Menu for 1600 calories per day: the essence of the diet, rules

Nutritional features for 1600 calories per day

A woman’s body requires about 1800-2500 kcal per day (depending on height, weight, level of physical activity).
Reducing the calorie content of food leads to activation of the processes of glycogen breakdown and burning of fat reserves. At the same time, replacing sugar, fatty and fried foods with fresh vegetables, boiled meat and other healthy foods will improve digestion and accelerate metabolic processes.

Pros of the diet

This nutrition plan has a number of advantages:

The diet is easy to tolerate. The daily calorie content and volume of food is enough to not feel hungry during the day.
Weight loss products are easy to find at any time of the year.
The diet is balanced, so the body receives all the substances it needs.
The products can be used to prepare delicious meals for the whole family.

Who should use the 1600 calorie per day diet?

This meal plan, like many others, is not for everyone. There are people who will thrive and reach their weight goals on this diet. Type of people who should be on this diet:

Women of average height. 1600 kcal per day is just the right amount for average-sized women who exercise easily and want to maintain weight. This is because, on average, women need between 1,200 and 1,800 calories per day.
Men who want to lose weight. Men need more calories per day compared to women. 1600 calories a day will most likely make them lose weight.
People with diabetes. A good way to control your diabetes is to control your weight. 1,600 calories a day will help obese diabetics lose weight because it will mean controlling portion sizes in a way that helps people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.

Principles of nutrition and diet planning

When switching to a new diet, it is better to follow the rules:

The daily amount of food should be divided into 5-6 meals.
It is important to maintain a drinking regime - the body should receive at least 2 liters of fluid per day.
Constantly alternate foods and dishes so that the body receives all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Limit the amount of salt in dishes, because... it retains water in the body, causing swelling. To improve the taste of your dishes, use herbs and spices.

When dieting, it is important to maintain a drinking regime.

Authorized Products

You can eat:

fresh vegetables and fruits (raw, boiled, baked);
cereals and porridges;
durum wheat pasta;
lean meats (poultry fillet, veal, rabbit meat, beef);
lean fish;
seafood;
low-fat dairy and fermented milk products;
honey;
dried fruits.

You can eat cereals and porridges.

Not Recommended Products

You will have to exclude from the diet:

fatty fish and meat;
bread and any pastries made from white flour;
sugar, sweets, candies, desserts;
white rice, semolina porridge;
mayonnaise and store-bought sauces;
smoked meats;
sausages and sausages;
canned food;
jams and preserves;
fast food;
chips and other snacks.

Sugar should be excluded from the diet.

How to replace unhealthy foods

Giving up habitual foods is difficult to bear psychologically. But if you replace unhealthy foods with healthy ones, the transition to a new menu will be easier.

Harmful products	Useful replacement
White sugar	Honey, stevia, cane sugar
Chips	Dried apples, bananas, pineapples
Sweets, candies	Banana ice cream
Pasta	Zucchini and zucchini pasta
Butter	Avocado pulp
Mayonnaise, sauces	Low-fat kefir, Greek yogurt
Mashed potatoes	Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot puree

Meal frequency

It is better to divide the daily amount of food into 5-6 meals - 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks. There should be at least 2.5-3 hours between meals. Eating small portions will help speed up metabolism, gradually reduce stomach volume, and relieve hunger.

The frequency of meals should be 5-6 times.

Basic principles of proper nutrition

It is important not only to use ready-made menus for the week, but also to learn how to independently select recipes from simple products for 1600 kcal per day in accordance with personal preferences.

To do this, you need to remember a few simple diet rules:

1. Variety. The body requires many different nutrients, not just proteins, fats and carbohydrates. If the body is provided with everything it needs, thoughts of eating candy will appear much less frequently. 2. Portion control. You need to eat 5-6 times a day, avoiding hunger. In this case, the volume of an individual serving should not exceed 400 ml, so as not to stretch the stomach. 3. Lots of liquid. The body often confuses thirst and hunger. Therefore, if less than a couple of hours have passed since eating, you should try drinking a glass of water. The norm is about 1.7 liters of clean, cool water per day, more precisely 30 ml per 1 kg of weight. Juices, teas and broths are not taken into account. 4. New approaches. If possible, when choosing simple recipes for a menu of 1600 kcal per day, it is better to give preference to boiled, stewed and baked foods, alternating them throughout the week. Even familiar “harmful” dishes can be remade to meet the standards of proper nutrition.

