1200 Calorie Diet Menu for Women

A diet is a method of losing weight. Dieters should take in fewer calories each day than they expend. The amount of calories needed per day varies by gender and body type. Physically active men will need to eat more than small-boned less active women. If you are a woman seeking to lose weight, doing so through a 1,200 calorie diet may prove ideal. Do not consume fewer calories or your body may go into starvation mode and make weight loss difficult. Vary foods consumed to avoid boredom and the temptation to cheat on the diet.

Breakfast

Begin the day with a cup of juice that has been fortified with vitamins. Orange juice with pulp makes an excellent choice because it has fiber in it. This can help you feel fuller longer. Eat half a cup of plain oatmeal with the juice. For a dose of dairy, consume a half cup of plain yogurt. Drink herbal tea or black coffee. The day can also begin with different breakfast choices. Toast two pieces of whole wheat bread. Top with a teaspoon of butter. Eat half a cup of fruit preserved in natural juices. Drink with a cup of low fat milk. Two hours after breakfast eat a banana or a fruit smoothie consisting of half a cup of berries such as blue berries combined with 2 oz. of milk and several ice cubes.

Lunch

Lunch is good time to refuel and avoid a possible midday slump in energy levels. Make a tuna sandwich from two slices of whole wheat bread and half a cup of water-packed tuna. Mix the tuna with half a teaspoon of mayonnaise and half a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve with side salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber slices. Alternatively top six crackers with a 2 tsp. of low fat cottage cheese. Serve with a fourth of a cup of nuts such as walnuts, pecans and almonds. Nuts are high in fat but they are also high in nutriients. Eat a piece of medium sized fruit such as a pear, apple peach or plum in addition to the crackers and nuts.

Dinner

Keep dinner light to help you sleep better. Marinate a 3.5 oz. chicken breast in spices such as oregano and parsley as well as 1 tsp. of soy sauce or lemon juice. Grill the chicken breast on an outside grill or indoor cooking surface such as a George Foreman grill. Serve with a cup of steamed broccoli and half a cup of brown rice. For a different yet equally light dinner bake a medium sized potato in a convection microwave or standard oven. Grill a 3 oz. lean steak. Sautee half a cup of mushrooms and a fourth of a cup of onions with 1 tsp. of olive oil. Add a fresh chopped medium sized tomato and a fourth of a cup of spinach during the last minute of cooking.