1500 kcal Diet – 7-Day Meal Plan

1. Wash the pear, remove the core, and cut it into pieces.
2. Add the pear, spinach, soy drink, oats, chia seeds, lemon juice, and ginger to a blender.
3. Blend until smooth.

You can barely taste the spinach, and you can use a piece of fresh ginger instead of ground ginger.

1. Add the broad beans to salted boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender (frozen beans take a little less time).
2. Drain and immediately toss with olive oil, pressed garlic and chopped dill.
3. Eat warm, popping the beans out of their skins as you go.

Out of season, use frozen broad beans—they’re available in stores year-round.

1. Grind or finely chop the meat and mix with half the finely chopped onion, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and marjoram. Shape into small balls with wet hands.
2. Soften the remaining onion and grated carrot in oil. Add the tomatoes (canned are fine), tomato paste and half a cup of water, then bring to a boil.
3. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the barley. Serve the meatballs with the sauce and barley, sprinkled with dill.

You can also make the meatballs with ground beef or chicken. They freeze well with the sauce.

1. Wash the cucumber and cut it into chunks. If the skin is thick, peel it first.
2. Blend the cucumber with the buttermilk and dill until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour into a glass and drink right away, or chill it in the fridge first.

This savory smoothie is inspired by Polish cucumber chłodnik (cold soup). On a hot day, blend it with a few ice cubes.

1. Lightly butter the bread slices and top with lettuce leaves.
2. Add slices of ham and tomato, then season with pepper.

Choose ham with a short ingredient list and the highest meat content you can find.

1. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and stir with a spatula until the whites are set and the eggs are still slightly moist.
3. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with bread and sliced tomato.

Take the pan off the heat just before the eggs are done—they’ll finish cooking in the residual heat and won’t dry out.

1. Peel the carrot and grate it finely.
2. Coarsely grate the apple and immediately mix it with the carrot and lemon juice.
3. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

This slaw keeps well in the fridge for a few hours, so you can make it in the morning and take it with you in a jar.

1. Cook the pasta al dente and reserve half a cup of the cooking water.
2. Sauté the sliced garlic and chili in olive oil, add the zucchini cut into half-moons, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp and halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink.
4. Toss with the pasta and a little cooking water, drizzle with lemon juice, season with salt and sprinkle with parsley.

Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge or under cold running water, then pat dry thoroughly before frying.

1. Slice the banana and freeze it with the strawberries for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Blend the frozen fruit with the soy drink until smooth and creamy.
3. Eat right away, or freeze for 15 minutes if you prefer firmer ice cream.

Ripe bananas with brown spots work best for ice cream—they’re the sweetest.

1. Cook the meat with the chopped onion in a hot pan for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula. Season with cumin, smoked paprika, chili, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Tear the lettuce, dice the tomatoes and pepper, and drain the corn.
3. Mix the yogurt with the lime juice and a pinch of salt.
4. Arrange the vegetables in a bowl, add the warm meat, drizzle with the yogurt sauce and sprinkle with grated cheddar.

Ground turkey also works instead of beef, and you can use another type of cheese in place of cheddar.

1. Bring the milk to a boil, stir in the oats and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
2. Coarsely grate the apple or dice it, then add it to the oatmeal with the cinnamon.
3. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

You can swap the apple for a pear and the walnuts for hazelnuts or almonds.

1. Peel the orange and banana, then cut them into pieces.
2. Blend the fruit with the carrot juice, flaxseed, and a pinch of ginger until smooth.

Instead of ground ginger, you can grate in a piece of fresh ginger root for a bolder flavor.

1. Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and half the olive oil, then cook it in a grill pan (about 5 minutes on each side). Set aside briefly, then slice into strips.
2. Cut the bread into cubes and toast in a pan with the remaining olive oil until crisp.
3. Mix the yogurt with the mayonnaise, crushed garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and half the grated Parmesan.
4. Tear the lettuce, add the sliced cherry tomatoes, chicken, and croutons, drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

For an on-the-go meal, pack the dressing separately and add it just before eating so the croutons stay crisp.

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Remove the kale leaves from the tough stems, tear them into pieces, wash, and dry very thoroughly.
2. Toss the kale with olive oil, granulated garlic, and paprika. Spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the leaves are crisp but not brown.

These chips are best right after baking—they soften quickly in a sealed container.

1. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the bread.
2. Top with lettuce leaves, slices of pork loin, tomato, and pickled cucumber.
3. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

This is a great way to use pork loin roasted for dinner. You can also buy sliced roasted pork loin—choose one with a short ingredient list.

1. Peel the kiwi and cut it into half-moons.
2. Spoon the Greek yogurt into a bowl, add the kiwi, and top with granola just before eating so it stays crunchy.

Choose granola with a short ingredient list and little sugar, or make your own with oats, nuts, and a little maple syrup.

1. Add frozen edamame to boiling salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
2. Drain, drizzle with lime juice, and sprinkle with salt and a pinch of chili.

You’ll find edamame in the frozen food section. If you buy them in pods, eat only the beans, squeezing them out of the pods.

1. Rinse the lentils. Soften the chopped onion and garlic in oil, add the grated carrot and celery, and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, diced potatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Pour in water and bouillon, then simmer for 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
3. Season with marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then sprinkle with parsley.

You can use red lentils instead of green lentils. They’ll cook in 15 minutes, and the soup will be thicker.

