1200 kcal Diet – 7-Day Meal Plan

1. Wash the pear, remove the core, and cut it into pieces.
2. Add the pear, spinach, soy drink, oats, chia seeds, lemon juice, and ginger to a blender.
3. Blend until smooth.

You can barely taste the spinach, and you can use a piece of fresh ginger instead of ground ginger.

1. Cover the meat with cold water, add the bay leaf and allspice, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the diced potatoes and grated carrot and celeriac. Cook for 15 minutes.
3. Coarsely grate the pickles and add them to the soup along with a little brine. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Cut up the meat and return it to the pot. Mix the sour cream with a little hot soup, pour it into the pot, season with pepper, and sprinkle with dill.

Pickles are salty, so add salt to the soup at the end, after tasting it.

1. Cut the cucumber and bell pepper into thin sticks.
2. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over the deli meat slices and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Place sticks of cucumber and bell pepper along the edge of each slice, then roll it up tightly.

These roll-ups travel well to work or school—pack them snugly in a container, seam-side down.

1. Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a dry pan until the fat renders.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Make space in the pan, crack in the eggs, and fry until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
4. Season with pepper, sprinkle with chives, and serve with chopped tomato.

Bacon is salty, so season the eggs with pepper only. If you’re not limiting carbs, add a slice of rye bread.

1. On half the slices, layer the cheese, ham, and tomato slices. Sprinkle with oregano, then cover with the remaining slices.
2. Toast in a sandwich maker or in a covered dry pan for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cheese melts.

If you don’t have a sandwich maker, bake the toasties in an oven preheated to 200°C for 6-8 minutes.

1. Rinse the split peas and soak them overnight or for a few hours so they cook faster.
2. Cover the split peas with fresh water, add the bay leaf and allspice, and cook for about 30 minutes.
3. Soften the chopped onion and garlic in oil, then add them to the soup along with the diced potatoes and grated carrot and celery. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the split peas break down.
4. Season with marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. If you like a smooth soup, blend some of it.

Traditional pea soup is made with smoked meat—smoked paprika gives this meat-free version a similar aroma. The soup thickens as it cools, so add water when reheating.

1. Add frozen edamame to boiling salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
2. Drain, drizzle with lime juice, and sprinkle with salt and a pinch of chili.

You’ll find edamame in the frozen food section. If you buy them in pods, eat only the beans, squeezing them out of the pods.

1. Drain the tuna, beans, and corn, and rinse the beans with cold water.
2. Dice the bell pepper and pickled cucumber, and finely chop the onion and parsley.
3. Mix everything with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

This salad tastes great the next day too, so you can make a double batch and take some to go.

1. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the bread.
2. Top with lettuce leaves, slices of pork loin, tomato, and pickled cucumber.
3. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

This is a great way to use pork loin roasted for dinner. You can also buy sliced roasted pork loin—choose one with a short ingredient list.

1. Pat the fish dry, drizzle with lemon juice, and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place it in a baking dish, drizzle with a little oil, and bake for 15-18 minutes at 200°C.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water and sprinkle with dill.
3. Chop the sauerkraut, add the grated carrot, finely chopped onion and remaining oil, and season with pepper.

Thaw the frozen pollock in the refrigerator and pat it dry well so it doesn't release water in the oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Remove the kale leaves from the tough stems, tear them into pieces, wash, and dry very thoroughly.
2. Toss the kale with olive oil, granulated garlic, and paprika. Spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the leaves are crisp but not brown.

These chips are best right after baking—they soften quickly in a sealed container.

1. Slice the mushrooms, dice the onion, and sauté them in oil until the mushrooms are browned.
2. Drain the tofu, mash it with a fork, and add it to the pan with the turmeric and granulated garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
3. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

If you're not limiting carbs, serve the tofu scramble with a slice of rye bread.

1. Rinse the millet in a sieve with hot water to remove its slightly bitter taste.
2. Bring the milk to a boil, add the millet, and simmer covered over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
3. Stir in some of the raspberries, arrange the rest on top, and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

You can cook the millet porridge in the evening and just reheat it with a little milk in the morning. Add frozen raspberries straight from the freezer.

1. Drizzle the trout (fillets or a whole fish with the head removed) with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 200°C.
2. Melt the butter with the pressed garlic and chopped parsley.
3. Boil the green beans in salted water (6-8 minutes). Chop the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle the fish and green beans with garlic butter and serve with the tomatoes.

