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Not sure what 1500 calories looks like? Here are sample menus for 3 days with delicious, healthy options.

A 1500 calorie diet plan is the plan I seem recommend most often to my patients. That’s because a 1500 calorie plan allows for a reasonable amount of food, and generally leads to a healthy rate of weight loss in most people – as long as regular exercise is part of the equation. I always encourage my patients to tackle their weight issues with a one-two punch of diet and exercise, and a 1500 calorie plan reinforces that strategy.

Who should choose a 1500 calorie diet plan?

A 1500 calorie meal plan might be right for you if you are a female who gets regular exercise but is still seeking weight loss, if you are a male who is only lightly active and seeks weight loss, or if you are a male over the age of 50 who gets minimal activity. It should go without saying that regular exercise is important for your health and can also help you reach your goals.

A drop of no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss. If you are losing more quickly than that, move up to the next highest calorie level. If you are losing more slowly than that, you can try the 1200 calorie diet plan, but you shouldn’t cut your intake to less than 1200 calories per day. As with any diet plan, regular exercise is not only a healthy habit, it also helps you to burn more calories to help you reach your weight goals.

1500 calorie diet plan overview

This plan calls for three meals and two snacks each day. Here is the basic breakdown for the 1500 calorie diet plan:

Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ vegetables if desired)

Lunch: 1 Protein + 1 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch + 1 Taste Enhancer + 1 Fruit

Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Vegetable

Dinner: 2 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Fruit

Daily Totals: 4 Protein, 3 Fruit, 4-5 Vegetable, 1 Starch/Grain, 1 Protein Snack, Leafy Greens – no limit, 2 Taste Enhancer

As long as you don’t exceed the daily totals for each food group, feel free to move your portions around. But try to keep the same general pattern of three meals and at least one snack – it’s not recommended that you skip meals and then “double up” at the next one. More evenly spaced meals will help you keep your energy level up, and protein at each meal (and for the afternoon snack) will help to keep you from getting too hungry.

Take a look at my ‘How to Create Your Own Sample Diet Plan” article which provides all the details on portion sizes for each food group. You can find other options if there’s something in the meal plan that you don’t like, don’t have time to prepare, or can’t get hold of. That way, you can customize your own 1500 calorie diet plans.

Remember that swapping out one or two meals a day for an Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal Drink or an Herbalife Express Meal Bar can be an easy alternative if you’re pressed for time or looking for a convenient alternative.

3-day menus for a 1500 calorie diet

DAY 1

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) strawberries
• Sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch

Large salad made with:

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) – any amount
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomato)
• 3 ounces (85g) grilled chicken breast
• ½ cup (150g) cooked white beans
• 2 tablespoons (30g) reduced-calorie salad dressing
• 1 tangerine

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) soy nuts
• Carrot and celery sticks

Dinner

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled salmon with lemon
• 2 cups (160g) steamed green beans with garlic
• ½ cup (150g) cooked brown rice
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• 1 orange

DAY 2

Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in nonstick pan with pan spray
• Topped with tomato salsa
• 1 cup (80g) cut melon

Lunch

Veggie stir-fry. Saute together tofu and veggies:

• 5 ounces (125g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (80g) broccoli florets
• Large bunch fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil to stir-fry
• Season with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and ginger
• ½ cup (150g) steamed brown rice
• ½ medium mango

Snack

• 4 Tablespoons (60g) prepared hummus
• 1 cup (80g) baby carrots

Dinner

Grain salad with protein. Toss together:

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled shrimp
• ½ cup (150g) cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, onion)
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie vinaigrette dressing
• Place on a bed of leafy greens

Snack

• 1 fresh orange

DAY 3

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• Sprinkle with nutmeg

Lunch

• 4 ounces (100g) grilled halibut
• 1 cup (80g) steamed asparagus with lemon
• ½ cup (150g) whole grain pasta
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing
• 1 cup (80g) berries

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed raw vegetables (carrot, red pepper and broccoli florets are a nice combination)
• season with salt, pepper, dried dill or chives

Dinner

• 6 ounces (170g) grilled lean steak
• 2 cups (160g) roasted Brussels sprouts (halve, toss with olive oil, roast at 400 F / 205 C for 20 minutes)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil (for Brussels sprouts)
• Steamed kale, spinach or Swiss chard with vinegar
• ½ small sweet potato sprinkled with ginger

Snack

• 1 cup (80g) diced fresh pineapple

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

An 1800 calorie diet plan calls for three meals and three snacks each day to provide your body with sustained energy. Let’s take a look at a sample diet plan that delivers 1800 calories together with all the essential nutrients your body needs.

An 1800 calorie diet plan allows for an extra snack and a bit more starch than lower calorie diet plans in order to meet the body’s needs for protein and carbohydrate. If you’ve looked at my menu plans for 1200 or 1500 calories, you’ll notice that the menus are quite similar in terms of food items, but as the calories go up, I have increased the number of servings from the different food groups over the course of the day. I tried to keep the meal plans similar across all calorie levels… that way, if a couple chooses to diet together – but their calorie needs differ – they can still eat their meals together.

