Plate balancing

1.) Make 1/4 of your plate lean protein

skinless chicken

skinless turkey

very lean meat

fish & shellfish

skim or low-fat milk

unsweetened soy milk

skim or low-fat Greek yogurt

low-fat cottage cheese

low-fat cheese

eggs or egg whites

tofu

protein powder

2.) Make 1/4 of your plate complex carbohydrates

brown or wild rice

whole wheat bread or

englsh muffin

whole wheat pasta

whole wheat couscous

barley, farro, or quinoa

potato / sweet potato

pumpkin / winter squash

corn

peas

beans/lentils

oats

cassava

tapioca

plantain

pita

wrap

3.) Make 1/2 of your plate low-starch vegetables

artichokes

asparagus

bean sprouts

green beans

beets

broccoli

brussels sprouts

cabbage

carrots

cauliflower

celery

cucumber

eggplant

jicama

leafy greens

mushrooms

onion

peppers

zucchini

summer squash

tomatoes

4.) Add a healthy fat

1/4 avocado

2 tbsp unsalted nut butter

< 1/4 cup unsalted nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

5-10 olives

2 tbsp hummus

2 tbsp seeds

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Healthy Snack Combinations

ALL SNACKS ARE ~200 CALORIES and 20-30g carbohydrates

➢ 1 small apple (~4oz) with 1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or sun butter.

~160 calories, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat, 20g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 60mg sodium, 5 G protein

➢ 1 KIND Bar – avoid bars with coconut or yogurt

~180-200 calories, 14g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 16g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 15mg sodium, 6g protein

➢ 2 Hearty Rye Wasa Crackers (or 1 slice whole grain toast) with ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa –make warm in microwave

~200 calories, 2.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 30g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 640mg sodium, 14g protein ***This snack is higher in sodium than others ***

➢ 1 frozen whole grain waffle with 0% fat plain Greek yogurt and 5 sliced strawberries or 2 tablespoons blueberries, blackberries or raspberries

~200 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 80mg sodium, 18g protein

➢ 20 Baby Carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus or 2 tablespoons guacamole

~140 calories, 6g fat, 0g saturated fat, 21g carbohydrate, 4.5g fiber, 120mg sodium, 3 g protein

➢ 5 celery stalks with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 14 raisins (about 1 tablespoon)

~175 calories, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat, 20g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 60mg sodium, 5g protein

➢ ½ cup frozen peaches (warm in microwave), mix with 6oz low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt + 2 teaspoons flaxseed

o ~198 calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat, 29.6g carbohydrate, 60mg sodium15g protein

➢ ½ Banana with 1 cup of low-fat milk, 1 cup ice-blend

~150 calories, 2.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrate, 1.5g fiber, 125mg sodium, 8g protein

➢ Non-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese with ½ cup Kashi 7 whole grain flakes cereal with cinnamon

~190 calories, 0.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 120mg sodium, 21g protein

➢ 1 cup Amy’s light sodium Lentil/vegetable soup

~160 calories, 4g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 24g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 340mg sodium, 7g protein

➢ 1 Whole grain English Muffin (toasted), sprinkle with 1/8 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, chopped tomato, fresh scallions or basil

~195 calories, 3.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 30g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 350mg sodium, 9g protein

➢ Small bag of Soy Crisps

~140 calories, 3g fat, 0g saturated fat, 18g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 520mg sodium, 9g protein

➢ 1 ½ medium apple topped with 1 slice of low fat cheddar cheese (sliced thin, 1oz), broiled 3 minutes with ½ teaspoon chives

~100 calories, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat, 13g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 170mg sodium, 7g protein

➢ 1 cup watermelon, 1oz Feta (cubed), ½ small cucumbers. Skewer 1 cube watermelon, 1 small cube feta and 1 slice cucumber on each of 5 toothpicks.

~160 calories, 6g fat, 4g saturated fat, 17g carbohydrate, 0.6g fiber, 300mg sodium, 5 g protein

➢ Small 16oz non-fat iced cappuccino

~100 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 14g carbohydrate, 120mg sodium, 9g protein

➢ Kale Chips: 2 cups raw kale (stems removed), tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil and baked at 400 degrees until crisp

~102 calories, 5.4g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 13.4g carbohydrate, 2.7g fiber, 58mg sodium, 4.4g protein

➢ 1/2 English muffin with 2 tablespoons cottage cheese and 3 slices cucumber

~88 calories, 0.8g fat, 0.2g saturated fat, 15.4g carbohydrate, 0.5g fiber, 216mg sodium, 5.5g protein

➢ Greek Tomatoes: 2 medium tomatoes chopped and mixed with 2 tablespoons feta and 1 squeeze lemon juice

~61 calories, 4.1g fat, 2.8g saturated fat, 3.2g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 212mg sodium, 3.2g protein

➢ Caprese Salad: 1 ounce (about 1 hockey puck) fresh mozzarella, top with 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

~80 calories, 4.6g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 4.2g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 30mg sodium, 6.5g protein

➢ 5 animal crackers with ½ cup skim milk

~85 calories, .7g fat, 0g saturated fat, 14.5g carbohydrates, 0.2g fiber, 97mg sodium, 4.7g protein

➢ 1 rice cake with 2 teaspoons almond butter

~102 calories, 6.6g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 9.6g carbohydrates, 0.8g fiber, 30mg sodium, 2.3g protein

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1500 calorie, 5-day meal plan.

