of mixed salad greens

5 cherry tomatoes

2 slices turkey breast lunch meat ( shredded)

1 oz cheddar cheese grated

1 hard boiled egg

2 tbs light ranch dressing

1 8oz glass 2% milk

Total calories ~ 372

Dinner

Pizza Burgers

(from the Biggest Loser Family cook book)

Applesauce

8 oz glass of milk

Dinner total ~ 620

Day's grand total of calories ~~~~ 1122~~

Now for a higher intake of 1200-1300 your day could look more like this

Breakfast

1 packet maple brown sugar instant oat meal

Coffee

Apple small chopped

Total 227

Lunch

Turkey breast sandwich

2 slices lunch meat

lettuce

1 slice of tomato

1 slice american cheese

2 slices white bread

1 tsp mustard

1 8oz glass 2% milk

Total 357

Dinner

Hungarian Goulash 190 calories per serving

1 cup green beans

1 cup apple sauce

8 oz glass 2% milk

Dinner total ~ 540

Desert~

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Total~ 140

Day total ~ 1264~~

Now for a high end calorie day! If you are looking to have the full 2,100 calories a day ( top level of calories that is recommended for any level intake your day would look something like this!

Breakfast~

2 large hard boiled eggs

Steel cut oats 1/2 cup

1 med banana

Coffee

8 oz glass Orange Juice

Total~ 522

Lunch

Turkey breast sandwich

2 slices lunch meat

lettuce

2 slice of tomato

2 slice american cheese

2 slices white bread

1 tsp mustard

1 med apple

1 8oz glass 2% milk

1 serving mixed salad greens

2 tbs light ranch dressing

Total ~ 583

Dinner

1 Cup apple sauce

1 oz shredded cheddar cheese

4oz salsa

1 chicken breast grilled (skinless)

1 cup green beans

Total~ 650

Desert

1 2 inch brownie

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Total ~ 252

Day's total 2007 calories

I hope this gives you some idea of what a day's break out can look like.

Long Weekends

While I love having my kids home and being able to spend time with them, there is something to be said for a regular weekend! I like to sleep in on a Monday do not get me wrong but that extra day home is an extra day of fighting for my kids. Stress for me with the arguing over everything!!! There are times like today where you would swear that we were on a road trip! Mom he's looking at me, His feet are touching me!!!!! Mommmmmmmmy I don't wanna , he just, she just, mom mom mom mom MOM!!!!!!

Nothing makes me happier on days like today than well BEDTIME! lol The peace and quiet. No more complaining about looking ats, breathings at, moving lips at!

See on a Saturday morning we can all sleep in, watch some cartons and have a lazy morning together. This is followed up by getting some chores done and then lunch. Later we can play games, watch movies or what ever.

Sunday the tension can be mounting but still bearable. Same sleeping in , cartoons, breakfast. But no chores! Something that you would think would make everyone very happy... but alas no. By the end of Sunday we are all ready for school on Monday!

Now Give them that Monday off and by the end of the day I have 3 kids more than ready for school on Tuesday! One that does not want to go because he wants to stay home with mommy! 2 parents that are ready for all of them to get out and life to get back to normal!

Again I love my kids and I love to spend time with them .... But 3 WHOLE days in a row... What!!! lol Far far too much time!!!

Well Time for me to get going ... the fighting is starting to escalate again! Yea Me!

Back to Reality

So life got crazy and blogging fell of my radar! Sorry for that. Trying to get everything back up and running! So Since I last posted I have moved across the country to Rhode Island. Very happy to be out of California! More to the point out of Monterey! If you ever have the chance to go and visit there do it! If you ever have the chance to live there... Well.. RUN! Or email me!!! There are some ins and outs there that military families need to know before the settle on anything out there!

Since being here in RI we have gone through 2 good snow storms! My kiddos are thrilled! Hailey and Will had never seen real amounts of snow so this was awesome for them!

If you reread my profile you saw that I am now a Zumba Fitness instructor! Not teaching just yet but once we move back to VA BCH I will be teaching so watch out y'all!!!!!

As I said i am going to be getting this back up and running so.... Hold on and let's see where this goes!