1200 Calorie Diet Menu

The standard calculation regarding a menu for a 1,200 calorie diet plan is 180 protein calories (15%), 660 carbohydrate calories (55%), and 360 fat calories (30%). These calculations are the average base for devising a menu for a 1,200 calorie diet plan.

Both overeating or starving can be harmful and have adverse effects on the body. Usually, people who diet, starve the body of those much-needed calories, and this in turn makes the body slow down the overall use of calories. Then there is no weight loss, so the process of dieting itself is negated. Hence, most dietitians and nutritionists recommend a diet plan that includes approximately 1,200 calories.

It has to be remembered that the number of calories that different individuals need to consume daily differs, depending on various criteria like age, sex, metabolic rate, exercise routine, medical condition, etc. Now, even though 1,200 calories a day seems to be a lot, as we eat, the calories tend to add up very fast. Eventually, we always end up consuming food that amounts to much more than 1,200 calories a day. On the flip side, those that get into strict diet regimes, tend to consume much less than 1,200 calories in a day's time, which is not a good idea too.

Diet Plan I
TIME	MEAL	ITEM	CALORIES
6:00 am to 8:00 am	Breakfast	1 glass fruit juice - unsweetened, 1 small bowl cereal with skimmed milk	260
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch	1 orange, 1 banana	130
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Mid-afternoon Snack	1 small bowl non-fat yogurt, 1 fruit	90
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Dinner	Fried rice and vegetable curry, 1 serving	700
		Total Calorie Intake for the Day	1,180

Diet Plan II
TIME	MEAL	ITEM	CALORIES
6:00 am to 8:00 am	Breakfast	Melon - 1 large slice, 2 slices toast w/ butter & 1 hard-boiled egg	337
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch	100 g cottage cheese, 100 g baked potatoes & baked beans	380
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Mid-afternoon Snack	Muesli meal replacement bar, 1 fruit	240
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Dinner	Pasta salad prepared with a little olive oil, little sauce to flavor, 1 bowl	250
		Total Calorie Intake for the Day	1,207

Diet Plan III
TIME	MEAL	ITEM	CALORIES
6:00 am to 8:00 am	Breakfast	2 grilled bacon, 2 slices toast with some butter/jam	420
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch	100 g tinned tomatoes along with 1 slice bread and butter, 1 fruit	172
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Mid-afternoon Snack	1 pack of low-fat fries, 2 fruits	190
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Dinner	Chicken chow mein (300 g) & 1 serving vegetables	350
		Total Calorie Intake for the Day	1,132

Diet Plan IV
TIME	MEAL	ITEM	CALORIES
6:00 am to 8:00 am	Breakfast	1 small bowl cereal with skimmed milk, 1 glass unsweetened fruit juice	260
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch	1 bowl fresh vegetables, 1 serving cod bake frozen meal	470
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Mid-afternoon Snack	½ bowl low fat yogurt, 1 fruit	100
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Dinner	1 serving Caribbean rice & peas	430
		Total Calorie Intake for the Day	1,260

Diet Plan V
TIME	MEAL	ITEM	CALORIES
6:00 am to 8:00 am	Breakfast	1 small bowl Muesli with skimmed milk, 1 glass unsweetened fruit juice	410
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch	French bread pizza (150 g), 1 large portion of mixed salad	380
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Mid-afternoon Snack	200 g mixed vegetables, 1 fruit	140
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Dinner	100 g baked potatoes & baked beans	300
		Total Calorie Intake for the Day	1,230

6 Meal Diet Plan

Breakfast:

½ banana
1 whole wheat English muffin
1 tbsp peanut butter

Morning Snack:

1 apple
15 - 20 almonds

Lunch:

1 tbsp mustard
1 oz. cheese
2 slices low-calorie whole wheat bread
2 oz. low-sodium turkey breast
lettuce
1 orange

Afternoon Snack:

8 oz. low-fat yogurt

Evening Snack:

1 cup 1% milk
2 low-fat fig cookies

Dinner:

1 cup cooked vegetable of choice
3 oz. grilled, baked, or broiled chicken breast (skinless)
⅔ cup brown rice

I am sure these 1,200 calorie diet menus given here will help you in a positive way, if followed correctly. The perfect way to lose weight is to actually burn more calories daily than you intake. A diet menu is just the thing that you require to achieve this goal. Make sure that you drink at least 3 liters of water a day. Also, some form of exercise is necessary to keep that weight down and remain healthy at all times. A walk for around 15 minutes a day at least will be ideal for this purpose. A last word of caution is that individuals with any health issues, and even pregnant women, should first consult their doctors before going in for any diet plan whatsoever.