We love the flexibility of this plan from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD. It’s supersimple to remember, nothing’s off limits, and it’s a snap to do on the go. Just allow yourself 300 calories for breakfast, 400 for lunch, and 500 for dinner, plus two 150-calorie snacks, for a total of 1,500 calories a day. (Go to www.thecaloriecounter.com for the calorie counts of most foods.) Make it healthy and filling by working in lots of fruit, veggies, and whole grains.

Here’s a sample day:

Breakfast
1 cup yogurt
1 cup strawberries
1 low-calorie granola bar
1 cup coffee with 1 teaspoon of sugar
294 calories

Lunch
Half a turkey sandwich
1 cup garden-vegetable soup
1 cup fresh fruit
unsweetened iced tea
390 calories

Afternoon snack
15 light tortilla chips
1/2 cup salsa
146 calories

Dinner
1 roasted skinless chicken breast drizzled with balsamic vinegar
8 grilled asparagus spears
2 roasted red potatoes sprinkled with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
520 calories

Evening snack
1/2 cup light chocolate ice cream
1/4 cup raspberries
146 calories

By Tracy Teare

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