How is this food plan?

Keep in mind that I'm just starting out.  I don't want to be super strict or I will set myself up for failure.   Here is a typical menu that I am thinking about for my weight loss journey:

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal
• Banana

Snack:

• Snack Mix

Lunch:

• Grilled Chicken
• Brown Rice

Dinner:

• Grilled Fish
• Steamed Veg
• Caesar Salad

Snack:

• Popcorn

This comes to approx. 1300 calories.    In addition I am going to try to burn 300 calories a day in exercise.    My current weight is 177.  Age is 39.

It sounds like the calories are a little low. When you first start restricting calories, you should try not to make too huge of a leap or you will start to feel majorly deprived. It's better to wean yourself down. You should also read the threads about BMR and why you should not eat fewer calories than your BMR. (You can search for these threads in the top right corner of the site-- just select the "forums" option.)

Nutrition-wise it looks like you are making very good choices, and it's pretty balanced.

You also have to remember to factor in your exercise calories when deciding your target calorie number. If you burn 300 exercising, then your body is only getting the remaining 1000 to survive on... which is far too low. Try going to the "tools" section (find it on the top blue bar of the site) and checking out the "burn meter" and "calorie target" calculators. hope this helped.

For snacks I would put in fruits.

UD

The main thing I'd say is that your diet looks very low in fats.  You need good fats otherwise you could have gallbladder problems. Make sure your trail mix includes healthy fats in the form of nuts and seeds. Also try an olive oil vinagrette on your salad or steamed veges. Avocado is another good option. Healthy fats will actually HELP you lose weight.

Some other good options you might consider are:

Fruits, skim milk, cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, beans/pulses, grainy bread.

Looks good!

carbs  and fiber from brown rice and oatmeal

protein from chicken and fish

healthy fats from fish

has veggies

might want to change popcorn to more fruits or dairy (stuff with calcium)

1300 is a bit low for 177.

 I'd say start slower. Try 1500 first.

Make a few more menus with similar calories count so you can mix and match! your meals will be less dull that way.