7 Day Lupus Diet Meal Plan (PDF & Menu)

Diet can help play a big role in managing lupus, an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and immune system dysfunction.

While diet alone cannot cure lupus, making dietary changes can help reduce symptoms and minimize inflammation.

By incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants within a balanced diet, individuals with lupus can help alleviate symptoms associated with lupus.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of following a diet when taking Saxenda, including a sample 7-day plan featuring daily meals and a corresponding shopping list.

You can jump straight into the 7 day pdf of the plan here.

View 7 Day Lupus Diet Plan PDF

Contents show

What is Lupus?

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues and organs.

It can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, and lungs. Lupus is characterized by periods of flare-ups and remission, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe and varying from person to person.

Common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, fever, and inflammation. It requires ongoing medical management and treatment.

However, diet can help manage the symptoms of lupus as well as other health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

How Diet Can Help Lupus

A lot of the benefits of eating a good, healthy diet come in the form of losing and maintaining a healthy weight. Some of the specific benefits include:

Reduced Inflammation: Excess weight, especially visceral fat (fat around the organs), contributes to inflammation in the body. By eating a healthy diet and losing weight, you can reduce inflammation levels, potentially helping symptoms of lupus and reducing risk of flares.
Better Joint Health: Joint pain is common in those with lupus, particularly the small joints. Carrying excess weight puts additional stress on the joints, exasberating any symptoms. By losing and maintaining a healthy weight, you can reduce the strain on joints and reduce discomfort.
Better Cardiovascular Health: Cardiovascular disease is the biggest cause of death of people suffering with SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus). Being overweight or obese compounds this risk, as it contributes to risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. Losing weight can help reduce the risk of these and improve cardiovascular health.
Overall Well-Being: Dealing with lupus everyday can take a toll 0n your mental health. Losing weight and eating a healthy diet can enhance mood and reduce stress, particularly if it is accompanied by physical activity, which releases endorphins.

Foods to Eat for Lupus

These are the type of foods you want to eat to help with lupus:

Fruits and Vegetables: These are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fiber in particular is important if you need to lose weight as it helps you feel fuller with fewer calories, helping you to lose weight naturally.
Whole Grains: These are high in fiber and other vitamins. Studies find that eating whole grains are associated with a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and inflammation.
Lean Proteins: Choose lean protein sources like poultry, fish, legumes (such as beans and lentils), and tofu. Sufficient protein is essential in order to maintain muscle mass. Having sufficient muscle is important in keeping your base metabolism high, helping you expend more calories and helping weight loss.
Fatty Fish: Include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties that may help manage lupus symptoms.
Beans and Legumes: These are great sources of plant-based protein. They can help improve blood pressure and cholesterol. Since they are high in protein and fiber, they also keep you more fuller for longer, helping you naturally lose weight.
Nuts and Seeds: Although nuts and seeds do contain a lot of calories, many studies find that they can actually help weight loss. They can also help lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
Low-Fat Dairy: Choose low-fat dairy products or dairy alternatives fortified with calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients are important for bone health, especially as lupus and some medications can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Healthy Fats: Incorporate healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts (such as almonds, walnuts), and seeds (such as flaxseeds and chia seeds). These fats provide essential fatty acids and can help reduce inflammation.

Foods to Limit for Lupus

These are the sorts of foods to limit on the whole.

It’s fine to have an occasional treat, but these are the types of foods that will encourage weight gain and increase the risk of health factors when consumed in high quantities.

Added sugar: Sweets, table sugar, sugary drinks and many others
Refined grains: White bread, pasta made with refined wheat, etc.
Trans fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods.
Refined Oils: Soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil and others.
Highly processed foods & meats: fried chicken, potato chips and more

Why Choose a Mediterranean Diet For Lupus

The Mediterranean diet is one of the best to follow for people with lupus. It contains all the foods above and is one of the most researched and recommended diets to follow.

Many credible organisations suggest following a Mediterranean diet. These include:

It is a well-researched diet with many studies showing its effectiveness for a range of health markers. Some of the studies are linked below:

Lower risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, (1, 2)
Lower risk of coronary heart disease (3, 4)
Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (5)
Lower risk of breast cancer (6)
Lower risk of obesity (7)
Better cognitive function (8)

It is also a great diet to follow for weight loss. The Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the best diet according to the U.S. News & World Report.

