A low-calorie diet usually means consuming between 1,500 and 1,800 calories a day, according to The Diet Channel. Very low-calorie diets of 800 calories a day should only be prescribed by your physician if you are seriously overweight, and she will make suggestions as to what you can eat to safely stay within that amount. If you want to maintain 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day, there are many options at your grocery store to choose from.
Vegetables
Vegetables are good low-calorie foods that also supply healthy vitamins and minerals. You can buy frozen or canned and the calorie content will be on the label, but fresh is best. Consider broccoli at 31 calories for a cup of chopped pieces and you'll get your daily requirement of vitamins C and K. Cauliflower has only 25 calories per cup. One large carrot has only five calories and is rich in beta carotene. A cup of shredded lettuce has only 10 calories. The same serving of romaine has eight calories, is very low in cholesterol and very high in fiber, according to the website Nutrition Data. The USDA's National Nutrition Database for Standard Reference supplies Nutrition Data's information.
Fruits
Fruits are high in natural sugar. Consider grapefruit to keep your calorie count down. Half a white Florida grapefruit has only 38 calories and less sugar than other choices, according to Nutrition Data. Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C and is a good source of potassium. Avoid cherries, oranges, berries and melons because most of their calories come from sugar.
Dairy
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends replacing whole milk in your diet with low-fat, reduced-fat or fat-free milk. A cup of skim milk has 86 calories and is an excellent source of protein and calcium. Regular cottage cheese is four percent fat, but the low-fat variety has only one percent. If you buy packaged cheese rather than shop at the deli counter, you can purchase fat-free varieties and reduce your calories. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests substituting plain, low-fat yogurt for sour cream.
Poultry
Purchase chicken and turkey breasts without skin to avoid the calories in that part of the bird. Avoid duck and goose, both of which are high in fats. When prepared by roasting, half a chicken breast, skinless and boneless, has 142 calories, only 28 of them from fat. Chicken is high in protein and niacin.
Seafood
Buy water-packed tuna instead of oil-packed, advises the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Steam shellfish and avoid breading when cooking fish. According to Nutrition Data, one Alaskan king crab leg has 130 calories, 19 of them from fat, when cooked by moist heat. It's a good source of protein and vitamin B12, but Nutrition Data warns that shellfish tends to be high in cholesterol and sodium, so buy this only on occasion. Consider white fish, such as flounder or sole. One fillet cooked by dry heat has 149 calories, 18 of them from fat.
Snacks and Dessert
Low-calorie snacks should consist mostly of crunchy, raw vegetables, but the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests that popcorn can offer you some variety if you air-pop it and eat it in moderation. Buy fat-free frozen yogurt or sherbet instead of ice cream.
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