Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

Seven More Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

About two months, and 14 pounds ago, I published a week’s worth of sample menus for my 1400 calorie, low-sodium, and low-fat diet. I am now 3.35 pounds away from my goal, 159 pounds. When I reach it, I will have lost a total of 51.25 pounds since I started this project January 3, 2007. My blood pressure is consistently low normal without medication and I have made working out at the fitness center a normal part of my life. My sample menus are not carefully prepared and balanced by a dietitian; they are literally what I ate on a given day to meet the requirements of my less than 1400 calorie, less than 20 % of calories from fat, less than 1500 mg of sodium, diet.

Since then, aside from the main page, the page with my sample menus has become the most popular on my blog. I wondered how my diet had changed, I’ve come up with a number of new recipes, and thought some might find an update of more sample menus useful. My low sodium chili, Joel’s chili 3, remains a staple in my weekly menus but I don’t need to serve it over brown rice or pasta as much as I did at first. Eating 4-7 times per day was something I did right, right from the beginning. I have learned that it keeps my metabolism up. Chocolate or strawberry low fat frozen yogurt has become something I eat regularly and something I look forward to as a reward for making smart choices during the day.

A lot of dieters talk about reaching a plateau where they keep doing the same things but their weight loss stops. I have never had that happen on my diet and I attribute that to my 3-4 day a week habit at the fitness center, and the fact that I eat throughout the day.

I am not a trained nutritionist, and my only criteria for selecting these foods for my own diet are those of calorie, sodium, and reduced fat. My personal goals in addition those previously-mentioned are: 78-158 g protein, 30-38 g fiber, and less than 300 mg cholesterol. Your recommended diet may be very different. I only offer these menus to share what I have eaten on given days while staying loyal to my diet.

Monday

Breakfast: ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita with 1 t. mustard (left over from the night before, I was in a hurry)

Snack: 10 white seedless grapes

Lunch: 1 cup Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 25 white seedless grapes

Dinner: 4 fish tacos, including 4 oz. wild salmon, 4 small corn tortillas heated in dry skillet, 1 thin slice of Swiss cheese (mozzarella or non-fat cheddar is better), lemon juice, and green taco sauce; 2/3 C steamed corn, 9 Brussels sprouts, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, and 3 T Joel’s salad dressing .

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1348.79, Protein: 64.77, Carbohydrates: 216.22 g, Fiber: 35.42 g, Fat: 27.38 g, Percent calories from fat: 18.27%, Saturated fat: 11.17 g, Cholesterol: 166.48 g, Sodium: 1026.42 mg.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 1.5 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with 1 T brown sugar, .5 oz. raisins, 1 T flax seed meal, and 1 t. cinnamon.

Snack: small banana

Lunch: tuna salad, very low sodium tuna, non-fat mayonnaise, onions, pickles relish, in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: small banana

Dinner: Chicken tenders and tofu in sweet sour stir fry with.25 C pineapple, ¾ C broccoli stir fry, .1 package light firm tofu-baked, 1 T sweet-sour sauce. ½ C brown rice, 2 C grilled summer squash and sweet onions, 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: ¾ C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 Ry-Krisp sesame cracker

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1284, Protein: 58.21, Carbohydrates: 230.9 g, Fiber: 34.37 g, Fat: 19.13 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.8%, Saturated fat: 25.62 g, Cholesterol: 122.5 g, Sodium: 589.72 mg.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Snack: small banana

Lunch: 1.5 C Joel’s chili 3

Snack: 4 oz blueberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish dinner, 9 Brussels sprouts, 3 Ry-Krisp sesame crackers and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ½ whole wheat pita with 1 T low-fat mozzarella cheese

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1345.04, Protein: 54.74, Carbohydrates: 260.88 g, Fiber: 40.74 g, Fat: 18.01 g, Percent calories from fat: 12.05%, Saturated fat: 59 g, Cholesterol: 88.13 g, Sodium: 1319.72 mg.

