1200 calorie/day meal ideas

karla_eberhardt
karla_eberhardt Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
I have just recently started a 1200 calorie/day meal plan and am interested in getting some ideas, so that my eating won't get boring. Thanks!:smile:
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Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    The best is to perform a Google search but if you could eat more and still lose weight, would you do it? If so, check out this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • eklavon84
    eklavon84 Posts: 9 Member
    TURKEY TURKEY TURKEY!! Sorry I do a lot of turkey stuff. I really like using the weight watches smart ones for lunches at work, they ave 250-350 calories, pair it with a low fat yogurt, lunch for 400 cals, Broth based soups are good too, I make my own broth or use unsalted cause sodium can get pretty high. Tacos no meat and lots of salad helps. LOTS of veggies(best if fresh)
  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
    Tacos are GREAT for low calorie meals. I get bored eating salads all the time for lunch so I switched to tacos recently. I do the small corn tortillas at 45 calories each. Fill them with seasoned chicken, grilled onions & peppers (with 0 cal veg oil spray) and a dab of sour cream. That is just one example, you can do shrimp tacos too, those are always good.

    Here are some more ideas: http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/200-calorie-tacos

    I also have a wonderful cookbook full of 300 calorie meals. Just google searching for low calorie meals will give you all sorts of options!
  • velvetteddylove
    velvetteddylove Posts: 36
    Recently I've been loving egg whites with some chopped up spinach, a bit of cheese to taste if you'd like. Whether scrambled, as an omelette, etc :) not many calories, major taste, and lots of needed nutrients, vitamins, protein, etc.
    if you portion it off, you can add it to a meal for a boost, too :smile:
  • deliacm
    deliacm Posts: 66 Member
    I eat 1000-1200 calories a day and pretty much eat whatever anyone else is having... in moderation. I plan my dinner so that I am able to eat whatever my family is having and then back track to plan my lunch and breakfast. My diary is open, so feel free to look through and friend me if you have any questions.

    And regarding the "eat more calories" group and the "you'll go into starvation mode" group, I've yet to see a single poster on these forums with a medical degree and both my nutritionist and medical doctor agree it's perfectly fine. So, if you have questions about whether it's nutritionally sustainable for you, I'd suggest you speak with your doctor and not listen to the MFP do-goobers. If you eat a good variety of foods and take a good multi-vitamin, you'll be perfectly fine nutritionally speaking.
  • jeffmitchell
    jeffmitchell Posts: 27 Member
    I eat a lot of tuna, eggs, fruits and veggies. I only eat 1200 calories as well.
  • CarlaMomOf4
    CarlaMomOf4 Posts: 138 Member
    I'm in the same boat so to speak. I look forward to reading everyone's posts and experiences!!
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    The best is to perform a Google search but if you could eat more and still lose weight, would you do it? If so, check out this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol
  • deliacm
    deliacm Posts: 66 Member
    [/quote]

    This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol
    [/quote]

    I've never had even the slightest pang of hunger eating even 1000 calories a day. With exercise, I will sometimes net below 500 calories. If you're hungry, then I would suggest eating different foods. For some reason, a lot of people chose to fill their calories with shakes and things that don't fill them up, rather than choosing actual food that does. My typical day is a bowl of granola in the morning with my coffee (250 calories), a HUGE salad for lunch (200-250 calories or less depending on the dressing), and the same dinner that my family has (500-700 calories). I RARELY have any desire to snack and when you're eating well and getting a variety of good healthy food, you really lose the craving for sweets, though I do have the occasional Skinny Cow dessert. I've even gone camping and had a S'More and still kept under 1300 calories. It's all in how you do it really and there is no magic shake potion that is going to fill you up as much as just eating the right food.
  • DozzFit
    DozzFit Posts: 12 Member
    I recommend. some Ground Turkey-which is a great lean protein! I make a batch and use it for tacos/protein with spaghetti squash/ a low cal Picadillo/ toss on salad - whatever.... It's great you feel more satisfied for longer.. Experiment with seasoning it..but avoid adding too much sodium! ;)
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
    I do a lot of chicken and veggies, finding new ways/sauces to change how they taste. The meals aren't usually my problem, it's usually snacks that bring my close/over my cal limit.

    Check out my diary, I try to stay at 1200.
  • 053069
    053069 Posts: 52 Member
    skinnytaste.com should be a good resource
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
    I eat 1000-1200 calories a day and pretty much eat whatever anyone else is having... in moderation. I plan my dinner so that I am able to eat whatever my family is having and then back track to plan my lunch and breakfast. My diary is open, so feel free to look through and friend me if you have any questions.

    And regarding the "eat more calories" group and the "you'll go into starvation mode" group, I've yet to see a single poster on these forums with a medical degree and both my nutritionist and medical doctor agree it's perfectly fine. So, if you have questions about whether it's nutritionally sustainable for you, I'd suggest you speak with your doctor and not listen to the MFP do-goobers. If you eat a good variety of foods and take a good multi-vitamin, you'll be perfectly fine nutritionally speaking.

