Meal plan for weight loss: 7-day plan with guide
A ready-made plan instead of counting calories? Seven days of what to eat, with amounts, calories and a shopping list. Plus 1,500, 1,800 and 2,100 kcal levels, a vegetarian version and a guide to building your own plan.
Aktualisiert 29 October 2026 · 13 Min. Lesezeit · 30 Quellen
The key points in 30 seconds
Suits an energy expenditure of around 2,000 kcal, so many women with desk jobs. 1,800 for active women and less active men, 2,100 for active men.
That's what the 1,500 level delivers from skyr, quark, pulses, fish and chicken. It keeps you full and protects your muscles in a deficit.
Double the usual 400 g: lots of volume for few calories is the trick against hunger. Plus 250 g of fruit and 35 to 55 g of fibre.
In a comparison of four diets, weight loss was linked to sticking to the plan (r = 0.60), not to the type of diet (r = 0.07). That's why this plan is deliberately normal: bread, rice, potatoes, snacks.
Meal plan for weight loss: how much and how often you eat
A meal plan for weight loss needs three things: a calorie deficit, enough protein and lots of volume. The German obesity guideline recommends 500 to 600 kcal less than you burn, with an intake of 1,200 to 2,000 kcal a day. The plan in chapter 2 has this built in. Here's why the numbers are what they are, so you can adapt it for yourself later.
How many calories does a meal plan for weight loss need?
What you burn minus about 500 kcal. According to the DGE reference value, a woman between 25 and 50 with a desk job and a bit of exercise burns around 1,800 to 2,100 kcal, a man 2,300 to 2,700. That gives the three levels of the plan: 1,500, 1,800 and 2,100 kcal. The reference values apply to normal weight; if you're overweight, you often burn more, because a bigger body needs more energy. You can work out your own figure in the calorie calculator, which also explains why a bigger deficit doesn't get you to your goal faster.
The plate model: half veg, a quarter protein, a quarter side
The simplest blueprint for any main meal comes from Harvard University: half your plate vegetables and fruit, a quarter wholegrains, a quarter protein, plus a little vegetable oil and water to drink. The Swiss Society for Nutrition draws the plate slightly differently: two fifths vegetables, two fifths starch including potatoes, one fifth protein. They also say not to take it too literally. Neither model is a calorie count, they're a ratio. That's exactly how the dinners in the plan are built.
How many meals a day?
As many as you can comfortably stick to. The guideline found no proven link between the number of meals and body weight, the DGE (German Nutrition Society) makes no recommendation, and frequent small meals don't boost your metabolism either. The plan uses three meals and one snack, because that works for most people's daily lives and spreads your protein across three portions. If you prefer two big meals, fold the snack into your main meals; if you like intermittent fasting, push breakfast back. What matters is the daily total.
The 7-day meal plan for weight loss
Seven days, four meals, all amounts in grams. Calculated with the German Federal Food Code (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel), the dataset that professional nutritionists use too. Pick your calorie level, switch to vegetarian if you like, and print the plan out. During the week no meal takes longer than 30 minutes, and on Wednesday evening you cook double for Thursday.
1,500 kcal meal plan: who the base level suits
The 1,500 level delivers 92 to 105 g protein, 35 to 55 g fibre, 580 to 840 g vegetables and 250 g fruit a day, with 270 g meat and cold cuts a week, fish once and two meat-free days. It suits an energy expenditure of around 2,000 kcal. If yours is lower, for example small, not very active women over 50, still go with this level and create the deficit through exercise rather than dropping below 1,300 kcal. If you burn significantly more, pick 1,800 or 2,100, otherwise your hunger will beat the plan after two weeks.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: how the meals are built
Every meal follows the same logic: one protein source, vegetables or fruit, and a wholegrain or potato side. Breakfast gives you 320 to 430 kcal with 23 to 34 g protein from skyr, quark or egg plus oats and berries. Lunch comes in at 410 to 520 kcal, mostly with pulses that you can prepare ahead and eat cold or warm. Dinner has 440 to 570 kcal, built on the plate model, and the snack 150 to 215 kcal from fruit with quark or nuts. That puts 25 to 40 g protein into every main meal.
Shopping list for the week
The Shopping list tab shows all 60 items by supermarket aisle, rounded up to pack sizes, with the amount you actually need next to each. Mostly you buy fresh vegetables and fruit, around six kilos gross; skyr, quark and cottage cheese come from the chilled aisle, pulses and tomatoes from tins, berries and spinach frozen so nothing goes off. Meat and fish are five small items from the counter. Cooking for two? Double the amounts. Want to batch cook? The meal prep article has a calculator for boxes and shelf life.
