A 2,000 calorie meal plan is an appropriate way for an adult to provide his body with the optimum nutrition and calories needed to perform daily activities, say the experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Achieving 2,000 calories a day requires planning healthy meals full of fiber, protein and carbohydrates to ensure a perfectly balanced diet.
Breakfast
A 2,000 calorie breakfast menu should focus on having the right combination of foods that are not high in fat, but provide enough calories and energy to start the day off right. Ideally, try getting two starches, one fruit, one dairy and one fat. This should provide enough calories and balance your meal out. A meal of a whole wheat English muffin with jam and butter, orange wedges and a glass of milk is a good idea, or a bowl of bran flakes topped with cut up strawberries and coffee with cream would be an optimum breakfast to give you enough calories.
Lunch
Lunch is an important meal because it sustains you through that all too common afternoon slump that plagues so many people. It is important to get enough food energy to last you until the afternoon is over. Too many people skip lunch, not getting enough calories, or eat something fatty and fried, leaving them with too many calories. A lean turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomatoes, served with a hard-boiled egg on the side, with water or fruit juice to drink will provide enough calories, protein and energy.
Dinner
Dinner should not be as calorie-dense as most conventional families seem to make it. While you may have been brought up in a home of pot roasts and potatoes for dinner, remember that you have already consumed enough calories throughout the day to try a lighter fare for dinner. Poached fish with lemon, dill and a side salad provides plenty of calories, and leaves enough to have a satisfying dessert as well.
Snacks
Having a snack twice per day, between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner, can keep you going and fill the gaps in your caloric intake that you have missed with meals. Remember to use your calories with care. Instead of a snack from the vending machine, try a handful of almonds and a sting cheese, or vegetables with hummus dip. These will add to your caloric intake without ballooning it out of proportion.
Planning
The key to a successful 2,000 calorie meal plan is just that--planning. Write out your meal plan a week in advance, and shop so that you have all of the necessary ingredients on hand to make your meals, so you don't find yourself substituting with less healthy foods. While the number 2,000 is an estimation, use the calorie counter found in the Resources section to tally up your food choices to make sure that you are staying within a healthy range for optimum health.
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