3000 Calorie Meal Plan

A 3000-calorie meal plan is often used to gain weight. This may be necessary if a person is underweight or for those who are attempting to build muscle and increase body mass. Depending on how many calories a person normally consumes, eating 3000 calories a day may be difficult, as it requires a large amount of food.

Meal Schedule

The easiest way to consume 3000 calories is to eat six small 500-calorie meals per day. This means that a meal should be eaten about every three hours. Preparing several meals at once, ahead of time, and storing them in containers in the refrigerator will reduce the time-consuming process of creating six full meals every day. Pay attention to the nutritional labels of the foods you eat so that you can begin to create your own meals to suit your personal tastes. Remember that breakfast meals can be eaten in the evening and lunch or dinner choices are acceptable at breakfast.

Breakfast

Oatmeal, even the old fashioned variety, can be cooked quickly in the microwave on busy mornings. Pour one cup of uncooked oatmeal into a large cereal bowl, add one cup of frozen blueberries, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water depending on how thick you like your oatmeal. Serve with 8 oz. of orange juice to hit the 500-calorie mark.

Eggs can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Heat them on low power in the microwave for one to two minutes before eating. A breakfast scramble containing three eggs, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 an avocado is 500 calories. An alternate 500-calorie meal for those who enjoy bacon is three strips of cooked bacon along with four eggs cooked with nonstick cooking spray and topped with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and 2 tbsp. of fresh salsa.

Snacks

Measure out 2 oz. almonds and 1/3 cup dried cranberries into a Ziploc bag for a quick 500-calorie meal on the go. A smoothie can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for quick meals. Blend together 1 scoop of whey protein, 2 cups of skim milk, 1 banana, and 1 tbsp. of natural peanut butter for a 500-calorie beverage.

Lunch

Two cans of tuna mixed with three tbsp. light mayo and eaten with eight saltine crackers is an easy 500-calorie lunch. Feel free to add mustard, salt and pepper as well as chopped pickle, celery or onion to suit your taste. All these ingredients contain little to no calories and won't make a significant impact on the meal plan. If you aren't a tuna fan, try spreading 2 tbsp. peanut butter on a bagel and washing it down with an 8-oz. glass of skim milk.

Dinner

Broil 4 1/2 oz. Atlantic salmon and serve with 1 cup cooked brown rice and 1 cup of steamed green beans for a healthy 500-calorie dinner. Another option is 6 oz. baked boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2 cups steamed broccoli, one 3 1/2-oz sweet potato and an 8-oz. glass of skim milk.