1500-Calorie Meal Plan: A Week of Real Food With Macros
Quick answer: Below is a seven-day plan where every day lands between 1,496 and 1,549 kcal, within 5% of 1,500. Each day has three meals and a snack, 91–114 g of protein, 40–56 g of fat and 151–205 g of carbs. Every food is weighed in grams and checked against USDA data, and cooking oil is counted: one tablespoon is 119 kcal, and it's the easiest thing to leave out of a log.
Who a 1,500 kcal day fits
1,500 kcal is not a universal number. It's a deficit only if your daily needs are above it. Here's how to check, with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula:
A woman, 35, 165 cm (5'5"), 75 kg (165 lb), lightly active: BMR = 10 × 75 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,445 kcal. Daily needs = 1,445 × 1.375 = 1,987 kcal. Minus a 500 kcal deficit = 1,487 kcal, so this plan fits her almost exactly.
A man, 40, 180 cm (5'11"), 80 kg (176 lb), lightly active: BMR = 10 × 80 + 6.25 × 180 − 5 × 40 + 5 = 1,730 kcal. Daily needs = 1,730 × 1.375 = 2,379 kcal. At 1,500 kcal his deficit would be about 880 kcal a day, steeper than the usual 500. A 500 kcal deficit puts him at about 1,880 kcal: the same meals with bigger portions or an extra snack.
The full method, including activity levels and how to set protein, fat and carbs, is in macros for weight loss. Why a 500 kcal deficit is the usual starting point: calorie deficit for weight loss.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes or another medical condition, or are under 18, follow your doctor's advice before eating 1,500 kcal or any set number.
The week at a glance
| Day | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1,497 | 106 g | 52 g | 162 g | 29 g |
| Tuesday | 1,549 | 91 g | 56 g | 180 g | 50 g |
| Wednesday | 1,520 | 106 g | 50 g | 176 g | 32 g |
| Thursday | 1,513 | 114 g | 54 g | 151 g | 29 g |
| Friday | 1,535 | 98 g | 40 g | 205 g | 33 g |
| Saturday | 1,496 | 95 g | 52 g | 172 g | 45 g |
| Sunday | 1,514 | 98 g | 55 g | 167 g | 27 g |
| Average | 1,518 | 101 g | 51 g | 173 g | 35 g |
On average, protein is 27% of calories (101 g × 4 kcal/g ÷ 1,518), fat 31% and carbs 46%. All three sit inside the official ranges: 10–35% protein, 20–35% fat, 45–65% carbs. Fiber is 26–50 g a day, above the guideline of 14 g per 1,000 kcal (21 g on a 1,500 kcal day). Every day is within 5% of 1,500, so if your log shows 1,450 or 1,550, you're on plan.
Monday (1,497 kcal, 106 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oatmeal: ½ cup dry oats (40 g) cooked in 1 cup skim milk (245 g), ½ cup blueberries (74 g) | 277 | 14 g |
| Lunch | Chicken salad: 3 oz chicken breast (85 g), 2 cups romaine (94 g), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g), 1 cup cucumber (104 g), 1 tbsp olive oil (13.5 g); 2 slices whole-wheat bread (64 g) | 479 | 38 g |
| Snack | 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), 1 cup strawberries (152 g), 1 oz almonds (28 g) | 311 | 24 g |
| Dinner | 3 oz salmon (85 g), 1 medium baked potato (173 g), 1 cup broccoli (156 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 430 | 30 g |
Tuesday (1,549 kcal, 91 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 hard-boiled eggs (100 g), 2 slices whole-wheat toast (64 g), 1 medium orange (131 g) | 378 | 22 g |
| Lunch | Lentil salad: 1 cup cooked lentils (198 g), 1 cup spinach (30 g), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g), 1 oz feta (28 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 397 | 24 g |
| Snack | 1 medium apple (182 g), ½ oz almonds (14 g) | 176 | 3 g |
| Dinner | Chicken burrito: 3 oz chicken (85 g), 1 whole-wheat tortilla (41 g), ½ cup black beans (86 g), 1 cup red pepper (149 g) and ½ cup onion (80 g) cooked in ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g), ¼ avocado (50 g) | 599 | 41 g |
Tuesday is the highest-calorie day and the lowest in protein: lentils and beans carry more of the protein, and they bring carbs with it. It also has 50 g of fiber, the most in the week.