Thursday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with .5 C Egg Beaters, steamed spinach, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: None

Lunch: ¾ C Joel’s Chili 3

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Dinner: 1 serving (4 oz. chicken) stuffed chicken breasts, 1 C baked sweet potato, 2/3 C steamed mixed vegetables, and a garden salad with 2 C mixed greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, sweet onion, and 2 T Vidalia onion fat-free dressing

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: none

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1276.85, Protein: 86.88, Carbohydrates: 195.52 g, Fiber: 29.16 g, Fat: 18.62 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.12%, Saturated fat: 74.19 g, Cholesterol: 119.7 g, Sodium: 1168.62 mg.

Friday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, and 3 T red bell pepper.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat pita with ¼ pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) and mustard

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dinner: 1.5 cups no-yolks noodles, 1.5 cups chicken cacciatore, and 1 serving steamed spinach (about 4 C raw).

Dessert: 1.5 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1371.3, Protein: 75.7, Carbohydrates: 216.45 g, Fiber: 35.43 g, Fat: 20.64 g, Percent calories from fat: 11%, Saturated fat: 6.22 g, Cholesterol: 183.75 g, Sodium: 729.35 mg.

Saturday

Breakfast: ½ C GoLean Crunch cereal, 1/3 C skim milk, ¼ C wild blueberries.

Snack: None

Lunch: 1 C lima bean, portobello mushroom, barley soup, 1/8 pound extra lean ground beef (96/4) in ½ whole wheat pita

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe

Dinner: 1 serving baked salmon in dill sauce on steamed spinach, with 4 corn tortillas, and 2/3 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 C low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: ¼ cantaloupe and 1 small bag 94% fat-free popcorn

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1310.17, Protein: 61.15, Carbohydrates: 238.94 g, Fiber: 49.47 g, Fat: 21.55 g, Percent calories from fat: 14.81%, Saturated fat: 6.5 g, Cholesterol: 102.5 g, Sodium: 906.92 mg.

Sunday

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/3 C egg whites, 3 shiitake mushrooms-chopped, sweet onion, 1 T non-fat cheddar cheese, 3 T red bell pepper, and 1 T mild salsa.

Snack: 4 oz strawberry all-natural yogurt

Lunch: 2 Joel’s healthy enchiladas, 1/3 C Joel’s chili 3,

Snack: 3 oz. baby carrots, ¾ C GoLean Crunch

Dinner: 3 oz. roasted skinless boneless chicken breast in ½ whole wheat pita with secret sauce, 1 C steamed corn.

Dessert: 1 cup low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack: 1 medium orange, 5 Ritz low sodium crackers

Dietary Summary: Calories: 1349.82, Protein: 74.99, Carbohydrates: 216.57 g, Fiber: 28.6 g, Fat: 20.99 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.83%, Saturated fat: 6.58 g, Cholesterol: 135.8 g, Sodium: 1078.01 mg.

As you can see, I eat a lot for someone on a calorie, fat, and sodium restricted diet. But, I lose weight consistently, I have good energy, and I am seldom hungry.

Here is my recap for the last two days.

Daily Dietary Recap-6/1/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1349.68	90.86 g	228.62 g	957 mg	11.55 g	7.55%

Daily Dietary Recap-5/31/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1389.53	92.68 g	234.55 g	718.14 mg	12.43 g	7.51%

Seven Sample Menus for a 1400 Calorie Diet

I’ve been asked by a number of people to tell them what do eat and when. I guess they feel that they can follow directions better than coming up with their own menus. I am presenting here, not sample menus exactly, but what I ate on specific days to meet the requirements of my less than 1400 calorie, less than 20 % of calories from fat, less than 1500 mg sodium, diet.

As you can see, there is quite a lot of food here, so much that sometimes I get tired of chewing. I also believe that eating 4-7 times each day helps keep my metabolism up so I am continuously burning calories. These menus are just a starting point for you and are offered as suggestions of the types of foods you can eat on a low-fat, low-sodium, and calorie limited diet for weight reduction.

