A Simple Formula for Meal Planning and Menu Creating
Written by Yasar Shahzad Friday, 02 July 2010 20:21
A Simple Formula for Meal Planning and Menu Creating
Ok, now that you know exactly which foods to choose, you’re ready to hand-pick the foods you enjoy and put them all together into your own personalized meals and menu plans. Creating effective, result-producing menus is incredibly easy once you know the simple formula. I have arranged this formula step by step and it’s very easy for you.
Basic Diet formula (50-55% carbs, 30% protein, 15-20% fat)
Step 1: Choose a lean protein from the list for every meal.
Step 2: Choose a starchy carbohydrate from the list for every meal
Step 3: Choose your simple carbohydrates for your breakfasts
Step 4: Choose your fibrous carbs for your lunches and dinners
Step 5: Add essential fats if insufficient quantities are present in your foods
Step 6: Count your meal subtotals and grand totals.
Step 7: Compare your totals to your calorie target and adjust the serving sizes
Step 8: Assign a time a time for each meal
Basic Diet Breakfasts (meals one and two)
Eating five or six meals a day and the first two meals will probably be in the morning, we’ll call meals one and two “breakfasts” for simplicity. The first step in creating a breakfast is to select a lean protein such as egg whites. The second step is to choose a starchy carbohydrate such as oatmeal. The third step, which is optional, is to pick a natural simple carbohydrate such as an orange. Now all you have to do is adjust your portion sizes to fit your personal calorie needs. There you have it – as easy as one–two–three – instant meal! Here are several examples.
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4
Egg white omelet protein powder Egg white scramble Shredded wheat
Oatmeal Oatmeal whole wheat toast Skim milk
Orange banana all-fruit jelly protein shake
The menu Sample for the Basic Diet
This sample allows you to create a virtually unlimited variety of menus. All you have to do is choose the foods you want and plug them into the appropriate slots. Then adjust the portion sizes for your calorie and macronutrient needs.
Meal 1:
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb, Simple carb (dairy or fruit)
Meal 2:
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb, Simple carb (dairy or fruit)
Meal 3:
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb, Fibrous carb (vegetable/salad)
Meal 4:
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb, Fibrous carb (vegetable/salad)
Meal 5
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb, Fibrous carb (vegetable/salad)
Meal 6
Lean Protein, Starchy Carb (small serving), Fibrous carb (vegetable/salad), essential fat
Notes on the Basic diet menu sample
1. This basic diet sample is very balanced and health-oriented. It is suitable for weight loss (with calories below maintenance level), for year-round maintenance (with calories at maintenance level), or even for weight gain (with calories at 10-20% above maintenance level). The basic diet should include a wide variety of natural, low fat & low sugar foods including whole grain complex carbohydrates, fruits, low or non-fat dairy products, and lean proteins.
2. Eat small, frequent meals - five for women and six for men. Eat approximately every three hours. Allow a minimum of two hours between meals and a maximum of four hours. Early day meals, especially your first one, may be larger than evening meals. The last meal of the day should be light and if possible, eaten two to three hours before going to sleep.
3. This diet sample suggests eating your simple carbohydrates (fruit & dairy products) early in the day. However, there’s no reason you can’t have fruit or dairy products later in the day as long as your macronutrient ratios stay in balance. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as your protein source for dinner, even though it’s not listed that way on the sample. You could also have fruit instead of a starchy or fibrous carbohydrate in your late day meals, as long as complex carbohydrates make up the bulk of your carbohydrate calories.
4. This is a low-fat diet, but not a zero-fat diet. Include at least one serving per day of essential fats (Udo’s choice oil blend, fatty fish, flaxseed oil, salad dressings, nuts, seeds, olives or natural peanut butter). Avoid eating fats with large amounts of carbohydrates. Essential fats go well with your protein and green vegetable meals.
5. Macronutrient ratios on this plan should be 50-55% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 1520% fat. Always combine a lean protein and a natural carbohydrate with every meal.
6. Keep “cheat meals” down to only one or two meals per week.
7. A meal replacement product such as Myoplex, Met-Rx or Labrada Lean Body may be substituted for one or two meals for convenience purposes.
