20 Ways to Make Homemade Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss (suitable for all special diets)

If you are new to my website I’ll give you a bit of background.  The name, Green Thickie means a filling meal replacement smoothie which is a complete meal with optional greens to make it a Green Thickie.
I have hundreds of recipes for meal replacement shakes on this website.  I started off adding oats to my smoothies to turn them into meal replacement shakes.  After a while I started experimenting with other ingredients to make the smoothies thick and filling.  Now I’ve experimenting with grain free diets so I’ve just found a whole load more ingredients that make perfect additions to make homemade meal replacement shakes.

I also use my Green Thickies as a great tool for weight loss.  If you drink one Green Thickie for breakfast and another for lunch and a home cooked healthy dinner, you should see results when it comes to health and weight loss.  Get started with Green Thickies here.

So if you are interested, any of the Green Thickie Recipes on this website can be used as meal replacement shakes for weight loss.  Green Thickies are designed to be the perfect meal for busy people.  If you don’t have time to sit down and eat a proper meal, you’ll get everything you need for one meal from a Green Thickie.  Because they are so filling I don’t usually feel the need to snack in between meals and nor do I have time to snack.  So I don’t have too many snack recipes on this website.

A lot of people ask me what else to eat besides Green Thickies, so I developed my 7 Day Diet Plan for Weight Loss and Improved Health which will give you a full calorie counted meal plan to help you lose weight which incorporates some tasty recipes that aren’t published on this website.  Click here to have a look at Green Thickies Diet Plan.

There are 6 ingredients in most green thickies.  The essential ingredients are liquid and fruit/vegetables for nutrients.  But I also add something sweet to my smoothies such as dried fruit to make them taste gorgeous.  I also add greens as I believe eating leafy greens regularly takes your health to the next level.  To make them into a complete meal there are 2 more elements which are a protein source such as nuts or seeds and a filler. Keep reading to find out about fillers.

This blog post explains the different choices of fillers you can add to your smoothie to make them into a complete meal.  But after I explain the fillers I’ll also give you a formula for making your own homemade meal replacement shakes for weight loss.
So now that I’ve explained the concept behind Green Thickies, I’m going to give you a list of ingredients that you can use to turn any smoothie into a filling meal replacement shake.

Each of my recipes serves 2, so all these fillers need to be added to a batch of smoothie that is enough for 2 portions.

 

How to add the fillers to smoothies to create Meal Replacement Meals

To make your own meal replacement shakes, you can either:

• Use one of my recipes and add your choice of filler to it from the list below, or
• Create your own smoothie with the template at the bottom of this post.

 

20 Fillers to turn any smoothie into Meal Replacement Shakes

Choose 1 from the following list to add to your smoothie – Each smoothie serves 2 so drink half of the smoothie for each meal.

 

Raw Ingredients (Raw, Vegan, Paleo, Primal, Grain Free, Gluten Free, GAPs, SCD Diets)

1) 3 Medium Bananas/ 3 Cups of Banana Chunks (in addition to the bananas already in the recipe)*
2) 3 Small Mangos/ 3 Cups of Mango Chunks*
3) 1 Medium Avocado or 2 small avocados*
4) 4 Tablespoons Coconut Butter* (Get good quality Coconut Butter here) (low Carb)
5) 2/3 Cup of Coconut Milk from a Can* (Get good quality Coconut Milk here) (low Carb)

6) 4 Tablespoons of Coconut Cream* (Get good quality Coconut Cream here) (low Carb)

 

Nuts (Raw, Vegan, Paleo, Primal, Grain Free, Gluten Free, GAPs, SCD Diets)

7) 1/3 Cup Nuts (get good quality nuts here)
8) 3 Tablespoons Nut Butter*  (get good quality nut butter here)

Seeds (Raw, Vegan, Paleo, Primal, Grain Free, Gluten Free, GAPs, SCD Diets)

9) 1/2 Cup Seeds  (get good quality seeds here)
10) 3 Tablespoons Seed Butter*  (get good quality seed butter here)

Grains

11) 1 Cup of Oats (get good quality oats here)
12) 1 Cup of Quinoa (get good quality quinoa here)
13) 1 Cup of Buckwheat (get good quality buckwheat here)

 

The Healthiest Smoothie Filler in the world!

14) I now use either Balance Complete or Power Meal smoothie fillers almost all of the time because they contain an abundance of nutrients and I have never felt as healthy or as energetic since I started using these products.  To find more out about them you can watch my video here.  They are by Young Living and you can purchase them here.  Or to find out how to save 24% on your order you can read more here.

