1200 kcal daily menu: with recipes and portion sizes (5 meals a day)
If you are looking for a menu or meal plan for 1200 kcal, it is important that the day is not hungry and is easy to track by grams. The working scheme is simple: protein in every meal, vegetables for volume, oils and sauces strictly by weight. Below is a ready-made menu for a day of about 1200 kcal, which is convenient to copy and add to SYPB 30 as “My Recipe”.
Daily total: approximately 1180–1220 kcal (depends on brands and weighing accuracy).
Note for SYPB 30
To match the calorie count, choose one accounting format: either all products raw, or all cooked. Always count oil, sauces, seeds, and nuts separately by grams.
Breakfast: quinoa porridge with milk, berries, and nuts
Serving: 1
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
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Dry quinoa 30 g
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Milk 1.5% 120 ml
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Water 120 ml
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Berries 100 g (fresh or frozen)
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Nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts) 6 g
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Cinnamon to taste
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Sweetener to taste (0 kcal)
How to cook
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Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve for 20–30 seconds to remove bitterness.
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Pour the water and milk into a saucepan, bring to a boil.
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Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cook for 12–13 minutes until soft, stirring once or twice.
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Remove from heat, let stand for 2 minutes covered.
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Add berries. If they are frozen, you can place them on the hot porridge and wait for 2–3 minutes.
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Chop the nuts finely and sprinkle on top.
Approximate nutritional value
Kcal 235–255
Protein 9–11 g
Fats 7–9 g
Carbohydrates 30–35 g
Snack 1: vegetable sticks with hummus + rice crispbread
Serving: 1
Time: 3 minutes
Ingredients
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Hummus 35 g
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Carrot 100 g
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Cucumber 150 g
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Rice crispbread 1 pc (about 10 g)
How to prepare
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Cut the carrot into sticks. Cut the cucumber into batons.
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Put the hummus into a small bowl.
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Eat the vegetables dipped in hummus, the crispbread can be eaten separately or in pieces.
Approximate nutritional value
Kcal 170–200
Protein 5–7 g
Fats 7–10 g
Carbohydrates 18–24 g
Lunch: salad with shrimp and couscous
Serving: 1
Time: 15–20 minutes
Ingredients
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Peeled shrimp 160 g (raw weight) or 130 g (cooked weight)
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Cooked couscous 70 g
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Salad leaves 80 g
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Tomatoes 150 g
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Bell pepper 120 g
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Olive oil 4 g
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Lemon juice 10 g
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Salt, pepper, paprika to taste
How to prepare
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If couscous is not cooked: pour 25 g dry couscous with 50–55 ml boiling water, add salt, cover for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. You should get about 70 g cooked couscous.
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Boil the shrimp for 2–3 minutes in boiling water or fry in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes until pink.
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Cut the tomatoes and pepper, tear the salad leaves by hand.
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Mix the vegetables, couscous, and shrimp.
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Dress with lemon juice and 4 g oil, season with salt and pepper.
Approximate nutritional value
Kcal 290–320
Protein 28–35 g
Fats 6–9 g
Carbohydrates 25–35 g
Snack 2: orange and pumpkin seeds
Serving: 1
Time: 1 minute
Ingredients
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Orange 200 g (weight of peeled product)
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Pumpkin seeds 8 g
How to eat
Divide the orange into slices. It is better to eat the seeds together with the fruit; this way the snack will keep you full longer.
Approximate nutritional value
Kcal 130–150
Protein 3–5 g
Fats 4–6 g
Carbohydrates 18–24 g
Dinner: tofu with vegetables in the oven + lemon sauce
Serving: 1
Time: 25–30 minutes
Ingredients
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Firm tofu 120 g
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Zucchini 200 g
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Champignon mushrooms 150 g
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Green beans 200 g (frozen possible)
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Olive oil 3 g
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Soy sauce 10 g
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Lemon juice 10 g
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Dried garlic, pepper, paprika to taste
How to cook (in the oven)
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Preheat the oven to 200°C.
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Cut tofu into 1.5–2 cm cubes. Slice zucchini into half-moons, mushrooms into slices.
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Mix tofu and vegetables, add soy sauce, spices, and 3 g oil, mix.
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Spread on a baking tray, bake for 18–22 minutes, stirring once in the middle.
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Before serving, drizzle with lemon juice.
How to cook (in a pan)
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In a non-stick pan, heat tofu for 2–3 minutes, add vegetables and 2–4 tbsp water.
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Stew for 10–12 minutes until tender, at the end add soy sauce, oil, and spices.
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Add lemon juice before serving.
Approximate nutritional value
Kcal 290–330
Protein 20–26 g
Fats 10–14 g
Carbohydrates 25–35 g
Shopping list for the day
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Quinoa
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Milk 1.5%
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Berries
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Nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts)
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Hummus
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Carrot, cucumber
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Rice crispbreads
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Shrimp
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Couscous
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Salad leaves
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Tomatoes, bell pepper
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Orange
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Pumpkin seeds
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Tofu
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Zucchini, champignon mushrooms, green beans
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Olive oil, lemon, soy sauce, spices
Alternative meal options
Breakfast (220–280 kcal)
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Rice porridge with milk 1.5%: dry rice 25 g + milk 200 ml + berries 80 g
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Whole grain toast 35 g + avocado 40 g + boiled egg 1 pc + cucumber 150 g
Snack (150–220 kcal)
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Guacamole 40 g + vegetable sticks 300 g
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Tuna in its own juice 90 g + cucumber 200 g + crispbread 1 pc
Lunch (280–380 kcal)
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Squid 160 g + cooked rice 90 g + vegetable salad (oil 4–5 g)
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Lean beef cooked 90–110 g + baked potato 150 g + salad without mayonnaise
Dinner (260–350 kcal)
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Tempeh 120 g + vegetables 350–400 g (oil 3–5 g)
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Pike perch fillet 180 g + vegetables 350 g + yogurt sauce 60 g (if you use dairy)
How to make this menu 1500 kcal (if needed)
Add 250–300 kcal with one element, without changing the whole day:
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Additional portion of grain at lunch: +100 g cooked couscous or rice
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Yogurt 200 g + muesli 30 g
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Whole grain bread 60 g + cheese 30 g
FAQ
Can everyone eat 1200 kcal?
1200 kcal is low calorie. It's not suitable for everyone. If you have illnesses, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or highly active, it's better to choose calories individually.
Why do you feel very hungry in the evening on 1200 kcal?
Often the reason is lack of protein during the day and the fact that oils and snacks “eat up” calories but don't provide satiety. Try to have protein at every meal and make dinner larger with vegetables.
How to count calories more accurately?
Weigh products, count oil and sauces separately, choose one accounting format (raw or cooked). In SYPB 30 it is convenient to save a dish as “My Recipe” and divide into portions.