In particular, it comes out on top when it comes to its healthiness and easiness to follow. This makes it a perfect diet to follow if you want to lose weight healthily and sustainably, meaning you keep the weight off long-term.

How to Follow a Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet pyramid below gives a good visual indication of what foods to prioritize.

At the bottom are common staple foods that are to be consumed in large amounts and more frequently. Portion sizes and frequency decline as you go up the pyramid.

The pyramid intentionally does not specify recommended weights of foods or calories. It is only meant to provide an overall look at healthy food choices and their relative proportions.

It does this because good health has been attributed to variations within the overall dietary pattern. The more variety you get within the specified relative allowances per category – the better.

7 Day Mediterranean Lupus Diet

Sample Menu

In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Mon	Blueberry Blues Porridge	Greek Salad	Haddock Risotto
Tues	Basil & Spinach Scramble	Falafel Wraps	Eggplant & Lentil Bake
Wed	Tomato & Watermelon Salad	Carrot, Orange & Avocado Salad	Mediterranean Chicken, Quinoa & Greek Salad
Thurs	Blueberry Blues Porridge	Mixed Bean Salad	Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash
Fri	Basil & Spinach Scramble	Panzanella Salad	Salmon & Chickpea Salad
Sat	Tomato & Watermelon Salad	Spiced Carrot & Lentil Soup	Chicken Gyros
Sun	Blueberry Blues Porridge	Moroccan Chickpea Soup	Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad

Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:

A handful of nuts or seeds
A piece of fruit
Carrots or baby carrots
Berries or grapes

Day 1: Monday

Breakfast: Breakfast Blues Porridge

Nutrition

Calories – 347
Protein – 15g
Carbs – 42g
Fat – 15g

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

½ cup (50g) porridge oats
⅚ cup (200ml) milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
⅛ cup (25g) chia seeds
¾ cup (150g) blueberries
⅓ cup (25g) flaked almonds

Instructions

Mix the porridge oats, milk, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt and chia seeds in a bowl and soak for one minute. Once the oats have softened, add some of the blueberries.
Place the mixture into two bowls and add any remaining berries and almonds.

Lunch: Greek Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 273
Protein – 6g
Carbs – 14g
Fat – 24g

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

⅘ cup (120g) cherry tomatoes,
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
⅓ (60g) or about 16 Kalamata olives
1 tsp dried oregano
⅓ cup (50g) feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and lightly season. Serve with wholemeal bread.

Dinner: Haddock Risotto

Nutrition

Calories – 508
Protein – 40g
Carbs – 46g
Fat – 15g

Prep time + cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced
½ cup (150g) risotto rice, such as arborio or carnaroli
1 ½ cups (350ml) vegetable stock
½ cup (125ml) milk
9-10 oz (280g) smoked haddock,
skinned and cut into large chunks
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 ⅔ cups (50g) baby spinach

Instructions

Heat oven to 400F (200C). Heat the oil in an oven-proof dish over a medium heat. Cook the leek for 4-5 minutes, until just tender. Add the rice and stir for 2 extra minutes.
Add the stock and milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the haddock on top. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 18 minutes until the rice is tender.
Add the Greek yogurt and spinach and season. Cover the pan again and leave to rest out of the oven for 3 minutes before serving.

Day 2: Tuesday

Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 177
Protein – 5g
Carbs – 13g
Fat – 13g

Prep time + cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp chopped mint
⅘ cup (120g) cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 ⅔ cups (250g) watermelon, cut into chunks
⅔ cup (100g) feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

For the dressing, Mix the oil, vinegar, chilli flakes and mint and then season.
Put the tomatoes and watermelon into a bowl. Pour over the dressing, add the feta, then serve.

Lunch: Falafel Wraps

Nutrition

Calories – 424
Protein – 21g
Carbs – 44g
Fat – 21g

Prep time + cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

2 wholemeal wraps
4 falafels (about 3.5 oz / 100g)
½ avocado
Small bunch of parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp harissa

For the tahini sauce:

¼ cup (60g) Greek yogurt
½ tbsp tahini
½ lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp ground cumin

Instructions

To make the tahini sauce, add the ingredients plus some seasoning to a bowl and mix together.
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and warm the flatbread for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. Spoon some tahini sauce on the flatbread along with the falafel and tahini. Scatter the parsley, squeeze the lime juice and add the harissa. Roll and serve.

