In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhy This Meal Plan Is Great for YouFrequently Asked QuestionsInsulin-Resistance-Friendly Foods to Focus OnHow to Meal-Prep Your Week of MealsDay 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You
Frequently Asked Questions
Insulin-Resistance-Friendly Foods to Focus On
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
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Photo: Carson Downing
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, insulin resistance occurs when your body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should. While insulin resistance is not the same as diabetes, it can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes, so it’s important to address it early on.
Normally, food is digested into glucose (sugar), then the glucose in your blood stimulates the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose from your blood absorb into your muscle, fat and liver cells for later use. But if your body cells don’t respond properly to insulin, your cells won’t take up glucose from the blood. As a result, your pancreas produces more insulin to try to continue moving glucose into your cells, per theNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. And that’s when insulin resistance may occur. Without insulin shuttling the glucose into your cells, your blood sugar will stay high, increasing your risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
However, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are not the only conditions associated with insulin resistance. According toStatPearls, having insulin resistance may also increase your risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
But there is good news. According to theNIDDK, research has shown that there are several things you can do to reduce insulin resistance, including weight loss, increased exercise and dietary changes.
How We Create Meal PlansRegistered 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 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.
In this meal plan for insulin resistance, we focus on incorporating lean proteins and complex carbohydrates while limiting the saturated fat and sodium intake. Additionally, since consuming added sugar in excess has been shown to increase the risk of insulin resistance, we’re skipping them in this meal plan. Added sugars are sugars thatare not naturally occurring, such as those found in fruit and dairy, and instead are added to food. These include but are not limited to, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
We’ve set the calorie level at 1,500 per day, a level where most people lose weight since, according to a 2022 study published in theInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, weight loss may help improve blood sugar levels.
This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with differentcalorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWe no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Meal prepping at the beginning of the plan makes it easier for you to follow the meal plan throughout the week.
Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall
Breakfast (280 Calories)
A.M. Snack (200 calories)
Lunch (345 calories)
P.M. Snack (150 calories)
Dinner (437 calories)
Evening Snack (84 calories)
Daily Totals:1,495 calories, 69 g protein, 181 g carbohydrate, 33 g fiber, 61 g fat, 1,436 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast, and increase to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter at A.M. snack, 2 slices of baguette at lunch and 1 cup brown rice at dinner.
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman
Breakfast (367 Calories)
A.M. Snack (131 calories)
P.M. Snack (108 calories)
Dinner (486 calories)
Evening Snack (73 calories)
Daily Totals:1,510 calories, 77 g protein, 176 g carbohydrate, 31 g fiber, 62 g fat, 2,192 mg sodium
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Breakfast (403 calories)
A.M. Snack (174 calories)
Lunch (280 calories)
Add the white beans to the soup.
Afternoon Snack (138 calories)
Dinner (504 calories)
Daily Totals:1,499 calories, 76 g protein, 180 g carbohydrates, 39 g fiber, 58 g fat, 1,752 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 2 hard-boiled eggs to breakfast, add ¼ cup unsalted almonds to A.M. snack, increase to ½ cup beans at lunch, and add 2 Tbsp. cashews to P.M. snack.
photography / Caitlin bensel, Food Styling / Emily Nabors Hall
Breakfast (354 calories)
A.M. Snack (158 calories)
Lunch (504 calories)
P.M. Snack (172 calories)
Dinner (318 calories)
Daily Totals:1,505 calories, 101 g protein, 121 g carbohydrate, 26 g fiber, 68 g fat, 1,890 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 Calories:Add 2 scrambled eggs to breakfast, increase to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter at A.M. snack, and add 2 cups mixed greens with 1 servingBalsamic Vinaigretteand 1½ Tbsp. sunflower seeds to dinner.
Breakfast (340 calories)
A.M. Snack (127 calories)
Lunch (296 calories)
Dinner (317 calories)
Evening Snack (269 calories)
Daily Totals:1,499 calories, 60 g protein, 120 g carbohydrate, 24 g fiber, 24 g fat, 1,547 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 calories:Increase to 22 almonds at A.M. snack, add ½ whole-wheat pita to lunch, increase to 2 servings trail mix at P.M. snack and add 3 oz. cooked chicken to dinner.
Breakfast (347 calories)
Add almond butter and chia seeds to the smoothie.
A.M. Snack (149 calories)
Lunch (334 calories)
Afternoon Snack (150 calories)
Stir white beans into the spaghetti squash.
Evening Snack (39 calories)
Daily Totals:1,506 calories, 94 g protein, 150 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 63 g fat, 1,722 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 whole-wheat English muffin to breakfast, increase to 1 cup cottage cheese and add ¼ cup pistachios to A.M. snack, and increase to 2 servings trail mix at P.M. snack.
Breakfast (196 calories)
A.M. Snack (227 calories)
Lunch (324 calories)
P.M. Snack (182 calories)
Dinner (508 calories)
Evening Snack (70 calories)
Daily Totals:1,507 calories, 85 g protein, 110 g carbohydrate, 26 g fiber, 84 g fat, 1,497 mg sodium
Make it 2,000 calories:Add 1 whole-wheat English muffin to breakfast, add ½ whole-wheat pita to lunch, increase to 3/4 cup hummus at P.M. snack, and increase to 2 servings at evening snack.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
