The 1200 Calorie Diet: Free 1200 Calorie Meal Plan For Weight Loss

Many people are interested in following a healthy weight loss meal plan but aren’t exactly sure how many calories to eat to lose weight.

If you work with a nutritionist, have a fitness tracker that gives you an estimate of how many calories you burn in a day, or have calculated your total daily energy expenditure with an online calculator, you might have an idea of how many calories to eat per day to lose weight.

However, a lot of people guess how many calories they need to eat, and because a 1200 calorie meal plan is a popular round number found with many weight loss diet programs, settling on eating 1200 calories a day for weight loss is quite common. 

But, is a 1200 calories a day diet plan enough to lose weight? Is 1200 calories enough to support health and not feel hungry all the time? Furthermore, what is the best 1200 calorie weight loss diet plan?

In this diet guide, we will discuss if eating 1200 calories a day will help you lose weight, how to eat 1200 calories a day, and sample 1200 calorie meal plans to help you get started.

We will cover the following: 

• Is a 1200 Calories a Day Diet Plan Good for Weight Loss?
• What Does a 1200 Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss Look Like?

Let’s dive in! 

Is a 1200 Calories a Day Diet Plan Good for Weight Loss?

Trying to follow a 1200 calorie meal plan is a popular approach to weight loss, but 1200 calorie weight loss diets generally do not provide enough calories for most people, even if you are trying to lose weight.  

According to Harvard Health, the minimum calories a day adults should be eating unless otherwise guided by a healthcare professional is 1200 calories a day for a woman and 1500 calories a day for a man.

Because men have a larger body size and more muscle mass on average, the caloric needs of the average man are generally higher than the average woman (biological sex).

Furthermore, keep in mind that these are the daily caloric minimums to prevent nutritional deficiencies and are not sufficient for maintaining weight or optimizing health.

According to the NHS, the recommended daily calorie intake for women is 2,000, and 2,500 calories per day for men. 

Even if you want to lose weight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends creating a caloric deficit of no more than 3,500-7,000 calories per week—which would yield 1-2 pounds of fat loss—for effective and sustainable weight loss.

This works out to a total daily caloric deficit of a maximum of 500 to 1000 calories per day, which can be generated through cutting calories in your diet, increasing your physical activity, or a combination of both.

This means that if you only wanted to lose weight with your diet rather than increasing your physical activity, eating 1200 calories a day would only be appropriate for weight loss if your total daily energy expenditure was anywhere from 1200-2200 calories a day.

Note that you will maintain your same weight if you eat 1200 calories a day and burn 1200 calories a day, and you will lose weight on a 1200 calories a day diet if you are burning more than 1200 calories a day.

You can estimate your BMR with online calculators such as the one here and learn more about calculating your TDEE here.

You can also estimate your caloric needs here.

What Does a 1200 Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss Look Like?

Below, we have made two different sample 1200 calorie meal plans with healthy weight loss meals.

One is a low-carb 1200 calories a day meal plan for those who want to eat more protein and who consume meat, poultry, fish, etc.

Note that this is a high-protein 1200 calorie diet plan for weight loss.

It may not provide enough carbohydrates or micronutrients, depending on your needs, particularly if you are an endurance athlete.

The second free 1200 calories a day meal plan below is a plant-based weight loss diet.

While it is still a high-protein 1200 calorie a day meal plan, there are more carbs and fiber because many plant-based proteins are inherently higher in carbs and fiber.

Note that fiber can help reduce appetite and decrease visceral fat.

Whether you follow an omnivorous diet or are a vegetarian, you can mix and match to get ideas from both of these 1200 calorie diet plans.

Because eating 1200 calories a day doesn’t give you much leeway in terms of how much food you can eat, we have tried to include low-calorie meal ideas with a couple of small snacks in each of these 1200 calorie diets.

