# Karan's Meal Plan & Cook Guide
**Goal:** Steady, healthy fat loss with high protein and high fibre.
*Prepared 6 June 2026 · Based on the dietitian's guidelines · Target ~1,300 kcal/day*
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## 1. What We Are Trying To Do
Lose weight in a healthy way. The plan is simple: **more protein and vegetables, plenty of fibre, less oil, no sugar, no refined (white) carbs.** Every meal tasty but light. Nepali / Indian cooking is fine — we just change *how* things are cooked (grilling, light gravy, less oil) and the *quantities*.
> The cook comes every second day, so on each visit he cooks enough for **TWO days**.
## 2. Starting Point & Target (from 29 May 2026 check)
| Measure | Now | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 178 lb (HIGH) | Lower gradually to ~160 lb |
| BMI | 26.4 (HIGH) | Into healthy range (<25) |
| Body fat | 23.1% / 41.1 lb (Fair) | Reduce fat, keep muscle |
| Skeletal muscle | 78.1 lb (Average) | Protect it (eat enough protein) |
The food is high in protein so we lose **fat, not muscle**. The body burns ~1,719 kcal/day at rest; the plan feeds ~1,300 kcal, so it steadily uses stored fat.
## 3. Golden Rules for the Cook
**✅ Always do**
- Whole grains only: brown rice, millet, oats, multigrain atta
- Skinless chicken, fish (salmon/tuna), egg whites, all dals
- Cook in mustard, rice-bran or olive oil — 1 tsp per dish
- Extra-virgin olive oil ONLY raw, on salad
- Raw salad with a green leafy veg at BOTH lunch & dinner
- Only cow's skimmed / toned milk
- Grill, roast, steam, or light gravy
- One seed or nut per day: chia, flax, sunflower, pumpkin, almond or walnut
**❌ Never use**
- White rice, maida, corn flour, rice flour
- Red meat (mutton, beef, pork, buff)
- Ghee, butter, margarine, cream
- Sugar or jaggery
- Cashew paste, peanuts, coconut or coconut milk
- Mayonnaise dressings
- Deep-fried food of any kind
- Large amounts of potato; buffalo milk
> Dals are great — just make the gravy WITHOUT cream, cashew paste or coconut milk. A normal tadka with a little mustard/olive oil is perfect.
## 4. Daily Targets (whole day's food adds up to this)
| Energy | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~1,300 kcal | 80–90 g | 140–150 g | 30–40 g |
Plus a fibre goal of about **30–35 g/day** — that's why every meal has dal, vegetables, salad, oats or seeds. The cook doesn't need to count; if he follows the quantities below, it works out automatically.
## 5. The Simple Daily Plate
| Meal | What to eat | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Breakfast** | Oats (40 g dry) cooked in 150 ml skimmed milk + 1 tbsp chia/flax + small bowl of fruit/berries | Slow carbs + fibre to stay full |
| **Lunch** | Palm-size chicken/fish (100 g cooked) + 1 small bowl brown rice OR 2 millet rotis + 1 katori dal + 1 cup cooked veg/broccoli + raw salad (1 tsp olive oil) | Main protein + fibre meal |
| **Dinner** | Smaller protein (75–80 g cooked) OR a dal-and-veg dinner + 1 multigrain roti + 1 cup cooked veg + raw salad. Light & early. | Lighter at night to aid fat loss |
| **Snack** | Small bowl low-fat yogurt + a few almonds/walnuts (~10 g). One fruit if hungry. | Protein + healthy fat between meals |
**Easy hand guide:** Protein = one palm · Cooked rice = one cupped hand · Cooked veg = two open hands · Oil = ONE teaspoon per dish · Nuts = one thumb.