I am not a trained nutritionist, and my only criteria for selecting these foods for my own diet are those of calorie, sodium, and fat reduction. My personal goals in addition to the above-mentioned are: 78-158 g protein, 30-38 g fiber, and less than 300 mg cholesterol. Your recommended diet may be very different. I only offer these menus to share what I have eaten on given days and stayed loyal to my diet.

Monday

Breakfast

1.5 C Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, 1/3 C Non-fat milk, ¼ C Dannon All Natural non-fat Plain Yogurt, ¼ C Wild Blueberries

Morning Snack

1 medium banana

Lunch

1 1/2 C Joel’s Chili 3, 1 T non fat sour cream, 1 T apple cider vinegar

Snack

18 White Cheddar Soy Crisps

Dinner

Healthy Choice Chicken Margherita dinner, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onion, and 2 T poppy seed fat free dressing, 2/3 C steamed corn, 4 C (raw) spinach steamed,

4 Asparagus spears steamed

Dessert

1/2 C Yarnell's low-fat chocolate frozen yogurt

Snack

¼ cantaloupe, 1 Ry-Krisp cracker

Calories: 1369, Protein: 65.76, Carbohydrates: 247.11 g, Fiber: 48.79 g, Fat: 20.65 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.58%, Saturated fat: 3.78 g, Cholesterol: 75.63 g, Sodium: 1370.25 mg.

Tuesday

Breakfast

Omelet with ½ C Egg Beaters, 1/8 C Sweet Onion, 3 Mushrooms (chopped), and 1 T Old El Paso Taco sauce-medium

Morning Snack

1 C Kashi 7 whole grain Honey Puffs (dry from box)

Lunch

½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita, ¼ C Extra Lean ground beef patty (96/4), 4 oz. Dannon All Natural strawberry yogurt

Snack

Health Valley Vegetarian chili 1.5 C

Dinner

Salmon taco and pita: 4 oz Wild Salmon-baked, 1 Mi Casa White corn tortilla, juice of 2 Lemon wedges, slaw cabbage, 1 T non-fats sour cream; .25 C, 1 T Old El Paso taco sauce-medium, 2/3 C corn, 4 C (raw) spinach steamed

Dessert

1 C Yarnell strawberry low-fat frozen yogurt

Snack

2 Natural Ry-Krisp crackers, .5 oz non-fat cream cheese .

Calories: 1230, Protein: 105.3, Carbohydrates: 204.44 g, Fiber: 40.97 g, Fat: 15.56 g, Percent calories from fat: 11.39%, Saturated fat: 5.02 g, Cholesterol: 142.5 g, Sodium: 1179.5 mg.

Wednesday

Breakfast

1.5 C Old Fashioned oatmeal, 1 T flax seed meal, .5 oz raisins, 1 T brown sugar

Morning Snack

None

Lunch

½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita, ¼ C Extra Lean ground beef patty (96/4), 4 oz. Dannon All Natural strawberry yogurt

Snack

None

Dinner

3 oz. pork roast, 1 C baked sweet potato, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onion, and 1 T Fat free Vidalia onion dressing, 2 mushrooms-broiled, 2 C yellow summer squash-straightneck

Dessert

none

Snack

¼ cantaloupe, 2 Natural Ry-Krisp crackers

Calories: 1165, Protein: 69.93, Carbohydrates: 192.71 g, Fiber: 41.75 g, Fat: 17.59 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.59%, Saturated fat: 4.57 g, Cholesterol: 121 g, Sodium: 911.97 mg.

