October 4, 2024
The Mayo Clinic Diet: How It Works and What to Know

Instead of requiring strict calorie counting like many popular diets, the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid acts as a guideline for decision-making. Your larger portions should come from foods at the bottom of the pyramid, like vegetables and fruits. The higher up you go on the pyramid, the smaller the portion should be. (5)

Below is a sample menu based on the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

Note that the fruit and veggie servings listed here are only suggestions — these portions are unlimited on the Mayo Clinic Diet. Also, note that your specific meal plan will need to be adjusted to however many calories you’re aiming for daily.

For each of your meals, enjoy a calorie-free beverage, such as tea or water.

Day 1

Breakfast 1 ½ cup whole-grain cereal paired with 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt and 1 cup of raspberries

Lunch Large salad with 2 cups arugula, 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of cucumber, 1 cup of beets, and 4 ounces (oz) shrimp, paired with a whole-grain roll with 1 teaspoon (tsp) of butter, and 2 clementines

Dinner Stir-fry with 2 ½ oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, 13 cup cooked brown rice, and 2 cups sautéed bell peppers and carrots

Snack A small apple

Day 2

Breakfast 1 cup reduced-calorie, fat-free yogurt with 1 cup sliced strawberries and 1 slice of whole grain toast with 1 ½ tsp nut butter

Lunch Large salad with 2 cups romaine, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 cup of red bell pepper slices, 1 cup diced cucumbers, and 2 ½ oz grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of olive oil and vinegar (or a less healthy option, Italian dressing), and 1 small banana

Dinner 2 oz grilled salmon with lemon spritz served on a bed of raw baby spinach (2 cups), 1 whole-grain roll with up to 1 tsp of butter, and ¾ cup of berries

Snack 1 cup celery sticks and 3 tbsp hummus

Day 3

Breakfast 1 egg cooked in a nonstick pan, 1 slice of whole-grain toast with up to 2 tsp of trans-fat-free margarine spread, and 1 medium orange

Lunch Roast beef sandwich (3 oz of lean roast beef on 1 small whole-grain roll, with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onions), ½ cup of carrot sticks, and 1 cup of grapes

Dinner Stir-fry with 4 oz sautéed shrimp and 1 ½ cups snap peas, over 13 cup cooked brown rice

Snack A small apple

Day 4

Breakfast 1 whole-grain bagel (3-inch diameter) with up to 3 tbsp of fat-free cream cheese, and 1 medium-sized orange

Lunch Smoked turkey wrap on a 6-inch whole wheat wrap (3 ounces turkey, with lettuce, tomato, onion and salsa), 1 cup of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes in vinegar, and 1 small apple

Dinner 2 oz of broiled flank steak, ½ medium baked potato with up to 2 tbsp sour cream, or 1 tsp of butter, 23 cup of green beans, and 1 small pear

Snack 1 cup carrot sticks with up to 3 tbsp of fat-free ranch dressing

Day 5

Breakfast Fruit and yogurt parfait with 1 cup reduced-calorie, fat-free yogurt and 1 cup raspberries, 1 (3-inch diameter) whole-grain bagel with 1 ½ tsp of nut butter

Lunch Chicken and veggie wrap in a 6-inch whole-grain tortilla (with 2 ½ oz shredded, cooked chicken breast, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and 2 tsp of mayonnaise), ½ cup carrot sticks, and 1 small nectarine

Dinner 3 oz of pork tenderloin, 1 cup of asparagus, 3 baby potatoes drizzled with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and 1 cup of blueberries

Snack 1 cup of carrot sticks and 3 tbsp hummus

Day 6

Breakfast Whole-grain pancake (4-inch diameter) topped with ¾ cup of blueberries and 1 ½ tbsp of maple syrup, plus 1 cup of skim or low-fat milk

Lunch Whole-grain bagel (3-inch diameter) topped with 1 ½ tbsp of peanut butter and a sliced small banana, 1 cup of reduced-calorie, fat-free yogurt, and 4 celery stalks

Dinner Open-faced turkey burger (2 ½ oz of lean ground turkey patty with lettuce, tomato, and onion on ½ a small whole-grain bun) and 1 medium orange

Snack ½ cup celery sticks, slices from 1 small apple, and 2 ½ tsp of peanut butter

Day 7

Breakfast Whole-grain English muffin topped with 1 egg, ½ cup spinach, and tomato slices, and 2 clementines

Lunch Turkey pita (½ of a 6-inch diameter whole-grain pita filled with 4 oz deli turkey, lettuce, tomato, and onion, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar), 3 cups of lettuce topped with ½ cup of pomegranate (or berries), and 1 tsp of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste

Dinner 3 oz of broiled tilapia, 3 baby red potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, 1 13 cups green beans, and 1 cup of strawberries

Snack 15 cherries and ½ cup baby carrots

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