Focusing on eating nutrient-dense foods, or foods rich in protein, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients relative to their calories, can help support weight loss.
While counting calories and reducing your total intake can be an effective way to support weight loss, it can be time consuming and difficult to sustain over the long term.
Registered dietitian Alex Caspero, MA, RD, author of Delish Knowledge, shares her advice on eating for weight loss:
When it comes to losing 10 pounds or more, I focus on nutrient-dense eating. This can help you lose weight without feeling deprived.
Nutrient-dense eating, or as I like to call it, “the biggest bang for your calorie buck,” compares the quantity and quality of nutrients with the number of calories in an item.
Simply stated, this means emphasizing foods rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and low in calories. Examples include fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods can support overall health over your lifetime.
Keep reading to learn how nutrient-dense eating works for health and weight loss, how exercise can help, and a sample one-week meal plan.
Before starting a weight loss plan
It’s important to talk with a doctor before starting any new eating plan or exercise routine for weight loss, especially if you have underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or anemia, or have dietary restrictions.
A healthcare professional who knows your health history can determine if a plan you’re considering is healthy for you.
Nutrient density works as a weight loss and weight management tool because it doesn’t feel as restrictive as other approaches. You can still enjoy your favorite foods by dressing them up with nutrient-dense ingredients.
This helps to increase the amount of food you can eat, while still managing your calories. When you feel full, you can better stick with any meal plan.
Volume and fullness are important factors in satiety. As we start to digest food, our stomach gradually expands. This sends a fullness message to the brain, reducing our desire to eat.
This signal is more pronounced when we eat filling foods, usually unprocessed foods that contain fiber, protein, and fat. That’s why a nutrient-dense meal plan should emphasize both fiber-rich carbohydrates and protein.
The following meal plan is geared to help you lose 10 pounds in one to two months. That window is provided because everyone experiences weight loss differently. Some people can make a few changes and lose weight immediately, while others need more time before experiencing weight loss.
I think it’s important to reemphasize that the timeline doesn’t matter as much as the process.
Making healthy lifestyle changes can take longer than more popular, quick-fix approaches. So try not to get frustrated if it takes longer than anticipated.
To make sure you do, you need to combine your new meal plan with a good exercise routine. What does that mean, exactly?
Building your exercise routine
A few times a week, turn up the cardio and add high intensity interval training (HIIT). This balance focuses on improving cardiovascular health while boosting metabolism. Choose activities that work best for you, as you’re more likely to stick with something you enjoy doing.
To get started:
- For beginners, aim for about 30 minutes of cardio three times a week.
- For those who already exercise consistently, aim for 50 to 60 minutes of cardio three to four times a week.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Even if you’re unable to meet this number, you’ll still benefit from any exercise you do.
Try to work in an HIIT workout one to two days per week. Interval training, which means alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity, can help jump-start weight loss and increase caloric burn.
There are plenty of group exercise classes that follow this format, such as:
- spinning, or indoor cycling
- boot camp workouts
- specified interval classes, which apply interval training to various exercises
If you don’t have access to a class, create your own interval workout by mixing 30 seconds to 2 minutes of intense activity with 30 seconds to 2 minutes of moderate recovery; repeat this cycle for 20 to 40 minutes.
As outlined above, this meal plan focuses on high fiber, nutrient-dense eating. It does not require counting calories.
Make sure to drink enough water and unsweetened drinks.
Making substitutions
Feel free to use substitutes and make changes as needed.
For example, if I recommend 1 cup of spinach, you can substitute it with 1 cup of kale, lettuce, or another vegetable.
If you have dietary restrictions, including if you follow a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free eating plan, it’s best to talk with a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.
Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
- 1 cup whole grain, high fiber cereal, such as oatmeal, with 1 to 2 cups fruit of choice. Serve with 1 cup of unsweetened, low fat or fat free milk or dairy-free milk of choice.
- Other high fiber cereals include shredded wheat and bran-based cereals. Include some protein or healthy fat to sustain satiety, and choose lower sugar cereal options.
Lunch: Quinoa tabbouleh salad
- One cup of tabbouleh salad, plus one apple and one piece of string cheese. You can make the tabbouleh ahead of time, preparing enough for lunch again tomorrow!
Dinner: Noodle-free pad thai
- One serving of noodle-free pad thai.
Snack (anytime):
- A quarter cup of trail mix or almonds
Breakfast: Veggie-egg scramble
To make the veggie-egg scramble, combine and fry two whole eggs scrambled with:
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- one large diced tomato
- 1/2 cup mushrooms
Just before serving, mix in 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Lunch: Quinoa tabbouleh
- One cup quinoa tabbouleh (leftovers from yesterday) with 3 oz. of cooked, cubed chicken (or protein of choice)
Dinner: Tomato-spinach polenta
- One serving of polenta with roasted tomatoes and spinach. (Make extra to have for lunch tomorrow.)