Wednesday (1,520 kcal, 106 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), ½ cup dry oats (40 g), ½ cup raspberries (62 g), 1 tsp honey (7 g) | 305 | 23 g |
| Lunch | Tuna sandwich: 3 oz canned light tuna (85 g), 2 slices whole-wheat bread (64 g), 1 cup romaine (47 g); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g), 1 cup carrot sticks (128 g) | 322 | 28 g |
| Snack | ½ cup 1% cottage cheese (113 g), 1 medium banana (118 g), 1 oz almonds (28 g) | 348 | 21 g |
| Dinner | Turkey pasta: 3 oz cooked 93% lean ground turkey (85 g), 1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta (117 g), 1 cup chopped tomatoes (180 g), ¼ cup onion (40 g), 1 tbsp olive oil (13.5 g), 1 tbsp grated parmesan (5 g) | 544 | 34 g |
Thursday (1,513 kcal, 114 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 scrambled eggs (122 g) with 1 cup spinach (30 g), 1 slice whole-wheat toast (32 g), ½ cup blueberries (74 g), 1 cup skim milk (245 g) | 395 | 26 g |
| Lunch | Chicken quinoa bowl: 3 oz chicken (85 g), ½ cup cooked quinoa (92.5 g), ½ cup edamame (78 g), 1 cup cucumber (104 g), ½ cup red pepper (75 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 444 | 41 g |
| Snack | 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), 1 medium apple (182 g), ½ oz almonds (14 g) | 276 | 21 g |
| Dinner | 3 oz cod (85 g), 1 medium baked sweet potato (150 g), 1 cup broccoli (156 g), 1 tbsp olive oil (13.5 g) | 398 | 26 g |
Cod is lean: 3 oz has 89 kcal, so dinner has room for a full tablespoon of oil.
Friday (1,535 kcal, 98 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oatmeal: ½ cup dry oats (40 g) in 1 cup skim milk (245 g), 1 medium banana (118 g), 1 tbsp peanut butter (16 g) | 436 | 18 g |
| Lunch | Turkey rice bowl: 3 oz cooked 93% lean ground turkey (85 g), ½ cup black beans (86 g), ½ cup cooked brown rice (101 g), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g), ¼ cup onion (40 g), ¼ avocado (50 g) | 542 | 36 g |
| Snack | ½ cup 1% cottage cheese (113 g), 1 cup strawberries (152 g) | 130 | 15 g |
| Dinner | Shrimp stir-fry: 3 oz cooked shrimp (85 g), 1 cup red pepper (149 g), 1 cup broccoli (91 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g); 1 cup cooked white rice (158 g) | 427 | 28 g |
Saturday (1,496 kcal, 95 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Breakfast burrito: 2 hard-boiled eggs (100 g), 1 whole-wheat tortilla (41 g), ½ cup black beans (86 g), ¼ avocado (50 g), ½ cup cherry tomatoes (75 g) | 489 | 26 g |
| Lunch | Hummus plate: ¼ cup hummus (60 g), 2 slices whole-wheat bread (64 g), 1 oz cheddar (28 g), 1 cup cucumber (104 g), 1 cup carrot sticks (128 g) | 442 | 21 g |
| Snack | 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), ½ cup raspberries (62 g), 1 medium orange (131 g) | 194 | 19 g |
| Dinner | 3 oz pork tenderloin (85 g), 1 medium baked sweet potato (150 g), 1 cup broccoli (156 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 371 | 29 g |
Sunday (1,514 kcal, 98 g protein)
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), ½ cup dry oats (40 g), 1 cup strawberries (152 g), 2 tbsp chopped walnuts (14 g) | 392 | 26 g |
| Lunch | Tofu bowl: ½ cup firm tofu (126 g), 1 cup cooked white rice (158 g), ½ cup edamame (78 g), ½ cup carrots (64 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 484 | 26 g |
| Snack | ½ cup 1% cottage cheese (113 g), 1 medium apple (182 g), 1 tbsp peanut butter (16 g) | 272 | 18 g |
| Dinner | 3 oz salmon (85 g), ½ cup cooked quinoa (92.5 g), 2 cups spinach (60 g), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g), ½ tbsp olive oil (6.75 g) | 366 | 29 g |
How the numbers were counted: each food's grams × its USDA value per 100 g, summed without rounding. Meal and day totals can differ from the sum of rounded rows by 1. Meat and fish are cooked weights; oats are dry weight.