Another important principle concerns the attitude towards eating. There is no need to eat on the go or rush or be distracted while eating. If you completely devote 20 minutes of your time to breakfast, lunch or dinner, the feeling of hunger will disappear much faster, and it will be easier for the stomach to digest well-chewed pieces.

Breakfast options

The morning meal should be high enough in calories to provide the body with energy. But you shouldn’t consume simple sugars, because... this will cause your blood glucose levels to rise sharply and then quickly fall. Within an hour after a carbohydrate breakfast, a person will feel hungry again.

In the morning, it is better to give preference to protein products, vegetable fats and complex sugars, which are digested slowly.

Protein-carbohydrate

This breakfast is suitable for people leading an active lifestyle. If you train in the morning or your work involves physical activity, then it is better to include proteins (building blocks for muscles) and complex carbohydrates in the menu. Breakfast may consist of:

buckwheat porridge cooked in water, boiled chicken breast and a small amount of fresh vegetables;
oatmeal with dried fruits, steamed omelette made from egg whites (you can eat no more than 1 yolk per day);
sandwiches made from rye bread with diet ham, fresh cucumbers and low-fat hard cheese.

A protein-carbohydrate breakfast consists of buckwheat porridge.
It is better to refuse fruits, sweets, and desserts.

Protein-fat

This type of breakfast is suitable for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, as well as those who follow a low-carb diet. In the morning you can eat:

fried eggs from 2 eggs and a salad of fresh vegetables, seasoned with vegetable oil;
low-fat cottage cheese with any additives (dried fruits, nuts, yogurt are suitable).

Croque madame recipe

Croque Madame is a flavorful, crispy sandwich popular in France. To prepare 2 sandwiches you will need:

4 slices of bread made from rye or oatmeal;
4 tbsp. butter;
2 eggs;
4 slices low-fat cheese;
2 pieces of ham;
greens (optional).

The Croque Madame is the most famous French sandwich.
2 tbsp. Spread butter on 2 pieces of bread. Place cheese and ham on top and cover with bread. Place the sandwiches in a preheated oven and bake until the bread is golden brown.

During this time, fry the fried eggs in the remaining butter. Place the eggs on top of the baked sandwiches.

What can you eat for a snack?

2 hours after breakfast you can have a snack. This will help maintain stable blood glucose levels. It is recommended to eat light meals for lunch. Suitable:

bran bread with soft curd cheese;
cottage cheese with fresh berries;
salad of fresh vegetables, herbs and baked chicken.

Banana and strawberry smoothie recipe

To prepare a nutritious drink you need:

1 banana;
200 g strawberries;
½ cup low-fat milk;
1 tsp honey

A smoothie can be made from banana and strawberries.
Peel and cut the banana. Wash the strawberries and remove the stems. Place all products in a blender and blend for 3-4 minutes.

Ingredient Selection

Following the principles of proper nutrition, you have to give up food waste, even tasty ones. It is better to opt for recipes from simple products, putting together a menu for 1600 kcal per day for a week.

To make it easier to navigate the variety of ingredients, you can use a cheat sheet for replacing habitual harmful products:

1. Sugar. The easiest option is to simply stop using it. But as a half measure, you can choose any available sweetener and treat yourself periodically with dark dark chocolate or honey. 2. Mayonnaise, sauces and ketchups. Instead of the usual salad dressings, it is better to use lemon juice, a few drops of flaxseed oil, olive oil or low-fat yogurt. Main courses can be eaten with low-fat sour cream. 3. White bread, pastries. The best alternative is rye, bran or whole grain bread. And it’s better to simply refuse puff pastries, fluffy yeast baked goods, pancakes and dumplings. 4. Fatty pork and beef, lard. You can eat pork and beef 1-2 times a week, if you cut off the fatty pieces. But it is better to choose turkey, skinless chicken or rabbit. 5. White rice, semolina. Buckwheat, oatmeal and brown rice are good substitutes. You can also diversify your diet with wheat or barley cereals. 6. Persimmons, bananas, grapes and dried fruits. The most versatile option is apples. You should also pay attention to sour berries, citrus fruits, and watermelons. 7. Alcohol and soda. You can opt for green tea and coffee. But it’s still healthier to choose small quantities of fresh juices, fruit drinks, compotes and plain clean water. 8. Potatoes. It is better to replace the usual starchy side dish with salads from fresh vegetables, cereals or durum wheat pasta.

If you can’t immediately completely give up certain foods, you don’t need to perform a feat and create additional stress for the body. It is better to gradually reduce your intake of junk food over the course of a month. This is a situation in which haste will only do harm.

What should lunch be like?