1. Peel the orange and separate it into segments.
2. Serve with a few squares of dark chocolate, or melt the chocolate and dip the orange segments in it.

Choose chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. It’s less sweet, so a few squares are plenty.

1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them with cold water.
2. Dice the bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato, and finely chop the onion and parsley.
3. Mix the vegetables with the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.

The salad tastes even better after chilling in the fridge for 15–20 minutes. It travels well, so it’s great to take with you.

1. Drain the tofu and mash it with a fork, then mix in the tahini, mustard, turmeric, salt, and pepper. The spread will have a texture similar to egg salad.
2. Finely dice the pickled cucumber, chop the chives, and stir them into the spread.
3. Spread the mixture on the bread slices.

If the spread seems dry, add a tablespoon of pickle brine or water.

1. Wash the celery stalks, trim the ends, and cut them into finger-length pieces.
2. Fill the grooves in the celery stalks with peanut butter.
3. Top with raisins.

This snack is known as “ants on a log”—you can replace the raisins with chopped dried cranberries.

1. Cut the fish into pieces, season with salt, coat in flour, and fry in half the oil (2–3 minutes on each side).
2. Coarsely grate the carrot and celery, and slice the onion thinly. Cook them in the remaining oil with a little water for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, allspice, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Cook the rice. Cover the fish with the vegetables and serve with the rice, hot or cold.

Greek-style fish tastes best after a night in the fridge, once the flavors of the vegetables have had time to develop. You can use pollock instead of cod.

1. Mash the avocado flesh with a fork, then mix in the lime juice, crushed garlic, salt, and a pinch of chili.
2. Add the finely diced tomato and mix.
3. Peel the carrot and kohlrabi, cut them into sticks, and dip them in the guacamole.

Guacamole browns quickly. For an on-the-go meal, cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface.

1. Drain the tuna, beans, and corn, and rinse the beans with cold water.
2. Dice the bell pepper and pickled cucumber, and finely chop the onion and parsley.
3. Mix everything with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

This salad tastes great the next day too, so you can make a double batch and take some to go.

1. Rinse the lentils and cook them in 2.5 times as much water for 12-15 minutes, until they break down.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion and grated carrot in oil until softened (5-6 minutes).
3. Blend the lentils with the vegetables, tomato paste, marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread the paste on the bread and top with slices of pickled cucumber.

The spread thickens as it cools. Make a larger batch while you're at it—it will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

1. Peel the hard-boiled eggs, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the yolks.
2. Mash the yolks with the Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of mustard, and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites, sprinkle with paprika, and serve with radishes.

For taking them to go, arrange the eggs snugly in a shallow container so the filling doesn't get smeared.

1. Cut the tenderloin into 2 cm-thick medallions, gently flatten them with your hand, and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
2. Cook the medallions in half the oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside and cover.
3. In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion and mushrooms (about 5 minutes).
4. Cook the green beans in salted water for 6-8 minutes, then drain and toss with the remaining oil, pressed garlic, and toasted sliced almonds. Serve with the meat and mushrooms.

Frozen green beans work too—add them straight to the boiling water without thawing.

1. Cut the cucumber and bell pepper into thin sticks.
2. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the deli meat slices and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Place sticks of cucumber and bell pepper along the edge of each slice, then roll it up tightly.

These roll-ups travel well to work or school—pack them snugly in a container, seam-side down.

1. On half the slices, layer the cheese, ham, and tomato slices. Sprinkle with oregano, then cover with the remaining slices.
2. Toast in a sandwich maker or in a covered dry pan for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cheese melts.

If you don’t have a sandwich maker, bake the toasties in an oven preheated to 200°C for 6-8 minutes.

1. Hard-boil the egg for 9-10 minutes, then cool and peel it.
2. Drain the sardines and mash them with the egg using a fork.
3. Stir in the chopped chives and finely chopped pickled cucumber, then season with pepper.
4. Spread the mixture on the bread.

A can of sardines usually makes two servings—store the rest of the spread in the refrigerator until the next day.

1. Cut the cheese into cubes, wash the grapes, and remove them from the stems.
2. Serve with the walnuts—the best bite combines cheese, a grape, and a piece of walnut.

You can swap the blue cheese for goat cheese or brie, and the grapes for slices of pear.

1. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until softened.
2. Add the diced squash and carrot, along with the rinsed lentils. Pour in enough water and stock to cover the vegetables, then simmer covered for 20 minutes.
3. Blend the soup until smooth, then season with salt, pepper, ginger, and nutmeg.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan and sprinkle them over the soup.

You can use Hokkaido squash instead of butternut squash—it doesn't need to be peeled. The soup freezes well.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Finely grate the carrot.
2. Mix the oats with the carrot, applesauce, chopped cranberries, and cinnamon. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften the oats.
3. Spoon small portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then flatten them with a wet spoon.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are golden and firm around the edges.

A double or triple batch will give you enough cookies for several days—store them in an airtight container.

1. Hard-boil the eggs for 9-10 minutes, then cool, peel, and cut them into quarters.
2. Cut the broccoli into florets and cook in salted water or steam for 4-5 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
3. Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan, and mix the yogurt with the pressed garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Combine the broccoli with the drained corn and eggs, drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

The salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a few hours, so you can take it with you—just add the dressing right before eating.