While exercise is essential to staying healthy and fit, if your goal is to lose weight, your diet should be your main focus. Exercise alone (like our HIIT workouts) might help you to lose some weight, but it won’t keep it off long term if you don’t dial in your nutrition. You should start by filling your recipe box with recipes that are easy, full of flavor, and aren’t loaded with calories.

But if you’re dragging your feet about cleaning up your plate, stop putting off to tomorrow what you can kickstart today! Whether you are just getting started or looking to get in the best shape of your life, we’ve put together a meal plan that can help. Take out the guesswork, and start feeling great today.

While we always suggest consulting your physician or a Gold’s Gym trainer when beginning a new nutrition plan, this one-week meal plan is a great way to get started!

Kick your training into high gear with Gold's Gym's FREE Nutrition Guide:

Eat clean with these recipes from our quick and easy weight loss meal plan–they’re all under 400 calories each! Just pick one simple meal from Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each day and you’ll be sure to eat clean while keeping calories in check.

Breakfast

Egg Cups

Total calories: 200 per serving
Serves: Up to 4

Ingredients:

5 eggsSplash of milk
1 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 chopped scallions
1 C shredded cheese of your choice
Salt and pepper

Recipe: rachaelray.com
 

Avocado Toast

Total calories: 362 per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

2 slices of your choice of bread
½ to ¾ ripe avocado
1-2 T vegan parmesan
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Recipe: minimalistbaker.com

Five-Minute Honey Yogurt Parfait

Total calories: 260 calories per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

½ C plain Greek yogurt
½ C cooked quinoa
1-2 tsp honey
½ C Cheerios, Ancient Grains cereal
½ C pomegranate arils or other berries

Recipe: pinchofyum.com  

Rise and Shine

Total calories: 350 per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

2/3 C quinoa
¼ C blueberries
1 T chopped toasted walnuts
2 T brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Recipe: cookinglight.com

Skinny Avocado Egg Scramble

Total calories: 321 per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 egg whites
1 T reduced fat sharp cheddar shredded cheese
½ chopped avocado
½ tsp extra olive oil
½ C red bell pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili pepper
Black pepper to taste

Recipe: skinnymom.com

Healthy Peanut Butter Smoothie

Total calories: 212 per serving
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Peanut butter layer:
1 frozen banana
¼ C peanut flour or 2 T peanut butter
Pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 C unsweetened almond milk
4 large ice cubes

Chocolate layer:
1 frozen banana
3 T cocoa powder
1 handful of spinach
1 C unsweetened almond milk

Recipe: fitfoodiefinds.com

Baked Denver Omelet

Total calories: 225 per serving
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

½ C chopped red bell pepper
½ C chopped green bell pepper
1/3 C chopped yellow onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 C chopped cooked ham
8 large eggs
1/3 C milk
½ C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Sliced avocados, chives, and hot sauce for serving.

Recipe: cookingclassy.com

Lunch

Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocados

Total calories: 200 per serving
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 avocados
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lbs. raw, de-veined shrimp
1 C cherry tomatoes
½ C corn
¼ C Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Basil for garnish

Recipe: delish.com

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

Total calories: 220 per serving
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 tsp. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
2 C of chopped kale
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lime, half juiced, and half sliced into wedges for serving
4 large flour tortillas

Recipe: dailyburn.com

 Kale Caesar Quinoa Bowl

Total calories: 352 per serving
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 C quinoa
2 T hot water
1.5 T olive oil
1 T fresh lemon juice
¼ C black olives
¼ tsp. pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 C parmesan
6 C kale, stems removed, and chopped
2 T pine nuts

Recipe: slenderkitchen.com

Baked Chili Potato

Total calories: 360 per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 C vegetarian chili
1 T nutritional yeast (optional)
1 small baked sweet potato
1 T chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Recipe: wholefoodsmarktet.com

Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad

Total calories: 350 per serving
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2oz. French green beans
2 C petite lettuce leaves
1/4 C fresh basil leaves
1/2 C cherry tomatoes
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 mini cucumbers, sliced
4 radishes, sliced thin
2 hard-boiled eggs
Olive oil cooking spray
8oz. tuna steak
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp. water
1/4 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. capers

Recipe: dailyburn.com
 

Egg Salad

Total calories: 196 per serving
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

2 hard boiled eggs
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced scallion greens
2 T finely diced celery
1 T low-fat mayonnaise
Ground pepper

Recipe: eatingwell.com  

Little Italy Chicken Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato

Total calories: 275 per serving
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T sun-dried tomato oil
1 T chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 C shredded cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1 C chopped tomato (about 1 medium)
1/2 C (2oz.) grated Asiago cheese
1/4 C thinly sliced fresh basil
6 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
3 C mixed baby greens

Recipe: myrecipes.com

Dinner

Zucchini Marinara Pasta Swap

Total calories: 117 per serving
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

10 oz. (about 1 large) zucchini
1/3 cup low-fat marinara sauce
2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe: hungrygirl.com  

Paleo Pecan Maple Salmon

Total calories: 350 per serving
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 4oz. salmon fillets
½ C pecans
3 T pure maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. chipotle pepper powder
½ tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper

Recipe: allrecipes.com

The Easiest Paleo Steak Recipe Ever

Total Calories: 391
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 steaks of your choice about 1 1/2 to 2in. thick
Salt and pepper, freshly ground
1 T oil or cooking fat of your choice  
1 T minced shallot
1/4 C beef stock
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 C arugula
1 T balsamic vinegar

Recipe: popsugar.com

Meat and Grain Burgers

Total calories: 389 per serving
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 T vegetable oil
Salt for water
1lbs. fresh spinach leaves
1lbs. beef chuck
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin, or 1 tsp. chili powder
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg
2 C cooked bulgur
6 whole wheat burger buns

Recipe: myfitnesspal.com  

Grilled Eggplant Provolone

Total calories: 196 per serving
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 ½ T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
¼ tsp. dried oregano
4 small eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/2 lbs. deli-style thick-sliced mild provolone
Freshly ground black pepper
Grilled salsa       

Recipe: realsimple.com  

Tofu and Broccoli Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

Total calories: 392 per serving
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 C smooth peanut butter
1/4 C rice vinegar
3 T tamari or soy sauce
2 T water
1-2 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
12oz. broccoli slaw
1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
1lbs. baked tofu (see Recipe Notes)
¼ C shelled and cooked edamame
1/4 C roasted peanuts
¼ C loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Recipe: thekitchn.com

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Total calories: 273.8 per serving
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 cups cooked)
2 C of marinara sauce
½ C part skim ricotta cheese
1½ C part skim shredded mozzarella
Handful of fresh basil

Recipe: iheartvegetables.com  

Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to lose flavor or fun! Mix and match these recipes, or add your own healthy flare. Or, boost your results to any weight loss meal plan with supplements from DotFit suggested by a Gold’s Gym personal trainer! Your own success is just a few easy steps away from your own kitchen! Are you ready for those new abs? Make these recipes from our quick and easy weight loss meal plan today!