1200 Calories per day meal plans

Hi, I try to eat 1200 calories on days that I don't work out, or net 1200 when I do. One thing that definitely helps me, is eating more vegetables with meals. Another is trying to eat whole wheat instead of white bread, and eating brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice, since they are much more filling. Also, snacking on nuts or greek yogurt as a snack is a pretty satisfying snack. You can add me and spy on what I eat if you want.

question on the quinoa, I have tried cooking this a few times but it has still been really grainey, gritty and I couldn't eat it what am I doing wrong?

Are you rinsing your quinoa before cooking it?

You can take a peak at my diary if you'd like....

I'll actually answer your question I live on 1200 per day unless I excercise, which is most days. Here's what I eat:

B-fast: One whole egg, 1/4 c egg whites, 1 tbsp cottage cheese, small handful of frozen spinach- make and omlette, serve with one wedge of laughing cow cheese= 181 calories. Add a small slice of toast if you need more cals

Lunch: 1 1/2 cups lightly steamed broccoli, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1/2 cup chopped chicken, and as much salsa or franks buffalo as you want. = about 200 calories (and it's GOOD)

Dinner: 2 cups of zucchini sliced like noodles, 1/4 c sundried tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, 1/4 cup Light alfredo sauce= 200 calories
add some good crusty bread if you need more cals.

Snacks- fruit, cottage cheese, Fiber one fiber bar plus protien, Turkey pepperoni, banana peppers, pickles, olives, veggie staws.

Other meal ideas- soup! There are several cans of soup you can buy where the whole can is less than 350- very filling if you are in a crunch for time.
Kale salad with pickled red onions, goat cheese and vinegrette
Find some low cal tortillas (la tortilla factory) and make wraps with chicken, beans, lots of kale/ spinach, ect.

Do you use reddit? Even if you don't, http://www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty/ might be a good resource.

I am about 5'4 and 130 lbs and trying to loose 10 lbs. I am running out of ideas on stuff to eat daily to stay within goal and my choices thus far have not been very filling. Please help!!

I'm 5'2" and get about 1300 calories a day. It's tough when you're short and sedentary. Forces me to exercise more so I can eat a bit more.

Fewer carbs. They're not very filling and they can leave you hungry. Try to get more protein and veggies. You can make a big veggie salad and then top it with some lean protein. You can have some kind of meat, like chicken or lean beef, or a can of tuna fish or salmon, or you can top with rinsed canned beans (and some shredded low fat cheese), or put low fat cottage cheese on it. I think I only get about 4 servings of carbs per day. That's plenty for me.

For breakfast look at things like eggs, greek yogurt, oatmeal. You can add PB2 or soy grits to the oatmeal to boost the protein. You can have muesli with yogurt (look for sugar free muesli and plain or plain greek yogurt). Or make overnight refrigerator oats (google it). You can put low fat ricotta on a slice of toast. You can have 1% cottage cheese topped with a can of 100-calorie sliced peaches.

For dinner some sort of protein plus veggies. You can have another salad, or steamed veggies. I get the frozen veggies you steam in the bag and top them with low fat salad dressing or pasta sauce. A whole bag is a lot of veggies and if choose carefully very low in calories. Homemade vegetarian chili made with beans and veggies is a good option. Beans are half carb half protein.

Sometimes I have pasta for dinner. Either whole grain spaghetti or I get light cheese ravioli. Add half a cup of spaghetti sauce and a spoonful of parmesan and a green salad.

Sargento makes 50 calorie string cheese. Good for snacks. Or to have as part of a meal.

If you're looking for convenience a low cal frozen entree plus a green salad and maybe some fruit. Start with something around 250-300 calories and then add in salad and fruit until it gets up to 400 calories.

Sometimes I make a cheese sandwich using low fat cheese and pickles. Sliced turkey is another option. Add sliced tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, whatever.

Sometimes I have a soy protein shake and then something else to bring the calories up to around 350.