Having a plan helps you stick to your calorie goals and manage your weight. Some diet plans, however, are so rigid that you may feel as though you blow your entire day if you do not follow them exactly. Use a plan that provides nutrient guidelines for a 2,000-calorie menu so you have the flexibility to adapt to your personal tastes and schedule needs.
Indications
A 2,000-calorie diet is appropriate for the typical woman who is moderately active and wants to maintain weight. For many men, 2,000 calories per day will help with weight loss and for some very inactive women, it might even cause weight gain. Active adolescents also need 2,000 calories a day, or more, to support their energy and nutrition needs.
Strategy
You want to eat at least three meals per day when planning a 2,000-calorie menu. Saving a few calories for two snacks gives you leeway to enjoy an after dinner treat or a mid-morning pick-me-up. Each meal should contain roughly the same number of calories to keep your hunger under control -- go for between 400 and 600 calories at each meal. Have your snacks contain about 250 calories each.
Foods
To make your 2,000-calorie menu balanced, aim for foods from all of the major food groups. Plan for six 1-oz. servings of grains, 3 cups of low-fat dairy -- or dairy equivalents, 5.5 oz. of meat and protein, 2 ½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit. Fat should comprise between 20 and 35 percent of total calories, or 44 to 78 g total daily. Choose whole grains for at least half, if not all, of your grain servings. Any extra calories -- such as alcohol, added sugars, extra servings from any food group, or saturated fat -- should be limited to just 13 percent of your total calorie budget, or about 265 calories.
Example Plan
An easy way to implement this plan is to include one or two servings of grains at each meal, a serving of dairy or protein and a serving or two of fruits and/or vegetables. For example, begin your day with a 450-calorie breakfast consisting of two poached eggs on a whole-grain English muffin with a glass of skim milk and ½ oz. of low-fat mozzarella cheese. At lunch, plan for a 550-calorie meal of 1 cup whole grain pasta tossed with ½ cup marinara sauce, 3 oz. of roasted chicken breast, 2 cups of garden salad with 1 tbsp. olive oil dressing and an apple for dessert. A 500-calorie dinner could consist of 4 oz. of shrimp stir-fried with ½ cup of snow peas, ½ cup of carrot coins, ½ cup broccoli, garlic, 2 tbsp. onion and 1 tsp. sesame oil. Have 1 cup of brown rice on the side. For your snacks, try 8 oz. of plain yogurt with 1 cup of grapes and 1 tsp. of honey or a glass of skim milk alongside five wheat crackers and 1 oz. of low-fat string cheese.
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