7-Day Weight-Loss Meal Plan

Enjoying these delicious heart-healthy meals and snacks while achieving your weight-loss goals.7-Day Weight-Loss Meal Plan

High blood pressure (also called hypertension) has very few symptoms, so many people don’t know they have it. The National Institutes of Health (NIMH) reports that almost 50% of adults in the U.S. have hypertension.

If left untreated, hypertension can increase the stress on the heart, leading to kidney disease, damage to the blood vessels in the heart, heart disease, and stroke. Therefore, it is important to get your blood pressure checked by a medical professional if you are unsure.

Fortunately, diet and lifestyle changes, such as weight loss for people who are overweight, can help lower blood pressure.

Related:  5 Sneaky Reasons Your Blood Pressure Is High, According to a Dietitian

In this week long meal plan, we’re limiting sodium while incorporating principles from the DASH diet for heart health.

The DASH diet, which means “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” is widely regarded as the best way to improve heart health and lower blood pressure.

Like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet focuses on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, eating whole grains, eating legumes and eating lean proteins while cutting out processed foods, processed grains and excess sodium.

Exercise also lowers blood pressure, so try to move your body however you feel most comfortable. A 4-week walking program is a good place to begin. The American Heart Association reports that even a small amount of weight loss improves blood pressure in those with clinical obesity.

We set our walking plan to 1,500 calories per day, which is what most people need to achieve healthy, gradual weight loss. However, some people have different calorie needs, so we added modifications to our plan for 1,200 calories per day and 2,000 calorie per day.

Heart-Healthy Foods to Focus On:

While it’s important to monitor your sodium intake, focusing on foods you can eat more of is equally important. Following the DASH diet principles and eating more foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help lower and maintain your blood pressure. Here are some foods to include:

• Dark leafy greens
• Cruciferous veggies, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower
• Beets
• Potato, sweet potato and winter squash
• Banana
• Pears
• Apples
• Plums
• Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries)
• Unsweetened dairy (plain yogurt, kefir)
• Whole grains (quinoa, oats, whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur and more)
• Beans and lentils
• Lean protein
• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Nuts and seeds, including minimally processed natural nut butters
• Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines)

Related: Weight Loss Management

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

1. Prepare overnight oats with raspberries and vanilla for breakfast on the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days.
2. Create a Lentil salad with feta, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives for lunch on days 2-5.
3. Create a week’s worth of no-bake granola bars.

Day 1 (7-Day Weight-Loss Meal Plan)

Breakfast (347 calories)

• 1 cup nonfat plain strained yogurt, such as Greek-style
• ½ cup chopped cherries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

A.M. Snack (129 calories)

• 1 large bell pepper, sliced
• 3 Tbsp. hummus

Lunch (376 calories)

• 1 serving Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime
• ½ cup edamame, in pods
• 1 medium apple

P.M. Snack (203 calories)

• 1 medium banana
• 1 Tbsp. almond butter

Dinner (433 calories)

• 1 serving Grilled Salmon & Vegetables with Charred Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
• ½ cup cooked quinoa

Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 59g fat, 94g protein, 158g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 970mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds at breakfast plus omit almond butter at P.M. snack and quinoa at dinner.

Make it 2,000 calories: Increase to 3 Tbsp. almond butter at P.M. snack, add 1 serving Greek Salad with Avocado to dinner, and add 1 medium peach as an evening snack.

Day 2

Breakfast (353 calories)

• 1 serving Raspberry-Vanilla Overnight Oats
• 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

A.M. Snack (62 calories)

• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (380 calories)

• 1 serving Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives
• 1 cup low-fat plain kefir

P.M. Snack (285 calories)

• 1 serving No-Bake Granola Bars

Dinner (413 calories)

• 1 serving Quick Chicken Fajitas

Daily Totals: 1,493 calories, 59g fat, 69g protein, 187g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,284mg sodium

Make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 3/4 cup low-fat plain kefir at lunch and change P.M. snack to 1/4 cup blueberries.

Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack, add 1 plum to lunch, and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.