I need to eat 3 meals out a day. I want to consume only 1200-1500 calories and spend about $20 a day. Help me!

Question

I love coffee.

Answer 1

1200-1500 calories/day falls short of your daily recommended intake. Even if you want to lose weight, you are recommended to eat 2000-2500 calories a day and exercise (if you want to lose it the healthy way and not lose brain cells or have your body eat away at itself). I think you should talk your projected diet with a nutritionist or Doctor, just to play it safe.

Answer 2

Go for fruit salads, vegetable salads (order the dressing on the side), choose lean meats like chicken breast, turkey, fish, and lean cuts of beef, when choosing starches go for whole-grain only (they have fiber, are healthier and keep you fuller longer - stuff like oatmeal, whole wheat, amaranth, unrefined rice etc.) and if you want something sweet go for stuff sweetened with low-calorie stuff like Splenda or NutraSweet. Choose low-fat dairy. Snack on fruit (WHOLE fruit, not dried) if you're hungry between meals and avoid juices - these add calories but don't keep you very full. Oh and use little oil when cooking (or just use the microwave straight, lol).

If you're up to it, every once in a while you can allow yourself half a portion of a candy or dessert at the end of a meal - a little of it will do nothing to your diet progress and will kill any cravings for sweets that you might have.

Calories aren't that important. I know plenty of people who eat a healthy diet, never think about calories, and still lose weight anyways.

Good luck! You can do it.

Answer 3

Eat the diabetic diet. Its 3 meals and 3 snacks. More food than you can eat after a while.

I have to eat it but it's good. If you are not diabetic you can cheat.

You'll easily do it for 20 bucks a day. Stay away fro Mickey D's and that sort of place

Good Luck Happy New Year

Answer 4

Ask Rachel Ray! She knows how to spend $20 a day for 3 meals including drink and tip! Go to this link and select tv shows.

Answer 5

I don't like fast food, but lately I've discovered that McDonald's Southwest Salad is really good. It costs about $4, and if you have it with crispy chicken it has 400 calories, and if you want ranch dressing with it, it will have about 570 calories, but if you just have the Southwest Salad without chicken it has only 140 calories. =] Hope this was helpful for you.

Answer 6

Let me think for a moment
First, here is a calculator to decide the correct amount of calories.
http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm
Ordering Tips:
Order Food to Go.
Avoid Buffets.
Forego the Fries.
Stick to the "Light" Menu.
Don't Be Afraid to Special-Order.
Fear the Fryer.
Take Charge of Your Plate.
Hunting and Gathering at McDonald’s
.............Total Calories, Fat Calories, %Fat Calories
Dad Fish Fillet ..... 470 .... 234 .... .. 50
fries super-sized...... 610 ...... 261..........43
Soft drink-super (32oz) ....384 .... 0 .... 0
......Totals ........1,464 ..... 495 .....34
Kids
Meal Cheeseburger ........330 ........ 126 .... 38
French fries (small) ........210 .......90 ....43
Soft drink (small) .........150 ........ 0 .......... 0
..................Totals........ 690 .........216 ..........31


Bran muffin/banana or fruit, or oats/fruit n coffee for breakfast at Starbucks or other coffee shop.
Lunch, small salad grilled chicken fillet, coffee or tea unsweet.
Supper salad or steamed carrots or green veggie, small grilled chicken breast or fish coffee or tea unsweet.
Every place even fast food, has something to choose from with lower calories, soup of the day, grilled pattie(without bread), salad, broccoli on potato bar etc.

Answer 7

Cappuchino Rules!
Pick up fresh fruit at the grocery for breakfast and snack.
Rice and/or noodle bowls are cheap and filling as is pizza by the slice. But Ramen is a girls best friend.. add hot water and stir. Then you have $$ left for a real dinner.

Answer 8

Salads, without heavy dressings with 4-6 ounces of lean meat should do it at lunch and dinner. Vegetable soups and pasta are good might work also.
Fruit or cereal is a good breakfast choice.

Answer 9

$20 a day??? I can live on less than $ 10.00 a day. Soups, sandwiches, power bars, fresh fruit, salads ... all kick in nicely and cheaply. But if you are addicted to coffee houses, I can see where you would spend unnecessary money. Try coffee at home.

Answer 10

Eat skinless chicken breast and plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other foods rich in fiber. Unless you are real small, I would go for the 1500 calories.