[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Do you want to reduce your calorie intake? In this case, I recommend that you try the low-calorie menu! If you’re short of ideas, don’t worry: I’ll give you my menu ideas!
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
The “low-calorie diet” is part of the category of a family of diets. It is the basic concept of most weight loss options.
What is a low-calorie diet?
There is not just one low-calorie diet. There are a multitude of them that you have undoubtedly already heard of: Weight Watchers, Cohen or even intermittent fasting. Each of these is a low-calorie diet.
The word “low-calorie” means “less energy”. The goal of the low-calorie diet is to reduce daily calorie intake so that the body uses its reserves.
Energy intake is restricted, mainly in terms of fats and fast sugars. A real nutritional richness must be preserved so that deficiencies are not suffered. This type of diet requires great discipline. When you reduce calories during a predefined period, the danger is to suffer the backlash by regaining all the pounds lost. The aim is therefore to relearn how to eat by diversifying your diet as much as possible while paying close attention to restricting your energy intake, avoiding snacking and snacking.
Ideas for 3 days of low-calorie menus
Are you running out of ideas for your low-calorie menus? Here are some menus that I follow regularly!
Day 1: menus for the day
Here are menus to lose weight with a diet of 800 calories every day. Discover my sample menus for an 800 calorie diet.
Some breakfast ideas: tea or coffee (avoiding sugar) and two foods to choose from the following: natural yogurt, cottage cheese, milk dessert with natural soy, slice of cooked ham, hard-boiled egg or chicken breast. Also make sure to take a seasonal fruit such as a kiwi, an apple, a piece of watermelon, strawberries or a pear.
Some ideas for lunch: fifty to one hundred grams of raw vegetables with a teaspoon of rapeseed, walnut or olive oil, or a bowl of starchy vegetable soup with a teaspoon of low-fat butter. One hundred grams of poultry (not including the skin), lean meat or fish, or two hard-boiled eggs. 100 to 250 grams of vegetables as well as a teaspoon of olive oil or a tablespoon of 15% cream. And finally, a natural yogurt or a 0% white cheese or a dessert with natural soy milk.
And finally, for dinner: pumpkin soup (semi-skimmed milk, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of 15% M cream), two soft-boiled eggs, spinach as well as a teaspoon of olive oil and finally , a sweetened 0% fat strawberry yogurt.
Day 2: menus for the day
Discover my example menu for a low-calorie daily diet of 1,200 calories.
Some ideas for breakfast: tea or coffee (avoiding sugar), two scrambled eggs, thirty grams of wholemeal bread and a nice squeezed orange.
Some ideas for lunch: a mixed salad, 150 grams of grilled vegetables and arugula, 100 grams of hummus (chickpea and tahini puree), a nice slice of raw ham, 40 grams of wholemeal bread and a piece of fruit ( preferably seasonal). If you stick to this 1,200 calorie diet, you can lose two kilos in just one week.
And finally, for dinner: mixed salad (lettuce, tomato, onion, two tablespoons (50 grams) of corn, 100 grams of crab with two teaspoons of olive oil and finally, 0% fat yogurt with sweetened cherry.
Day 3: menus for the day
Breakfast ideas: hot drink (tea, coffee or infusion) always without sugar, 40 grams of wholemeal or cereal bread or 30 grams of oatmeal. Two items to choose from the following: natural yogurt, half of a chicken breast, 0% flavored fromage blanc, a hard-boiled egg or a nice slice of cooked ham. A seasonal fruit (same for the 800 calorie diet).
Lunch ideas: 100 grams of chicken fillet with lemon, 150 grams of grated carrots with lemon and a teaspoon of flax, 100 grams of cooked quinoa (with many health benefits), a punnet of strawberries and natural yogurt . I won’t hide it from you, it’s my favorite low-calorie menu!
And here are some dinner ideas: a nice green salad, 125 grams of lemon fillet (excellent for the cardiovascular system) with 100 grams of baked potatoes and baked zucchini and 100 grams of cottage cheese.
And finally, for dinner: fennel soup (zucchini thickening) with a portion of low-fat melted cheese, grilled sardines, green salad as well as a teaspoon of olive oil and two 0% fat Swiss biscuits.
How to lose 2 kilos in a week thanks to low-calorie meals?
