1500 calorie menu plan

I am getting a little bored with my current plan.  I would like to find something different.

Does anyone have a full menu plan they can recommend? 

I have been looking at sample menu plans on the web and I really don't like what I see.  Many of them rely heavily on cold cereal for breakfast.  Cold cereal just leaves me hungry!  Cold cereal and fruit is only better by 15 minutes. 

Also a lot of these menu plans are very slim in the morning and heavy at night.  In some cases these plans save more than a 1/3 of calories for dinner.  This does not make a lot of sense to me.  Why spend most of your waking hours on too little fuel and ramp it up right before bed?  Are there any menus that are more calorie balanced through out the day?

I am specifically looking for menu plans because it will be easier for me to follow or adapt.  I get overwhelmed trying to do my own thing and end up eating the same things day in and day out. 

I would also be interested in cook book suggestions.  There is so much out there that it is really hard to know what is decent and what is not.  I am not really very picky.  I am omnivorous but I don't care if I eat meat or not. 

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

I eat around 1500 a day, it varies, sometimes less. My main principle is lots of variety. Because of the low calories, it means I eat small amounts of lots of things! I don't find it works out expensive.

My typical day is 400 calories for breakfast, 200-400 calories for lunch, 500 calories for dinner, which leaves me a gap of 200-400 calories for a glass of wine, a type of dessert, snacks during the day, etc.

I don't find cereal ever fills me up. I am a big fan of an egg for breakfast. It is not many calories. I have 2 pieces of toast with it, and a mix of yoghurt, fruit, lots of tea, dried fruit.

Lunches I tend to make salad-type meals out of last night left overs. Again lots of variety, small portions, loads of veg.

Dinners I eat mainly veg and fish, and I view meat as a treat more than a staple (I really like it though! I just think I don't need to eat it all the time.) For example, in the past week I have eaten: sweet potato gnocchi with roast tomatoes and spinach, lamb and halloumi skewers, panfried salmon with rice and broccoli, vine leaves with cheese and olives, mussel and fishball soup, home made falafel + home made mackerel pate with toast... lots of variety basically.

If you would like some specific days I am happy (geekily happy!) to write you out some, I eat different things every day.

My weight loss really took off when I got into asian cooking. My first (and still one of the best books) is this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Asian-Cookb ook/dp/1740454081 - very healthy, very interesting food. This book even has calorie counts in it, though it is not a healthy eating book per say. What type of food are you interested in?

You might want to look at the Biggest Loser 30 day jump start book.

http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-30-Day-Ju mp-Start/dp/1605297828/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF 8&s=books&qid=1241359499&sr=8-1

It has a 30 day menu plan (with recipes) with a targeted 1500 calories a day.  I've tried several of the recipes and they are pretty tasty.

Good Luck

Here is what my day looked like today.. sometimes it just helps to see what other people eat

bfast - 1 med apple, 1/2 cup oatmeal and 1 cup egg whites

lunch - huge salad with ton of veggies and spinach..3 oz of canned salmon on top, no dressing just because I don't really like it but you could add it

pre workout - greek yogurt w/ 1/2 scoop of whey protein and frozen fruit

post workout - cottage cheese and peanut butter on a slice of wheat toast

dinner

few options.. usually I'll do fish or tofu and veg.  Tonight I'm doing a chick pea ragout on baked polenta.  Baked sweet potato, black beans, cottage cheese and roasted broccoli is a fav too.  

I am a decent cook when  I try but honestly I am also a busy and lazy cook.  I definitely need "fast food".  By the time I get home sometimes it is nearly 6:30. And  I am he designated homework helper.

Mostly though I just dont know what to cook for every meal.  I have cook books but it takes a lot of time to figure out how different recipes will work into my calorie budget. 

I have been hoping to find a book that lays it all out for me.  I checked the biggest loser jump start and that has the closest to what I am looking for. 

You know how in the magazines there are diet samples that read something like:  breakfast have one of: x or x or x.  I would like a book that expands on this idea. 

Food really is not a big focus in my life.  But I find a specific plan much easier to follow and or adapt than my current diet free for all. 

BUT - at least I am learning about the right choices to make.  I went out to lunch with my mom today and I did not know where we were going.  We ended up at Panera Bread co.  I have not eaten there in years and found myself analyzing everything.  I am happy to report that upon checking my choice afterwards I did OK.  I got the 1/2 salad and sandwich.  I did not eat the bread.  So in all I got away with just 410 calories.   Higher calorie than usual but not too awful.