Lunch is the main and most high-calorie meal of the day. Along with the meals, the body should receive at least 25-30 g of protein, as well as 40 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat.

With the first course

If you prefer soups, then lunch might look like this:

lean borscht with potatoes, boiled lean meat, grilled vegetables;
broccoli puree soup, baked chicken thigh (without skin), vegetable salad.

Lunch may consist of lean borscht.

Soups normalize the functioning of the digestive tract and prevent constipation.

No first course

Lunch does not have to include a first course. The menu might look like this:

durum wheat pasta, boiled beef, vegetables (sweet peppers, tomatoes);
brown rice stewed with vegetables, baked chicken fillet;
buckwheat porridge, boiled fish, fresh cabbage salad with carrots.

Recipe for creamy pumpkin soup with ginger

To prepare a hearty dish you will need:

0.5 kg pumpkin pulp;
1 carrot;
1 onion;
30 g ginger root;
spices to taste.

Creamy pumpkin soup is a very tasty and healthy delicacy.
Chop the onion and carrots, place in a thick-bottomed pan, add olive oil and fry. After this, add the pumpkin pulp cut into small pieces to the vegetables, add 2 cups of water and cook for 20 minutes.

At the end, add grated ginger root to the soup and bring to a boil. Puree the cooled dish.

What products to buy

Buy the bulk of your ingredients once a week. Meat, cereals and most vegetables and fruits are stored without problems. In the middle of the week you will have to run to the store again just for cottage cheese and sour cream if the expiration date does not allow you to limit yourself to one purchase.

Before switching to a 1600 calorie per day diet, print out the list and buy (grams or pieces):

500 oat flakes - eat some whole, turn some into flour;
100 buckwheat;

50 durum wheat pasta;
450 chicken breast;
500 minced chicken;
4 chicken wings;
Tuna in its own juice – 2 cans;
A loaf of whole grain bread, preferably without seeds, nuts and other additives;
Curd cheese 140 gr.;
Salted pink salmon 120;
Cottage cheese 2% 700;
Grain cottage cheese 130;
Low-fat hard cheese – 200;
20 eggs;
5 cucumbers;
4 tomatoes;
5 bananas;
3 peaches;
6 apples;
Orange;
2 sweet peppers;
Walnuts, peeled sunflower seeds, raisins – 50 grams each;
Raspberries or other berries – 50;
200 potatoes;
200 broccoli;
1 kg of white cabbage;
Greenery;
Garlic;
Lettuce leaves;
Milk 3.2% – 1 l;
Sour cream 10% – 1 pack;
Packaging of rice cakes;
Small tomato paste;
Sahzam like “Sladis”/dates;

Be sure to read: Effective ways to lose belly fat in 3 days

Bitter chocolate;
Peanut paste;
Coffee.

The diet will cost between 1500-2000 rubles. A small portion of the products will remain for the next cycle.

Afternoon snack

An afternoon snack can consist of carbohydrates and proteins, but it is better to choose quickly digestible foods. Suitable:

cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk;
fruit or vegetable salads;
PP desserts.

Orange brownies with walnuts

To prepare a fragrant dessert you need:

1 orange;
200 g wheat flour;
60 g brown sugar;
2 chicken eggs;
200 g walnuts;
100 g butter;
60 g milk chocolate;
10 g baking powder for dough.

Orange brownies with walnuts are a delicious dessert.
Grind the nuts in a blender, grate the orange zest. Place butter and sugar in a saucepan, add orange juice and keep on heat until all ingredients are completely dissolved.

Mix flour with orange zest, add nuts, chocolate broken into small pieces, baking powder. Pour melted butter into the mixture and stir.

Place the resulting dough into a baking dish and place in the oven.

What should dinner be like?

In the evening, it is better to give preference to light, protein foods and foods rich in fiber. People are often less physically active in the afternoon. If you eat simple sugars and fats, your body will not have time to use up energy. Dinner may consist of:

chicken liver stewed with vegetables;
steam omelette and vegetable salad;
fish baked in foil.

Omelette with tomatoes

To prepare dinner you need:

3 eggs;
1 tomato;
20 ml milk.

Omelette with tomatoes is a tasty and bright dish.
Break the eggs into a deep bowl, add milk, pepper, spices, herbs. Scald the tomato with boiling water and remove the skin. Chop the tomato, transfer to a heated frying pan, pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly.

What to eat before bed and examples of late-night snacks

If you are hungry after dinner, it is better to have another snack. Light, low-calorie protein foods are suitable:

150 g cottage cheese;
250 ml low-fat Greek yogurt;
a glass of low-fat kefir.