    Yeah, I don't buy in to the "eat more" thought group. Otherwise, people who get gastric bypass would never lose any weight, and they're lucky to get 900 cals in those first few weeks.
  • 01ellie
    01ellie Posts: 1 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day and with the right planning of meals and snacks I never feel hungry. I will have oatmeal, coffee and a banana for breakfast. Grilled chicken salad (homemade) with a lite dressing for lunch. Dinner is whatever we made at home but with some substitutions...for example i will add more veggies to my plate or a salad instead of the extra carbs. Snacks are usually a 100 calorie granola bar or fruits. Through out the day I only drink water or herbal teas with no sugar.

    today i didnt have time to make a salad for lunch so i packed grilled jerk chicken with steamed broccoli and sauteed spinach - 320 calories
  • mrsdmiller74
    mrsdmiller74 Posts: 34 Member
    I agree turkey is awesome, also smoothies. I do meal replacements with smoothies lots of kale, spinach and fruit. I try to save bulk of my calorie intake for dinner. The way my job is I cant work if I am stuffed
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member


    This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol


    I've never had even the slightest pang of hunger eating even 1000 calories a day. With exercise, I will sometimes net below 500 calories. If you're hungry, then I would suggest eating different foods. For some reason, a lot of people chose to fill their calories with shakes and things that don't fill them up, rather than choosing actual food that does. My typical day is a bowl of granola in the morning with my coffee (250 calories), a HUGE salad for lunch (200-250 calories or less depending on the dressing), and the same dinner that my family has (500-700 calories). I RARELY have any desire to snack and when you're eating well and getting a variety of good healthy food, you really lose the craving for sweets, though I do have the occasional Skinny Cow dessert. I've even gone camping and had a S'More and still kept under 1300 calories. It's all in how you do it really and there is no magic shake potion that is going to fill you up as much as just eating the right food.

    lol 1200 WILL make me hungry because I work out hard (not long) using weights... I don't do cardio or dance around... I also only have around 40lbs to lose (my choice) and chances are with weight lifting I may never get below 160 and that is OK .. I go for how I look.. not a number...

    And the "eat more" mantra isn't what you are assuming... it refers to fuel. If you are hardcore into strength training/resistence or trying to do cardio 3 hours a day then your body needs fuel .. moreso as you continue to lose. I prefer to eat 1700 cals to 1200 .. just that simple..
  • lcorrea
    lcorrea Posts: 10 Member
    I try to stick to 1200 per day also. I do eat breakfast but try not to blow alot of calories on it. For lunch, I generally do a Healthy Choice meal since I work and kind of on the go. For dinner, we grill quite a bit and try to downplay the carbs as much as possible. For me, giving up pasta has been the hardest because I LOVE it. I could have it in moderation but since I can't control it very well, I just don't make it.
  • natterzdezign
    natterzdezign Posts: 71 Member
    http://www.eatingwell.com has 1,200 calorie diets, as well as other ones. Great website and very helpful.
  • ActuarialChef
    ActuarialChef Posts: 1,413 Member


    This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol


    I've never had even the slightest pang of hunger eating even 1000 calories a day. With exercise, I will sometimes net below 500 calories. If you're hungry, then I would suggest eating different foods. For some reason, a lot of people chose to fill their calories with shakes and things that don't fill them up, rather than choosing actual food that does. My typical day is a bowl of granola in the morning with my coffee (250 calories), a HUGE salad for lunch (200-250 calories or less depending on the dressing), and the same dinner that my family has (500-700 calories). I RARELY have any desire to snack and when you're eating well and getting a variety of good healthy food, you really lose the craving for sweets, though I do have the occasional Skinny Cow dessert. I've even gone camping and had a S'More and still kept under 1300 calories. It's all in how you do it really and there is no magic shake potion that is going to fill you up as much as just eating the right food.

    lol 1200 WILL make me hungry because I work out hard (not long) using weights... I don't do cardio or dance around... I also only have around 40lbs to lose (my choice) and chances are with weight lifting I may never get below 160 and that is OK .. I go for how I look.. not a number...

    And the "eat more" mantra isn't what you are assuming... it refers to fuel. If you are hardcore into strength training/resistence or trying to do cardio 3 hours a day then your body needs fuel .. moreso as you continue to lose. I prefer to eat 1700 cals to 1200 .. just that simple..

    Yes.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Welcome! I mostly eat more than 1200 now, sometimes quite a bit more, since I eat back exercise calories (and am continuing to lose at 2 lb/week even though I'm short). However, if you want to look at my diary and especially if you go back to March or April I have a lot of 1200 calories days. I eat all kinds of meat, mostly whole eggs instead of egg whites, and no diet meals. I was mostly keeping carbs to around 100 g which is for me the easiest way to do 1200-1300, and eating lots of vegetables (and meat, eggs, and dairy, since I've also been trying to hit 100 g protein).