Frozen berries, frozen spinach and tinned pulses are in the plan on purpose: same nutritional values as fresh, no waste, no soaking. Just drain and rinse the tin first, which saves salt.
Free weight loss meal plan as a PDF
The “Print plan” button opens a print view with all seven days in the level and variant you've chosen, with the shopping list on the second page. In the print dialogue, choose “Save as PDF”, or use the share menu on your phone. There's no sign-up, no email address and no download in exchange for your data; the plan belongs on your fridge, not in a newsletter.
Why a plan helps you lose weight
Three things studies observe in people who lose weight with a plan. None of them is magic, but all three take decisions off your plate when you're hungry.
Planning takes the impulse buy out
In a survey of 40,000 adults, people who plan their meals had a more varied diet and were less likely to be obese (odds ratio 0.79 to 0.92). It's a link, not proof, but a stable one: if you know what's for dinner, you won't buy a bar in the afternoon.
Writing it down makes portions visible
The German obesity guideline lists self-monitoring of food and weight as a building block of behaviour change, with a cautious grade of recommendation because the evidence is weak. In practice, a plan with amounts in grams shows you for two weeks how big a portion really is. After that, your eye is usually enough.
Sticking with it beats the type of diet
Four diets from low carb to low fat over a year: weight loss was linked to sticking with the diet (r = 0.60), not to the diet itself (r = 0.07). A network analysis of 48 studies found 7.3 kg after twelve months for both camps. The best plan is the one you're still eating in February.
Create your own meal plan: in four steps
The plan above is an example, not a rule. Four steps turn it into yours: work out your needs, choose your level, build your meals, fill your week. The first two take ten minutes, the third is the meal builder below, and the fourth happens at the kitchen table.
From energy use to your own weekly plan
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1. Calculate your energy useCalorie calculator
Sex, age, height, weight and daily routine give you your total energy expenditure. The formula and PAL levels are in the calorie calculator article.
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2. Choose your levelEnergy use minus 500 kcal
Round to 1,500, 1,800 or 2,100. Don't go below 1,300 kcal without supervision; get the deficit through exercise instead.
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3. Build your mealsPlate + 25 g protein
For each meal: one protein source, veg or fruit, and one wholegrain side. The meal builder shows how breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack add up to a full day.
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4. Fill your week and adjustWeigh in after 14 days
Five to seven dishes are enough; plan leftovers for lunch. If the scales haven't moved at all after two weeks, check your level and portions.
Guideline values from the DGE (German Nutrition Society) and the obesity guideline for healthy adults. The level is a starting point that you adjust after two to four weeks based on your results.
Create a meal plan for free: the meal builder
Below are the twenty building blocks of the plan, five each for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack, with calories, protein and prep time. Tap one per meal and the bar shows where your day lands. The presets load a 1,500 and an 1,800 day. Pick more than four blocks and you'll see straight away why a second snack only fits at the 2,100 level.
Customise your meal plan
Swap within the same group: chicken for fish, tofu or cottage cheese, rice for potatoes or wholewheat pasta, raspberries for apple. The side is your dial: 20 g more or less dry rice or 25 g bread is around 70 kcal. A favourite dish can go in if it meets the plate rule and you weigh it once. The DGE works in weekly balances, not days; an evening out with friends won't derail a plan. If the scales stall after three to four weeks, the answer is in the calorie calculator under “Why am I not losing weight on 1500 kcal?”.
What can I eat if I want to lose weight? The table
Everything, just not in every amount. The most useful measure is the energy density, i.e. calories per 100 g: foods rich in water and fibre fill your stomach for little energy. In a year-long study, women who cut fat and also ate more fruit and veg lost 7.9 kg instead of 6.4 kg, with less hunger. The table is sorted by this principle; the values come from the Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel.
Plenty, in moderation, rarely: foods by energy density
Calories per 100 g, cooked for rice, pasta, potatoes and pulses, otherwise raw or as bought.