You can add cinnamon, vanilla, fresh herbs, 1 tbsp to the dish. bran. But it is better to avoid fruits, honey and other sweeteners in the evening.

Diet before and after training

It is recommended to eat 1.5 hours before intense exercise, because...
the body will need energy to be active. If possible, then 30 minutes before training you should have a protein bar or any fruit. It is not recommended to overeat before going to the gym, because... this will create additional stress on the heart, and a full stomach will create discomfort during movements.

After your workout, you can drink a protein shake.

1 hour after training you can have lunch or dinner. If you don’t have time for a full meal, then a cocktail of protein powder, milk and bananas will do - it will satisfy the city and provide the body with proteins to restore muscle tissue.

Examples of dishes

Before training you can eat:

boiled potatoes in their jackets, lean fish baked with vegetables;
sandwich made from whole grain bread with ham, cheese and fresh herbs.

1600 calorie daily diet option

The daily menu might look like this:

in the morning: 50 g of oatmeal in water, an omelette of 3 egg whites with 3 tbsp. milk, a handful of raisins;
lunch: 100 g low-fat cottage cheese, 1 orange;
lunch: 150 g buckwheat, 120 g cucumber and onion salad, 1 baked chicken drumstick;
snack (1.5 hours before training): a sandwich of whole grain bread with chicken fillet and tomatoes;
dinner (1 hour after training): 150 g of stewed cabbage with mushrooms, 120 g of baked pollock fillet;
before bed: 250 ml of kefir.

For breakfast you can eat oatmeal with water.

Menu for the week

You can devote 2 days to complete cooking with a menu of 1600 calories per day. In other dishes, products, semi-finished products need to be heated, quickly brought to readiness or chopped and assembled into a salad.

All cereals on the menu are weighed dry before cooking. Fruits, vegetables and other products - without peels, packaging and inedible parts. The weight of meat, fish and seafood is measured raw.

The first day

Breakfast

Cottage cheese 100 g.
Stewed carrots 150 g.
Coffee with milk without sugar 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g with butter 5 g.

Snack

Apple 100 g.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Steamed meatballs 100 g.
Green peas 50 g.
Compote of dried fruits without sugar 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.

Afternoon snack

Rose hip decoction 200 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Boiled fish without salt (pike perch, tilapia, haddock) 100 g.
Stewed vegetables 200 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.

Snack at night

Low-fat kefir 200 ml.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Second day

Breakfast

Buckwheat porridge with water 150 g.
Boiled egg 1 piece.
Leafy vegetable salad without oil 200 g.
Black coffee without sugar 200 g.

Snack

Apple 100 g.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Baked meat 90 g.
Boiled beets 150 g.
Green peas 25 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Dried fruit compote without sugar 200 ml.

Afternoon snack

Pear 100 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Boiled chicken breast without skin 100 g.
Cabbage stewed with champignons (without oil), 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.

Snack at night

Low-fat kefir 200 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Day three

Breakfast

Cottage cheese with grated apple 100/100 g.
Coffee with milk without sugar 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g with butter 5 g.

Snack

Vinaigrette with vegetable oil 150 g.
Soaked herring 30 g.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Stewed meat 90 g.
Buckwheat porridge with water 100 g.
Boiled beets, slices 50 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Compote of dried fruits without sugar 200 g.

Afternoon snack

Orange 100 g.

Boiled fish without salt (pike perch, tilapia, haddock) 100 g.
Stewed vegetables 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.

Snack at night

Day four

Breakfast

Millet porridge with water 150 g.
A piece of butter 5 g.
Fresh cabbage salad with cucumbers 150 g.
Coffee with milk without sugar.

Snack

Low-fat cottage cheese 100 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Vegetarian soup 250 ml.
Steam cutlets 90 g.
Green peas without oil 50 g.
Boiled beets 50 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Compote of dried fruits without sugar 200 g.

Afternoon snack

Apple 100 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Skinless chicken breast, stewed with vegetables, 100/200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.

Snack at night

Day five

Breakfast

Low-fat cottage cheese 100 g.
Grated carrots 100 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g with butter 5 g.
Coffee with milk without sugar 200 g.

Snack

Boiled egg 1 piece.
Leafy vegetable salad 200 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Boiled fish 100 g.
Boiled potatoes 100 g.
Fresh cabbage salad with carrots 200 g.
Dried fruit compote 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.

Afternoon snack

Apple—100g.

Boiled beef tongue 100 g.
Stewed vegetables 200 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.

