A 2,200-calorie diet supports an active lifestyle for many healthy adults. Devising a menu in advance prevents you from eating too much at any one meal. A strategy involving three meals and two snacks helps you to spread your nutrition out over the course of the day to optimize your energy. Healthy menus emphasize plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and plant oils. A healthy 2,200-calorie menu also features modest servings of animal proteins, if you eat meat, and encourages at least 3 cups of dairy foods daily for calcium.
Day 1
Begin your day with a breakfast of 2 tbsp. of almond butter on a whole wheat bagel, a whole apple and a cup of skim milk. For a mid-morning snack, enjoy 6 oz. of non-fat Greek yogurt with 1 cup of blueberries and 1 ½ tsp. of honey. At lunch, make a pasta salad with 2 oz. of dry whole-wheat pasta -- cooked -- and add 1 cup sugar snap peas, ½ cup shredded carrots and chopped dill. Dress with lemon juice mixed with 1 ½ tsp. of olive oil. Have two fig cookies for dessert. In the afternoon, snack on 10 woven wheat crackers with two wedges of creamy, low-fat cheese. For dinner, enjoy 4 oz. of grilled or broiled salmon with a medium baked sweet potato. Saute fresh or frozen spinach with one slice of chopped bacon and 2 tbsp. minced onions. Finish your meal with an orange. This plan contains 2,194 calories with 54 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates, 22 percent from protein and 24 percent from fat -- within Institute of Medicine guidelines.
Day 2
A breakfast of a serving of old-fashioned oatmeal cooked with ¼ cup raisins, 1 tsp. brown sugar and 1 cup of skim milk, a hard-boiled egg and 8 oz. of orange juice starts this day. Have ¼ cup sunflower seeds as a snack. At lunch, make a sandwich with two slices of rye bread, 3 oz. of low-sodium deli ham, 1 oz. of Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and brown mustard. One cup of cantaloupe rounds out the meal. For a mid-afternoon snack, have 1 cup of non-fat yogurt with 1 cup of strawberries and 1 tbsp. of agave nectar. At dinner, make homemade turkey chili with chopped onion and garlic, extra lean turkey, canned diced tomatoes and spices. Have with 1 cup of brown rice and a salad made with romaine lettuce, chopped cucumber and one-fifth of an avocado. Dress with 2 tbsp. light Italian dressing. This meal plan contains 2,179 calories with 58 percent carbohydrates, 19 percent protein and 23 percent fat.
Day 3
For a third menu, try 1 cup of 1 percent cottage cheese with 1 cup of diced pineapple and a serving of shredded wheat for breakfast. Have a morning snack of 1 oz. of almonds and a banana. For lunch, have 1 cup of creamy tomato soup with a healthy grilled cheese made with two slices of whole-wheat bread and ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Have 10 baby carrots and a small granola bar on the side. Mid-afternoon, make a smoothie with ½ cup each frozen, unsweetened cherries and strawberries, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder and 1 cup skim milk. For dinner, enjoy black bean tacos made with 1 cup black beans, two whole-wheat tortillas, 2 tbsp. salsa and ¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt -- instead of sour cream. In 1 tsp. olive oil, saute ½ cup onion and a whole, sliced bell pepper to add to the tacos. This meal plan has 2,202 calories with 56 percent carbohydrates, 21 percent protein and 23 percent fat.
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