 

Other Carbs (Vegan, Grain Free, Gluten Free)

15) 1 Cup Sweet Potato*
16) 1 Cup White Potato*

 

Eggs (Low Carb, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Primal, Paleo, GAPs, SCD Diets )

 17) 4 Large Raw or cooked Eggs (Organic/ Free Range)*

 

Dairy (Low Carb, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Primal, GAPs, SCD Diets )

18) 6 Tablespoons Cream (Raw/Organic)*
19) 1 Cup Full Fat Cottage Cheese (Raw/Organic)*
20) 1/3 Cup Full Fat Creamed Cheese (Raw/Organic)*
All of these fillers have roughly the same number of calories.  Each smoothie serves 2 so you would consume half of these fillers per smoothie.  This might seem a lot to you but remember, this is a complete meal, not a snack!  Some of them are bulkier than others so although each shake will be roughly a pint (500ml) some may be smaller and some larger, but all should fill you up until your next meal.
*I have added a star next to the fillers that are easiest to blend without a high speed blender.  All of the ingredients can be blended with any blender but it is easier to blend if you soak hard ingredients overnight first.  Another option is to grind your grains, nuts and seeds using your blending or coffee grinding before adding them to your smoothie.
I have chosen these fillers as most of them have a fairly neutral taste, and you’d be surprised how much the sweet fruit can overpower the taste of both the fillers and any greens you add to your smoothie.

How to prepare the fillers for your meal replacement shakes

Most of the fillers can be added raw but to aid digestion, improve available nutrients and make the smoothies easier to blend it is advisable to prepare the fillers in the following ways:

• Oats: Soak these in the smoothie liquid overnight and add straight to the blender (get good quality oats here)
• Quinoa: Rinse then soak these in the smoothie liquid overnight and add straight to the blender.(get good quality quinoa here)
• Buckwheat: Rinse these and continue to rinse every couple of hours for 8 hours then add straight to the blender.  (get good quality buckwheat here)
• Sweet Potato: Cook this first by steaming it for 10 minutes or baking it for 20 minutes
• White Potato: Steam this for 12 minutes and bake it under tender, about 45 minutes.
• Cooked beans: Rinse canned beans or follow packet instructions to soak and cook dried beans.
• Seeds and nuts: Soak over night, rinse and add to the blender.   (get good quality nuts and seeds here)
• * If using dates or other dried fruit, it’s also good to soak these overnight in the smoothie liquid and add it all to the blender.

 

How to make Homemade Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

Here is a formula that you can you to make your own smoothie.  For more information on creating your own smoothie, please read How to make a Smoothie in 5 Easy Steps. 
To make 2 servings of smoothie add the following ingredients:

1. 2 Cups of Liquid
2. 2 Cups of Fruit or if you are avoiding fruit, 2 cups of salad vegetables
3. 1/4 Cup of Dried fruit or 2 Tablespoons of liquid sweetener such as Raw Honey or Maple Syrup
4. 1/4 Cup of Nuts or Seeds or 2 Tablespoons of Nut/Seed Butter or other protein source such as 2 Tablespoons of Gelatin
5. 1-2 Cups of mild leafy greens
6. One of the fillers above

Remember – for homemade meal replacement shakes for weight loss drink 1 serving which is half of the above recipe formula.  This formula will make approximately 2 pints and to lose weight, drink 1 pint as a meal replacement.  Do this for breakfast and for lunch and then have a sensible dinner that is suitable for the particular diet you are following.  This is a great formula for weight loss.  For a complete meal plan – check out my 7 Day Diet Plan to boost your weight loss even more. If you get tired of having 2 sweet meal replacement shakes every day, make your first shake with fruit and your lunch shake with vegetables so you get a variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Have a look at my Vegetable smoothie and add your preferred filler to it.

Source
http://www.greenthickies.com/20-ways-to-make-homemade-meal-replacement-shakes-for-weight-loss/

Healthy Meal Plan For Weight Loss

DAY 1

Breakfast

Oatmeal with Fresh or Frozen (No Sugar Added) Fruit

• 
  By switching from a bowl of cold, dried cereal to one of hot whole-grain cereal and fruit, you’d take in approximately 100 fewer calories each day. That one simple change to your daily diet could help you drop about 10 pounds in one year. Plus, hot cereal has more “staying power.” It tends to fill you up better – and longer – than dried cereal.

