The 1600 Calorie Meal Plan + Weight Loss Guide

Although the nutrition facts panel on food products shows the nutrient percentages for a 2000 calorie diet, many people try to follow a 1600 calorie meal plan for weight loss instead.

But, on one end of the spectrum, is 1600 calories enough to support health, or is a 1600 calorie meal plan insufficient? On the other end of the spectrum, is 1600 calories enough to lose weight? 

Furthermore, what is the best 1600 calorie weight loss diet plan? What are the best 1600 calories a day meal options for weight loss?

In this diet guide, we will discuss if 1600 calories a day is enough to lose weight and give you a sample 1600 calorie meal plan to give you delicious meal ideas for your daily nutritional needs.

We will look at:

• Is 1600 Calories Enough to Lose Weight?
• What Is the Best 1600 Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss?

Ready? 

Let’s jump in!

Is 1600 Calories Enough to Lose Weight?

Determining whether eating 1600 calories a day is enough to lose weight will depend on the number of calories you are burning per day, also known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You can learn more about calculating your TDEE here.

In order to lose weight eating 1600 calories a day, your TDEE needs to be more than 1600 calories. 

In general, most adults will lose weight by following a 1600 calories a day diet because most people need significantly more calories per day.

Therefore, eating 1600 calories per day represents a caloric deficit of 400-900 calories per day for most people, depending on sex.

Note that your own caloric needs will be higher if you are larger or physically active. 

You can estimate your BMR with online calculators such as the one here. You can also estimate your daily caloric needs here.

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 500-1000 calories a day, which can be generated by cutting calories from your diet and/or burning more calories by increasing your activity level.

Finally, many people are also concerned that eating 1600 calories a day is not enough for general health.

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, so a 1600 calories diet plan is slightly above these minimums.

However, this doesn’t mean that eating 1600 calories a day is necessarily sufficient, particularly if the meal plan is not balanced and your caloric needs are much higher. 

You should speak with your doctor or work with a nutritionist if possible to ensure that you do not develop nutritional deficiencies, particularly in cases where you are following a 1600 calorie a day meal plan for weight loss, and this is a significant caloric deficit for you.

What Is the Best 1600 Calorie Meal Plan for Weight Loss?

Whether you are trying to gain weight, maintain your weight, or lose weight by eating 1600 calories a day, there isn’t a single best 1600 calorie diet plan for everyone, as it will depend on your food preferences and macronutrient needs.

However, because most people follow a 1600 calories diet plan for weight loss, we have created a high-protein, low-carb 1600 calories a day meal plan with healthy weight loss meals.

Protein can help increase satiety, which may make it easier to control your appetite.

We also created a vegetarian 1600 calorie meal plan.

Note that this is an ovo-lacto vegetarian 1600 calorie meal plan not a vegan 1600 calorie meal plan, so if you don’t eat any animal products at all, you will want to substitute the dairy with plant-based yogurt.

The 1600 calories a day vegetarian meal plan is high in fiber and higher in carbohydrates than the low-carb 1600 calories meal plan for omnivores.

Our 1600 calories a day vegetarian meal plan has a more balanced macronutrient ratio, and fiber has been shown to not only increase satiety but also help potentially curb appetite and decrease visceral fat.

High-Protein 1600 Calorie Low-Carb 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

Snack: 210 calories, 16g of carbs, 34g of protein, 1g of fat, 9 g fiber

• Tuna salad: One can of no salt added tuna (130 calories, 30 grams protein), 8 celery stalks chopped (56 calories, 8g carbs, 3 grams protein, 6 grams fiber), 10 baby carrots (35 calories, 8 grams carbs, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fiber) 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

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: 165 calories 28 grams of protein, 1 gram of net carbs

• 2 turkey roll-ups, each 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) each in a butter lettuce leaf

Dinner 358 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs, 57 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber 

• 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: 232 calories, 7 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fiber

• 1 Banza Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles (these are awesome, delicious, healthy waffles made from chickpea flour so that 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)
• 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) mixed with water
• Dash of cinnamon 

Total Daily Intake: 1,601 calories, 203 grams of protein, 40 grams of fat, 81 grams of carbs, 33 grams of fiber

Plant-Based 1600 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

Snack: 180 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbs 11 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein 

• 1 GoodWheat Instant Quikcake or similar. We love these super convenient, high-protein, high-fiber mug muffins. They are delicious, nutritious, and perfectly portioned, which helps you stick to your weight loss diet plan.
• Lemon water, unsweetened green tea, or herbal 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 calories, 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)
• 12 ounces of water
• Herbal tea

Snack: 181 calories, 19 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, 26 grams of protein

Spinach and Yogurt Dip With Red Pepper Strips 

• 8 oz nonfat Greek yogurt (133 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 23 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 and 5 celery sticks cut into strips (31 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein)

Dinner: 370 calories, 41 grams of protein, 19 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
• 1 large egg (70 calories, 5 grams of fat, 6.5 grams of protein)
• Salt and pepper to taste

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

Dessert Snack: 180 calories, 25 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber

• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese (140 calories, 10 grams of carbs, 23 grams of protein)
• ½ cup frozen mixed berries (40 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber)

Total: 1601 calories, 166 grams of protein, 43 grams of fat, 143 grams of carbs, 54.5 grams of fiber

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