Dairy-free option: use garlic-infused olive oil instead of butter.

1. Peel the hard-boiled eggs, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the yolks.
2. Mash the yolks with the Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of mustard, and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites, sprinkle with paprika, and serve with radishes.

For taking them to go, arrange the eggs snugly in a shallow container so the filling doesn't get smeared.

1. Drain the herring and cut it into pieces.
2. Dice the apple, thinly slice the onion, and chop the dill.
3. Mix the herring with the yogurt, apple, onion, and dill, and season with pepper.
4. Serve with rye bread.

Herring tastes best after it has sat in the sauce in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Soak very salty fillets in cold water for 15 minutes first.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Finely chop the ham, bell pepper, and spinach, and divide them among muffin cups.
2. Beat the eggs with salt, pepper, and grated cheese, then pour over the vegetables.
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the muffins have risen and set.

The muffins keep in the fridge for 3 days and taste good cold too, making them a handy breakfast to go.

1. Cover the turkey with cold water, add the bay leaf and allspice, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Dice the carrot, celery, and leek, then briefly sauté them in oil.
3. Add the barley to the broth, along with the sautéed vegetables and diced potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes, until the barley is tender.
4. Take out the meat, chop it, and return it to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and marjoram, then sprinkle with parsley.

Krupnik tastes even better the next day. The barley will thicken it, so add a little water when reheating.

1. Wash the cucumber and cut it into chunks. If the skin is thick, peel it first.
2. Blend the cucumber with the buttermilk and dill until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour into a glass and drink right away, or chill it in the fridge first.

This savory smoothie is inspired by Polish cucumber chłodnik (cold soup). On a hot day, blend it with a few ice cubes.

1. Lightly butter the bread slices and top with lettuce leaves.
2. Add slices of ham and tomato, then season with pepper.

Choose ham with a short ingredient list and the highest meat content you can find.

1. Add the yogurt, milk, pitted cherries (frozen is fine), banana, and oats to a blender.
2. Blend for about a minute, until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little milk or water.

You can use frozen raspberries or blueberries instead of cherries.

1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices, salt them, and set aside for 10 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Brown the meat with the chopped onion and garlic in a dry pan. Add the chopped tomatoes (canned is fine), oregano, and basil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In an ovenproof dish, layer the zucchini slices and meat sauce, then cover the top with mozzarella slices.
4. Bake for 25 minutes at 190°C, until the cheese is golden.

This is a lighter, pasta-free take on lasagna. You can assemble it the day before and bake it just before lunch.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Clean the mushrooms, twist off the stems, and chop them finely.
2. Mix the chopped stems with the goat cheese, pressed garlic, parsley, thyme, and pepper.
3. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture, arrange them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

You can swap the goat cheese for feta. If you do, don’t add salt to the filling.

1. Cover the peas (frozen is fine) with boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain.
2. Blend them with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mint, salt, and pepper until smooth.
3. Spread the mixture on slices of bread, top with sliced radishes, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

The spread keeps in the fridge for 2 days. You can use chives or dill instead of mint.

1. Wash and hull the strawberries, then cut them into smaller pieces.
2. Mix them with the cottage cheese, then top with chopped almonds and mint leaves.

In winter, use frozen strawberries. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, and breakfast will be ready in a minute.

1. Cover the chicken with cold water and add the carrot, celery, leek, bay leaf, and allspice. Simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, skimming off any foam.
2. Cook the rice in a separate pot.
3. Take out the chicken and dice it. Add the tomatoes (fresh and peeled, or canned) and tomato paste to the broth. Cook for 5 minutes, then blend.
4. Return the meat to the soup and season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice and chopped parsley.

Prefer your soup creamy? Add a tablespoon of plain yogurt or 12% cream, first mixed with a little hot soup.

1. Wash the celery stalks, trim the ends, and cut them into finger-length pieces.
2. Fill the grooves in the celery stalks with peanut butter.
3. Top with raisins.

This snack is known as “ants on a log”—you can replace the raisins with chopped dried cranberries.

1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them with cold water.
2. Dice the bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato, and finely chop the onion and parsley.
3. Mix the vegetables with the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.

The salad tastes even better after chilling in the fridge for 15–20 minutes. It travels well, so it’s great to take with you.