Source: The Nutrition and Food Web Archive (www.nafwa.

org)
For more information contact
Julie Chobdee
Wellness Program Coordinator
Julie.chobdee@ucr.edu | 951-827-1488
Healthy Eating Plan
1800 Calorie Plan
There are many different types of eating plans available; however, the key to success is finding one that works for
you. One key ingredient for a meal plan to work is consistency. Many of us fail to keep consistency in our lives or
we stay consistent with bad habits. Two examples that come to mind include skipping meals and breakfast.
Failure to break-the-fast every day and skipping meals improves the chance that you will fail to reach your goals.
Eating breakfast and consuming small meals (4 to 6 per day) prevents binge eating, nighttime snacking, and weight
gain. It also keeps your metabolic rate at an optimal pace. The body requires fuel to keep your metabolism burning.
Think of metabolism as a campfire. To keep a fire burning strong, it must be fed small doses of wood (i.e., fuel).
Dropping a large log onto the fire will keep the fire burning, but not as effectively as if it was fed small portions of
wood.
With the fire still in mind, you have to look at its preferred fuel choice. Adding paper or empty calories, the fire
will burn through it very quickly. As a result, the fire becomes starved and must be fed very often. Now if you
added a mixture of paper and wood, the fire will have enough fuel to burn for a longer period of time. The wood
will satisfy the fires appetite more than the paper. Wood is to fire as protein is to humans. Your diet should always
include a source of protein at each meal and snack.
Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are not designed to tell you how much you should eat at each meal, but rather, to give you a pattern
with which to compare your intake with your goals. Based your specific goals, try to consume the appropriate
amount of food based on the following serving sizes.
Breads, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
One serving = 80 calories or one of the following:
1 slice bread, 2 slices extra thin or diet bread, English muffin, frankfurter or hamburger bun, 1 small
dinner roll, cup starchy vegetables, cup mashed or 1 small baked potato, cup cooked cereal, pasta, rice,
1 tortilla 6 across, 1 ounce cold cereal, 4-6 crackers, 3 cups air popped popcorn, 2 rice cakes or 5 mini cakes.
Fruits
One serving = 60-80 calories or one of the following:
1 medium portion of fresh fruit: orange, apple, banana, 2 Tbsp raisins, cup dehydrated fruit; cup cooked or
canned fruit, cup fruit juice.
Vegetables
One serving = 25-30 calories or one of the following:
1 cup leafy green vegetables, cup cooked, cup chopped, cup raw, cup vegetable juice.