Thursday

Breakfast

4 oz. Dannon All Natural Blueberry Yoghurt, Small banana

Morning Snack

Small banana

Lunch

1 C General Tso's Tofu, ½ C brown rice, Roasted vegetables with 1 medium turnip, 1 sweet onion, 1 clove garlic

Snack

None

Dinner

½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita, ¼ C Extra Lean ground beef patty (96/4), 1 tsp mustard-Griffins, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onion, and 2 T poppy seed fat free dressing, 1 ½ C Steamfresh broccoli, carrots, sugar snaps, and water chestnuts

Dessert

1 C Yarnell's Chocolate Frozen yogurt

Snack

2 Natural Ry-Krisp crackers

Calories: 1304, Protein: 60.26, Carbohydrates: 223.09 g, Fiber: 25.75 g, Fat: 13.2 g, Percent calories from fat: 9.11%, Saturated fat: 4.87 g, Cholesterol: 101.41 g, Sodium: 927.88 mg.

Friday

Breakfast

1.5 C Old Fashioned oatmeal, 1 T flax seed meal, .5 oz raisins, 1 T brown sugar

Morning Snack

2 Ry-Krisp sesame crackers

Lunch

1 C raw cauliflower, 1 Wasa Lite Cracker, 1 C Joel’s chili 3, 1 T non-fat sour cream, ½ C brown rice, 1 C Poinsettia fruit salad

Snack

1 Ry-Krisp sesame cracker

Dinner

1 Stuffed chicken breast, ¾ C Steamfresh broccoli mixture, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onion, and 1 T Newman's low-fat sesame ginger dressing

Dessert

none

Snack

Grapefruit-Ruby Red 1 Small

Calories: 1185.3, Protein: 67.18, Carbohydrates: 197.15 g, Fiber: 35.7 g, Fat: 18.78 g, Percent calories from fat: 14.24%, Saturated fat: 3.94 g, Cholesterol: 98.76 g, Sodium: 900.98 mg.

Saturday

Breakfast

1.5 C Old Fashioned oatmeal, 1 T flax seed meal, .5 oz raisins, 1 T brown sugar

Morning Snack

None

Lunch

2 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, 1/2 Kangaroo WW Pita, 1 T secret sauce

Snack

Grape tomatoes .30 C

Dinner

3 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, ½ C brown Rice, 2/3 C Great Value Deluxe Stir Fry vegetables, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onion, 1 C Poinsettia Fruit Salad

Dessert

1 C Yarnell strawberry low-fat frozen yogurt

Snack

2 Natural Ry-Krisp crackers

Calories: 1194.84, Protein: 59.36, Carbohydrates: 206.86 g, Fiber: 30.41 g, Fat: 17.55 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.22%, Saturated fat: 4.65 g, Cholesterol: 111.25 g, Sodium: 478.16 mg.

Sunday

Breakfast

2 RyVita Cracker, Omelet with ½ C Egg Beaters, 1/8 C sweet Onion, 3 chopped mushrooms,1/4 C snow peas in ½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita

Morning Snack

2 RyVita Crackers, 4 Flat Earth Peach Mango Crisps

Lunch

Not-so-sloppy Joes in ½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita, 1 t. Griffins mustard

Snack

2 RyVita Crackers, ½ C fresh pineapple

Dinner

5oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, 1 1/3 C Great Value Deluxe Stir Fry vegetables , secret sauce, Salad with 2 C fresh greens, 1/3 C grape tomatoes, 1/8 C sweet onions, 2 t. Ken’s raspberry-walnut vinaigrette dressing

Dessert

1 C Yarnell strawberry low-fat frozen yogurt

Snack

½ Kangaroo whole wheat pita with 1 oz. non-fat cream cheese

Calories: 1381.14, Protein: 101.3, Carbohydrates: 196.35 g, Fiber: 40.29 g, Fat: 20.81 g, Percent calories from fat: 13.56%, Saturated fat: 6.69 g, Cholesterol: 181.25 g, Sodium: 1462 mg.

Here is my recap from yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-4/7/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1369.21	65.76 g	247.11 g	1370.25 mg	20.64 g	13.58%

Ten Secrets of Weight Loss-Part 2

Continuing with my discourse about what I have learned so far on my quest to lose weight and lower my blood pressure, I will review the ten secrets here.