High Protein Low Carb 1200 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast: 310 calories, 20 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fat, 33 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber

• Yogurt Parfait: 3/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 10 almonds, 1/2 cup raspberries (210 calories, 7 grams of fat, 21 grams of protein, 17 grams of carbs, 6 grams fiber)
• Egg white scramble with 1.5 cups of baby spinach (7 calories per cup) and 5 egg whites (17 calories per egg white from a large egg, 4 grams of protein) (100 calories, 22 grams of protein, 3 grams of net carbs)
• 12 ounces of water
• Black coffee or unsweetened tea

Lunch: 326 calories, 35 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 16 grams of fat

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Over Spiralized Zucchini Noodles

• Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe (294 calories, 33 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs, 16 grams of fat)
• Salt to taste
• Serrano pepper to taste
• 1/8 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp lime juice and zest
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (62 calories 7 grams of fat)
• 8 oz deveined shrimp
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Served over 1 cup of spiralized zucchini noodles (32 calories, 2 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber)

Snack: 100 calories, 14 grams of protein, 3 grams of net carbs, 2 grams of fiber

• 1 turkey roll-up made with ¼ cup fat-free ricotta (50 calories, 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs), 1 slice of low-sodium turkey breast (28 grams) (30 calories, 6 grams of protein) in a butter leaf lettuce leaf with a couple of green pepper strips

Dinner 358 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs, 57 grams of protein 

• 6 ounces grilled chicken breast (268 calories, 50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat),
• Spinach and broccoli salad with 2 cups of baby spinach, 1/2 cucumber sliced, ½ cup mushrooms, ½ cup of broccoli florets chopped, lemon juice to taste, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup of tomatoes, lemon juice (90 calories, 4 grams fat, 7 grams protein, 6 grams net carbs)
• 12 ounces of water

Dessert Snack: 110 calories, 5 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber

• 1 Banza Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles (these are awesome, delicious, healthy waffles made from chickpea flour, so they won’t cause bloating, and they have more protein, plus you can get them in different flavors) (110 calories, 5 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber)
• Dash of cinnamon 

Total Daily Intake: 1,199 calories, 136 grams of protein, 36 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbs, 23 grams of fiber

Plant-Based 1200 Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast: 326 calories, 28.5 grams of carbs, 6.5 grams of fat, 41 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber

• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, (134 calories, 1 gram of fat, 23 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber)
• 1/2 cup of Magic Spoon cereal (70 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 6.5 grams of carbs, 7 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber)
• ½ cup raspberries (32 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein)
• 1 scoop of PB2 Almond Protein Powder with Madagascar Vanilla (90 calories, 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber)
• 12 ounces of water
• Black coffee or unsweetened tea

Lunch: 364 calories, 31 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat, 26 grams of protein, 14 grams of fiber

• Full pouch (10 ounces) of Good Bean Heat and Eat Low-Carb Classic Chili (330 cal, 25 g of carbs, 23 g of protein, 12 g of fiber, 15 g of fat) or similar vegan low-carb chili
• 2 cups of shredded lettuce (16 calories, 3 grams of carbs, 1.5 grams of protein)
• 1/2 cup of tomatoes diced (18 calories, 3 grams of carbs, 1 grams of protein)
• Water
• Herbal tea

Snack: (138 calories, 15 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 21 grams of protein)

Spinach and Yogurt Dip With Red Pepper Strips 

• 6 oz nonfat Greek yogurt (100 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 18 grams of protein)
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Blend everything together 
• Chill and then dip in 1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips (31 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein)

Dinner: 320 calories, 33 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs, 10.5 grams of fiber

Tofu Stir-Fry With Wilted Garlic Bok Choy 

• 2 servings of (6.5 ounces) of tofu (we like Nagoya High-Protein Extra Firm Tofu 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber per serving for 260 calories, 14 g of fat, 28 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 4 g of fiber
• 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp low-sodium veggie broth 
• Dash of rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup Chinese bean sprouts (add on top at the end)
• 1/3 cup asparagus chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped broccoli
• ½-inch of fresh ginger chopped 
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• ½ carrot chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepared over: 2 cups of steamed bok choy, Salt and pepper, 1 clove of garlic minced

Snack: 70 calories, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbs)

• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese (70 calories, 5 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein), a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of liquid stevia

Total: 1217 calories, 130 grams of protein, 40 grams of fat, 94 grams of carbs, 40 grams of fiber

Remember, eating too few calories a day is not only unsustainable but can be unsafe and lead to nutritional deficiencies, hormonal issues, difficulty regulating appetite and mood, etc.

You should speak with your doctor or work with a nutritionist to find the best diet for you, especially if you are not sure whether you should follow a 1200 calorie weight loss diet or if you need to be eating more based on your body size and activity level.

For a more sustainable weight loss diet plan, check out our guide to what a week of healthy, clean eating looks like here.