Portion Control Plate 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan
Millions of people have been using a portion plate to get healthier or lose weight. This portion control plate healthy meal plan has meal ideas to help you use your plate to reach your health goals, without feeling deprived.
Eating a diet that can not only make you feel your best, but also something that can become a lifestyle that you enjoy, is the ultimate goal. I can say with certainty that THIS is that diet! Eating meals from all the food groups and controlling your portions is the smartest and easiest way to be healthy.
The health benefits of a portion control plate diet
The difference between following a portion control plate diet and fad diets is that you can follow this new lifestyle the rest of your life, and not feel deprived.
When you start patterning your meals with a portion control plate, you’ll notice several benefits.
- That you will be less hungry. When you eat from all the food groups, in the proper portions, your body gets the signals that it’s satisfied.
- That you will have more energy. Eating from all the food groups ensures that you won’t be deficient in vital micronutrients. These micronutrients, such as Vitamin B, give our body the building blocks for energy production.
- That you will change your physique. Eating from all the food groups ensures optimal muscle growth and maintenance, as well as sufficient weight loss. You need carbs, protein, and fat for proper cell turnover and growth.
- That you will suffer from less chronic disease. Eating in excess is a top contributor to the development of chronic disease. Overeating leads to chronic inflammation, leading to disease.
- That you will be protected from certain cancers. Making half your meal fruits and veggies has been shown to prevent certain cancers. (Harvard School of Public Health)
- That you’re quality of sleep will improve (Advances in Nutrition pub.)
- That your digestion will improve. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain necessary fiber for digestion.
The portion control plate diet rules
The rules are simple for adopting a diet based on a portion control plate.
- Eat three meals per day, with one snack or dessert. (read why 3 meals a day makes weight loss easier here!)
- Include a serving of each food group on your plate, including protein, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Control your portions to fill the plate, without over filling.
When you attempt any diet that forces you to eliminate entire food groups, it is hardly sustainable in the real world. But when you adopt a lifestyle that allows for balancing all the food groups, THIS is something you can live with. This is a meal plan that won’t leave you feeling deprived.
If you have one of my nutrition plates, or you can visually divide a standard plate, This 7 day healthy meal plan is for you!
Often, I’ll combine the fruit and veggie, but then I double up on the serving. For example, breakfast, I might have two servings of fruit and no veggie. But lunch and dinner, I’ll have two servings of veggies and no fruit.
Do what works for you, and will give you the best balance at the end of the day.
7 Day Portion Plate Meal Plan
Sunday:
- Breakfast: Protein; Greek yogurt. Fruit; strawberries and peaches. Grains; pancakes.
- Lunch: Turkey wraps: Protein; deli meat. Vegetables; cucumber, avocado, spinach. Grains; tortilla.(spread laughing cow cheese or low fat cream cheese on tortilla and fill with the deli meat and veggies.
- Dinner: Protein; grilled chicken breasts. Veggies; Roasted broccoli. Fruit; berries. Grains; rice.
Monday:
- Breakfast: Protein; Omelets. Fruit; mandarin oranges. Vegetables; mushrooms. Grains; cereal
- Lunch: Protein; teriyaki chicken. fruit; grapes. Veggies; zucchini with feta cheese. Grains; rice cakes.
- Dinner: Protein; ground beef with peas. Fruit; blueberries. Veggies; broccoli patties. Grains; pasta.
Tuesday:
- Breakfast: Protein; cottage cheese. Fruit; raspberries and bananas. Veggies; sweet potato. Grains; oatmeal.
- Lunch: Protein; chicken salad. Fruit; raspberries. Veggies; cucumbers and carrots. Grains; roll.
- Dinner: Protein; rotisserie chicken. Veggies; corn. Fruit; strawberries. Grains; rye bread.
Wednesday:
- Breakfast: Protein; eggs, Fruit; banana. Veggies; sautéed peppers. Grains; toast.
- Lunch: Spaghetti. Protein; ground beef in spaghetti sauce. Vegetables; spaghetti squash. Fruit; cherries. Grains; bread.
- Dinner: Steak fajitas; Protein; steak strips cooked in fajita seasoning. Veggies; bell peppers. Fruit; salsa. Grains; tortillas (flour or corn).
Thursday:
- Breakfast: Protein; fried egg. Fruit; peaches. Veggies zucchini and mushrooms. Grains; granola.
- Lunch: Asian Salad, Protein teriyaki chicken. Veggies; carrots and lettuce. Fruit; avocado. Grains; won ton crisps.
- Dinner: Spaghetti. Protein; chicken. Veggies; carrots and cucumbers. Fruit; berries and oranges. Grains; pasta.
Friday:
- Breakfast: Protein; eggs. Fruit; strawberries and bananas. Veggies; mushrooms. Grains; toast.
- Lunch: Protein; ham. Veggies; roasted zucchini and peppers. Fruit; apples. Grains; fettucine.
- Dinner: Protein; salmon. Veggies; green beans. Fruit; peaches. Grains; quinoa.
Saturday:
- Breakfast: Protein; pumpkin seeds. Fruit; grapes. Vegetables; sweet potatoes. Grains; waffles.
- Lunch: Protein; chicken. Veggies; carrots. Fruit; peaches. Grains; granola bar.
- Dinner: Protein; chicken. Veggies; frozen mix of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Fruit; raspberries. Grains; pasta.
Plan your own meals!
If you haven’t picked up your portion control plates yet. Check out my Amazon store here, or see my description of the plates here. That way you can put this portion control plate meal plan to use!
Need more ideas? I have some portion control plate meal planning resources for you to print below! Choose from:
Pick and choose your own meal ideas:
This printable contains an idea for each food group, and each meal!
The blank meal planner! This printable lets you fill in the blanks for each food group, so you can plan for 1 week worth of portion controlled meals.
And finally, even more basic, is this food list, that can double as a grocery list so you’ll have something to fill your plate from each food group!
I am a student and I don’t usually know what to cook so I end up snacking all the time, which results in weight gain. I would really love a meal plan like this one that is simple and tasty.
Of course Gloria! There is no reason to make it complicated. Especially when you are a student, eating the same basic meals every week is ideal. I’d use this 7 day plan over and over again!
Are there any portions or instructions for the youth meal plan, I’m really interested in it.
Did you see this one Gloria? https://healthbeet.org/healthy-meal-plan-young-adults/