Lose two kilos in just one week? Does this seem like a goal that is too complicated to achieve? Don’t be nervous: this challenge is not insurmountable, far from it! Losing two kilos in a week is not that difficult if you respect several points and if you adopt good habits.
Eat meat or fish, an excellent source of protein and iron, with dairy products (yogurt and 0% white cheese), without forgetting vegetables and fruits. For the latter two, you can eat them as much as you want because they are diuretic, low in calories and abundant in minerals. In addition, they optimize transit. It is essential to keep three meals a day to see your fat melt and to maintain your muscles.
Don’t forget to review the drinks. If you want to lose two kilos in a week, it is necessary to eliminate sodas and sugary drinks such as fruit juices. Choose water. Consume between 1.5 liters and 2 liters each day. I also advise you to drink herbal teas or tea, which allow detoxification and drainage of the body.
What weight loss with 1,200 calories per day?
With 1200 calories each day, you will reduce energy intake with the aim that your basic metabolism directly finds its energy in fat reserves but also water and muscle reserves. To achieve this, the menus included in a 1200 calorie diet are often abundant in protein and have a significant carbohydrate content. So you won’t waste a lot of energy.
These 1200 calorie menus include little fat in order to restrict caloric intake. Such a diet causes you to lose around two kilos per week. For example: a woman with a small size and a metabolism requiring 1800 calories each day on average will have less difficulty following a 1200 calorie diet.
THE 1200 calorie diet for how long?
As a general rule, this diet should be done for a maximum period of three weeks since beyond that, it is very complicated to follow a low-calorie diet over a longer period.
During the first week of your 1200 calorie diet, your body will experience a shortage after a significant drop in the number of calories. This is a stage called the purification and detoxification phase. During this period, the metabolism will undergo significant changes.
What are low-calorie foods?
Here is everything I can tell you about these famous low-calorie foods!
Foods qyou can eat
Low-calorie foods, combined with a balanced diet and continued physical activity, can help you gain weight sustainably and effectively.
There are many low-calorie foods offering the possibility of enjoying balanced meals and playing a role in weight loss. Zucchini, radishes and cucumbers are just a few simple examples. If you don’t like green vegetables, I advise you to make your dish more appetizing. To do this, you just need to take care of your presentation. Use a drizzle of olive oil, some spices, basil and Provence herbs to season it.
6 low-calorie foods to include in your diet if you’re looking to lose weight, get in shape and eat healthier.
Broccoli, cooked
100 grams of cooked broccoli is 35 calories. Broccoli is the leader of green foods. Its flowering head and stem are abundant sources of vitamins C and K, and have almost no fat. Broccoli also has a lot of fiber and protein. You can boil, sauté or steam this vegetable and add it to a bowl of salad for a quick midday meal.
Sautéed mushrooms
50 grams of sautéed mushrooms is 40 calories. Mushrooms have a significant place in the majority of cuisines. They enable optimal heart health. They are also a very good natural source of vitamin D2. Like broccoli, mushrooms also offer a lot of protein.
Sugarcane juice
One sugarcane juice corresponds to 98 calories. A glass of super cold sugarcane juice is not only a refreshing drink during the summer season, it is also an abundant source of natural sugar, antioxidants and fiber. Sugarcane juice is also abundant in electrolytes. Finally, it is also a very good post-workout drink.
Rocket
50 grams of arugula corresponds to 13 calories. You can eat its peppery salad leaves raw. These have gained popularity in recent times. Moreover, they are grown in many private gardens. A bunch of these leaves packs in over five nutrients and vitamins and lots of fiber. Arugula leaves are also low in sugar, calories, carbohydrates and fat. In short, it’s ideal for a diet!
Apple
100 grams of apple corresponds to 59 calories. An apple a day offers the possibility of not suffering from a craving in the middle of the day. Apples are low-calorie fruits and abundant in fiber. Thus, they allow you to be satisfied quickly. If you don’t love this fruit, I recommend adding thin apple slices to a bowl of homemade yogurt.
Watermelon
100 grams of watermelon corresponds to 16 calories. Possessing many essential nutrients such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamins B1 and B6, lycopene, potassium and magnesium, watermelon is the star fruit for a low-calorie diet. In addition, its benefits do not stop there since it has a lot of dietary fiber, without forgetting its high water content.
