Login

5-Day 1500 Calorie Meal Plan, Low Carb & High Protein

Below, you will find a healthy meal plan that contains 1,500 calories per day, lasts 5 days, and is low carb AND filling!

It’s important to make sure all of your meals are balanced and are giving you enough nutrients and energy you need to be healthy. That’s exactly what this meal plan will provide.

1500 Calorie Meal Plan

Before we get into the actual meal plan, let’s cover some important basics first.

What Is A Low Carb Way Of Eating?

A diet low in carbohydrates can mean a LOT of different things. But generally, it means less than 150 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Starches are higher in carbohydrates in other foods. Starches include grains like bread, rice, pasta, and quinoa, but they also include starchy vegetables like beans, peas, corn, and potatoes.

Other foods also contain carbohydrates, including:

  • non-starchy vegetables,
  • fruit,
  • salad dressings,
  • sauces,
  • dessert,
  • and protein and fat sources like – dairy, nuts, avocado

While carbs aren’t technically bad, and healthy carbs have their place in a healthy and balanced diet, many people like the low-carb way of eating. When you’re eating a low-carb diet, you’ll eat more high protein food and high fat food. 

What Are Some Lower Carb Options?

The hardest part about cutting back on carbohydrates is knowing what you CAN eat instead. It is important that any carbs you are consuming are low starch and nutrient dense. 

You can take some of your favorite foods and replace them with a healthier and lower carb option. For example:

  • Sweet Potato instead of Russet or yellow potato
  • Cauliflower instead of rice, mashed potatoes, or even pizza crust
  • Lettuce wraps instead of bread or tortilla
  • Zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti
  • Spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti
  • Zucchini fries instead of potato fries
  • Cauliflower mac & cheese instead of regular mac & cheese

Focus on getting fiber from your carbohydrates instead of sugar and starch. Green leafy vegetables and black beans are very high fiber foods.

When in doubt, choose a salad. We all know greens are good for us, and as an added benefit, we can eat a lot more of them than any other food, while still keeping our calorie count low. Pile up a bed of spinach and lettuce. Toss some cucumber, cherry tomatoes and chopped pecans on top. If you are looking for some added protein, toss a lean meat, like chicken in a skillet with your favorite seasoning and add it to the pile! However, make sure the dressing doesn’t include unnecessary carbs or added sugars.

What Are The Benefits Of A Low Carb Way Of Eating?

Strong research supports lower carb approaches for healthy, sustainable weight loss. Eating fewer carbs can:

  • reduce appetite (1) (helping weight loss be effortless!)
  • aid in more weight loss, 2 to 3 times as much in fact, compared to low-fat diets (2,3,4) – AND you will typically lose weight around the abdomen (which is the most dangerous location of body fat) – 
  • lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides, and raise HDL (the good kind) and improve the pattern of LDL (the bad kind) cholesterol (5,6), lower risk of heart disease

In addition, many ladies find eating fewer carbs:

  • Improves mental clarity
  • Reduces inflammation, 
  • Decreases bloating, and
  • And improves skin complexion

However, don’t go overboard – starving yourself is NEVER the answer, and you shouldn’t skip meals just to take out calories. Instead, make healthier foods that are naturally lower in carbs. You need to give your body enough nutrients and energy to function properly.

That’s a common mistake people make when trying to cut down on calories – they take out full meals, instead of simply eating lower-calorie foods.

Please note! The meal plan below’s calories and foods may not be appropriate for you. Always check with your doctor before starting a new meal plan, especially if you have any health conditions. 

Alright, let’s get to the meal plan! Below is the grocery list, and the sample many aka the meal plan with pictures. Recipes are listed after for a 1,500 calories healthy diet plan.

If you end up changing the eating plan later on to make it a bit different, make sure you’re reading your nutrition goal, and not just your daily calorie goal. Low-calorie diets can be tricky if you don’t know how to execute them properly, because you might not get enough nutrients if you’re not careful.

5-Day 1500 Calorie Meal Plan, Low Carb & High Protein

First, let’s cover the grocery list.

Grocery List For Low Carb Diet (5 Days)

Here’s a shopping list you’ll need for these five days. Once you get everything from the list, you can even do meal prep – prepare some meals in advance, or parts of dishes that seem like they would work for meal prep. That way you have less cooking throughout the week.

For example, you can chop up veggies in advance, or even cook them. You can also prepare the protein a day ahead (but make sure you store it properly in the fridge and not for too long!).