| Plenty | In moderation | Rarely | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | All kinds, raw or cooked: cucumber 16, tomato 22, broccoli 35, peppers 36 kcal | Avocado 132, olives 132 kcal | Chips 203 kcal, veg in cream sauce or breadcrumbs |
| Fruit | Berries 38 to 43, orange 49, apple 58 kcal | Banana 79 kcal, dried fruit | Apple juice 44 kcal per 100 ml: it's easy to drink and doesn't fill you up |
| Grains, bread, potatoes | Potatoes 76, brown rice 128, wholewheat pasta 130 kcal | Wholemeal bread 210, white bread 272 kcal | Croissant 426 kcal, biscuits, cake |
| Pulses | Tofu 115, lentils 119, chickpeas 151 kcal | Hummus 324 kcal: two tablespoons | Nothing, apart from when fried in fat |
| Dairy | Skyr 64, low-fat quark 66, cottage cheese 73 kcal | Yoghurt 3.5% 67, Gouda 30% 266, feta 284 kcal | Cream yoghurt 124, Gouda 48% 379 kcal, sweetened fruit yoghurt |
| Meat, fish, eggs | Tuna in water 95, turkey breast 107, chicken breast 109, egg 135 kcal | Salmon 180, beef mince 224 kcal; meat and sausage up to 300 g a week | Lyoner 281, Wiener 289, salami 374 kcal |
| Fats, nuts, seeds | Linseed 470 kcal: one tablespoon in your muesli | Almonds 544, walnuts 721 kcal: a small handful; rapeseed oil 900 kcal: one tablespoon | Butter 747, mayonnaise 750 kcal |
| Drinks | Water, unsweetened tea and coffee: 0 kcal | Milk 1.5% 44, whole milk 62 kcal per 100 ml; juice spritzer 1:3 | Cola 41, juice 44 kcal per 100 ml; alcohol 7 kcal per gram |
| Sweets and snacks | Fruit, veg sticks, edamame 146 kcal | Honey 305, jam 240 kcal: one teaspoon | Fruit gums 312, chocolate bars 446 to 494, crisps 526 kcal |
Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel 4.0 (Max Rubner-Institut). Plenty: low energy density, which is where the volume comes from. In moderation: belongs in the plan, but measured out. Rarely: the extras the DGE allows when everything else is right.
Filling foods with few calories
Three things fill you up the most per calorie: protein, fibre and water in your food. In an analysis of 345 people cutting calories, fibre intake was the strongest predictor of who lost weight and who stuck with it, regardless of calories and macronutrients. The guideline recommends plenty of fibre at its highest grade of recommendation. That's why every meal in the plan contains wholegrains, veg, fruit or pulses, and why it comes in at 35 to 55 g instead of the usual 20. How to get to 30 g without your stomach rebelling is in the fibre article; you can work out your protein needs in the protein article.
Skyr, low-fat quark and cottage cheese are the unsung heroes of the plan: 64 to 73 kcal per 100 g with 10 to 12 g protein. 250 g of skyr for breakfast keeps you full until lunch for 160 kcal, while a croissant has 426 kcal and is forgotten by ten o'clock.
A weight-loss plan rarely fails because of calories, but because of hunger. If you fill every meal with veg, protein and wholegrains, you eat more grams for fewer calories, and that's exactly what you can stick with.
Joerg Hauke, Nutrition expert, expert reviewer of this article
Drinks in the plan
Around 1.5 litres a day, ideally water, unsweetened tea or coffee, according to the DGE. Sugary drinks are the easiest item to cut: in studies, weight rose by 0.82 kg with sweetened drinks, and the guideline advises limiting them at its highest grade. Alcohol provides 7 kcal per gram, barely fills you up and slows fat burning; according to the DGE, there is no safe amount. Half a litre of water before main meals led to 1.3 to 2 kg of additional weight loss over twelve weeks in two small studies, as a “preliminary” finding. In the plan, only the milk in your muesli is counted; everything else you drink on top.
Snacks in the plan
The snack has 150 to 215 kcal and consists of fruit plus protein or nuts: apple with almonds, skyr with strawberries, quark with orange. It's the in-between meal the DGE recommends if you need one at all. If you're not hungry in the afternoon, skip it or move it to dinner; if you want to nibble in the evening, save it for then. At the 2,100 level, a second snack with skyr and raspberries is added, because otherwise the day would need main meals that are too big.
Nutrition plan for women, men, high protein and vegetarian
The base plan applies to everyone. What changes is the calorie level and the amount of protein, not the foods. Five variants compared, with what the studies say:
Five plan variants: numbers, target group, evidence
Calories and protein per day from the plan; evidence from guideline and meta-analyses.