Dinner: Eggplant Lentil Bake

Nutrition

Calories – 444
Protein – 17g
Carbs – 52g
Fat – 20g

Prep time + cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 eggplant / aubergine, sliced lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil
⅓ cup (70g) lentils
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ cup (150g) cooked butternut squash
7 oz can (200g) chopped tomatoes
½ small pack basil leaves
⅓ cup (60g) feta

Instructions

Heat oven to 425F (220C). Add oil to each eggplant side. Lay on baking sheets, season and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Cook lentils following pack instructions.
Heat oil in frying pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add squash & tomatoes, plus ½ can of water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in lentils, basil & seasoning.
Spoon layer of lentils into baking dish, then eggplant slices and repeat. Scatter feta and bake for 15 more minutes until cheese is golden.

Day 3: Wednesday

Breakfast: Basil & Spinach Scramble

Nutrition

Calories – 294
Protein – 16g
Carbs – 8g
Fat – 24g

Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

2 tbsp olive oil
⅔ cup (100g) cherry tomatoes
4 eggs
¼ cup (60ml) milk
handful basil, chopped
6 cups (180g) baby spinach
black pepper

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the tomatoes. While they are cooking, beat the eggs in a jug and add the milk, black pepper and basil.
Remove the tomatoes from the pan and place on the plates. Add the oil, spinach and egg mixture to the pan, stirring occasionally until the eggs scramble. Once set, add to the plates and serve.

Lunch: Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 177
Protein – 5g
Carbs – 13g
Fat – 13g

Prep time + cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 orange, plus zest and juice of 1
2 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced with a peeler
35g / 1 ½ cups rocket / arugula
1 avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Cut the segments from 1 of the oranges and put in a bowl with the carrots, rocket/arugula and avocado. Whisk together the orange juice, zest and oil. Toss through the salad, and season.

Dinner: Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 424
Protein – 33g
Carbs – 50g
Fat – 21g

Prep time + cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

⅗ cup (100g) quinoa
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, chopped
handful pitted black kalamata olives
½ red onion, finely sliced
⅓ cup (50g) feta cheese, crumbled
small bunch mint leaves, chopped
juice and zest ½ lemon

Instructions

Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.
Meanwhile, toss the chicken fillets in the olive oil with some seasoning, chilli and garlic. Lay in a hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside
Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken on top.

Day 4: Thursday

Breakfast: Breakfast Blues Porridge

Lunch: Mixed Bean Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 240
Protein – 11g
Carbs – 22g
Fat – 12g

Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

⅘ cups (145g) artichoke heart in oil
½ tbsp sundried tomato paste
½ tsp red wine vinegar
7 oz can (200g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
⅘ cup (120g) cherry tomatoes, chopped
handful Kalamata black olives
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
⅔ cup (100g) feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Drain the jar of artichokes, reserving 1-2 tbsp of oil. Add the oil, sun-dried tomato paste and vinegar and stir until smooth. Season to taste.
Chop the artichokes and tip into a bowl. Add the cannellini beans, tomatoes, olives, spring onions and half of the feta cheese. Stir in the artichoke oil mixture and tip into a serving bowl. Crumble over the remaining feta cheese, then serve.

Dinner: Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash

Nutrition

Calories – 314
Protein – 19g
Carbs – 33g
Fat – 16g

Prep time + cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 pepper, deseeded & quartered
1 eggplant (aubergine), sliced lengthways
2 zucchini (courgettes), sliced lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil

For the mash

14 oz (400g) can haricot beans, rinsed
1 garlic clove, crushed
⅖ cup (100ml) vegetable stock
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander

Instructions

Heat the grill. Arrange the vegetables over a grill pan &brush lightly with oil. Grill until lightly browned, turn them over, brush again with oil, then grill until tender.
Meanwhile, put the beans in a pan with garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Mash roughly with a potato masher. Divide the vegetables and mash between 2 plates, drizzle over oil and sprinkle with black pepper and coriander.

Day 5: Friday

Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Lunch: Panzanella Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 452
Protein – 6g
Carbs – 37g
Fat – 25g

Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

2 cups (300g) cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, stoned, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 slices of brown bread
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
small handful basil leaves

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Season well and add the garlic, capers, avocado and onion. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks and place in a bowl. Drizzle over half of the olive oil and half of the vinegar. When ready to serve, scatter tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzle with remaining oil and vinegar. Stir before serving.

