7-Day Heart-Healthy Meal Plan Created by a Dietitian: 1,200 Calories

Keep your heart healthy and lose weight with this delicious 1,200-calorie meal plan.

Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015.

Updated on July 11, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian

Elizabeth Ward is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer. She has authored or co-authored 10 books for consumers about nutrition at all stages of life.

In This Article In This Article

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons to protect against heart disease. In fact, incorporating heart-healthy foods, getting adequate exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, avoiding excess alcohol and getting enough quality sleep can have a major impact on reducing cardiovascular disease-related deaths, according to a 2023 review in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

The meals and snacks in this diet plan feature heart-healthy foods, like fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats, like olive oil and avocado. Saturated fat, added sugars and sodium—nutrients that can harm your heart when eaten in large amounts—are kept to a minimum. Instead, dishes are seasoned with lots of herbs and spices to keep things flavorful and exciting.

By following this simple 1,200-calorie meal plan, you'll help protect your heart, lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds weekly and have healthy meals for the week at the ready!

Looking for a different calorie level? See this same meal plan at 1,500 and 2,000 calories.

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

How to Meal Prep Your Week of Meals

  1. Meal prep the Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5. Store the salad in an airtight container (To buy:amazon.com, $30 for 5) and the dressing separately in a small container (To buy:amazon.com, $11 for 8).

Day 1

Seared Salmon with Green Peppercorn Sauce

Breakfast (271 calories)

A.M. Snack (84 calories)

Lunch (350 calories)

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (457 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,224 calories, 60 g protein, 142 g carbohydrates, 28 g fiber, 52 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 828 mg sodium

Day 2

charred shrimp

Breakfast (265 calories)

A.M. Snack (95 calories)

Lunch (374 calories)

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (429 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,225 calories, 75 g protein, 148 g carbohydrates, 39 g fiber, 50 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,363 mg sodium

Day 3

6349105.jpg

Breakfast (297 calories)

A.M. Snack (64 calories)

Lunch (374 calories)

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (416 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,212 calories, 70 g protein, 132 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 51 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,332 mg sodium

Day 4

spinach & strawberry meal-prep salad

Breakfast (265 calories)

A.M. Snack (95 calories)

Lunch (374 calories)

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (427 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,223 calories, 67 g protein, 170 g carbohydrates, 38 g fiber, 39 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,284 mg sodium

Day 5

Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice

Breakfast (333 calories)

Cook oats and top with raspberries and a pinch of cinnamon.

A.M. Snack (102 calories)

Lunch (374 calories)

P.M. Snack (84 calories)

Dinner (304 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,198 calories, 77 g protein, 120 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 48 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,405 mg sodium.

Day 6

Toaster-Oven Tostadas

Breakfast (328 calories)

A.M. Snack (62 calories)

Lunch (296 calories)

Meal-Prep Tip: Save a serving of the tuna salad to have for lunch on Day 7.

P.M. Snack (64 calories)

Dinner (457 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,206 calories, 55 g protein, 187 g carbohydrates, 55 g fiber, 39 g fat, 8 g saturated, 1,203 mg sodium.

Day 7

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

Breakfast (355 calories)

A.M. Snack (64 calories)

Lunch (366 calories)

P.M. Snack (62 calories)

Dinner (374 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,220 calories, 64 g protein, 132 g carbohydrates, 32 g fiber, 51 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,275 mg sodium.

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