If you’re struggling to figure out what a typical day might look like on Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet, here is a Cycle 1 sample menu with recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner (snacks, too!).
If you’re looking for more ideas on how to menu plan for Cycle 1, you can check out my other meal plans as well – they’re listed as the end of this blog post, so keep scrolling!
The possibilities are endless, and this Cycle 1 Sample Menu is only one idea of many!
The trick is to make it your own using foods that are approved that you already love!
I also have many 17 Day Diet Recipes here on the blog and you can create your own menu from them.
17 Day Diet Cycle 1 Sample Menu
Wake Up Drink:
Hot Water with Lemon
Breakfast:
- Blueberries and Cream Green Smoothie
(this smoothie contains 1 + 1/2 of your daily fruit servings and 1 yogurt serving) - 1 Cup Green Tea
Lunch:
- A big bowl of Chicken Enchilada Soup (slow cooker)
- 1/2 cup chopped fruit (this is the remaining fruit serving of the day)
- Small Garden salad
- 1 Cup Green Tea
Dinner:
- Chicken Lombardy
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 Cup Green Tea
Snacks:
• 1/2 Cup Low-Sugar Fruit Flavored Yogurt
• Baby Carrots, 1 Cup (Optional only if hungry)
Water Consumption:
- 64-96 oz of plain water
Tip: Unlimited veggies and lean proteins are allowed on Cycle 1 if you are hungry.
More Recipes Ideas for Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet
Here are a few other ideas for recipes for your meals on Cycle 1:
17 Day Diet Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast is one of the more important meals of the day. Load up on protein and fiber, and you’re good to go.
Here are a few other 17 Day Diet breakfast recipes to give you more ideas for starting your day off on the right foot:
- Veggie Egg Cups
- Waffle Omelette
- Skillet Garden Eggs
- Asparagus and Eggs
- Busy Bee’s Superfood Smoothie Recipe
17 Day Diet Lunch Recipes
Lunch should be enough to fill you up and keep you satiated for most of the day.
You’ll be most active during this part of the day, so make sure you eat enough protein and veggies. Here are a few extra ideas for lunch time:
- Slow Cooker Mexican Cilantro Chicken
- Chicken Feta Spinach Patties
- Egg Roll in a Bowl a la Judy
- Lemony Chicken and Kale Detox Soup
Dinner Recipes
Dinnertime is when you start to wind down for the evening. If you’re cooking for a family, here are some family-friendly meals that you can serve everyone and still lose weight:
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas with Cauliflower
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Yogurt Sauce
- Lemony Herbed Chicken and Green Beans
- Chicken and Broccoli Bake
- Bruschetta Stuffed Balsamic Chicken
17 Day Diet Cycle Food Lists
When you know the approved foods for Cycle 1, it becomes even easier to plan out a menu for the week. Here are links to each cycle food list:
Other 17 Day Diet Sample Meal Plans
Here are a few other sample meal plans for each cycle of the 17 Day Diet to give you a few more ideas and inspiration:
- 17 Day Diet Cycle 1 Meal Plan
- 17 Day Diet Cycle 2 Meal Plan or this New Cycle 2 Sample Menu
- 17 Day Diet Cycle 3 Meal Plan
17 Day Diet Vegetarian Sample Meal Plan
The 17 Day Diet doesn’t have an official chapter on eating a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, so you might be asking “Can I be on the 17 Day Diet if I’m a vegetarian or vegan?”
The short answer is yes. The long answer is you’ll need to modify the 17 Day Diet in order to adapt the diet to your specific lifestyle and I go into this in detail in the link above in this section.
You can also find sample 17 Day Diet Vegetarian Meal Plan to give you some inspiration on how to adapt the 17 Day Diet to your way of eating.
I also have a 4-week dinner meal plan called Simply Veggie you may want to check out.
I’ve been loving the 17 Day Diet since 2011. I love sharing my favorite healthy recipes and meal plans to keep you motivated and on the right path to success!
When I’m not hanging out here, I enjoy quick trips to the Oregon Coast, designing my jewelry line, being a proud Swiftie, and tinkering with my personal Youtube Channel!
Are you new to the 17 Day Diet? Check out my latest book, Fast Track Your Weight Loss With The 17 Day Diet on Amazon! (aff link)
I would love to have your Cycle 1 Sample menus for 7 days ! thank you.
Wilma – you can sign up for the 7 days up there in the box in the post. Thanks!!
I signed up for the 7 day sample menu but what I received was the “Quick Start Guide” and a chance to buy more information.
Keighty, you’ve signed up for both the 7 free menus and the quick start guide. Have you downloaded either?
Of course i did, AFTER I sent the request! :) Thanks
I purchased the “kit” but can not access the files any longer. I can’t get to the recipe book. I am following the diet with success, but would love to follow the menus. please help me!
Sheri, I’m so glad you reached out. I sent you 3 emails that one day you sent me one and all 3 came back as undeliverable. Do you have another email address you can email me so I can get you your login information?
