Saxenda is a prescription medication used for weight management.
Eating a balanced, healthy diet is important when taking Saxenda to ensure you feed your body with the essential nutrients and energy it needs.
When Saxenda is used in combination with a good diet, it can help support weight loss and contribute long-term health benefits.
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 Saxenda Diet Plan PDF
What is Saxenda?
Saxenda is a brand name for the medication liraglutide. This is an injectable drug used for weight management. It is FDA-approved to treat adults with the following risk factors:
- Those considered obese, with a body mass index (BMI) above 30
- Those considered overweight, with a BMI of 27 or higher who also have at least one weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.
Saxenda works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate appetite and food intake. Saxenda helps you reduce weight by increasing how full you feel. For optimal results, you still need to eat a diet lower in calories and do regular exercise to burn more calories.
Foods to Eat Whilst Taking Saxenda
You shouldn’t just think of calories when choosing foods with Saxena. Although ensuring you eat fewer calories than your body expends is essential in losing weight, different foods can have different effects on the body.
#For example, eating foods high in fiber keeps you full for longer naturally, even without pills.
Eating good amounts of protein ensures you maintain muscle mass, which is necessary to keep your base rate metabolism (and therefore, the amount of calories you expend) stable. If you lose muscle, your metabolism will decrease.
This shows there are far more factors to consider than simply just eating foods low in calories. The types of foods you want to prioritize include:
- Vegetables: Include lots of non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, and carrots. These vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber.
- Fruits: Choose fresh or frozen fruits lower in sugar. These can include fruits like berries, apples, pears and other citrus fruits. They are great as a snack and full of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Whole Grains: These are full of fiber and B vitamins. They provide a sustained energy release, prevent blood sugar spikes, and support digestive health. Opt for options like quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread, oats, and whole grain pasta.
- Fatty Fish: Fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, and mackerel, are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, and essential nutrients.
- Beans and Legumes: Beans and legumes are nutrient-dense plant-based proteins, rich in fiber, port ein, vitamins, and minerals, and low in fat. They include lentils, chickpeas and beans.
- Lean Protein: These are foods high in protein but low in saturated fat. This includes foods like poultry, fish and legumes. Although foods like beef and pork contain lots of protein, vitamins and minerals, they are high in saturated fats. This can cause health risks such as increased cholesterol.
- Healthy fats: These are found in nuts, seeds, avocadoes and olive oil. These are important for nutrient absorption and help you stay full. They are healthy foods but can be high in calories if too much is consumed.
Foods to Limit
These are foods you should generally avoid if you want to lose weight optimally. By all means, treat yourself occasionally – but don’t make a habit of eating these foods regularly:
- Junk foods: fast food and potato chips
- Refined carbohydrates: white bread, pasta, crackers, flour tortillas, biscuits
- Fried foods: french fries, donuts, fried meats
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, tea with added sugar, sports drinks
- Processed meats: bacon, canned meat, salami, sausages
- Trans fats: vegetable oil and margarine
Other Factors to Consider
Be Mindful of Portion Sizes
Although it is harder to overeat with healthy food, it is still possible. Therefore, you should still try to exercise some portion control. By controlling portion sizes, you can create a calorie deficit more reliably.
Practicing portion control also promotes mindful eating, being aware of your body’s hunger and fullness cues and preventing overeating.
Be Aware of Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, is a common side effect of Saxenda. Your doctor or pharmacist should explain what you need to do to treat this.
However, in your diet plan, you should still keep carbohydrates to maintain energy and sugar levels.
Physical activity can also reduce blood sugar levels, meaning you may need to consume extra carbs to compensate on days where you exercise.
Develop a Positive Relationship With Food
Remember a balanced, healthy way of eating doesn’t mean cutting everything you enjoy.
Deprivation and strict restrictions often lead to feelings of frustration and failure, making it difficult to sustain long-term healthy eating habits.
Allowing yourself to enjoy foods you love in moderation can prevent feelings of guilt or shame associated with indulgence, promoting a healthier mindset toward eating.
What’s the Best Diet for Saxenda?
If you’re looking for an eating plan that closely follows the guidelines and foods mentioned, the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the best.
The main characteristics of eating a Mediterranean diet are typical of a balanced diet and include:
- High unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio
- High consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and unrefined grains
- Increased consumption of fish
- Moderate consumption of low-fat dairy (mostly cheese and yogurt)
- Limited intake of red meat and processed foods
Many credible organizations suggest following a Mediterranean diet. These include:
It was ranked the number 1 diet according to the U.S. News & World Report.
In particular, it comes out on top when it comes to its healthiness and how easy it is to follow. This makes it a perfect diet to follow if you want to reduce insulin resistance over the long term and find a sustainable way of eating.
Mediterranean-Style Saxenda Diet Meal Plan
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 |
- 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
- ¾ 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.