Fruit & Starch:

  • Apple, small (5)
  • English muffin, whole wheat (5)

Fat:

  • Avocado, small (2 1/2)
  • Cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/regular (5 oz)
  • Guacamole (2 1/2 cups)
  • Nuts (5/8 cups)

Protein:

  • Chicken Breast, Boneless, Skinless, Raw (50 Oz)

  • Egg, Large (5)

  • Sausage, Chicken (5)

Non-Starchy Vegetable:

  • Bell pepper, red (5)
  • Bell pepper, orange (5)
  • Leaf greens, raw (10 cups)
  • Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps (40)
  • Salsa (5 cups)

Other:

  • Creamy dressing (e.g. ranch), less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp (10 Tbsp)
  • Jalapeño (10)
  • Lime, juice (10 Tbsp)

 

1500 Calorie Meal Plan Recipes

Breakfast: English Muffin Egg Sandwich With Cheese

302 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 English muffin, whole wheat
  • 1 egg, large
  • 1 oz cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/regular

Directions:

  1. Fry egg on stove top.
  2. Add to English muffin with cheese and enjoy!

 

Lunch: Salad With Apple & Sausage

408 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 apple, small
  • 1 sausage, chicken
  • 1/2 avocado, small
  • 2 cups leafy greens, raw
  • 2 Tbsp creamy dressing (e.g. ranch), less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp

Directions:

  1. Chop ingredients, mix and enjoy!
  2. Feel free to switch out lettuce for any other lettuce variety you prefer.

 

Snack: 1/8 Cup Nuts

100 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup nuts

Directions:

  1. Feel free to swap out these nuts for another nut or seed you prefer. Roasted & salted nuts and seeds are fine.

 

Dinner: Fajitas Dinner

741 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 bell pepper, red
  • 1 bell pepper, orange
  • 1/2 cup guacamole
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 8 lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps
  • 10 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw
  • 2 jalapeño
  • 2 Tbsp lime, juice

Directions:

  1. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Spray it with an oil spray.
  2. Cut chicken breast into small slices (you can also buy breast tenders if that’s easier!)
  3. Bake chicken and peppers for 30 minutes, stirring around at 15 minutes.
  4. Once chicken and peppers are cooked, arrange all ingredients on a tray as depicted.

Want an UNLIMITED number of meal plans that you can customize based on your specific calorie needs and your taste preferences? Check out Best Body here!

Citations:

Breakfast: English Muffin Egg Sandwich With Cheese

302 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 English muffin, whole wheat
  • 1 egg, large
  • 1 oz cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/regular

Directions:

  1. Fry egg on stove top.
  2. Add to English muffin with cheese and enjoy!

Lunch: Salad With Apple & Sausage

408 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 apple, small
  • 1 sausage, chicken
  • 1/2 avocado, small
  • 2 cups leafy greens, raw
  • 2 Tbsp creamy dressing (e.g. ranch), less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp

Directions:

  1. Chop ingredients, mix and enjoy!
  2. Feel free to switch out lettuce for any other lettuce variety you prefer.

Snack: 1/8 Cup Nuts

100 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup nuts

Directions:

  1. Feel free to swap out these nuts for another nut or seed you prefer. Roasted & salted nuts and seeds are fine.

Dinner: Fajitas Dinner

741 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 bell pepper, red
  • 1 bell pepper, orange
  • 1/2 cup guacamole
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 8 lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps
  • 10 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw
  • 2 jalapeño
  • 2 Tbsp lime, juice

Directions:

  1. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Spray it with an oil spray.
  2. Cut chicken breast into small slices (you can also buy breast tenders if that’s easier!)
  3. Bake chicken and peppers for 30 minutes, stirring around at 15 minutes.
  4. Once chicken and peppers are cooked, arrange all ingredients on a tray as depicted.

High Protein Low Carb Diet Risks

A high protein low carb diet can have lots of benefits, but it also comes with some risks, especially for people with certain health conditions.

People with kidney disease, liver disease, or diabetes may experience negative side effects due to increased protein intake and reduced carb intake.

Consuming too much protein can cause stress on the kidneys and liver, and people with kidney or liver disease are at a higher risk for complications. For those with diabetes, following a low carb high protein diet can cause blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low. It’s important to monitor protein intake and also the grams of carbs consumed each day, and to find the right balance. Of course, if you have any health conditions, consult a doctor before making any diet changes yourself.

Foods such as cottage cheese and lean meats are great sources of protein, but it’s important to pay attention to the amount of protein and carbs in each serving.

Another potential disadvantage of a high protein low carb diet is that many high protein low carb foods may not be rich in healthy fats, which can lead to an imbalance in the diet.

So, if you’re on a high protein low carb diet, you should find other sources of healthy fats, such as avocados or nuts or peanut butter, to ensure a well-rounded diet.

Want an UNLIMITED number of meal plans that you can customize based on your specific calorie needs and your taste preferences? Check out Best Body here!

Citations:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873405/ 
  2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2007.02290.x  
  3. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022637  
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684196 
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595318/ 
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530364/ 
  7. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aphw.12121
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10028217

Try These