| Calories and protein | Who it's for | What the studies say | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base plan | 1,500 / 1,800 / 2,100 kcal, 92 to 133 g protein | Anyone who wants to eat normally: bread, rice, potatoes, meat twice a week | Deficit of 500 to 600 kcal per the guideline, macronutrients secondary |
| High Protein | Same level, 120 to 130 g protein | Strength training, losing weight after 50, people who get very hungry | 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg preserves muscle in a deficit; DGE: benefit for weight loss “unclear” |
| Vegetarian | Same level, 92 to 105 g protein | Anyone who leaves out meat and fish; eggs and dairy stay | Equally effective, plan protein from tofu, soya, skyr, pulses |
| Low Carb | Fewer sides, more fat, same protein | Anyone who gets hungrier after bread and pasta | After 12 months, 7.3 kg for low carb and for low fat; differences “minimal” |
| With meal replacement | One meal replaced by 200 to 250 kcal | Busy days, lunch without a kitchen | Replacing two main meals contributes to weight loss according to the EU claim; with support, 2.2 kg more after a year |
Sources: S3 guideline on obesity 2024, Johnston 2014 (48 studies), DIETFITS 2018, ISSN position paper 2026, Regulation (EU) 432/2012, Astbury 2019.
Weight loss meal plan for women
The DGE guideline values are 1,800 to 2,100 kcal for women aged 25 to 50 and 1,700 to 2,000 for those aged 51 to 65. Minus 500 puts most women on the 1,500 level, or 1,800 if you move a lot. Below 1,300 kcal, a plan needs medical supervision. From 50, body composition shifts: more fat, especially around the belly, less muscle mass, and so your energy expenditure drops. Two things in your plan help counter this: keep protein at 1.2 g per kilo and add strength training, because in a year-long study, diet plus training preserved lean mass much better than diet alone. More on this in the weight loss article under menopause.
Weight loss meal plan for men
According to the guideline, men use 2,300 to 2,700 kcal, so the 1,800 level for a sedentary day, 2,100 with exercise. The meals are the same, only the sides, nuts and oil get bigger, and at 2,100 a second snack comes in. That takes protein up to 100 to 133 g a day, enough for strength training too. Men's most common mistake isn't the plate but the glass: beer and wine deliver calories without filling you up, and they're on no shopping list.
High-protein meal plan for weight loss
For people losing weight, the 2026 sports nutrition society position paper recommends 1.2 to 1.6 g protein per kilo of body weight, so 96 to 128 g at 80 kg; the DGE sticks with 0.8 g and calls the benefit of higher amounts for weight loss unclear. At 92 to 105 g, the base plan is already at the lower end. You can get to 120 g with two swaps: the apple-almond snack for skyr with strawberries (+14 g) and Monday lunch for the tuna pasta salad (+8 g). For healthy kidneys, this is safe; the calculator in the protein article shows how much suits you.
Meal replacement in the plan
Under EU regulation, a meal replacement has 200 to 250 kcal and at least a third of vitamins and minerals; replacing two main meals a day as part of a calorie-restricted diet contributes to weight loss, and one replaced main meal helps maintain weight. In the plan, that means an honest calculation: A shake with 203 kcal instead of breakfast lowers your day by around 160 kcal, instead of lunch by 260 kcal. That suits the 1,800 level; at the 1,500 level, you balance it out with the second snack or a bigger side. If you replace lunch, veg goes missing: add raw veg, otherwise your day drops below 400 g.
Shape Shake: meal replacement with a fixed 203 kcal
30 g powder in 300 ml unsweetened soya drink makes 203 kcal with 17 g protein, 11 g fibre and 26 vitamins and minerals. Replacing two of the daily main meals with such a meal replacement as part of a calorie-restricted diet contributes to weight loss; replacing one of the daily main meals contributes to maintaining weight after weight loss. The shake only does its job as part of a calorie-restricted diet that includes other foods, and with enough fluid throughout the day.
Lose 10 kg with a nutrition plan: how long it takes
The search queries promise 10 kg with a plan and 5 kg in a week. Here are the numbers the guideline actually gives, so you don't bin the plan after three weeks because the scales are being honest.
Losing 10 kg: the maths
With a deficit of 500 to 600 kcal, that's about 0.5 kg per week, so on paper 20 weeks. But the guideline says this pace only lasts around three months. After that, your energy use drops along with your weight and the curve flattens. Realistically, 10 kg takes six to nine months, with a plan that doesn't change, it just repeats. The target calculator in the weight loss article shows the progress for your goal and your deficit.
5 kg in one week: what a plan can't do
In the first week the scales can indeed drop by two to three kilos, but that's water from your carbohydrate stores and less content in your gut, not fat. Five kilos of fat would mean a 35,000 kcal deficit in seven days, more than most people burn in the first place. The guideline rejects crash diets: nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, gallstones, and the weight comes back once you stop. What's actually possible in two weeks is in the weight loss article under Losing weight fast.
Can you lose weight on 1,200 kcal?
