Walking for Weight Loss? Try This Dietitian's 5-Day Meal Plan to Maximize Results
To successfully achieve your weight-loss goals, it's important to find a balance among several factors, like movement and nutrition. It's common to feel overwhelmed when deciding what to eat, and figuring out the perfect balanced meal can be tricky. If you're walking for weight loss but feel unsure what to eat to support your efforts, this five-day meal plan is here to help.
At every meal, two key players take the spotlight. Fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, comes with a host of benefits. It helps regulate blood sugar to keep cravings in check. Plus, it fills you up and keeps you feeling full. Equally crucial for weight loss is protein, found in eggs, chicken, shellfish, and dairy products, which provides the building blocks your muscles need to recover and repair after a challenging walk. When combined, fiber and protein form a powerhouse that ensures you'll finish your meal feeling satisfied and comfortably full.
This guide was created to complement your walking routine and support your weight-loss journey. You can make substitutions based on what you like, but remember, each meal should include both protein and fiber to stay balanced. For sustainable, long-term weight loss, it's best not to limit yourself too much in your food choices. This meal plan includes a variety of options–some you might wonder, "Can I really eat that?" Yes, you can!
Day 1
- Breakfast: Supersized Scrambled Eggs and Toast
- Lunch: Protein-Packed Turkey BLT Salad
- Snack: Grapes and Almonds
- Dinner: Keto-Friendly Pesto Chicken
Breakfast: Supersized Scrambled Eggs and Toast
Eggs are a protein powerhouse and a key player in breakfast satisfaction. When paired with a fiber-rich whole grain bread or English muffin, you might pass over snack time, because you'll feel full for hours after this well-rounded meal. The veggies are optional, but they add an extra boost of vitamins and minerals to kickstart your day on a healthy note.
Lunch: Protein-Packed Turkey BLT Salad
This salad offers major flavor without breaking the calorie bank. Made with crunchy lettuce and a low-fat ranch dressing, this non-traditional version of a BLT satisfies your sandwich desires while helping you reach your fiber goals for the day.
Snack: Grapes and Almonds
Almonds offer tons of health benefits, including fiber to aid in digestion, and healthy fats to help lower bad cholesterol. The fat content also helps keep you fuller for longer, making them an ideal snack when your next meal is a few hours away. Grapes, often called nature's candy, provide a natural energy boost and antioxidants to support your health.
Dinner: Keto-Friendly Pesto Chicken
Chicken breasts are rich in protein and lower in calories compared to other cuts of chicken, which is beneficial when working to achieve weight loss. Whether you're following a ketogenic diet or not, the healthy fats from the pesto bring the flavor, and the veggies help to load up on fiber, both offering an appetite-quenching meal.
Day 2
- Breakfast: Paleo Smoothie With Yogurt and Granola
- Lunch: Go-To Tuna
- Snack: Cottage Cheese and Cucumbers
- Dinner: Paleo Tomato Chicken Curry With Cauliflower Rice
Breakfast: Ultimate Paleo Smoothie With Yogurt and Granola
With the weather heating up, this refreshing smoothie recipe will surely hit the spot after an early morning walk. Loaded with inflammation-reducing omega-3 fats from chia seeds and a satisfying crunch from granola, this meal will surely please both the mind and the palate. Plus, the yogurt offers calcium, which is essential for strong bones, to keep you strong and on your feet day in and day out.
Lunch: Go-To Tuna
With minimal fat and calories, Tuna is one of the most concentrated protein sources out there. Mix it up with some avocado mayonnaise and serve between two slices of whole grain bread to add fiber, completing the checklist for a wholesome lunch geared for weight loss.
Though optional, consider adding diced tomatoes or serving in a bell pepper for an additional vitamin C boost.
Snack: Cottage Cheese and Cucumbers
Cottage cheese is a protein powerhouse, containing 12 grams of protein and only 90 calories in a half-cup serving. Paired with sliced cucumbers, you've got yourself a low-calorie snack that both hydrates and supports muscle recovery after a long walk.
Dinner: Paleo Tomato Chicken Curry With Cauliflower Rice
This dish offers the comfort of a warm bowl of curry with a low-carbohydrate spin you'll love even more. The cauliflower rice base adds volume, filling up space in the belly to help with feeling full. In addition, the onions and garlic, both part of the allium family, as well as tomatoes, provide a boost of antioxidants to help your body recover from exercise.