The Ten Secrets of My Weight Loss

1. Knowledge is power-the knowledge to make choices
2. Non-fat sour cream is my friend
3. Non-fat cream cheese is my friend
4. Fiber is filling
5. My palate took about three days to retrain to a low sodium diet
6. My dinner plate is a riot of color compared with what it used to be
7. Almost any recipe can be remodeled to accommodate my diet
8. Exercise accelerates the weight loss and blood pressure lowering process
9. Vinegar wakes up the flavors of food
10. A playful attitude about food and a willingness to experiment have been strong allies

One: Knowledge is power-the knowledge to make choices Foucault was right, knowledge is power. He demonstrated that power is transferred through dialogue according to the knowledge one has. Truth, in a Foucaultian sense is the acceptance by those involved in the discourse of the local truths pertinent to the discourse. Fortunately for me, the scale provides a more positivist measure of my progress.

My growing knowledge of the calorie, sodium, and fat content of foods and my ability to track my consumption gives me the power to make informed choices. I get to enjoy my food because I know that I am not violating my contract with myself to limit my food choices to 1400 calories per day, less than 20% of those calories from fat, and less than 1500 mg of sodium. If I am getting close to my upper limit for one or more of those, I choose to have a grapefruit rather than chocolate frozen yogurt. As much as I like frozen yogurt, I have discovered that I also like ruby red grapefruit and that is almost as satisfying.

I use my diet spreadsheet to keep me informed throughout the day and as a training mechanism so I can learn what foods I can eat and stay within my limits. One of the first things I learned was about serving size. I was surprised to find that a normal serving of meat was about 4 ounces and not 12 or 16 ounces. I had heard that nuts were very healthy but when I tried to incorporate them into my diet, I found that most of them contain about 14 grams of fat per serving so I choose to postpone them until I have reached my target weight. The more I learn, the more powerful and effective I become at making choices.

Two: Non-fat sour cream is my friend I have always liked sour cream, in sauces, on baked potatoes, and as a base for dips and dressings. I have learned to love non-fat sour cream. In fact, regular sour cream doesn’t taste good to me now. Non-fat sour cream is the base for my secret sauce, my seasoned sour cream, and a dip for my low-fat, low-sodium, low-calorie, homemade tortilla chips [Cut corn tortillas into six pieces and bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees turning once until crisp. The Mi Casa brand I use of white corn tortillas has only 40 calories per tortilla, six pieces, .33 g fat, and 28.5 mg sodium]. I don’t think I could continue without my non-fat sour cream.

Three: Non-fat cream cheese is my friend My major indulgence is non-fat cream cheese on a low-sodium Ritz cracker with marmalade or blueberry fruit spread. I also like to put cream cheese inside half of a whole wheat pita and slice it into 4 pieces. These non-damaging indulgences are where I turn when I feel like I want something indulgent.

I promised sample menus of what I eat in a typical day to maintain a 1400 calorie diet. Here is the first one.

Sample Daily Diet 1

Breakfast
I started the day by scrambling ½ C Eggbeaters with 1 T sweet onion, 2 chopped mushrooms, and ¼ C snow peas. I put this inside one-half whole wheat pita.

Snack
2 RyVita Crackers, and 4 Flat Earth Peach Mango Crisps

Lunch
Not-so-sloppy Joes and secret sauce in a half whole wheat pita

Snack
½ C fresh pineapple

Dinner
1 1/3 C Deluxe stir-fry vegetables (microwaved)
4 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 T Secret Sauce
Large salad- Sweet Onion, lettuce mix, grape tomatoes, Ken's Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Dessert
1 C Yarnell Strawberry low-fat frozen yogurt

Late Night indulgence
1/2 WW Pita with 1 oz. Non-fat cream cheese

Total calories, 1381.14, Fat-20.81 g for 13.56% of my daily calories, and 1462 mg sodium

Here is my recap for yesterday.

Daily Dietary Recap-3/31/2007
Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Fat	% Calories from Fat
1275	82.55 g	191.99 g	1054.47 mg	25.15 g	17.75%