7-Day Diet Plan for Weight Loss: Meals & Tips
There’s no single best diet plan to lose weight, which means you have plenty of choices when planning meals. But it also means it can be hard to know where to start.
To help, we’re sharing a seven-day diet plan for weight loss to see you through a whole week. We’ll also show you a shopping list for the week, meal prep tips, and nutrition advice to keep in mind beyond those seven days.
What This Weight Loss Diet Plan Entails
Before we start, it’s important to know you don’t need to follow a weight loss diet plan if you don’t want to. You can simply incorporate healthy changes — like eating more vegetables and prioritising protein — into your everyday meals.
Having said that, having a plan to follow can be helpful if you need inspiration and guidance to get started.
We’re providing seven days of meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus two daily snacks and dessert — yes, you can eat dessert and lose weight!
The meals focus on:
Fruit
Vegetables
Lean meat
Fish
Whole grains
Fibre
Healthy fats
Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
Feel free to swap out anything you’re not keen on, and sub in your favourite healthy foods we might not have mentioned.
You can also make changes if you’re vegan or vegetarian or want to avoid certain foods because of religious reasons or allergies.
One final thing: We haven’t provided calories, servings, macronutrient info — the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fats — or portion sizes. Listen to your body and eat what feels satisfying to you.
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7-Day Weight Loss Diet Plan
Here’s a selection of meals to promote weight loss and get you through the week feeling satisfied, energised, and strong.
Day 1
Breakfast:
Porridge topped with almonds, cashews, flaxseeds, and blueberries
Snack:
Egg muffin with spinach, tomato, and mozzarella
Lunch:
Wholemeal wrap with grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, peppers, and avocado
Snack:
Handful of dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins, or mango
Dinner:
Lentil curry with sweet potato, mushrooms, spinach, and plenty of spices
Dessert:
Greek yoghurt with strawberries and kiwi slices
Day 2
Breakfast:
Omelette with mushrooms, peppers, onion, and coriander
Snack:
Carrot and cucumber sticks with hummus
Lunch:
Soup made with shredded chicken breast, quinoa, celery, and onions
Side of wholemeal toast
Snack:
Banana or dried banana chips
Dinner:
Grilled salmon with brown rice and broccoli or asparagus
Dessert:
Fruit ice pop
Day 3
Breakfast:
Almond butter on wholemeal toast
Snack:
Edamame
Lunch:
Wholemeal wrap with falafel, grilled aubergine, and hummus
Snack:
Roasted chickpeas with olive oil and paprika
Dinner:
Burrito bowl with brown rice, chicken breast, avocado, black beans, sweetcorn, salsa, and a sprinkle of coriander and grated cheese
Dessert:
Homemade fruit and nut mix with dark chocolate, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and pecans
Day 4
Breakfast:
Overnight oats with raspberries, pumpkin seeds, honey, and cinnamon
Snack:
Kale crisps, roasted with olive oil and a pinch of salt
Lunch:
Grilled chicken and vegetable skewers with bell peppers, courgette, and onions
Side of quinoa
Snack:
Hard-boiled egg
Dinner:
Stir-fry with tofu or prawns, bean sprouts, green beans, bok choy, mushrooms, courgette, garlic, and ginger
Dessert:
Chia seed pudding topped with honey and dried fruit
Day 5
Breakfast:
Smashed avocado and poached eggs on wholemeal toast
Snack:
Cottage cheese
Lunch:
Tuna salad with lettuce, celery, cucumber, quinoa, cannellini beans, and Dijon mustard dressing
Snack:
Apple slices with peanut butter
Dinner:
Wholemeal pasta with courgette, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and parmesan
Dessert:
A square or two of dark chocolate
Day 6
Breakfast:
Shakshuka with tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, peppers, onion, and poached eggs
Wholemeal pitta to dip
Snack:
Dates topped with nut butter
Lunch:
Spicy parsnip and cauliflower soup topped with sunflower seeds
Side of rye crackers
Snack:
Stuffed avocado with peppers, black beans, salsa, and parsley
Dinner:
Chilli with turkey, kidney beans, black beans, carrot, and celery, topped with diced avocado and coriander
Dessert:
Fruit salad with pineapple, melon, and kiwi, topped with nutmeg or cinnamon
Day 7
Breakfast:
Protein pancakes made with wholemeal flour, eggs, and bicarbonate of soda, topped with Greek yoghurt, pear slices, and chia seeds
Snack:
Clementine
Lunch:
Tacos with tempeh marinated in chilli, lime, and cumin, topped with feta
Shredded cabbage, avocado, black beans, and salsa for topping and sides
Snack:
Celery sticks and hummus
Dinner:
Turkey burger with wholemeal bun, lettuce, red onion, and tomato
Sweet potato chips
Dessert:
Greek yoghurt with walnuts and goji berries
Shopping List for the Week
Here’s what to add to your shopping list to make the meals above:
Fruit. Fresh blueberries, apples, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, raspberries, dates, pineapple, melon, pears, clementines, and dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins, cranberries, mango, or goji berries.
Vegetables. Peppers, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onions, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, edamame, aubergine, avocado, sweetcorn, kale, courgette, bean sprouts, bok choy, celery, parsnips, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Nuts. Almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, and peanut butter or almond butter.
Seeds. Flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds.
Legumes. Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, cannellini beans, and kidney beans.
Protein. Chicken breast, Greek yoghurt, eggs, hummus, salmon, falafel, cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, milk, tofu, prawns, tuna, tempeh, and turkey.
Whole grains. Quinoa, brown rice, rye crackers, and wholemeal wraps, pittas, bread, and tortillas.