    Oh, and warning, the last few days aren't what I'd recommend--combination of crazy work hours, stress, and a broken oven.
  • LynseyAnna
    LynseyAnna Posts: 7 Member
    I just started working with a physical trainer & we were going over my calorie intake and times of the day that I eat. I explained to him that I have been using the MFP app to help me track my food and calorie intake & when I told him that I was eating 1450 calories or less a day he was shocked and explained that I should really increase my calories to about 1700. This may have to do with the fact that I will be working out multiple times a week and doing lots of cardio and resistance training. I think I will compromise and eat between 1400-1600 a day now. I tried originally only eating 1200 calories and it was just unrealistic for me. I have some decent self control but I felt like I couldn't eat ANYTHING and I beat myself up SO much when I would go over that number.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I don't typically aim for 1200 per day - but could easily tweak a few things to be there.

    Breakfast 280
    Your choice of fruit or veggie (50)
    2 eggs or oatmeal(140)
    2% cheese or small serving of meat (90)

    Lunch 375
    PB&J on light bread, using no added sugar jelly & 24g peanut butter (250)
    Banana (need to weigh it, but small-medium) (100)
    Carrots (25)

    Dinner 500
    Chicken breast or other lean meat 3-5 oz (150)
    Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. salad (75)
    Light Dressing and/or cheese for salad (75)
    Small serving rice or other (again, need to weight) (150)
    Various steamed veggies (50)


    This comes to 1155, leaving a little room for a snack. Could easily cut back on the dinner calories for more snacks by having more veggies, removing rice/other or avoiding the dressing/cheese.
  • crossfire266
    crossfire266 Posts: 25
    are you suicidal eating 1200 calories? what the hell
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    SOUP is both satisfying, filling, and very versatile. do it up any way you want, healthfully of course.
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
    Chicken, fish, lean pork or beef, and lots of steamed veggies.
  • bloomsnadversiTE
    bloomsnadversiTE Posts: 3
    I fill my day with crunchy/low cal veggies like raw celery, radishes and zucchini!
  • Glowiie1
    Glowiie1 Posts: 85 Member
    Different strokes, for different folks, right?

    I tried the 1200 cal/day diet, and I was starving all the time, and I was eating nothing but whole grains, lean meats, and lots of veggies. I bumped it up to 1450/day and now I can maintain that without even thinking. If you're hungry all the time, try upping to 1300 or 1400. Just make sure that you're eating real food - beans, chicken, barely, brown rice, good green veggies, etc!

    Oh, and something that is helping me is huge veggie portions. You go to a restaurant and they give you 3 broccoli florets or what looks like a quarter cup of mixed veggies as a side. I eat a whole crown or two at a sitting, and carrots? I'll have a half or full pound of them as a snack sometimes (usually not with a dip of any kind - once your taste buds adjust, carrots are sweet enough as they are!). The complex carbs and fiber really fill you up, and there's no processed crap in it. Just good nutrients :).
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    I had no problem eating regular food, in moderation, using the 1200 calorie plan. That being said, I earned 350-500 calories extra every day, working out in some fashion. I lost about 20 pounds (out of 30) before upping my calories a bit. The big thing with 1200 net is the NET.
  • _jayciemarie_
    _jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
    I think that people only eating 1200 or less are convincing themselves they aren't hungry. Or, they aren't measuring EVERYTHING with a scale. Back when I started and was only eating "1200" it was more like 1600. But...I will get people saying "No, I weigh everything and I'm really not hungry". Ok....well....guess you got fat by eating 1500 calories a day then.

    Best of luck :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    The big thing with 1200 net is the NET.

    Yup.

    Also, I've always lost more than MFP predicts at 1200-1250, so I don't think I was really eating much more when total calories were in that range. I wouldn't find 1200 (or 1250) gross sustainable now (net totally is, and that's what the goal is supposed to be anyway), but back when I wasn't exercising much it would have been--the bigger issue would have been getting bored since my meals followed a pretty similar pattern.

    My sense is that some people tend to be volume eaters and some people seem to be affected more by total calories. I can eat three big meals (by volume) even at 1200, because of filling my plate with veggies, eating protein servings that are as large as I would normally want, etc., so that makes me feel full. What I eat for breakfast now has no more calories than a big bagel I could buy in my office building (as I used to do), even without adding any cream cheese or anything, and there's absolutely no comparison in how filling they are. For similar reasons, I expect I could create a menu of 2200 calories and one of 1200 calories that I'd find equally filling. I'm totally not in favor of doing 1200 gross if someone is exercising, and don't think most have to do 1200 net to lose, unless it feels good to them, but it's perfectly workable for lots of people.

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