Hi, Is Sashimi ok for 17DD ? & is sugar free mint / candy ok ?
tks
Linda, best to check the individual food lists to see if the type of fish is allowed. As far as sugar free candy, be very careful on the amount of artificial sweetener you digest.
Is plain skyr (e.g. siggi’s) permitted as a probiotic at any stage? 15g protein, 0g fat, 4g sugar
I’m not sure. Is this kefir or some sort of yogurt smoothie type of concoction? 4g of sugar is pretty low, so that’s good.
It’s icelandic style yogurt:
https://siggis.com/products/#?productSection=skyr
Oh, yes, this would actually be very good. Besides, it’s a lot lower in sugar than the low-fat fruit flavored variety!
im confused. the snacks we eat after dinner or after lunch like afternoon snacks?
You should eat snacks whenever you’re hungry. Remember, on Cycles 1 and 2 you’re allowed liberal amounts of lean proteins and cleansing veggies, so if you feel like you need a snack in the afternoon, eat something. If you need a snack before bedtime, you should eat something. If you need a snack mid-morning, eat something. Just keep in mind if you have a piece of fruit as your snack, to eat it before 2pm.
At night? Because my snacks is at night yoghurt with berries. Only yoghurt?
Technically no fruit after 2pm. There are those who still eat fruit in the evening as a sweet treat and have no issues. You do what’s best for you.
Ok thnxs a lot for the help! :)
I’m following cycle 1 really closely and working out 45 mins a day. I’ve lost 4 lbs in week 1 but seem to be stuck there :( I’m drinking between 80 and 100 oz of water/green tea a day and feeling frustrated as I’m hungry most of the time but am eating quite a bit already
Any suggestions ?
Hi Laura, I received your email as well and thought I’d respond here. The fact that you only have 15 pounds to lose is likely one of the reasons you’re not losing as much. Generally, those who need to lose more, lose weight just a tad bit quicker. Couple that with your working out (running & strength training per your email). In Cycle 1 you should be doing more lower impact workouts 17 minutes twice per day. If you’re still hungry, either you’re really not eating enough (due to your running) or not drinking enough water, or a combination of both. Either decrease your running a tad, or increase your food intake to see if you see a difference. And remember, you don’t have that much to lose overall, so it might just take a bit more time and you’ll see the weight come off a bit more slowly. Best of luck!
I am starting cycle 1… I have just recently started fast walking 5 miles a day.. Is this the type of low impact they are talking about? and how am I going to consume 85oz of water a day????
Angie, 5 miles a day is probably not considered low impact by 17DD standards. See this post for more info: https://17ddblog.com/long-exercise-17-day-diet/
As far as drinking water, you’ve just got to get it done (especially if you’re walking that much!!).
What kind of sweetener would you recommend for breakfast?
Nick, the approved sweetener for the 17 Day Diet is Stevia (actually, the book names Truvia, which is just a brand name product). The issue with Stevia products is that most are not 100% Stevia. They are mostly blends of sugars, artificial sweeteners and a little bit of Stevia extract.
I personally drizzle just a bit of raw honey on my yogurt and that’s not to make it sweet – it’s simply to tone down the tang of the yogurt, especially if the fruit I’m using isn’t particularly super ripe. Do what works best for you.
I’m starting cycle 1 & would like to know what else could I eat for breakfast instead of scrambled eggs? I like chicken but not eggs.. Thank you!
Lisa, you can really eat whatever you like! If you like chicken, have a chicken dish for breakfast! As long as the food is cycle 1 approved, you can have it for any meal!
Thank you! I’m on day 5 & have lost 5 lbs. I only have 5 to go. I work out 3 days a week at Orange Theory & burn about 500 calories. Is that ok?
Do you have to drink the green tea hot? I’ve been drinking it hot but don’t enjoy it. Would it be ok to put ice in it after I make it?
Thank you!
Congrats, Lisa!!! This is awesome! I think as long as you’re eating enough, working out is fine if you’ve been doing it for a while. You must be doing something right! As far as green tea, it can be enjoyed hot or cold!
good morning, I would like to know if I can eat the same meals for 5 days – when I prepped I did the same thing for the week – is that acceptable and still lose weight
Kathleen, eating the same meals is fine. However, if you’re in Cycle 2, for instance, make sure you switch it up with added starches every other day.
My biggest challenge is in the eating out…while it’s not preferable, due to expense as well as lack of control-it is sometimes necessary!
Annie, I completely agree! The more I eat at home, the more I prefer eating at home (because my cooking is sometimes better than the restaurants!).
Trying the first cycle and have been eating basic chicken and veggies. Am curious about the chicken lombardi. You use cream cheese. I thought that wasn’t allowed???
Hi Sheri! Technically non-fat cheese is allowed in moderation. It’s under the condiment section in the Cycle 1 Food List here: http://17ddblog.com/food-lists/cycle-1/ I also wrote about it here: https://17ddblog.com/is-cheese-allowed-on-the-17-day-diet/
Awesome! Thanks so much!!! I did this diet few years ago (and did well) but didn’t spice things up and use recipes. I don’t like fish so chicken/eggs three times a day every day was too much. Excited to put some of your recipes to work for me!