If you want to get to a healthy weight and stay there you need to pay attention to what you eat each day and control your calorie intake. You can start by making healthy food choices at the grocery store. How much you need depends on your weight goals and calorie needs. A 1,500-calorie diet can help women over the age of 51 maintain a healthy weight; it can also help active women and most men lose weight. Consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
Balanced Diet
To get you started, you need to know how much to eat each day. When following a lower calorie diet, like the 1,500-calorie diet, you need to choose mostly nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods to make sure you meet your vitamin and mineral needs without eating too many calories. A balanced 1,500 calorie meal plan should include 1.5 cups of fruit, 2 cups of vegetables, five servings of grains, 5 oz. of meat or beans, two servings of dairy and 4 tsp. of oil each day.
Produce Aisle
You will find many healthy, low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods in the produce aisle. Choose a variety of colors to vary and maximize your nutrient intake. Healthy vegetable choices for your diet include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, leafy greens, cucumbers, cabbage, zucchini and mushrooms. In general, a 1 cup serving of raw or 1/2 cup serving of cooked vegetables contains 25 calories. You can also find potatoes in the produce section. To increase your intake of vitamin A, choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes. A 3 oz. portion of cooked potato -- either white or sweet -- contains about 80 calories. Healthy fresh fruit choices include melon, apples, berries, oranges, pears, grapes, peaches and plums. In general, a small piece of fruit or 1 cup of cut-up fruit contains about 60 calories.
Dairy Aisle
Make sure you pay close attention to labels in the dairy; some products are high in calories and fat. Healthy choices include low-fat or nonfat milk, low-fat or nonfat yogurt and low fat cheese. Including these foods in your diet can help you meet your calcium and vitamin D needs. Each serving contains about 100 to 120 calories. You can also find eggs in the dairy aisle. Eggs are a good source of protein, but also high in cholesterol. Limit your intake to two egg yolks a week if you have high cholesterol. Or, you can use just the egg white, which contains no cholesterol and only 25 calories.
Meat, Poultry and Fish
Meat, poultry and fish supply your body with protein and iron. Choose lean cuts to save on calories, such as skinless poultry, beef tenderloin, lean pork chops and fish. When selecting deli meats, choose ones with 3 g of fat or less per 1-oz. serving. A 1-oz. serving of lean meat contains about 45 calories.
Breads, Starches and Cereals
Make most of your bread, starch and cereal choices whole grain to increase your fiber intake. Eating more fiber can help you manage hunger. A whole grain food should list a whole grain as the first ingredient on the ingredients list. Healthy choices include whole wheat bread, whole-grain cereals, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain crackers, rice cakes and beans. In general, one serving -- one slice of bread, 1/3 cup of cooked pasta -- has about 80 calories.
Nuts, Seeds and Oils
Nuts, seeds and oils provide heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. However, nuts, seeds and oils are a very concentrated source of calories, with about 45 calories per serving. Pay close attention to serving sizes to help you stay within your calorie goals. Healthy choices include olive oil, canola oil, soft tub margarine, salad dressing, almonds, peanuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds. A serving equals 1 tsp. of oil, 1 tsp. of margarine, 1.5 tsp. of nut butter, six almonds or four walnut halves.
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