Snack (anytime):
- A half cup baby carrots with 1 tbsp. hummus
Breakfast: Green smoothie
To make the smoothie, blend:
- 1 cup almond milk or other milk
- 1 cup de-stemmed kale leaves or baby spinach
- one large ripe frozen banana, chopped into chunks
- 1 tbsp. almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds or ground flaxseed
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- two to three ice cubes
Lunch: Tomato-spinach polenta
- One serving of polenta with roasted tomatoes and spinach (leftovers from last night’s dinner)
Dinner: Spring vegetable lasagna
- One serving of spring vegetable lasagna
Snack (anytime):
- One apple with 1 tbsp. almond butter
Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
- 1 cup whole grain, high fiber cereal with 2 cups fruit of choice. Serve with 1 cup of unsweetened low fat, fat-free, or dairy-free milk of choice.
- High fiber cereals include:
- oatmeal
- shredded wheat
- bran-based cereals
Lunch: Vegetarian Cobb salad
To make the vegetarian cobb salad, top 2 1/2 cups of lettuce with:
- 1/3 cup garbanzo beans
- half of a sliced cucumber
- one small chopped tomato
- quarter of an avocado
- one hard-boiled egg
- 1 1/2 tbsp. vinaigrette (usually 2 to 3 parts oil to one part vinegar)
Dinner: Protein, veggies, grains
- 3 oz. of cooked protein of choice
- 1 to 2 cups cooked vegetables of choice
- 1/2 cup cooked grain of choice, such as brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, or bulgur
Snack (anytime):
- One large grapefruit, halved and drizzled with 1 tbsp. honey, and 1/8 cup nuts or seeds
Breakfast: Oatmeal
- Make 1 cup cooked oatmeal with 2 cups fruit of choice (try frozen fruit to cut down on costs; add when cooking the oatmeal). Serve with 1 cup of unsweetened low fat or nonfat or dairy-free milk of choice.
OR
Breakfast: Green smoothie
To make the smoothie, blend:
- 1 cup almond milk or other milk
- 1 cup de-stemmed kale leaves or baby spinach
- one large ripe frozen banana, chopped into chunks
- 1 tbsp. almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds or ground flaxseed
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- two to three ice cubes
Lunch: Hummus wrap
To make the hummus wrap, top one lavash (or whole grain wrap of choice) with:
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 1 cup spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup red pepper strips
- 1/2 cup cucumber strips
- 1/4 cup carrot strips
Roll up and enjoy!
Dinner: Protein, veggies, grains
- 3 oz. cooked protein of choice
- 1 to 2 cups cooked vegetables of choice
- 1/2 cup cooked grain of choice
Snack (anytime):
- One whole foods–based breakfast bar
Breakfast: Veggie-egg scramble
To make the veggie-egg scramble, combine and fry two whole eggs scrambled with:
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- one large diced tomato
- 1/2 cup mushrooms
Just before serving, mix in 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Lunch: Smoked turkey and white bean salad
To make the turkey and white bean salad, top 2 1/2 cups of lettuce with:
- 3 oz. of smoked turkey breast
- half of a sliced cucumber
- 1/4 cup canned, drained white beans
- one small sliced pear
- 10 seedless red grapes
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped roasted walnuts
- 1 1/2 tbsp. vinaigrette
Dinner: Rainbow soba noodles with peanut sauce
- One serving of rainbow soba noodles with peanut sauce (about 2 cups), which includes soba (buckwheat) noodles, tofu, and plenty of vegetables
Snack (anytime):
- 1/2 cup steamed edamame in pods (remove the pods before eating)
Breakfast: Oatmeal
- Make 1 cup cooked oatmeal with 1 to 2 cups fruit of choice (try frozen fruit to cut down on costs and add when cooking the oatmeal). Serve with 1 cup of unsweetened low fat or nonfat milk or dairy-free milk of choice, and 1/8 cup of nuts or seeds or protein/healthy fat of choice.
Lunch: Lunch out!
- For a grab-and-go option, opt for a restaurant that provides nutritious whole foods. For instance, a burrito salad bowl with black beans, fajita-style vegetables, guacamole, roasted corn-chile salsa, and tomato salsa.
Dinner: Creamy vodka steak pasta
- One serving of this four-ingredient creamy vodka steak pasta
Snack (anytime):
- One container (about 6 oz.) of plain, unsweetened yogurt with 1/2 to 1 cup of berries mixed in with 1/2 tbsp. of honey
An eating plan for weight loss doesn’t necessarily involve counting calories.
You can increase the amount of filling, nutrient-dense foods you eat by prioritizing whole foods high in fiber, protein, healthy fats, and important vitamins. This not only supports weight loss but also overall health.
In addition to eating highly nutritious foods, getting at least 150 minutes of physical exercise each week can help support weight loss and heart health.
Alex Caspero, MA, RD, is the author of Delish Knowledge. She’s also a yoga teacher and weight management specialist, with a focus on helping you develop a healthy relationship with your food, finding your “happy weight.” Follow her on Twitter @delishknowledge!