The average adult and most teenagers need about 2,000 calories a day to meet their nutritional needs. Meals in a 2,000-calorie diet should include a variety of foods from every food group in moderation. They should also be balanced with exercise to support overall health and weight maintenance.
Calories and Weight
The Mayo Clinic says â??calories are the energy in foodâ? and need to be replenished on a daily basis to fuel the body. Weight is stable when the amount of calories consumed equals the amount of calories expended through daily activities. High-calorie meals can lead to weight gain and obesity when eaten on a regular basis because excess calories that are not used get stored as fat. Overweight individuals need to decrease their calorie consumption by eating smaller meals and portions to support weight loss.
Vitamins and Minerals
Meals that include a variety of foods can provide all of the vitamins and minerals a person needs on a daily basis. One of the easiest ways to tell if a meal is rich in essential vitamins and minerals is look at how colorful it is. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, healthy meals are vibrantly colored and contain lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. Plant-based foods in particular contain fiber and antioxidants that protect the body from damage that causes cancer and heart disease. The Mayo Clinic notes that individuals with certain medical conditions or an unhealthy diet many need to take vitamin and mineral supplements.
Unhealthy Foods
Foods that are high in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar should be limited on a 2,000-calorie diet. The USDA says these foods tend to be high in calories but nutritionally deficient and contribute to chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and hypertension. Healthy meal planning limits fast foods and processed foods, deep fried foods, candy, soda, pastries and desserts and foods made with a lot of butter, cream, lard, shortening, margarine or mayonnaise.
Nutrition Facts Labels
Nutrition facts labels are a tool that can be used to plan healthy meals that fit into a 2,000-calorie diet. They are helpful for comparing products for their calorie, fat and nutrient content. Specific nutrients on a nutrition facts label that benefit health include fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Nutrients that are unhealthy in excessive amounts and should be low include total fat, saturated and trans-fats, cholesterol, sodium and sugar.
Planning
Planning ahead can make creating healthy meals easy. The Nemours Foundation suggests making grocery lists and sticking to them to avoid unhealthy impulse buys. Cooking and freezing meals ahead of time that can be reheated later will be useful when time is short and is a healthier option than going out. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store is also a healthy habit because that is where most of the fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy and grain products are located. The middle aisles tend to be full of processed, canned and frozen foods that can be high in calories, fat, sodium and sugar.
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