Intermittent fasting is quickly becoming a popular eating approach. One of the reasons for this is its effectiveness.
Since you are eating within a specified window, you are likely to eat less food. This reduces your calorific intake and makes you more likely to lose weight. With the right intermittent fasting meal plan, it is possible to achieve your weight loss goals fast.
There are many methods of intermittent fasting. Some people use the warrior approach, which involves eating vegetables and fruits all day then eating a balanced meal in the evening.
Others do the 12-hour approach which involves eating and fasting for 12 hours respectively. The 16:8 approach entails eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 hours.
This last strategy helps to stabilize blood sugar, curb hunger pangs and thus lose weight. It assumes that you’ll have all 3 basic meals; breakfast lunch and a very light dinner.
You’ll notice we’ve included 3 meals in the meal plan because some people choose to skip dinner while others skip breakfast.
7 Day Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan
Day 1
Breakfast: Mango and beetroot smoothie
This smoothie is rich in fiber, natural sugar, antioxidants, protein, and minerals. Protein and fiber help you to stay full and tame your appetite as shown in this study.
Combine 1 mango and ½ a beetroot with a cup of whole milk. The milk adds creaminess and protein to the mixture thus making it delicious and filling.
You may also want to try these 3-ingredient smoothie recipes.
Lunch: Rice, lentils and French beans
Boil ½ cup of rice and set aside. Boil the French beans and lentils separately. Sauté 1 green onion and 2 diced tomatoes, a garlic clove, ½ teaspoon of turmeric and nutmeg. Finish with ½ cup of milk and garnish with cilantro.
Dinner: Mushroom and egg soup
Sauté the mushrooms on a lightly sprayed pan. Add boiled eggs, salt, butter and coconut powder (2 tablespoons). Dilute with ½ cup of water and bring to a boil.
Day 2
Breakfast: Oatmeal Porridge
Oats are a healthy whole-grain option. They are dense in nutrients and usually keep hunger at bay. Always ensure every intermittent fasting meal plan has fiber.
You can also make them tasty by adding various ingredients. Take ½ cup of oats and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of hot milk, salt, an apple, a teaspoon of honey and raisins.
Lunch: Sweet potato, chicken stew, and cauliflower
Boil the sweet potatoes and have only a cupful. Stir fry the chicken (100g) on a lightly sprayed nonstick pan. Toss in some browned onions (cooked with a teaspoon of oil) and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Season with paprika, a pinch of salt and curry powder. Top it off with curd of cauliflower, add water and let it simmer until cooked.
Dinner: Cauliflower soup
This meal allows you to use ingredients from lunch. You only need 1 onion, a head of cauliflower, tsp. olive oil and water. Heat the onion with low heat for 15minutes. Add the cauliflower in the same pan then ½ cup water and let it cook until tender. Puree the combination and serve.
Day 3
Breakfast: Avocado sandwich and hot milk
This sandwich requires whole wheat bread (preferably stone-ground), a slice of avocado, tomato, lettuce, and onions. Layer the avocado, tomato, and onion wedges in between two leaves of lettuce then cover these with 2 slices of bread. Wash the sandwich down with a glass of milk.
Lunch: Baked salmon and asparagus
Line a baking sheet with olive oil then bread the salmon (200g) and drizzle with oil. Put the asparagus beside the salmon and coat with 1 tbsp. of cheese then bake until done.
Dinner: Nuts, blueberries milk and chia smoothie
Chill chia, blueberries, and milk all day. Then in the evening, add a handful of almonds.
Day 4
Breakfast: Eggs and wilted spinach
You need 2 hardboiled eggs and a bag of fresh spinach. Stir fry the spinach in a lightly sprayed nonstick pan. Toss in some salt and pepper for taste. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon to lessen the bitterness and combine with the eggs.
Lunch: Mexican vegetable soup
You need ½ cup each of sweet corn, beans & cowpeas, 3 potatoes and 2 celery sticks for this dish. For seasoning, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 1 chili pepper, and 1 teaspoon each of coriander, garlic, ginger & cardamoms. Fry the green pepper and onions in a nonstick pan then add the chopped tomatoes. Put in the rest of the ingredients and let it cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Dinner: Sweet corn and chickpea salad
You need some of the sweet corn (1/2 cup) from lunch, 1 ½ cup cabbage, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 sliced onion, and chickpeas (1/2 cup). Mix the ingredients and sprinkle vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
Day 5
Breakfast: Two buns, tea, and fruit
The meal requires 2 whole-grain buns with a tablespoon of peanut butter, black tea (with 2 teaspoons of honey) and a banana. Ensure that the buns are made from whole grains.
An intermittent fasting meal plan does not have to exclude sugar. However, natural options are preferable. In this study, it was shown that honey does not raise blood sugar as much as processed sucrose.
Lunch: Mac and cheese
Boil 2 ounces of pasta until al dente. Make the sauce by melting 1 tbsp. butter, adding in a cup of milk and 1 tsp. mustard. Pour the sauce over the pasta, sprinkle some breadcrumbs and top off with parmesan cheese then bake until the topping is golden brown.
Dinner: Baby bok choy and shrimp
You simply need a bunch of baby bok choy (Chinese cabbage), shrimp (a bag), 1 clove garlic and salt. Stir fry all ingredients for 8 minutes.
Day 6
Breakfast: Cereal bowl
Combine low-fat cereal, with blueberries, a teaspoon of honey and ½ cup of milk.
Lunch: Mashed potatoes, fish and broccoli soup
You need 4 large potatoes, 2 fistfuls of fish, 1 head broccoli and coconut milk. Boil then mash the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of butter and salt for seasoning. Bake the fish by drizzling some olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Flip the fish over after 5 mins. Prepare the broccoli soup by sautéing then adding a ¼ cup coconut milk and some water. Spice the broccoli as desired.
Dinner: Tomato soup and toast
Fry 2 onions with 3 large tomatoes. Sprinkle in some garlic powder and 1 cup of water then let it cook for 10 minutes. Blend the mixture after cooling and serve with brown toast.
Day 7
Breakfast: Corn on the cob and Greek Yoghurt
This simple meal involves grilling corn on the cob and adding salt and pepper for seasoning. You can have this with Greek yogurt which is rich in protein and low in sugar.
Lunch: Rice chicken and guacamole
Suate 150g chicken and set aside. Put real cardamom, cinnamon, cardamom and soy sauce in a pan, add salt and pepper then fry in a sprayed pan. Toss in the sautéed chicken and mix. Prepare the guacamole by combine 1 tomato, 1 onion, ½ avocado.
Dinner: Chicken salad
Use some of the stir-fried chicken from lunch. Combine this with 2 zucchini, 2 cucumbers, 1 carrot stick, and mayo. Grate all of the latter and add some salt.
The Bottom Line
An intermittent fasting meal plan should be balanced. You can choose to skip dinner with the above plan. However, if you do, ensure you do not overdo it when you eat breakfast and lunch.
If you want to get the best results with this intermittent fasting meal plan, combine it with these 15-minute fat-burning home workouts.
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