Snack at night

Day six

Breakfast

Oatmeal porridge in water 200 g with butter 5 g.
Low-fat cottage cheese 50 g.
Grated apple 50 g.
Coffee with milk 200 g.

Snack

Soaked herring 30 g.
Vinaigrette with vegetable oil 150 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Meat cutlet 100g.
Stewed vegetables 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Compote of fresh apples without sugar 200 g.

Afternoon snack

Medium banana - 0.5 pieces.

Fish baked with vegetables, 100/200 g.

Tea without sugar 200 g.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Snack at night

Day seven

Breakfast

Boiled beef tongue 50 g.
Fresh cabbage salad 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g with butter 5 g.
Coffee with milk without sugar 200 g.

Snack

Low-fat cottage cheese with grated apple 100/100 g.
Tea without sugar 200 ml.
Crackers 4 pieces.

Vegetarian soup 250 g.
Boiled chicken breast 100 g.
Boiled rice 50 g.
Leafy vegetable salad 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Compote of fresh apples and oranges 200 g.

Afternoon snack

Pear 150 g.

Meatballs 100 g.
Stewed vegetables 200 g.
A piece of gray bread 25-30 g.
Tea without sugar 200 g.

Snack at night

Recipes for a 1600 kcal diet

Allowed products can be used to prepare simple dishes.

Homemade granola

For homemade granola you will need:

2 cups oatmeal;
2 tbsp. honey;
2 tbsp. vegetable oil;
200 ml orange juice;
1 cup nuts (any);
cinnamon and other spices to taste.

Granola is made from nuts.
In a bowl, mix honey, oil, fruit juice and spices. Heat the mixture over fire. When all the ingredients have dissolved, pour nuts and oatmeal into the liquid. Place the resulting mass on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 30 minutes.

Fish stewed with vegetables

Wash the pollock or hake fillet, place in a saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Add chopped carrots and onions. Keep on low heat until fully cooked. At the end, you can add chopped tomato pulp (without skin).

Peppers stuffed with rice and chicken breast

For the dish you need:

bell pepper;
rice;
chicken fillet;
spices.

Peppers stuffed with rice and chicken breast - a delicious recipe.
Core the pepper. Cook the rice until half cooked, then mix with chopped boiled/baked chicken fillet. Add spices and stir. Stuff the peppers with rice and meat mixture and bake in the oven.

Turkey fillet stewed with bell peppers, onions, carrots and buckwheat

Grind the carrots and onions on a grater, then fry the vegetables in a deep saucepan. Add turkey pieces and diced pepper there. As soon as the meat turns white, add 1 cup of buckwheat to the mixture and pour 2 cups of water. Simmer the dish over low heat for 20 minutes.

Beetroot

Grate the carrots and beets on a medium grater, chop the onion. Transfer the vegetables to pre-prepared chicken broth and cook until fully cooked. Before use, you can add low-fat sour cream to the soup.

Beetroot soup is a delicious rich soup made from fresh vegetables.

Salmon with vegetables in the oven

Rinse the salmon fillet, remove the bones, rub with spices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Peel and cut bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, and onions into cubes. Place the fish and vegetables in foil, wrap and bake in the oven.

Results and reviews

Alisa, 26 years old, Moscow: “I used the diet not to lose weight, but to maintain weight within normal limits.
But in 3 weeks I managed to get rid of 4 kg. I trained 2-3 times a week, drinking protein shakes before going to the gym and immediately after. After switching to PP, my health improved, my skin cleared up, and my nails became stronger.” Ekaterina, 38 years old, Tver: “For many years I tried different express diets, but the lost weight always came back. Therefore, I decided to reduce the calorie content of food to 1600. In the first 2 weeks I lost 4 kg, then the weight came off more slowly. But I got so used to the PP diet that even after leaving the diet, I continue to prepare healthy meals and eat 5-6 times a day.”

Features of the menu for 1600 kcal

In order for the diet to help with weight loss, with minimal risk of failure, the calorie deficit should be about 300-500 kcal. So a menu for 1600 kcal per day is perfect for a first test of strength for women who like to cook from simple ingredients and are ready to prepare recipes for the week.

Unlike lower calorie diets, in this case there is no need to exclude fats from the diet. At the same time, a wide variety of ingredients is available, and you do not have to suffer from an overly bland and monotonous set of dishes.

Accordingly, you won’t have to suffer from bouts of hunger even if you regularly visit the gym. At the same time, you will be able to lose about 3-4 kg per month, getting rid of fat, without compromising your metabolism, skin beauty and muscle definition.