Shopping list for the week
All foods in the plan, with the USDA record each number comes from:
| Food (USDA record) | For the week | kcal per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, roasted, no skin (05064) | 9 oz cooked (255 g), 3 portions | 165 |
| Ground turkey, 93% lean, cooked (05666) | 6 oz cooked (170 g), 2 portions | 213 |
| Salmon, Atlantic, cooked (15209) | 6 oz (170 g), 2 portions | 182 |
| Pork tenderloin, roasted (10061) | 3 oz (85 g) | 143 |
| Cod, cooked (15016) | 3 oz (85 g) | 105 |
| Shrimp, cooked (15271) | 3 oz (85 g) | 99 |
| Light tuna, canned in water (15121) | 1 can, 3 oz drained (85 g) | 86 |
| Eggs, hard-boiled (01129) and scrambled (01132) | 6 large | 155 / 149 |
| Tofu, firm (16126) | 126 g | 78 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat (01256) | 5 containers of 170 g | 59 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% (01016) | 1½ cups (339 g) | 72 |
| Skim milk (01085) | 3 cups (735 g) | 34 |
| Cheddar (01009), feta (01019), parmesan (01032) | 1 oz, 1 oz, 1 tbsp | 404 / 264 / 420 |
| Lentils, boiled (16070) | 1 cup cooked (198 g) | 116 |
| Black beans, boiled (16015) | 1½ cups (258 g) | 132 |
| Edamame, shelled, cooked (11212) | 1 cup (156 g) | 121 |
| Hummus (16158) | ¼ cup (60 g) | 166 |
| Oats, dry (08120) | 2 cups (160 g) | 379 |
| Whole-wheat bread (18075) | 9 slices (288 g) | 252 |
| Whole-wheat tortillas (28295) | 2 | 310 |
| White rice (20045), brown rice (20037), cooked | 2 cups, ½ cup | 130 / 123 |
| Quinoa, cooked (20137) | 1 cup (185 g) | 120 |
| Whole-wheat pasta, cooked (20125) | 1 cup (117 g) | 149 |
| Potato (11674), sweet potatoes (11508), baked | 1 medium, 2 medium | 93 / 90 |
| Broccoli, boiled (11091) | about 3½ cups (559 g) | 35 |
| Cherry tomatoes and tomatoes (11529) | about 1 kg | 18 |
| Spinach (11457), romaine (11251) | 4 cups, 3 cups | 23 / 17 |
| Cucumber (11205), carrots (11124), red peppers (11821), onion (11282) | 3 cups, 2½ cups, 2½ cups, 1 cup | 15 / 41 / 31 / 40 |
| Apples (09003), oranges (09200), bananas (09040) | 3, 2, 2 medium | 52 / 47 / 89 |
| Strawberries (09316), blueberries (09050), raspberries (09302) | 3 cups, 1 cup, 1 cup | 32 / 57 / 52 |
| Avocado (09037) | 1 (150 g used) | 160 |
| Almonds (12061), walnuts (12155), peanut butter (16398) | 3 oz, 2 tbsp, 2 tbsp | 579 / 654 / 598 |
| Olive oil (04053) | 7 tbsp (94 g) | 884 |
| Honey (19296) | 1 tsp | 304 |
Olive oil is the single biggest source of fat in the week: 7 tbsp, about 830 kcal over seven days. Measure it with a spoon rather than pouring from the bottle.
Prep once, eat three times. Cook the chicken on Sunday or Monday (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), the ground turkey on Wednesday (Wednesday dinner and Friday lunch), and a pot of rice or quinoa for two meals each.
