Two Menus for a 1,500 Calorie Per Day Diet

Cutting calories is one way to lose weight. Consuming 1,500 calories per day doesn't leave a lot of room for extras, but all in all, it's not that difficult to follow as long as you're prepared with a meal plan and daily menus. 

Since you're not eating very many calories, you need to be careful about which foods you choose. Plan your meals and menus around nutrient-dense foods.

  Choose low-calorie, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, 100-percent whole grains and low-fat protein sources. Allow yourself a very small treat now and then, too. Here are two 1,500 calorie per day menus to get you started:

1,498 Calorie Menu With No Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

Breakfast

• One slice of 100-percent whole grain toast with one tablespoon almond butter
• One hard-boiled egg
• One orange
• One cup plain coffee or tea as a beverage

Lunch

• Two slices 100-percent whole grain bread, two ounces sliced roast beef, one slice Swiss cheese, and one tablespoon mustard
• One-half cup sliced carrots
• One cup non-fat milk as a beverage

Dinner

• One three-ounce chicken breast fillet with two tablespoons salsa
• One cup cooked broccoli with lemon juice
• One-half cup cooked black beans
• One 100-percent whole wheat dinner roll with one teaspoon butter
• One small glass white wine as a beverage

Snacks

• One nectarine
• Several glasses of water

• Three-fourths cup plain yogurt with one tablespoon honey
• One-half cup blueberries
• Ten pecan halves
• One cup 100-percent grapefruit juice

Nutrition Information

• Total Calories - 1,498
• Total Fat - 20.5 percent (35 grams)
• Total Protein - 23 percent (89 grams)
• Total Carbohydrates - 51.7 percent (201 grams)
• Sodium - 1934 mg

• Sugar - 87 grams
• Cholesterol - 295 mg
• Saturated Fat - 6 grams
• Fiber - 32 grams

1,496 Calorie Menu With Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

Breakfast

• One cup oatmeal with one-half ounce walnuts
• One cup non-fat milk
• One-half grapefruit
• One or two packets Sucralose or stevia sweetener

Lunch

• A salad made with one cup spinach, one-ounce feta cheese, one-half cup cherry tomatoes with two tablespoons balsamic vinegar as a dressing.
• Three ounces baked salmon
• Diet soda as a beverage

Dinner

• Six ounces shrimp and one small green pepper sautéed in one tablespoon olive oil and garlic
• One cup brown rice
• One small 100-percent whole grain dinner roll
• Water with one lemon slice as a beverage

Snacks

• Two cups air-popped popcorn (no butter)
• One apple
• One serving low-fat, sugar-free fruit-flavored yogurt
• One cup strawberries
• Two-thirds cup baby carrots with one ounce fat-free vegetable dip
• Several glasses of water with slices of lemon or lime

Nutrition Information

• Total Calories - 1,496
• Total Fat - 22.4 percent (37 grams)
• Total Protein - 26.4 percent (99 grams)
• Total Carbohydrates - 51.3 percent (193 grams)
• Sodium - 1,496 mg
• Sugar - 49 grams
• Cholesterol - 428 mg
• Saturated Fat - 11 grams
• Fiber - 25 grams

I also have menus for 1,200 calorie per day and 1,700 calorie per day diets.

Before starting your diet, you should speak with your healthcare provider to be sure you're healthy enough to go on a low-calorie diet.