Tea or Coffee

• If desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and a packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

Veggie-Salsa Tortilla

• 1 steamed 6-inch corn tortilla with fresh or grilled vegetables (such as onions, green bell peppers, and tomatoes) and no-added-salt salsa.
  Warm the tortilla between slightly moistened paper towels in the microwave for about 1 minute, then top with veggies and salsa; fold

1 Navel Orange or 2 Tangerines

Lunch

2 Cups Mixed Greens with 1 Cup of Other Veggies, Chopped, Dressed with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

• For your salads, break out of the lettuce-and-tomato box. All kinds of veggies – and fruit – can go into your salad. Try diced sweet potatoes, yellow squash, red bell peppers, cucumbers, red cabbage, red onions, and more.
  And always keep in mind that no oil, even so-called “good” ones, should be considered a weight-loss food. Coating your salad with oil can tally up as many calories as a scoop of premium ice cream.

Hearty Italian-Style White Bean Soup

• 
  Make your own. It’s easy! From one 14-ounce can of no-salt-added cannelini beans, spoon out 2 tablespoons of beans. Puree the rest. In a medium nonstick pot, sauté 5 cloves of chopped garlic until translucent. Add 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 head of escarole, chopped, or a package of frozen chopped spinach. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add pureed beans, red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste, and cook 1 minute longer. Garnish with the beans you spooned out plus, if you desire, a little chopped red bell pepper. Refrigerate or freeze what you don’t eat for easy soup prep for a future lunch or dinner.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

6 Ounces of Nonfat Plain or No-Sugar-Added Yogurt with Your Choice of Berries Swirled Throughout

• Especially popular among our guests at the Pritikin Longevity Center are Greek-style yogurts such as Oikos and Fage. So rich and creamy tasting! If you need a little sweetness to cut the tart flavor, simply add diced banana, or stir in 1 packet of Splenda

1 Apple

• 

Dinner

Salad

• A gigantic Farmer’s Market-style salad with a variety of fresh seasonal produce and fresh herbs, such as fresh baby arugula and radicchio, and red wine vinegar sassed up with a little horseradish. Enjoy visiting your local Farmer’s Market every week and asking the vendors, “What’s new and tasty this week? What would make great ingredients for my salad?”

Mustard Coated Salmon (3½ to 4 ounces)

• Get the Recipe »
  When dining out and ordering fish, request that your fish not be salted or basted in calorie-dense ingredients like olive oil and butter. Healthier cooking options include steaming, broiling, or grilling.

Baked Potato with 2 Tablespoons Fat-Free Sour Cream and a Sprinkling of Chives or Scallions

• Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are a great food for helping you lose weight. It’s what we puton top of our potatoes – butter, cheese, and bacon bits – that turn them into waistline-busting foods.

Dessert (only if hungry)

Mixed Berries

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DAY 2

Breakfast

Egg White Omelet

• 
  Egg white omelet stuffed with 1 cup of assorted grilled vegetables, such as onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli, and a dollop of nonfat ricotta cheese.

Hash Browns

• In a nonstick skillet misted with a little cooking oil spray, stir fry until brown diced baked potatoes with sliced onions, sliced green bell pepper, freshly ground black pepper, and paprika.

Bowl of Blueberries, Fresh or Frozen (No Sugar Added)

Tea or Hot Cocoa, if desired

• Yes! Cocoa can be part of a healthy meal plan for weight loss! For cocoa: Mix nonfat milk or soymilk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, and 1 packet of sugar substitute, such as Splenda (if desired).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

Big Handful of Grapes

• Like vegetables, fruits are fabulous weight-loss foods because they’re “big” foods, that is, foods that are bulked up by lots of fiber and water. With “big” foods, you’ll be eating a lot of food (which will satisfy your hunger) but not a lot of calories.
  Here’s a great example: For the same number of calories that are in a handful of peanuts (about two ounces), you can eat 2½ pounds of strawberries (about five of those green boxes that strawberries come in.) Eating “big” foods like strawberries, salads, and other fruits and vegetables can prevent hunger from taking over and taking you places you don’t want to go

Lunch

Salad

• Big salad of baby greens with Pritikin-Style Thousand Island Dressing, which has less than one-quarter the calories and sodium of regular Thousand Island Dressing. What a gift for your heartand waistline! To make dressing, combine thoroughly the following: ¾ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, ½ cup fat-free sour cream, ¾ cup unsweetened, low-sodium ketchup (good brand is Westbrae), ½ teaspoon oregano, and ½ teaspoon granulated garlic.
  

Turkey Sandwich

• Sandwich of fresh roasted turkey breast (3½ to 4 ounces) with 2 slices of low-sodium, whole-grain bread with assorted veggies, like baby greens and sliced tomatoes. Smear the bread with 1 tablespoon of low-sodium stone-ground mustard.
  Did you know that bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips? That’s why it’s so important to look for low-sodium varieties of bread (a good brand is Food for Life).