## 6. Quantities Cheat-Sheet (per single serving)
| Food | Per meal | Household measure |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken / fish (cooked) | 100 g lunch · 75–80 g dinner | 1 palm |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 120 g (lunch only) | 1 small bowl / cupped hand |
| Millet / multigrain roti | 1–2 rotis | from ~25 g atta each, no ghee |
| Dal (cooked) | 150 ml | 1 katori |
| Cooked vegetable / broccoli | 150 g | 1 heaped cup |
| Raw salad | 1 plate | leafy + cucumber/tomato/carrot |
| Cooking oil | 1 tsp per dish | no more |
| Olive oil on salad | 1 tsp raw | drizzle |
| Skimmed milk | 150 ml | small glass |
| Yogurt (low-fat) | 100–125 g | 1 small bowl |
| Seeds (chia/flax/etc.) | 1 tbsp/day | with breakfast |
| Almonds / walnuts | ~10 g | 5–6 pieces |
| Oats (dry) | 40 g | ~4 tbsp |
## 7. Cooking for 2 Days at a Time
**Prepare and refrigerate (lasts 2 days):**
- Protein: cook ~350–400 g cooked (raw ~500–550 g) chicken/fish — 2 lunches + 2 dinners
- Grain: ~250 g cooked brown rice
- Dal: 1 medium pot (~4 katoris), light tadka, no cream/coconut
- Vegetable: big batch cooked veg/broccoli (~600 g), lightly cooked
- Roti dough or fresh multigrain rotis for 2 days
- Oats portioned; seeds & nuts in jars
**Leave ready (finish on day 2):**
- Washed salad leaves + cut cucumber, tomato, carrot, onion in a box
- Lemon wedges and olive oil for dressing
- Yogurt and fruit in the fridge
**Storage:** airtight boxes in the fridge; reheat only the portion needed; no extra oil when reheating.
## 8. Sample 2-Day Menu
| | Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oats in skimmed milk + chia + berries | Oats in skimmed milk + flaxseed + apple |
| Lunch | Masala grilled chicken (100 g) + brown rice + dal + roasted broccoli + salad | Grilled fish/chicken (100 g) + brown rice + dal + mixed veg + salad |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken (80 g) + 1 multigrain roti + small roasted sweet potato + veg + salad | Dal + sautéed veg + 1 multigrain roti + salad (lighter, veg dinner) |
| Snack | Yogurt + 5–6 almonds | Yogurt + a few walnuts / fruit |
*Dinner alternates chicken / dal-veg to keep protein in range, add fibre, and give variety.*
## 9. Today's Recipe — Masala Grilled Chicken with Roasted Broccoli & Sweet Potato
Uses exactly what the cook is bringing today. Quantities make ~2 days (2 lunches + 2 dinners). Indian/Nepali masala flavour, **no cream, no deep-frying.**
**Ingredients (2 days)**
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Boneless skinless chicken (breast/thigh) | ~550 g raw |
| Broccoli | 1 large head (~450–500 g) |
| Sweet potato | ~300 g (the day's main carb — keep portions small) |
| Low-fat yogurt (marinade) | 3 tbsp |
| Ginger–garlic paste | 1 tbsp |
| Turmeric | 1/4 tsp |
| Cumin powder | 1/2 tsp |
| Coriander powder | 1 tsp |
| Red chilli / garam masala | to taste |
| Lemon | 1 |
| Mustard or olive oil | 2 tsp total (1 chicken, 1 veg) |
| Salt | to taste (go light) |
**Method**
1. Cut chicken into pieces. Marinate with yogurt, ginger-garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli, lemon juice, salt and 1 tsp oil. Rest 30 minutes.
2. Grill on tava / oven / air-fryer (no deep frying). Oven 200°C for 20–25 min, turning once, until fully cooked. Tava: medium heat with the marinade until browned and cooked through.
3. Broccoli: cut into florets. Toss with 1 tsp oil, a little garlic, salt, pinch of chilli. Roast 200°C ~15 min OR stir-fry crisp-tender. Don't overcook to mush.
4. Sweet potato: wash, keep skin on, cube. Roast/boil with no added oil. Cook plain — it's the carb, so serve only a small portion.
5. Cool, then store chicken, broccoli, sweet potato in separate airtight boxes in the fridge.
**How to serve Karan (per meal)**
- **Lunch:** 1 palm chicken + 1 heaped cup broccoli + a small fist of sweet potato + raw salad with 1 tsp olive oil + lemon.
- **Dinner:** a slightly smaller palm of chicken + broccoli + salad (skip sweet potato at night, or keep it very small).
- Add a katori of dal at lunch for extra protein and fibre if available.
> Sweet potato replaces rice in this meal — do NOT serve rice AND a big portion of sweet potato together.