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Milk, Yogurt and Cheese
Choose low-fat whenever possible
One low fat serving = 90 calories or one of the following:
1 cup skim or 1% milk, 1 cup non-fat yogurt, cup low fat yogurt, 1 ounce low fat cheese, cup nonfat or
1% cottage cheese.
One regular serving = 150 calories or one of the following:
1 cup whole milk or whole milk yogurt, cup fruit flavored yogurt, 1 ounce of natural cheese, cup cottage
cheese.
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, and Nuts Group
Choose low-fat whenever possible
One low-fat serving = 70 calories or one of the following:
1 ounce of cooked lean meat, fish or poultry, 4 Tbsp hummus, 1/3 cup cooked dry beans, 3 egg whites, 1 ounce
low-fat cheese
One regular serving = 100 calories or one of the following:
1 ounce cooked meat, 1 egg, 4 ounces tofu, 1 ounce of natural cheese, 1 Tbsp peanut butter.
Sample plan
Key: C = Cup, Tbsp = Tablespoon, Oz = Ounce, 3 oz = size of a deck of cards
BREAKFAST: 450 calories A.M. SNACK: 150 calories
Choose ONE of the following:
1 C shredded wheat
1/2 C grape nuts
1 C bran cereal
1 C puffed cereal w/3 Tbsp wheat germ
1 C grits
1 C cooked oatmeal
And ONE of the following:
3/4 C non-fat or 1% cottage cheese
1 C non-fat or 1% milk or soymilk
2/3 C plain, fat-free yogurt & 1 Tbsp wheat germ
(ex: Fage, Activia light, & Stonyfields)
And ONE of the following:
3/4 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 boiled egg or 3 egg whites
1 turkey sausage link
2 slices Canadian bacon
And ONE of the following:
1 orange or apple
1 small banana
1/2 C 100% pure orange juice
3/4 C red or green grapes
And
8 oz of water
Choose ONE of the following:
100 cal snack pack and fifteen grapes
4 Tbsp hummus with 12 baby carrots
1 C non-fat or 1% cottage cheese and
C pineapple chunks
15 cashews or almonds
2 large graham cracker squares and
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 string cheese with 6 Triscuit thin crisp
crackers
2/3 C plain, fat-free yogurt and 2 Tbsp
Grape Nuts
2 oz tuna salad with 7 Triscuit thin crisp
crackers
1/2 medium apple and 1 Tbsp natural
peanut butter
2 rice cakes and 1 Tbsp natural peanut
butter
And
8 oz of water
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LUNCH: 450 calories P.M. SNACK: 150 calories
Choose ONE of the following:
Large chicken salad (1 C. leafy greens, 1 C. mixed colorful vegetables, 4 oz
chicken, 2 Tbsp reduced fat oil and vinegar), 7 Triscuit thin crisp crackers
Grilled chicken (3oz) on a whole wheat pita
Tuna sandwich- tuna (3oz), 2 slices wheat bread
Chicken/turkey/tuna/beans in salad (3oz/3 slices)
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 Tbsp jam/honey, 2 slices of 50 calorie whole
wheat bread
4 egg whites (hardboiled or scrambled), 60 calories of lean lunch meat, 2 slices
whole wheat toast
1 C low-fat cottage cheese with 2 slices whole wheat toast
3 Tbsp Hummus w/ lettuce & tomato in a whole wheat tortilla or pita
(100-130calories)
Chicken (3oz) and veggie (1 C) stir-fry, rice ( C)
1 bowl soup (100 cal), 2 Saltine crackers, small salad with 2 Tbsp reduced fat
oil and vinegar
And ONE of the following:
1/2 C low-fat plain yogurt with C applesauce or frozen berries
3/4 C non-fat or 1% milk or soymilk with C applesauce
3/4 C non-fat or 1% cottage cheese
And ONE of the following:
1 small banana
1/2 C 100% pure orange juice (w/calcium)
3/4 C red or green grapes
1 oz raisins
1 apple
1 orange
And ONE of the following:
1/2 Tbsp peanut or almond butter
6 almonds or cashews
10 peanuts
4 pecan halves
1 Tbsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds
And
16 oz of water
Choose ONE of the following:
100 cal snack pack and fifteen grapes
4 Tbsp hummus with 12 baby carrots
1 C non-fat or 1% cottage cheese and
C pineapple chunks
15 cashews or almonds
1 string cheese with 6 Triscuit thin crisp
crackers
2/3 C plain, fat-free yogurt and 2 Tbsp
Grape Nuts
2 oz tuna salad with 7 Triscuit thin crisp
crackers
1/2 medium apple and 1 Tbsp natural
peanut butter
2 rice cakes and 1 Tbsp natural peanut
butter
2 large graham cracker squares and
1 Tbsp peanut butter
And
8 oz of water


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DINNER: 450 calories DESSERT: 150 calories
Choose ONE of the following:
1/2 C beans w/ C brown rice
2/3 C whole wheat pasta
2/3 C couscous
Bread, multi-grain (2 slices)
1 C lentils
And ONE of the following:
2 oz lean deli meat
3 oz chicken or turkey (white meat, no skin)
3 oz fish (fresh or frozen cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, canned or fresh
tuna and salmon)
3 oz tofu (not deep fried)
3 oz shellfish (clams, lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, imitation crab)
2 fat-free hot dogs
And ONE of the following:
Garden salad
(1 C leafy greens, 1 C mixed colorful vegetables, 1 tbsp. Low fat dressing)
1 C broccoli
1 C carrots
1 C non-starchy vegetable (full list at the end)
And ONE of the following:
1 C non-fat or 1% milk or soymilk
2/3 C plain, fat-free yogurt
1/2 C non-fat or 1% cottage cheese
And ONE of the following:
1 orange
1 small banana
1/2 C orange -juice
3/4 C red or green grapes
1 oz raisins
1 apple
And
16 oz of water
Choose ONE of the following:
Blend banana, 2 Tbsp coco, C non-
fat or 1% milk or soymilk and ice.

*add non-calorie sweetener to sweeten if
needed. Can substitute banana with any
other fruit
1 small apple,1 Tbsp natural peanut
butter
3/4 C Special K cereal and C non-fat
or 1% milk or soymilk
1/2 C frozen yogurt and C frozen
berries
1 C non-fat or 1% milk or soymilk and 1
Tbsp of chocolate syrup
Microwave an apple, Tbsp light
butter, cinnamon, non calorie sweetener,
and 1 Tbsp granola
Skinny Cow ice cream

Non-starchy vegetables
Artichoke
Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Beans (green, wax,
Italian)
Bean sprouts
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green onions/scallops
Greens (collard, kale,
turnip, mustard)
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Mixed vegetables
(without corn or peas)
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Pea pods
Peppers (all types)
Radishes
Salad greens (endive, escarole,
lettuce, spinach, romaine)
Sauerkraut
Summer squash
Tomato (fresh or canned
Tomato sauce
Tomato/ vegetable juice
Turnips
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Zucchini

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