Do you need a 1800 calorie diet plan?

A 1800 calorie diet plan might be right for you if you are a large-framed, active female who is seeking weight loss. This meal plan may be appropriate for medium-framed men who are active but seek weight loss, or large-framed men who are only lightly active and seek weight loss. It should go without saying that regular exercise is important for your health and can also help you reach your goals.

A drop of no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss. If you are losing more quickly than that, move up to the next highest calorie level. If you are losing more slowly than that, you can drop down to the 1500 calorie plan. As with any diet plan, regular exercise is not only a healthy habit, it also helps you to burn more calories to help you reach your weight goals.

What does a 1800 calorie diet look like each day?

This plan calls for three meals and three snacks to help you take in 1800 healthy calories each day at regular intervals. Here is the basic breakdown for the 1800 calorie diet plan:

Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ vegetables if desired)

Snack: 1 Protein Snack

Lunch: 2 Protein + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens +1 Starch/Grain + 1 Taste Enhancer + 1 Fruit

Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable

Dinner: 2 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Fruit

Daily Totals: 5 Protein, 3 Fruit, 4-5 Vegetable, 2 Starch/Grain, 2 Protein Snack, Leafy Greens – no limit, 2 Taste Enhancer,

I’ve created the 1800 calorie menus based upon this framework, but you can make adjustments as long as you don’t exceed the daily totals for each food group. For example, if you tend to eat a late breakfast and an early lunch, you might want to move your morning snack to another time during the day. Or, perhaps you don’t feel the need to eat your fruit after dinner, but would rather have it with your morning protein snack.

Take a look at my ‘How to Create Your Own Sample Diet Plan” article which provides all the details on portion sizes for each food group. That way, you can find other options if there’s something in the meal plan that you can’t get hold of, don’t like or don’t have time to prepare. By using this meal plan as a guide and swapping out items that fit within the general plan but meet your individual tastes, you are far more likely to stay on track. You may even find that you want to stay on this sample 1800 calorie diet plan for longer than three days.

If you are using Herbalife Formula 1 shakes or Herbalife Express bars as meal replacements then make sure you are also consuming the suggested snacks and one or two balanced meals each day to ensure you meet your calorie allowance.

3-Day menus for a 1800 calorie diet

DAY 1

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) strawberries
• Sprinkled with cinnamon

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat vanilla yogurt

Lunch

Large Salad made with:

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) – any amount
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomato)
• 6 ounces (170g) grilled chicken breast
• ½ cup (150g) cooked white beans
• 2 tablespoons (30g) reduced-calorie salad dressing
• 1 tangerine

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) soy nuts
• Carrot and celery sticks

Dinner

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled salmon with lemon
• 2 cups (160g) steamed green beans with garlic
• ½ cup (150g) cooked brown rice
• large leafy green salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• 1 orange 

DAY 2

Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in nonstick pan with pan spray
• Topped with tomato salsa
• 1 cup (80g) cut melon

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese

Lunch

Chicken and veggie stir-fry. Saute together tofu, chicken and veggies:

• 5 ounces (125g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 3 ounces (85g) chicken breast, cut into strips
• 2 cups (80g) broccoli florets
• Large bunch fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil to stir-fry
• Season with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and ginger
• ½ cup (150g) steamed brown rice
• ½ medium mango

Snack

• 4 Tablespoons (60g) prepared hummus
• 1 cup (80g) baby carrots

Dinner

Grain salad with protein. Toss together:

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled shrimp
• ½ cup (150g) cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, onion)
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie vinaigrette dressing
• Place on a bed of leafy greens

Snack

• 1 fresh orange

DAY 3

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• Sprinkle with nutmeg

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) lowfat mozzarella cheese

Lunch

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled halibut
• 2 cups (80g) steamed asparagus with lemon
• ½ cup (150g) whole grain pasta
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing
• 1 cup (80g) berries

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed raw vegetables
• season with salt, pepper, dried dill or chives

Dinner

• 6 ounces (170g) grilled lean steak
• 2 cups (160g) roasted Brussels sprouts (halve, toss with olive oil, roast at 400 F / 205 C for 20 minutes)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil (for Brussels sprouts)
• Steamed kale, spinach or Swiss chard with vinegar
• ½ small sweet potato sprinkled with ginger

Snack

• 1 cup (80g) diced fresh pineapple

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

Looking for a diet plan suitable for active or larger people? Three meals and three snacks a day are called for on a 2200 calorie diet plan.

A 2200 calorie diet plan can be a weight loss plan – if you’re a pretty big guy who’s getting regular exercise, but you’ve still got a bit of a spare tire. But just because you can eat a bit more than other people and still lose weight, that doesn’t give you the license to eat whatever you want. Your diet plan still needs to include all the nutrients your larger body needs – the protein, vitamins and minerals – so it’s important that you pay attention to the number of servings from the different food groups that are recommended for you. That way, you’ll be sure to meet your nutrient needs.  If you’ve looked at the lower calorie diet plans in this series, you’ll notice that your plan looks very similar – you just get a few more servings of various foods throughout the day.

