The 2,000-calorie-a-day diet was originally created for people with diabetes. The diet evolved into a weight-loss plan by incorporating choices of healthier carbohydrates and reducing sweets. The Department of Agriculture also recommends that most women consume only 2,000 calories per day. Choose foods directly from the USDA food pyramid guidelines, giving special attention to choosing healthy carbohydrates.
Grains
You can identify a healthy grain because the packaging will labeled it as "whole." According to the USDA, you should consume at least three ounces of grains daily. Examples of approved grains include:
Bran flake cereal
Brown rice
Buckwheat pancakes
English muffin
Flour tortilla
Grits
Oatmeal
Reduced-fat granola
Rigatoni pasta
Rye bread
Tortilla chips
Wheat cereal
Wheat crackers
White rice
Whole-grain bread
Whole-grain sandwich buns
Whole-grain spaghetti noodles
Whole-wheat dinner rolls
Whole-wheat pita bread
Vegetables
You should choose vegetables for their nutrient content. The groups of choices include: dark green, orange starch, dry beans or peas, and other vegetables. The USDA recommends one to three cups of vegetables each day, depending on your gender and age. The USDA recommends any vegetable, including:
Avocado
Black beans
Broccoli
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Cucumbers
Green beans
Lettuce-romaine, iceberg or common
Mushrooms
Onions
Potatoes, consumes sparingly if your goal to lose weight loss.
Tomato
Spinach
Sweet potato
Vegetable soup
White beans
Fruits
The USDA allows fruits that are fresh, frozen, dried or canned. The USDA recommends one to two cups per day, depending on your age. Juices count as servings but you should consume them sparingly. Some common fruits are:
Apples
Apricots
Bananas, should be consumed sparingly when your goal is weight loss.
Grapefruit
Honeydew melon
Lime
Mangoes
Oranges
Strawberries
Tangerines
Pineapple
Peaches
Pears
Apple juice
Orange juice
Prune juice
Dairy and Eggs
Dairy provides calcium and the USDA recommends two to three cups every day. Milk might be beneficial to help you lose weight. Choose fat-free products. Lactose-free products are also available.
Cheese: mozzarella, ricotta, American, Swiss, cheddar and Parmesan
Eggs
Fat-free milk
Fat-free yogurt
Meat, Fish and Poultry
The USDA recommends baking, broiling or grilling meats to reduce the fat content. Dry beans and peas count as a serving of meat because of the protein content. The USDA recommends two to six ounces of meats each day.
Beef-choose it for the protein content and pick leaner cuts, such as sirloin, loin steak or ground round.
Canadian bacon
Chicken
Lean roast beef
Ground turkey
Pork-several varieties of cuts are lean, such as center cut pork chops and lean ham.
Salmon
Tuna
Oils
Use oils sparingly.
Canola oil
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
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