Swaps that keep the day on target
If you don't like a food, swap it for one with a similar calorie count:
| Instead of | Use | kcal change | Protein change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz salmon (155 kcal) | 3 oz cod (89) + ½ tbsp olive oil (60) | −6 | −2 g |
| 3 oz chicken breast (140) | 3 oz pork tenderloin (122) | −18 | −4 g |
| 3 oz ground turkey, 93% (181) | 3 oz chicken breast (140) + ½ tbsp olive oil (60) | +19 | +3 g |
| 1 container Greek yogurt (100) | ½ cup 1% cottage cheese (81) | −19 | −3 g |
| 1 cup white rice (205) | 1 cup cooked quinoa (222) | +17 | +4 g |
| 1 medium baked potato (161) | 1 medium baked sweet potato (135) | −26 | −1 g |
| 2 slices whole-wheat bread (161) | 1 whole-wheat tortilla (127) | −34 | −4 g |
| 1 oz almonds (162) | 1 oz walnuts (183) | +21 | −2 g |
A swap to be careful with: tofu instead of chicken. ½ cup of firm tofu has fewer calories than 3 oz of chicken (98 vs 140) and less than half the protein (11 g vs 26 g). If you swap, add a protein side such as a container of Greek yogurt. More options by protein per calorie: high-protein foods.
How to make 1,500 kcal work in real life
Weigh for the first week. The plan only adds up to 1,500 if the portions are the ones in the tables. A tablespoon of oil is 119 kcal and 1 oz of almonds is 162; eyeballed, both are easy to double. After a week, you'll know what 85 g of chicken and 150 g of sweet potato look like.
Keep protein at every meal. Each day has 91–114 g of protein, spread over all four eating times. For the 75 kg woman in the example, the 1.2–1.6 g per kg often used for weight loss is 90–120 g. Why: how much protein per day. How to hit 100 g with other foods: how to eat 100 g of protein a day.
Drinks count. The plan has no juice, soda, alcohol or coffee with sugar or cream. A latte or a glass of wine needs to come out of a snack or a meal.
Watch the salt you add. The foods in the plan are mostly unsalted versions, so the days come to 670–1,360 mg of sodium before you salt anything, well under the 2,300 mg daily limit. Cheese, hummus and bread add the most. The beans are counted as cooked without salt; canned beans add sodium, so check the label.
Expect the scale to move unevenly. Water and food in your gut can hide fat loss for days. Judge progress by the weekly average, not one morning. Why: water weight vs fat loss. If the average stops moving for weeks: weight loss plateau.
FAQ
Is 1,500 calories a day enough? For many women it's a moderate deficit; for many men and very active people it's a steep one. Work out your daily needs first with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: if 1,500 is about 500 kcal below them, it's a standard deficit. If it's 800 kcal or more below, eat more.
How much weight can I lose on 1,500 calories? It depends on your deficit, not the number 1,500. A deficit of 500 kcal a day is often estimated at about 1 lb (0.45 kg) a week, but that rule is an approximation, and the rate slows as you lose weight. The woman in the example above would start at about 1 lb a week.
Can I eat the same day every day? Yes. The calories are what matter for weight. Variety helps you get different vitamins and fiber, and it makes the plan easier to stick with, but a week of repeating two or three days you like is fine.
Can I move the snack or skip breakfast? Yes. The snack can go anywhere in the day, and you can merge breakfast into a bigger lunch. What matters is the daily total. Keep some protein in each meal you do eat.
Is this plan vegetarian? Not as written, but Tuesday is meatless except for dinner, and Sunday lunch is tofu. Swap meat and fish for tofu, edamame, lentils or beans plus a dairy protein, and check the protein total, because plant proteins come with more calories per gram of protein.
What if I eat out one day? Log the restaurant meal as accurately as you can and adjust the other meals that day. One day over 1,500 doesn't undo a week; the weekly average is what moves the scale.
Data: Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST et al., A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals, Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:241–247; Institute of Medicine (National Academies), Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, 2005 (ranges 10–35% protein, 20–35% fat, 45–65% carbs; fiber 14 g per 1,000 kcal); FDA, sodium Daily Value 2,300 mg. Food values: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, by NDB number. Values checked October 2026.
Related: Macros for weight loss · Calorie deficit for weight loss · How to eat 100 g of protein a day · High-protein foods
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