Other. Dark chocolate, honey, herbs, spices, and condiments like salsa and mustard.
Of course, you don’t need to buy all of these ingredients. You can choose your favourite nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, and protein sources and use them throughout the week. We’ve just provided you with plenty of variety for inspiration.
And remember, you can swap out meat, fish, and dairy for vegetarian or vegan options and make any changes you need for religious reasons, allergies, or just plain not liking something.
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How to Meal-Prep for the Week
Cooking a healthy meal at the end of a busy workday or making breakfast before getting the kids off to school can feel overwhelming. But don’t panic.
Here’s what you can prepare ahead of time to make your meals easier and still eat a balanced diet:
Buy pre-chopped, canned, or frozen veg — or chop them yourself ahead of time.
Roast a tray of sweet potato, kale, chickpeas, and cauliflower — or whatever you’re eating this week.
Make dishes like egg muffins, overnight oats, fruit and nut mix, and hard-boiled eggs ahead of time.
Meals like soups, pasta, and curries can be premade and reheated. If you’re extra-organised, try meal-prepping in bulk — that way, you’ll have a freezer full of healthy meals. Leftovers make for great lunches the next day or repeat dinners later in the week.
How to Choose a Weight Loss Diet
Low-carb, low-calorie, paleo, keto — there are so many diets out there to choose from, and it’s hard to separate fad from fact. But remember, you don’t have to follow a diet plan to lose weight.
You can focus on eating nutritious meals with a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. And you’ll generally want to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, meaning eating fewer calories than you burn each day.
This doesn’t mean restricting yourself, drastically cutting your calorie intake, or swearing off certain food groups, though. You can do it by fueling your body with nutritious, whole foods and incorporating more movement into your day.
If your progress ever slows, it can help to look at why you might not be losing weight and what may be affecting your results.
Healthy Diets for Weight Loss (and Beyond)
If you like the structure of following a healthy meal plan for weight loss, consider one of these styles of eating.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on foods typically eaten in Mediterranean countries, hence the name. It includes a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil.
As well as promoting weight loss, research shows the Mediterranean way of eating is associated with a lower risk of many chronic health conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and cancer.
The Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide outlines food groups you should focus on and how much of your plate they should take up.
Some key tips from the Eatwell Guide:
Eat five portions of fruit or veg a day.
Go for high-fibre or wholegrain starches, like wholemeal bread and wholewheat pasta.
Eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be an oily fish like salmon or sardines.
Choose lower-fat dairy products, like skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurt.
The Flexitarian Diet
The flexitarian diet involves eating mostly plant-based meals but having some meat in your diet when you fancy it. Try swapping out meat in a few of your meals for vegetarian options like eggs, tofu, tempeh, or lentils.
You’ll be naturally eating leaner proteins and more legumes. And you might find your vegetable intake naturally increases too.
What Is the Best Weight Loss Diet Plan?
Most research comparing diets comes to the same conclusion: There isn’t one single best diet for weight loss.
The best diet plan for you will depend on your:
Weight loss goals
Personal tastes
Eating preferences — like vegan or halal
Allergies
Look for a weight loss food plan you enjoy and can stick to consistently.
Consider speaking to your GP (general practitioner) or a registered dietitian to find the best diet for you. They may suggest a different way of eating, depending on any health conditions you have or medicine you’re taking.
What to Think About Beyond Your Meals
Besides what you eat, think about hydration, sleep, and movement as part of a holistic weight loss plan.
Here are some quick tips to bear in mind:
Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated can help you feel fuller and promote lipolysis, the breakdown of fat for energy. If you’re curious about what’s realistic, our guide on how much body fat you can lose in a month breaks down safe and sustainable fat-loss expectations.
Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can keep hunger levels in check and give you the energy and motivation to cook healthy meals.
Move your body. Physical activity — like aerobic training and weight lifting — can boost weight loss efforts and provide other health benefits, like building muscle and improving cardiovascular health.
NHS guidelines say to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week. For strength training, try to do at least two sessions a week.
Depending on your current activity levels, it might be best to start slowly and increase how much movement you do each week with these numbers in mind.
Aside from structured exercise, think about increasing how much general movement you do. That could include going for a lunchtime walk and getting up to stretch regularly. If you’d like help building a routine around these guidelines, our gym routine for weight loss offers a simple weekly structure you can follow or adapt.
Additionally, weight loss medication — like Mounjaro® and Wegovy® — can be useful for some people. These medicines can lower blood sugar levels, reduce appetite, and lessen cravings. This can make sticking to a healthy eating plan easier.
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The Best Diet Plan for Weight Loss: Final Thoughts
There’s a lot to think about when trying to improve your health and wellness. Following a meal plan for weight loss can take the guesswork out of what to eat and provide inspiration for tasty meals.
Here’s what to remember when following a seven-day diet plan for weight loss:
Research comparing diets hasn’t found a clear winner. A high-protein and high-fibre diet might help you lose weight. But you don’t need a specific plan if you don’t want one. Focus on eating nutritious food, including fruit, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains.
Don’t forget hydration, sleep, and movement. Drink more water, get sufficient sleep, and incorporate more steps and general movement into your day to complement your healthy eating efforts. All of this will help with weight loss and weight management.
Weight loss medication is an option. It’s not for everyone, but weight loss medicine can help on the path towards a healthy weight. It might make sticking to a weight loss meal plan — or just eating nutritious food — easier.
If it’s something you’re considering, take our free online assessment to learn which weight loss treatments could work for you.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your GP about the risks and benefits of any treatment.