The menus in this handout provide about 1,500 calories per day. Each daily menu has:

7 servings of protein (P)

Proteins can include: lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, reduced-fat cheese or egg.

Weight for meat is after cooking.

A 3-ounce (oz) portion would count as 3 servings.

12 servings of carbohydrate (C)

Carbohydrates can include: fat-free or 1% milk or “light” yogurt with less than 100 Calories, fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables or other carbohydrates.

Measure cooked hot cereals and pasta.

Substitute 2 slices reduced calorie (40 Calories/slice) bread for 1 slice regular bread.

3 or more servings non-starchy vegetables (V)

Non-starchy vegetables can include: lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, etc.

4 servings of fat (F)

Fats can include: margarine, salad dressing, mayonnaise, nuts, olives, etc.

Substitute 1 tablespoon reduced-fat margarine for 1 teaspoon regular.

“Free” foods (*)

Free foods are foods with very few calories and little fat or carbohydrate.

Day 1

Breakfast:

1 slice toast (C) with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (P, F)

6 oz “light” fruit yogurt (C)

Orange (C)

Lunch:

Ham sandwich: 1 oz ham (P), 1 slice low-fat cheese (P), 2 slices bread (2C), lettuce and

tomato (V), 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (F), mustard (*)

Raw broccoli (V)

Small pear (C)

15 fat-free or baked snack chips (C)

Evening Meal:

4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (4P),

2/3 cup cooked pasta (2C) with mushrooms, zucchini, pepper (V), 1 teaspoon olive oil (F)

Green salad (V) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing (F)

17 small grapes (C)

Snacks:

3 (2 ½ inch) graham crackers (C) and 1 cup fat-free milk (C)

Day 2

Breakfast:

1 slice low-fat cheese or 1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute (P)

4-inch waffle (C, F) with 2 tablespoons sugar-free syrup (*)

1 cup fresh or frozen (sugar-free) berries (C)

1 cup fat-free or 1% milk (C)

Lunch:

Bean salad with ¼ cup grated low-fat cheese (P), ½ cup beans (P, C), tomato, onion, carrots,

lettuce, cucumbers (V), 2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch dressing (F) and salsa (*)

15 fat-free or baked snack chips (C)

Large banana (2C)

Evening Meal:

4 oz roast beef (4P)

½ cup potatoes (C)

1 oz roll (C) with 1 teaspoon margarine (F)

Steamed carrots and cauliflower (V)

Tossed salad (V) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing (F)

1 cup melon cubes (C)

Snacks:

6 saltine crackers (C)

Small apple (C)

Day 3

Breakfast:

1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute (P)

½ cup oatmeal (C) with 1 teaspoon margarine (F) and sugar substitute (*)

1 cup fat-free or 1% milk (C)

½ grapefruit (C)

Lunch:

Grilled chicken Caesar salad: romaine lettuce (V), 2 oz boneless skinless chicken breast

(2P), mushrooms, peppers (V), 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing (F), ½ cup croutons (C), 1

tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (*)

1 cup chicken noodle soup (C) with 6 saltine or 24 oyster crackers (C)

Small pear (C)

Evening Meal:

Cheeseburger: 3 oz lean ground beef (3P), 1 slice low-fat cheese (P), 1 hamburger bun (2C),

onion, lettuce, tomato (V), 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (F), mustard (*)

Green beans (V) with 1 teaspoon margarine (F)

Large kiwi fruit (C)

Snacks:

¾ cup wheat flakes cereal (C) and 1 cup fat-free or 1% milk (C)

Day 4

Breakfast:

1 slice low-fat cheese (P)

1 English muffin (2C) with 1 teaspoon margarine (F) and sugar-free jam (*)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce (C)

Lunch:

Roast beef sandwich: 2 oz roast beef (2P), 2 slices bread (2C), lettuce and tomato (V), 1

teaspoon mayonnaise (F)

Raw celery (V)

Small banana (C) and sugar-free gelatin dessert (*)

8 animal crackers (C)

Evening Meal:

4 oz broiled fish (4P)

8 inch corn on cob or 1 cup whole kernel corn (2C)

Steamed broccoli (V)

1 teaspoon margarine (F) for seasoning vegetables

Tossed salad (V) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing (F)

Nectarine (C)

Snacks:

2 rice cakes (C) and 1 cup fat-free or 1% milk (C)

Day 5

Breakfast:

Vegetable omelet: 1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute (1P), onion, mushroom, pepper (V), nonfat

cooking spray (*)

1 slice toast (C) with 1 teaspoon margarine (F)

1 cup fat-free or 1% milk (C)

Orange (C)

Lunch:

Tuna salad: 2 oz water pack tuna, drained (2P), celery, onions (V), dill pickle (*), 1 teaspoon

mayonnaise or (F)

Baby carrots and romaine lettuce (V)

12 saltine crackers or 2 slices bread (2C)

Small apple (C)

½ cup sugar-free, fat-free pudding (C)

Evening Meal:

Chicken fajitas: 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (4P), six-inch low fat tortilla (C),

grilled onions, peppers and tomatoes (V), 2 tablespoons sour cream (F), salsa (*)

2/3 cup rice (2C)

Green salad (V) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing (F)

Snacks: