900 Calorie Meal Plan PDF: Printable Recipes and Nutritional Facts

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Welcome to my 900 calorie meal plans.

Is 900 calories enough? As a registered dietitian, I would say no. This type of diet typically doesn’t provide enough calories or nutrients.

If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit, which means eating fewer calories than the body needs. However, restricting your calories too much (going below 1,200 calories) can increase metabolic problems or nutrient deficiencies.

Still, let’s say a health professional recommends you follow a 900 calorie meal plan short-term. If you don’t know where to start, here are a couple of meal plans to download for free to give you some variety.

But before we begin, make sure you consult a health professional and confirm that 900 calories is suitable for your goals. When possible, make sure you can get a personalized meal plan.

In the meantime, keep reading to get 900 calorie meal plans you can download for free.

WHAT IS A 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN?

A 900 calorie meal plan is where you eat roughly 900 calories daily. The macro distribution varies across the meal plans you’ll get today.

Also, each meal plan has only three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

IS 900 CALORIES A DAY ENOUGH?

No, 900 calories is generally not enough for men or women. Eating 900 calories a day means following a very low-calorie diet. The problem with very low-calorie diets is that they don’t provide enough calories or nutrients to keep the body healthy.

On average, women need 2,000 calories to maintain weight, while men might need 2,500 calories. Keep in mind that this varies according to weight, height, age, and activity goals. So, reducing the caloric intake to 900 calories, is a weight loss strategy too aggressive.

IS 900 CALORIES A DAY HEALTHY?

No, eating 900 calories is not healthy. While it might aid in weight loss, it can create metabolic problems and lead to nutrient deficiency. Plus, it doesn’t teach you to make sustainable choices long-term.

To prevent a diet from affecting your metabolism, I always recommend not going below the basal metabolic rate (BMR). If you don’t know how many calories your BMR is, ask a health professional or use a calorie calculator.

WHO IS A 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN FOR?

A 900 calorie meal plan is for someone who wants to lose weight. More importantly, someone who got a recommendation from a health professional to follow a 900 calorie meal plan.

BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN

Now, the biggest question is whether you should or should not follow a 900 calorie meal plan. Here are the benefits and drawbacks you need to know.

BENEFITS

Weight loss. The main benefit of following a 900 calorie meal plan is that you can lose up to two pounds per week (if not more).
Portion control. Following a meal plan can give you a better understanding of portions and how they can affect your body.
Improved blood work. Reducing your daily calories can help improve blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of chronic illness.

DRAWBACKS

Nutrient deficiency. Reducing your calories means you are getting fewer nutrients, too. Nutrient deficiency can come with side effects such as fatigue, foggy brain, moodiness, muscle loss, and dull hair and nails.
Increased hunger and cravings. When you don’t supply enough nutrients to the body, it can mess up your hormones. This can lead to feeling more hunger and cravings throughout the day.
Reduced metabolism. Evidence suggests that following a low-calorie diet can reduce the metabolism by up to 23%. The problem is that it can take several years before it goes back to normal.
Poor immune function. The combination of reduced nutrients and more inflammation can lead to poor immune function. As a result, it can mean you are more likely to catch a cold.
Increased risk of gallbladder stones. When you don’t eat enough, the body produces more cholesterol bile, which can turn into gallbladder stones.

LIST OF AVAILABLE DIETARY 900 CALORIE MEAL PLANS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

Excited about all the free meal plans? Here is a preview of all those PDFs for download, along with the recipes and grocery lists.

7 Day Balanced 900 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
28 Day Balanced 900 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
900 Calorie Meal Plan 40/40/20 PDF
900 Calorie Meal Plan 40/30/30 PDF
900 Calorie Meal Plan 50/30/20 PDF

7 TIPS FOR FOLLOWING THE 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN

I know that following a meal plan can be challenging and overwhelming, especially when you’re restricting calories.

To make things a lot easier for you, here are the best tips I can offer.

Start meal prepping

To help you stay on track and avoid temptation, the best thing you can do is start meal prepping.

The best thing about meal prepping is that it adjusts to your needs (and not the other way around). So, you can make all the meals in advance, or you can simply create certain meals (like breakfast or lunch).

You can also just do food prep.

Food prep is when you prepare certain ingredients in advance to make things easier when cooking. For example, you can cut and wash fruits and vegetables, marinate protein, or make jars with herb and spice blends.

Know which foods to eat

Foods that are highly satiating, such as protein and vegetables, are going to be your biggest allies to prevent you from being hungry all day.

So, if you are feeling like snacking between meals, the best thing you can do is add a couple of vegetable sticks. They won’t increase your caloric intake significantly, and they will provide essential nutrients to reduce the risk of nutrient deficiency.

Make sure you are adding variety to your diet. Focusing on only a couple of ingredients or eating the same thing over and over again increases the risk of nutrient deficiency.

Know which foods to avoid

Processed foods are going to be very high in calories and won’t be very filling. To feel full enough, you would need to add more and more food, affecting your caloric intake.

Make sure you stay away from processed foods, such as white bread, candies, pastries, cookies, sweets, and cakes.

Now, while healthy fats (oils, avocado, nuts, and seeds) are good for your body, keep in mind that they are high in calories. If you’re going to add them, you need to control the portion size to help you stay within the 900 calorie limit.

Stay hydrated

Evidence suggests that drinking water before a meal can help increase fullness levels, making it easier to stay on a low-calorie diet. Make sure you are drinking at least half your body weight (pounds) in ounces.

To get a more personalized water recommendation, talk to a health professional.

Don’t exercise too much

Since you are not getting enough calories with a 900 calorie meal plan, it’s best to stick to light exercise. Adding strenuous exercise can increase the risk of fatigue, fainting, muscle loss, and other dangerous complications.

Pay attention to mood and sleep

Mood and sleep play a crucial role in weight loss. When you don’t get enough sleep, or when you’re under chronic stress, it can affect your hormones. This leads to more hunger and cravings.

Make sure you are getting at least seven to eight hours of high-quality sleep and find good coping mechanisms for stress.

Try fasting

Finally, to make things easier for you, fasting can be a great way to prevent you from feeling hungry.

Intermittent fasting is when you have set eating windows and fasting hours. You can do a 16/8 fasting, which means you fast for 16 hours and have an eight-hour window to eat. For example, you would start eating at 11 am and stop eating at 7 pm.

Now, if you want to start fasting, make sure you take it easy. Instead of jumping to a 16-hour fast, try fasting for 12 hours. Slowly add one hour each week until you get the desired fasting hours.

MACRO CALCULATOR

Only a few people are going to need 900 calories. Make sure you follow this meal plan only when prescribed by a health professional.

If you are unable to see a health professional, you can use a calorie and macro calculator to determine how many calories you need.

Remember never to go below your BMR to prevent affecting the metabolism and elevating the risk of nutrient deficiency.

Our calorie and macro calculator is a free tool you can use to get an idea of how many calories and what is the best macro distribution. Here’s how to use it:

Choose your training and nutrition experience: Beginner, moderate, or expert.
Choose your tracking experience: Beginner, moderate, or expert.
Tell us your age, weight, height, and body fat (optional).
Choose your activity levels: Sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, heavily active, or athlete.
Get your results.

7 DAY BALANCED 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN

Starting this series of 900 calorie meal plans we have a 7-day balanced 900 calorie meal plan. It can be a good way to complete a short-term, very low-calorie diet.

The following meal plan provides a macro distribution of 50% carbs, 20% proteins, and 30% fats.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Mocha overnight protein oats
Lunch: Egyptian fava beans with tahini
Dinner: Linguine carbonara

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Mocha overnight protein oats
Lunch: Linguine carbonara
Dinner: Veggie pita pizza

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Mocha overnight protein oats
Lunch: Veggie pita pizza
Dinner: Veggie and feta zucchini boats

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Nectarine strawberry
Lunch: Veggie and feta zucchini boats
Dinner: Peas and pancetta farfalle

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Nectarine strawberry
Lunch: Peas and pancetta farfalle
Dinner: Slow cooker enchilada beans and quinoa

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Mango mint smoothie
Lunch: Slow cooker enchilada beans and quinoa
Dinner: One-pot snap pea and mackerel orzo

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Mango mint smoothie
Lunch: One-pot snap pea and mackerel orzo
Dinner: Parmesan pasta and peas

Ready to start this one week of meal planning? Click on the following link to get all the recipes.

7 Day Balanced 900 Calorie Meal Plan PDF

28 DAY BALANCED 900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN

The best results are seen when you can plan ahead. This might mean getting a couple of weeks’ worth of meals. Keep in mind that it’s not recommended to follow a low-calorie meal plan for such a long time. Only do it under medical supervision.

The following meal plan provides 50% carbs, 20% proteins, and 30% fats.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Savory quinoa porridge
Lunch: Cucumber and tzatziki sandwich
Dinner: Grilled vegetable and lentil salad

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Savory quinoa porridge
Lunch: Grilled vegetable and lentil salad
Dinner: Chicken soba noodle soup

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Savory quinoa porridge
Lunch: Chicken soba noodle soup
Dinner: Veggie and feta zucchini boats

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
Lunch: Veggie and feta zucchini boats
Dinner: Quinoa Greek salad

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
Lunch: Quinoa Greek salad
Dinner: Tofu and veggie stir fry

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Soba breakfast bowl
Lunch: Tofu and veggie stir fry
Dinner: Yellow bean, potato, and turkey sausage casserole

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Soba breakfast bowl
Lunch: Yellow bean, potato, and turkey sausage casserole
Dinner: Mango and chickpea kale salad

Ready to get a month of meals? Click on the following link to get all the recipes and grocery list.

900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN 40/40/20

If you are following a low-calorie meal plan because you have a medical condition, you might also need to go low-fat.

If you are prescribed this type of eating plan, here is a 900 calorie meal plan with a macro distribution of 40% carbs, 40% proteins, and 20% fats to help you get started.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Bison, rapini, and rice
Dinner: Chicken, asparagus, and sweet potato

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Chicken, asparagus, and sweet potato
Dinner: Lemony chicken with rice and peas

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Lemony chicken with rice and peas
Dinner: Turkey and white bean chili

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Warm peas with eggs
Lunch: Turkey and white bean chili
Dinner: Couscous bowl with rosemary chicken

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Warm peas with eggs
Lunch: Couscous bowl with rosemary chicken
Dinner: Chicken, cabbage, and wild rice

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
Lunch: Chicken, cabbage, and wild rice
Dinner: Meal prep chicken and cilantro lime quinoa

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
Lunch: Meal prep chicken and cilantro lime quinoa
Dinner: Ahi tuna tacos

Which of the meals caught your attention? Click on the following link to get all the delicious recipes.

900 Calorie Meal Plan 40/40/20 PDF

900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN 40/30/30

As mentioned, protein can increase fullness levels, making it easier to reduce calories. This meal plan has moderate amounts of protein.

The total macro distribution is 40% carbs, 30% proteins, and 30% fats.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Savory arugula and olive oatmeal
Lunch: Tuna, chickpea, and avocado salad
Dinner: Ham sandwich

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Savory arugula and olive oatmeal
Lunch: Ham sandwich
Dinner: Roasted red pepper, chicken, and pesto wraps

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Savory arugula and olive oatmeal
Lunch: Roasted red pepper, chicken, and pesto wraps
Dinner: One-pan pork tenderloins and potatoes

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Raspberry banana smoothie bowl
Lunch: One-pan pork tenderloins and potatoes
Dinner: Turkey sausage, broccoli, and rice

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Raspberry banana smoothie bowl
Lunch: Turkey sausage, broccoli, and rice
Dinner: Balsamic cod and cauliflower mash

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Banana walnut cottage cheese oatmeal
Lunch: Balsamic cod and cauliflower mash
Dinner: Pesto chicken and tomatoes with quinoa

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Banana walnut cottage cheese oatmeal
Lunch: Pesto chicken and tomatoes with quinoa
Dinner: Ground turkey, mini potatoes, and watercress

Click on the following link to help you get started.

900 Calorie Meal Plan 40/30/30 PDF

900 CALORIE MEAL PLAN 50/30/20

The last meal plan I have for you is higher in carbs and lower in fats. It can be ideal for those who want to add some light walking into their daily routine. The high carb intake can replenish glycogen stores, and the higher protein intake can help support muscle mass.

The following meal plan provides 50% carbs, 30% proteins, and 20% fats.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Chickpea, tuna, and roasted red pepper sandwich
Dinner: Pesto chicken stuffed sweet potatoes

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Pesto chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
Dinner: Cod, cauliflower steaks and rice

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
Lunch: Cod, cauliflower steaks and rice
Dinner: Tomato and mushroom chickpea pasta

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Orange matcha smoothie
Lunch: Tomato and mushroom chickpea pasta
Dinner: Pesto chicken and tomatoes with quinoa

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Orange matcha smoothie
Lunch: Pesto chicken and tomatoes with quinoa
Dinner: Cajun turkey with green beans and rice

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Mango lime smoothie
Lunch: Cajun turkey with green beans and rice
Dinner: Turkey chili

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Mango lime smoothie
Lunch: Turkey chili
Dinner: Sesame ginger salmon with veggies and rice

Looking forward to making these delicious meals? Click on the following link to get all the recipes.

900 Calorie Meal Plan 50/30/20 PDF

BENEFITS OF MEAL PLANNING

I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of meal planning, especially if you are following a low-calorie diet. Here are some of the advantages of planning ahead.

Helps you save time and money. When planning ahead, it makes it easier to cook in advance, saving time in the kitchen. And since you have a set list and can buy in bulk, you can save money.
Decreases temptation. When you are following a low-calorie diet, you might feel hungrier than ever, especially in the beginning. Having a set plan that makes portioning food easier can help you keep your eye on your goal.
Reduces stress. Having to make healthy choices on the fly adds even more stress to a busy lifestyle. With a meal plan, you have one less thing to worry about after a long day at work.

CONCLUSION

That wraps up this series of 900 calorie meal plans.

Before you start following any of these meal plans, make sure you follow them under medical supervision. It’s the best way to prevent nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, or problems with the metabolism.

Also, keep in mind that these meal plans should only be followed for a short period of time. You cannot maintain such a low-calorie diet long-term without running into the issues we discussed today.

When possible, consult a health professional to have a meal plan tailored to your goals and needs.

Which meal plan did you download? Let us know in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much weight will I lose eating 900 calories a day?

You can lose two to three pounds a week when following a 900 calorie meal plan. However, most of the initial weight loss could be water and muscle.

Is it OK to eat 900 calories a day?

No, it’s unsafe to eat only 900 calories a day. It’s too low in calories, which can result in problems in the metabolism, muscle loss, and nutrient deficiencies.

Is eating 900 calories good for weight loss?

No, this diet can be too low in calories. It’s better to consult with a health professional to understand how many calories you need to lose weight.

Is 900 calories normal for dinner?

If you are looking to gain muscle, 900 calories can be enough for a dinner or lunch. Consult with a health professional or use a calorie calculator to understand how many calories you need based on your goals and needs.

Is eating 900 calories a day bad?

Yes, it can impair the metabolism, cause problems with immune function, and increase nutrient deficiencies.