Yes, almost everyone does. The question is how long that stays a good idea. 1,200 kcal isn't a physiological limit, it's a programme target: the American guideline gives 1,200 to 1,500 kcal for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men. The German guideline only allows formula diets of 800 to 1,200 kcal for a limited time and with medical supervision, because vitamins, minerals and fibre run short and up to a quarter of the weight lost is muscle mass. For small, not very active women over 50, the deficit rule clashes with this figure; in that case a smaller deficit plus more exercise is the better plan.
Under 1,200 kcal a day only with medical or dietitian support and for a maximum of twelve weeks. If you have diabetes, heart or kidney disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of an eating disorder, talk to a professional before starting any weight loss plan.
When the plan stalls
After six to twelve weeks, almost everyone hits a point where the scales stop moving. Usually two things are behind it: your energy use has dropped with your weight, and your portions have crept up without scales. Weigh your food again for two weeks, count drinks and oil, check your level against your current energy use, and move more instead of cutting calories further. Everything else that can slow you down, from sleep to medication, is in the plateau checklist in the weight loss article.
Frequently asked questions about a weight-loss diet plan
Can I lose weight on 1,500 kcal a day?
Yes, if you burn more than about 1,900 kcal, which applies to most adults. Your deficit is then 400 to 800 kcal, so 0.4 to 0.7 kg per week. Small, not very active women sometimes burn less; in that case, exercise helps more than a lower level.
Can you lose weight if you don't eat anything after 6 pm?
Only if it lowers your daily total. A cut-off time has never been studied directly; with the same calories, people with a big breakfast and a small dinner didn't lose more weight, but they were less hungry. If you snack on most of your calories in the evening, the rule can help as a boundary.
What should you have for breakfast if you want to lose weight?
Something with 25 to 35 g of protein and fibre: skyr or low-fat quark with oats and berries, wholemeal bread with cottage cheese and egg, scrambled eggs with spinach. You don't have to have breakfast: studies found no weight loss benefit from eating it, but if you do, make it filling.
Which meal should you skip to lose weight?
None in particular. According to the guideline, the number of meals has no proven effect on weight, only the daily total counts. The easiest option is to drop the snack or fold it into a main meal. If you skip a meal and eat double in the evening, you've gained nothing.
Can you lose 4 kg in 4 weeks?
With a deficit of 500 to 600 kcal, around 2 kg of fat in four weeks is realistic, plus one to two kilos of water in the first week. So the scales may show 4 kg, but only about half of that is fat. Anything more is only possible with a very low-calorie diet under supervision.
What should you eat if you want to lose 10 kg?
The same as for 2 kg, just for longer: a protein source, plenty of veg and a wholegrain side with each meal, 500 to 600 kcal below your energy use. The 7-day plan is repeated over six to nine months and adjusted to your lower energy use after every fifth kilo.
Is yoghurt good for losing weight? Skyr or Greek yoghurt?
Natural yoghurt yes, sweetened fruit yoghurt no. Skyr and low-fat quark give you around 10 g of protein for 64 to 66 kcal per 100 g, while Greek yoghurt and cream yoghurt with 10% fat have 124 kcal and 3 g of protein. For feeling full in a deficit, skyr is the better choice, Greek yoghurt the creamier one.
How do I lose 5 kilos without going hungry?
With volume instead of going without: 600 to 800 g of veg, 90 to 100 g of protein and over 30 g of fibre a day, as in the plan. Cut out sugary drinks and alcohol, drink water before eating, weigh your nuts. At 0.5 kg per week, 5 kg takes about ten to twelve weeks.
Sources · 30 sources anzeigen
- German Obesity Society (DAG) et al.: S3 guideline on the prevention and treatment of obesity, version 5.0, as of 7 October 2024, AWMF register number 050-001; recommendations 4.5a, 4.8, 5.11, 5.14, 5.15, 5.26, statement 4.11 and background texts on energy density, meal frequency and breakfast.
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): DGE Nutrition Circle, guideline values for adults on around 2,000 kcal (Eat and drink well, 2024).
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Eat and drink well, the DGE recommendations (2024).
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Reference values for nutrient intake, energy (guideline values by age, sex and PAL).
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Reference values for nutrient intake, protein.
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Reference values for nutrient intake, fibre (guideline value 30 g per day).
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Meal frequency and weight regulation in adults. DGEinfo 07/2012.
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Body composition and critical nutrients in older age.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source: Healthy Eating Plate. As of January 2023.
- Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE), Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO): The balanced plate. Leaflet, October 2025.
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Has been writing for Saturo since 2019 about nutrition, nutrients and how to get good nutrition in practice in everyday life.
Hat diesen Artikel am 29. Oktober 2026 auf fachliche Richtigkeit geprüft. The content doesn't replace medical advice.
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