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

Pear

Popcorn – air-popped or fat-free microwave

• Did you know that it takes 2 quarts of air-popped popcorn to equal the calories in just 20 potato chips? Be sure to eat a piece of fruit with the popcorn to help improve its satiety value!

Dinner

Veggie Burger on a Whole-Wheat Bun with Roasted Red Bell Peppers

• Keep stocked in your refrigerator or freezer a box of veggie burgers (look for low-sodium varieties). Veggie burgers are a much better choice for your waistline and heart than ground meat. Veggie patties have only about half the calories of regular red meat patties, and zero heart-hurting saturated fat. Plus, they’re so easy to cook – just one or two minutes in the microwave. While toasting your whole-wheat bun, take from your pantry a jar of roasted red bell peppers and top your veggie patty with a couple of luscious slices. Smear your bun with a little low-sodium Dijon mustard.

Steamed Fresh Vegetables

• 1 or more cups (it’s hard to go overboard on fresh veggies!) of steamed fresh vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, and/or cauliflower, with lemon juice and sautéed garlic.

Dessert (only if hungry)

Fresh Berries

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, plain or drizzled with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or Marsala wine

DAY 3

Breakfast

Hot Whole-Grain Cereal with Blueberries

• Hot whole-grain cereal, such as oatmeal, cracked wheat, barley or polenta, made with 1 cup nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
  There are many great choices of whole-grain hot cereals; just make sure you buy one with no added sugar or salt.

Tea or Coffee

• If desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Midmorning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

1 Cup Diced Watermelon or Other Seasonal Fresh Fruit

1 Snack Bag of Baby Carrots

Lunch

Vegetarian Chili

• Look for fat-free low-sodium varieties, or make your own.
  Get the Recipe »

1 Ear of Corn

• Did you know that four ears of corn has the same number of calories as one medium serving of French fries? (The corn tastes better, too.)

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

Cottage Cheese and Fruit

• ½ cup 1% no-salt-added cottage cheese with ½ cup to 1 cup fresh diced fruit, or use pop-top canned fruits packed in juice or water, no sugar added.

Dinner

Spinach Salad

• A big salad of baby spinach and other fresh veggies, such as sliced carrots and tomatoes, topped with your favorite canned no-salt-added beans. Toss salad with about ½ teaspoon of wasabi (to taste) and 3 to 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar.
  Look for no-salt-added varieties of canned beans since rinsing the beans through a colander removes only 30% of the added sodium.

Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

• Get the Recipe »

Brown Rice

• Give your brown rice a nice savory spin by adding freshly minced garlic. At the last minute, add in fresh herbs like thyme and Italian parsley and just about any vegetable you have on hand, like chopped cucumbers, celery, onions, and tomatoes.

Dessert (only if hungry)

Frozen Yogurt

• ¾ cup frozen strawberry nonfat sugar-free yogurt topped with sliced fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries

DAY 4

Breakfast

• 1 Cup Fresh Fruit

• 1 Cup Nonfat Plain or Nonfat, No-Sugar-Added Yogurt

• ½ Whole-Grain Bagel, Toasted. Top with Fat-Free Cream Cheese or Nonfat Ricotta Cheese and Fresh Sliced Strawberries

• Tea or Coffee

  If desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (only if hungry)

• 1 to 2 Cups of Veggie-Rich, Bean-Rich Low-Sodium Soup, such as…

  Red Bean and Leftover Veggie Soup
  While there are probably plenty of pre-made bean and veggie soup options that just need a few minutes to heat through on the stovetop, making your own soup is really easy—and a great idea for your health. Homemade soups are much lower in sodium – about 100 milligrams or less per 2-cup serving. By contrast, 2 cups of many canned soups contain a blood-pressure-busting 1,200 milligrams or more, a worrisome amount considering that health experts recommend consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium for the entire day. This is also a great way to use up all those leftover vegetables in your crisper—pretty much anything works in this soup.
  Directions:
  Put into a soup pot 1 can of no-salt-added red beans (drained), 4 cups low-sodium vegetable juice like Knudsen’s Very Veggie Low-Sodium Juice, 2 to 3 teaspoons oregano or Italian-style seasoning, and 2 cups of any veggies you already have sitting in the refrigerator bin, such as carrots, celery, and onions. Rough-chop the vegetables into bite-size pieces and bring to a boil, simmering until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. If desired, top with a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream.