Day 3
- Breakfast: Fiber-Filled Breakfast Burrito
- Lunch: Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad
- Snack: Hummus With Carrot Sticks
- Dinner: Low-Fat Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa
Breakfast: Fiber-Filled Breakfast Burrito
This healthier take on the traditional breakfast burrito slashes the saturated fat and calorie content while maintaining the crave-able flavor you look for in a post-exercise meal. Packed with avocado and black beans, this option boasts nearly 15 grams of fiber per serving, making it both weight-loss and heart-health-friendly.
Lunch: Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad
Cabbage, a versatile leafy green, is full of vitamin K which helps to keep your bones strong and blood clotting properly. While the chicken provides the amino acids needed for muscle recovery, the juicy mandarin orange slices offer a subtle sweetness and are high in immune-boosting vitamin C.
Snack: Hummus, Carrot Sticks, Celery Sticks
Choosing veggie sticks over pita chips as your hummus vessel helps reduce calories while boosting fiber to promote satiety, or the feeling of fullness. Hummus, made from chickpeas and tahini, offers a touch of fat to help your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A, found in the veggies.
Dinner: Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa
At 210 calories per serving, this bold pork tenderloin is a lean protein machine. The pineapple adds both a boost of vitamin C and a touch of sweetness, while the dijon and spices add major flavor. Serve this dish alongside your favorite roasted vegetables and a wholesome grain, such as quinoa, for a bit of fiber to hit all your marks at dinner time.
Day 4
- Breakfast: Easy Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
- Lunch: Low-Calorie Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
- Snack: Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
- Dinner: Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli
Breakfast: Easy Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
This one-skillet breakfast features vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes and heart-healthy olive oil, making it an easy choice that both saves time and offers a variety of nutrients to fuel your recovery and weight-loss efforts. An added bonus is that per serving, this hash provides over half the amount of fiber you need in a single day.
Lunch: Low-Calorie Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
Shredded chicken is packed with protein to help your muscles recover from your walking routine. Black beans, quinoa, and avocado offer both fiber for digestion and essential minerals, like magnesium, to support bone health. Plus, this recipe makes for a great meal prep and stays fresh in the fridge for up to three days without compromising texture or flavor.
Snack: Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
Dates, typically found in their dried form, are sweet and sticky and make the perfect sweet treat to carry you through an afternoon slump. Unlike other candies, the fat in the nut butter helps to tame your blood sugars and prevent an energy crash later on, which can lead to cravings. To prepare, slice open the date, pull out the pit, and stuff it with your favorite nut butter to create your own version of nature's candy.
Dinner: Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli
There's no need to reach for your favorite takeout with this 15-minute recipe. Using a flavorful sauce, this dish provides tons of protein to help your muscles recover. The broccoli contributes fiber, but feel free to add carrots, or serve this dish atop cauliflower rice for even more fullness and digestion support.
Day 5
- Breakfast: Protein Oats
- Lunch: Hearty Italian Meatball Soup
- Snack: Sliced Peach With Pistachios
- Dinner: Easy, Healthy Crispy Chicken
Breakfast: Protein Oats
Made with egg whites and milk, these high-protein oats come together in minutes for a healthy morning meal. With benefits from lowering bad cholesterol to helping your digestion, it's a pantry staple you don't want to miss out on. Consider adding in a portion of slivered almonds and topping with a handful of blueberries to create a well-balanced meal.
Lunch: Hearty Italian Meatball Soup
Soups are ideal for meal planning, ensuring you have a convenient lunch option during hectic weeks. Per serving, this soup provides only 333 calories, leaving room for a garden salad to balance out this protein-filled meal. To further improve this recipe, swap out the chicken stock for bone broth to increase the protein content even more.
Snack: Sliced Peaches With Pistachios
Pistachios are a powerhouse of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Paired with juicy stone fruit to tackle afternoon cravings, they form a nutrient-packed snack that supports weight-loss goals.
Dinner: Easy, Healthy Crispy Chicken
This oven-baked version of a traditional fried chicken recipe helps satisfy the craving for crunchy meat while providing fewer calories to support your weight-loss efforts. Pair this dish with a bagged salad mix or leftover veggies from the days prior to increase the fiber and round out your meal with extra nutrients.
Sign up for our newsletter!