Who should choose a 2200 calorie diet plan?

A 2200 calorie meal plan might be right for you if you are a large-framed, active male who is seeking weight loss. This plan may be too high in calories for you if you are female, or if you are a smaller-framed male – unless your activity level is very high. A drop of no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss. If you are losing more quickly than that, you can gradually add servings from any food group to your plan until you achieve a calorie level that leads to a safe rate of loss. If you are losing too slowly, you can drop down to the 1800 calorie plan. As with any diet plan, regular exercise is not only a healthy habit, it also helps you to burn more calories to help you reach your weight goals.

2200 calorie diet plan overview

This plan calls for three meals and three snacks each day. Here is the basic breakdown for the 2200 calorie diet plan:

Breakfast: 2 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ vegetables if desired) + 1 Starch/Grain

Snack: 1 Protein Snack

Lunch: 2 Protein + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch/Grain + 1 Taste Enhancer + 1 Fruit

Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable

Dinner: 2 Protein + 2 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 2 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Fruit

Daily Totals: 6 Protein, 3-4 Fruit, 5-6 Vegetable, 4 Starch/Grain, 2 Protein Snack, Leafy Greens – no limit,  3 Taste Enhancers

To create the menus for the 2200 calorie plan, I simply plug in different foods based on my“How to Create Your Own Sample Diet Plan” article which provides all the details on portion sizes for each food group. You can follow this 3-day plan, or you can swap foods in and out depending on what you like, and what’s convenient for you to prepare. The beauty of this system is that it’s relatively simple, but it allows you to customize your menus to your liking. My 2200 calorie meal plan calls for three meals and snacks in the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and after dinner – but you have some flexibility to move things around as long as you don’t exceed the total number of servings from each food group for the day. Some people, for example, prefer to eat a larger meal at lunch, so they’ll ‘steal’ a starch/grain serving from the dinner meal and have it at lunch instead. Also, you can always swap out one or two meals for a Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal Drink or an Herbalife Express Meal Bar if you’re on the go or don’t feel like cooking from scratch. Herbalife Protein Bars are also a good way to make sure your snacks contain the right level of protein.

3-day menus for a 2200 calorie diet

DAY 1 Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) strawberries
• Sprinkled with cinnamon
• 1 slice whole grain toast topped with:
• 3 ounces (85 gm) sliced turkey breast

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat vanilla yogurt

Lunch Large Salad made with:

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) – any amount
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomato)
• 6 ounces (170g) grilled chicken breast
• ½ cup (150g) cooked white beans
• 2 tablespoons (30g) reduced-calorie salad dressing
• 1 tangerine

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) soy nuts
• Carrot and celery sticks 

Dinner

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled salmon with lemon
• 2 cups (160g) steamed green beans with garlic
• 1 cup (300g) cooked brown rice
• large leafy green salad – any amount
• ¼ medium avocado for salad
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• 1 orange

DAY 2 Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in nonstick pan with pan spray
• Topped with tomato salsa
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) cut melon

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) vanilla yogurt

Lunch Chicken-veggie stir-fry. Saute together tofu, chicken and veggies:

• 5 ounces (125g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 3 ounces (85g) chicken breast, cut into strips
• 2 cups (80g) broccoli florets
• Large bunch fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil to stir-fry
• Season with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and ginger
• ½ cup (150g) steamed brown rice
• ½ medium mango

Snack

• 4 Tablespoons (60g) prepared hummus
• 1 cup (80g) baby carrots

Dinner Grain salad with protein. Toss together:

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled shrimp
• 1 cup (300g) cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, onion)
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie vinaigrette dressing
• Place on a bed of leafy greens

Snack

• 1 fresh orange

DAY 3 Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in a non-stick pan
• ½ toasted whole grain English Muffin
• 1 cup (250g) plain nonfat yogurt topped with:
• 1 banana, sliced
• Sprinkle with nutmeg

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) lowfat mozzarella cheese

Lunch

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled halibut
• 2 cups (80g) steamed asparagus with lemon
• ½ cup (150g) whole grain pasta
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing
• 1 cup (80g) berries

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed raw vegetables
• season with salt, pepper, dried dill or chives

Dinner

• 6 ounces (170g) grilled lean steak
• 2 cups (160g) roasted Brussels sprouts (halve, toss with olive oil, roast at 400 F / 205 C  for 20 minutes)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil (for Brussels sprouts)
• Steamed kale, spinach or Swiss chard with vinegar
• 1 small sweet potato sprinkled with ginger

Snack

• 1 cup (80g) diced fresh pineapple

I hope you can make this calorie plan work for you. Sometimes, seeing exactly how much you should be eating each day can help kick-start a new approach to healthy eating. It’s important to consume the right levels of nutrients from the right food groups each day and I hope this diet plan helped you to see how these can easily be distributed across a day.

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.