To support weight loss at a healthy rate and equip you to maintain a healthy weight long-term, your diet should meet your nutritional needs as well as be manageable and adaptable. Restricting calories in your diet and burning calories through physical activity will help you reach your weight goals. A 1,400-calorie diet that provides balanced nutrition and meets your energy needs can help.
Identification
A healthy 1,400-calorie diet provides you with the energy for normal activity and exercise, as well as proper nutrition. A 1,400-calorie plan may not be appropriate for everyone, and should be adopted only if it aligns with your needs and goals. To support healthy weight loss, your caloric needs could be higher or lower than 1,400. Set your caloric target by first determining how many calories you consume daily on average. Reducing that number by 500 to 1,000 daily will generate a one to two-pound loss over the course of a week.
Features
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you include a variety of fruits and vegetables, grains and lean proteins in your diet, as well as fat-free dairy. To meet your nutritional needs on a 1,400-calorie diet, the USDA recommends that you consume three servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily, including at least three servings of dark green vegetables each week. Other features include five servings of grains, four servings of lean protein and two cups of fat-free dairy daily.
Exceptions
The 1,400-calorie meal plan recommended by the USDA accommodates calories from other foods. The plan provides for an additional 171 calories daily to be spent on foods of your choice. A healthy, calorie-restrictive diet should accommodate your favorite comfort foods, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To incorporate these foods into your dietary goals, look for reduced-calorie versions, eat smaller portions or enjoy them less often.
Beverages
One cup of fruit or vegetable juice with no sugar added constitutes a serving from the fruit or vegetable group. However, other than juice or milk consumed to meet your nutritional needs, water should be consumed as often as possible. Sweetened beverages increase your caloric intake and must be subtracted from your discretionary caloric allowance.
Considerations
Adjust your caloric target if you feel overly hungry, experience a weight plateau or substantially increase your physical activity. A diet that leaves you feeling consistently hungry will be difficult to sustain. Increasing your caloric goal by just 100 to 200 calories may help control hunger without sabotaging your weight-loss efforts, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. A reduction in caloric intake or an increase in exercise can help you overcome a weight plateau. However, a more intense exercise regimen often requires an increase in caloric intake.
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