Dinner: Salmon & Chickpea Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 351
Protein – 25g
Carbs – 34g
Fat – 14g

Prep time + cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 large red pepper, quartered and deseeded
½ lemon, zest and juice
pinch smoked paprika
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 ⅓ cup (100g) baby spinach
2 salmon fillets
14 oz (400g) can chickpeas

Instructions

Heat the grill and grill the pepper quarters for 5 minutes. Leave the grill on. Transfer the peppers to a bowl & leave to cool slightly. Peel off the skins & cut the flesh into strips.
Whisk the lemon zest, juice, smoked paprika, olive oil & seasoning. Toss half the dressing with the spinach leaves and divide between 2 bowls.
Season the salmon and grill for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the chickpeas in their canning liquid for 3-4 minutes, drain well, then mix with the remaining dressing & strips of pepper. Spoon over spinach and top with salmon to serve.

Day 6: Saturday

Breakfast: Basil & Spinach Scramble

Lunch: Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Nutrition

Calories – 238
Protein – 11g
Carbs – 34g
Fat – 7g

Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups (300g) carrots, washed and coarsely grated
⅓ cup (70g) split red lentils
2 ¼ cups (500ml) hot vegetable stock
¼ cup (60ml) milk
Greek yogurt, to serve

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan and dryfry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have swollen and softened.
Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices.

Dinner: Chicken Gyros

Nutrition

Calories – 296
Protein – 26g
Carbs – 29g
Fat – 8g

Prep time + cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp oregano
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
8-10cm (about half) piece cucumber,
2 tbsp mint, chopped
2 wholemeal pita bread
⅓ cup (50g) cherry tomatoes
1 roasted red pepper from jar, sliced

Instructions

Heat a frying pan with some olive oil over a medium heat. Cover the chicken chunks with oregano, then add to the pan with the garlic and some pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or so until cooked through.
Meanwhile, grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water. Add the yogurt, grated cucumber and mint to make the tzatziki.
Cut the tops of the pittas on their longest side. Layer in the chicken, tomatoes and red pepper. If eating immediately, add the tzatziki. If taking away, keep the tzatziki in a separate container and add before eating to stop the pitta going soggy.

Day 7: Sunday

Breakfast: Breakfast Blues Porridge

Lunch: Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Nutrition

Calories – 408
Protein – 15g
Carbs – 63g
Fat – 11g

Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

1 tbsp olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
1 celery sticks, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ¼ cups (300ml) hot vegetable stock
7 oz can (200g) chopped tomatoes
7 oz can (200g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup (50g) frozen broad beans
zest and juice ½ lemon
cilantro (coriander) & bread to serve

Instructions

Heat the oil in a saucepan, then fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the cumin and fry for another minute.
Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas and black pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add broad beans and lemon juice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Top with lemon zest and coriander.

Dinner: Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad

Nutrition

Calories – 548
Protein – 23g
Carbs – 58g
Fat – 20g

Prep time + cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

8 raw baby beetroots, or 4 medium, scrubbed
½ tbsp sumac
½ tbsp ground cumin
14 oz can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest and juice, ½ lemon
⅚ cup (200g) Greek yogurt
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
mint leaves, chopped, to serve

Instructions

Heat oven to 425F (220C). Halve or quarter beetroots depending on size. Mix spices together. On a large baking tray, mix chickpeas and beetroot with the oil. Season with salt & sprinkle over the spices. Mix again. Roast for 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, mix the lemon zest and juice with the yogurt. Swirl the harissa through and spread into a bowl. Top with the beetroot & chickpeas, and sprinkle with the chilli flakes & mint

Lupus Diet Shopping List

This shopping list corresponds to the 7 day plan, serving 2 people. No snacks are included.

28 Day Mediterranean Diet Plan for Lupus

We’ve created a 4-week Mediterranean-style lupus diet meal plan that follows the same format as this 7-day meal plan pdf. In it contains FOUR weeks of meal plans, recipes, shopping lists and prep guides – all available in digital format.

Click here to grab your copy of the 28 day Mediterranean diet plan for lupus!

Disclosure

We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. It makes no claims with respect to weight loss, either in terms of the amount or rate at which weight loss could be achieved. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.