A balanced diet aims at providing the right types and amounts of food to supply the right amount of nutrients and energy to support your everyday functions. It includes a variety of foods from all of the food groups. A balanced diet should also help you maintain a healthy weight. A 2,000-calorie diet can help most men and women maintain a healthy weight.
Monday
Each meal on a 2,000-calorie diet should contain about 600 calories, leaving room for two 100-calorie snacks. A healthy Monday morning breakfast may consist of 2 cups of whole-grain cereal with 1 cup of nonfat milk, a large banana and 1 cup of orange juice. For lunch, try a turkey sandwich made with 3 oz. of lean turkey luncheon meat on two slices of whole-wheat bread with 1 tbsp. of low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, served with a large apple and 1 cup of low-fat yogurt. To control midday hunger, snack on 10 walnut halves. For dinner, grill 3 oz. of lean hamburger meat and serve on a whole-wheat bun with an ear of corn, 1 cup of roasted potatoes and a tossed salad with 2 tbsp. of low-fat salad dressing. Make your evening snack a half-cup serving of low-fat frozen yogurt.
Tuesday
For Tuesday breakfast try a 4-oz. whole-wheat bagel with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter and 1 cup of nonfat milk. A healthy lunch may include 4 oz. of grilled chicken on mixed greens with seven walnut halves, 2 tbsp. of craisins and 2 tbsp. of low-fat salad dressing with 1 cup of grapes and a low-fat yogurt. Snack on two rice cakes with one wedge of nonfat spreadable cheese in the afternoon. For dinner, try pasta primavera with shrimp made with 2 cups of whole-wheat pasta, 10 precooked shrimp, 1 cup of mixed vegetables and a quarter-cup of marinara sauce. After dinner, snack on 3 cups of air-popped popcorn.
Wednesday
For breakfast on Wednesday, try a two-egg omelet with 1 oz. of low-fat cheese, a half-cup mixed vegetables with two slices of whole-wheat toast, 2 tsp. of margarine and 1 cup of nonfat milk. For lunch, stuff a whole-wheat pita with one quarter-cup of hummus, alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes and eat with a quarter-cup mix of raisins and peanuts and a container of low-fat yogurt. Midday, snack on string cheese and carrot sticks. For dinner, try a vegetable stir-fry with 2 cups of mixed vegetables and a half-cup of tofu stir-fried with low-sodium soy sauce and served with 1 1/2 cups of brown rice. Eat a large pear as an after-dinner snack.
Thursday
For breakfast on Thursday, toast two slices of whole-wheat bread and top each with a slice of low-fat cheese and a tomato slice, and serve with 1 cup of nonfat milk, a container of low-fat yogurt and a medium banana. For lunch, try 2 cups of chicken noodle soup with 12 whole-grain crackers, one string cheese and 1 cup of nonfat milk. Snack on cucumber slices and carrot sticks with 2 tbsp. of hummus in the afternoon. For dinner, eat a 4-oz. portion of chicken Parmesan with 1 cup of whole-wheat spaghetti and 1 cup of steamed broccoli. For your evening snack, try one half-cup of whole-grain cereal with a half-cup of nonfat milk.
Friday
Friday for breakfast, opt for 1 cup of cooked oatmeal mixed with 4 tbsp. of raisins, a quarter-cup of sliced almonds and 2 tbsp. of brown sugar with 1 cup of nonfat milk. At lunch you can have two slices of cheese pizza with a tossed salad with 1 tbsp. of low-fat dressing. A large orange makes a healthy midafternoon snack. At dinner, broil 4 oz. of salmon and serve with a 6-oz. baked potato, 1 tsp. of margarine, 1 tbsp. of sour cream and 1 cup of peas. After dinner snack on two small chocolate chip cookies.
Saturday
Make yourself three whole-wheat pancakes for breakfast on Saturday and serve with one quarter-cup of pancake syrup, a half-cup of blueberries and 1 cup of nonfat milk. At lunch, make a grilled cheese sandwich using two slices of whole-wheat bread, two slices of low-fat cheese and 2 tsp. of margarine and eat with 2 cups of tomato soup. Snack on celery topped with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter. For dinner, try 1 cup of meat lasagna with 1 oz. of Italian bread, 1 tsp. of margarine, 1 cup of roasted carrots and a tossed salad with 1 tbsp. of low-fat dressing. After dinner, snack on 1 cup of fresh pineapple.
Sunday
Make an egg sandwich for Sunday breakfast with 1 scrambled egg, a whole-wheat English muffin, one slice of low-fat cheese and one slice of Canadian bacon, served with 1 cup of juice and 2 cups of diced melons. At lunch, try 2 cups of vegetarian chili with a 2-oz. roll topped with 1 tsp. of margarine and served with a container of low-fat yogurt and an apple. Snack on 10 baked tortilla chips and salsa. For dinner, eat a bean burrito made with an eight-inch whole-wheat tortilla, one quarter-cup of bean puree and 1 oz. of low-fat cheese, served with 1 cup of rice and beans. After dinner, enjoy 1 cup of low-fat yogurt.
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