Lunch

• Tuna Sandwich

  Put together a sandwich of tuna (canned – preferably low-sodium, light, and packed in water) with 1 tablespoon nonfat mayo or nonfat plain yogurt, chopped celery, and onions, topped with baby spinach or peppery arugula, on 100% whole-wheat bread (low-sodium)

• Carrot and Pineapple Salad

  Get the Recipe »

Mid-Afternoon Snack (only if hungry)

• Sweet Potato

  Enjoy the rich flavor of sweet potatoes? While home on Sundays, cook up a batch. Wrap each one in foil and bake for about an hour at 425 degrees F, or until their luscious, sweet juices start to ooze out into the foil. At work the following week, just pop one in the microwave for a quick warm-up. They’re loaded with taste, so they don’t need any extra toppings. If you want a little zest, swirl in a teaspoon or two of no-salt-added Dijon mustard or a quarter cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

Dinner

• Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

  A big salad with a variety of lettuces, plus tomatoes, cucumber, and any other veggies you have in the fridge, including varieties you’ve never thought of adding to salads but actually taste delicious, like sliced fennel.

  Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

  Get the Recipe »

• Curried Quinoa and Tofu

  Ah, quinoa. This healthy, rich-tasting whole grain/seed has so many nutritional riches that it puts refined grains like white rice to shame. Tofu is the perfect sidekick because it’s both waistline-friendly (per bite, tofu tends to have about one-third the calories of meat and poultry) and heart-friendly (tofu has no artery-damaging saturated fat or cholesterol).
  Directions: Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 tablespoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Add 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the water is absorbed—about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup cubed firm tofu. Makes about 4 one-cup servings. Refrigerate remaining servings for an easy, healthy snack or meal later in the week.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Berry Mousse

  Blend together until smooth and creamy your favorite fresh berries, silken tofu, Splenda (if needed), and a little vanilla extract.

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DAY 5

Breakfast

• Oatmeal Supreme

  Think oatmeal is boring? You haven’t tried Chef Anthony’s sweet/ tangy Oatmeal Supreme, always a favorite among guests at Pritikin. It’s a great meal for losing weight, and starting your day.
  Get the Recipe »

• Tea or Coffee

  If desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (only if hungry)

• Carrots and Hummus

  Open up a big bag of baby carrots and dip them into your freshly made no-oil-added, no-salt-added hummus. Simply whip up in your food processor a can of no-salt-added chickpeas/garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, a jalapeno pepper (if you like your hummus hot and spicy), and fresh herbs like cilantro and dill. Add a little water, if necessary, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Lunch

• Tomato Cream Soup

  Get the Recipe »

• Butter Beans With Lemon and Scallions

  Butter beans are as delicious as they sound: big, meaty and filling, with a mild flavor that works well with bright, assertive flavors like lemon and scallions.
  1 can no-salt-added butter beans
  ½ cup chopped scallions (also known as green onions)
  Juice from half a lemon
  Red chili pepper flakes, to taste
  2 to 3 cups chopped fresh Romaine lettuce and/or baby arugula
  In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter beans, scallions, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. Spoon over lettuce greens.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 1 to 2 Cups of Fresh Fruit

  Take advantage of grocery store salad bars and pick up containers of pre-cut fresh fruit like melon.

Dinner

• Easy Tangy Salmon

  Sear, skin side up, a 4-ounce cut of salmon in a hot nonstick skillet and cook until well browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook till slightly translucent in center, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer salmon to serving dish. To skillet add ¼ teaspoon grated orange peel, 3 ounces orange juice, and ½ cup white wine. Boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Spoon sauce over salmon.

• Soba Noodles With Spicy Cucumbers

  Cooking up soba (the Japanese word for buckwheat) noodles instead of white-flour noodles is a great way to cut calories. A cup of soba has just 113 calories; a cup of white pasta, about 200. Plus, soba noodles are full of fiber, protein, and B vitamins.
  Combine in large bowl:
  2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeds removed, and sliced
  ½ tablespoon paprika
  Pinch cayenne pepper
  Pinch black peppercorns, freshly ground
  ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  Let cucumber mixture sit for a few minutes while you cook 8 ounces of soba noodles according to package directions. After cooking and draining sobas, toss in bowl with cucumber mixture and gently blend.

• 1 to 2 Cups Sautéed Spinach

  Pour a 6-ounce bag of pre-washed baby spinach in a hot wok sizzling with a small amount of water or white wine, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and minced garlic. Stir spinach till wilted.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Fruit Smoothie

  Smoothie made in blender with 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, ¾ cup crushed ice, ½ banana, and fresh or frozen berries.

Source
https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/health-benefits/healthy-weight-loss/1720-healthy-meal-plan-for-weight-loss.html#.VTx_MSGqqko