7-Day Diet Meal Plan to Lose Weight: 1,200 Calories

This simple 1,200-calorie meal plan is designed to help you feel energized, satisfied and full, even while eating fewer calories.

Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015.

Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

Lose weight, eat well and feel great with this easy weight-loss diet plan. This simple 1,200-calorie meal plan is specially tailored to help you feel energized and satisfied while eating fewer calories so you can lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Each day of this seven-day diet plan features the best foods for weight loss—high protein, high fiber foods, a combination that research shows can help with weight loss by keeping you feeling fuller for longer. It also strategically balances calories throughout the day to help you feel more energized and avoid feeling starved.

This meal plan should be used as a guide, and we encourage you to tailor it to your needs. The calorie totals are listed next to each meal so you can easily swap things in and out as you see fit. And it's important to attend to your hunger and fullness cues rather than a specific calorie level. So if you find yourself too hungry or lacking energy at this calorie level, try a higher calorie level: 1,500 calories and 2,000 calories. Couple this healthy meal plan with daily movement to help boost the weight loss effect.

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How to Meal Prep Your Week of Meals

1. Make a batch of the Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups to have for breakfast on Days 1 through 3. Freeze any leftovers. Use reusable silicone baking cups to make cleanup a breeze!
2. Meal prep a batch of the Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5. Store in air-tight containers to keep fresh for the week.
3. Hard boil 3 eggs to have for snacks on Days 2, 5 and 6. Store in a reusable silicone bag.

Day 1

Breakfast (271 calories)

• 1 serving Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups
• 1 medium apple

A.M. Snack (35 calories)

• 1 clementine

Lunch (325 calories)

• 1 serving Veggie & Hummus Sandwich