Have you been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid or suspect you have one?
Looking for a sample meal plan tailored to your condition… one that you can follow right now?
The
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss is a Dietitian-made
plan to help make life easier (and more delicious) when learning what
you should and should not eat with an underactive thyroid.
It’s designed to be:
Simple to follow for busy folks with many mouths to feed
Realistic, with recipes that beginners can master
Gluten-free (which often appears beneficial for those with Hashimoto’s)
Loaded with nutrient-dense foods (especially spinach and legumes for folate: see the MTHFR mutation link)
Naturally rich in selenium, zinc and iodine for thyroid health, and vitamin B12 for more energy
Budget-friendly (except for two worthwhile investments: chia seeds and quinoa).
You
can follow the entire plan for the whole 14 days, or simply choose your
favourite recipes and include them into your current diet. Many are
recipes from qualified Dietitians that I strongly encourage you to
follow!
Note that if you are trying to
lose a lot of weight, I recommend you read this guide as well as this
one. Also this is not suitable for those following the Autoimmune
Protocol.
You can still follow this
plan if your thyroid is healthy, but then I also recommend browsing
through these 33 low-carb lunch and dinner recipes for more ideas.
The 14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss
Must-Read Starting Notes:
- Consult with your personal doctor or Dietitian first: While I am a qualified Dietitian, I’m not familiar with your personal medical history, your current medications or additional factors that need to be considered when altering your diet or fitness regime.
- Thyroid hormone should be consumed fasting: At least 1-2 hours before your first food (being conservative). This could mean you skip breakfast altogether, which is fine if it suits you. It just depends on your eating habits and what works best for your lifestyle.
- Goitrogens, soy and legumes: Goitrogens and soy seem to be safe in moderate amounts (1, 2), but you can always leave them out. The same goes for legumes, often left out of Paleo diets (although I don’t recommend they be left out). If legumes give you digestive stress, it could be the FODMAPs.
- Choose water as your drink: The meal plan does not include drinks, but keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink up. Tea is also fine, but anecdotal reports suggest more than 300 mg per day of caffeine (2-3 regular coffees) can aggravate the thyroid.
- Flexibility is key: Of course this plan cannot meet all your individual needs, so if there is an ingredient you don’t eat then replace it or leave it out. Also it pays off to batch prepare some meals ahead of time so you can simply reheat and go.
- Limit or eliminate junk foods and highly processed products: This plan focuses on whole, unrefined foods as they are fundamental to a healthy diet. Realistically it’s very difficult to eliminate all highly processed (often pre-packaged) foods, but just be mindful of cutting down. Likewise, snacks listed are optional depending on your regular eating habits, and there are bonus snack recipe ideas if you scroll to the bottom.
- The recipes sourced often make 2-4 servings: Consider this when writing your shopping list. You will have leftovers. Feed the family or save the leftovers to have in place of a meal on another day. Recipes toward the end of the week factor in leftovers.
Day #1 Monday
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss - Day 1. Repin and then click through to see more
Breakfast: 1 large Banana.
Remember only have breakfast at least 1-2 hours after taking thyroid hormone.
Lunch:
Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad. Greek yogurt is high protein and low sugar,
while tuna is a rich source of iodine and healthy omega-3 fats.
Dinner: Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins. Sweet potato is just one of my all time favourite foods.
Snack:
2-3 Brazil nuts. High in protein, fibre and healthy fats, Brazil nuts
are a fantastic source of selenium (for thyroid health). What’s more,
the addition of nuts to the diet does not increase body weight (3).
Day #2 Tuesday
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss - Day 2. Repin and then click through to see more
Breakfast:
Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding. Chia seeds are a wonderful source of
protein, fibre and magnesium. As the name implies, this should be made
ahead of time in large batches.
Lunch: Gluten-free sandwich with tinned tuna (or your favourite sandwich topping).
Dinner:
Egg Shakshuka + rice to serve. This Tunisian dish is a wonderful source
of vegetables and eggs, a source of iodine. Plus rice is naturally
gluten-free.
Snack: 1 cup of carrot and cucumber sticks + cottage cheese or hummus (DIY Spicy Peanut Butter Hummus).
Day #3 Wednesday
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss, Day #3. Click through to see more
Breakfast: Gluten-free toast with eggs over-easy.
Lunch: Middle-Eastern Mason Jar Salad. So smart and so simple. Mason jar optional of course, but you need a jar of some type.
Dinner:
Shrimp, Zucchini & Pesto Angel Hair Pasta. You should choose
gluten-free pasta for this recipe (doesn’t need to be angel hair).
Shrimp is a good source of iodine.
Snack: 1 banana.
Day #4 Thursday
Hypothyroid meal plan day 4
Breakfast:
Green Monster Smoothie. Again, this requires a blender and is another
way to make use of your chia seeds, but brush your teeth before work!
Lunch:
Pumpkin Soup Like You’ve Never Tasted Before. I’m a big fan of soups,
especially in winter. They tend to be lower-calorie than regular meals,
rich in vegetables, and can keep you full for longer.
Dinner: Leftovers.
Snack: 2-3 Brazil nuts.
Day #5 Friday
Breakfast: Choose your top choice.
Lunch: Choose your most loved or scraps.
Supper: One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet. For reasons unknown I like the possibility of Mexican on Friday evenings, and this makes a fun, public feel that your family will appreciate.
Tidbit: 1 cup of carrot and cucumber sticks + curds or hummus.
Day #6 Saturday
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss. Day #6. Navigate to see moreBreakfast: Choose your top pick
Lunch: Quinoa Salad with Nuts. Quinoa is an adaptable grain that is normally without gluten and high protein. This formula has numerous scrumptious choices relying upon what vegetables and nuts you have extra.
Supper: Choose your most loved/remains/eating out
Tidbit: Paleo Sweet Potato Fritters
Day #7 Sunday
14-Day Meal Plan For Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss - Day 7. Repin and after that navigate to see more
Breakfast: California Sweet Potato Hash with Feta and Eggs. Since it's Sunday. What's more, sweet potato is great at breakfast as well.
Lunch: Choose your most loved/scraps/eating out
Supper: Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan + vegetables to serve. Heavenly approach to serve chicken (you can utilize ordinary milk if lactose is no issue for you), and you can utilize any remaining vegetables and cheddar.
Bite: 200g (7oz) plain Greek yogurt + 1 little banana