Using a number of free dietary resources, you can easily create nutritious meals that meet your personal calorie goals. Recommended daily calorie charts, nutrition labels and online calorie calculators all help you plan eating to help you with weight goals. Start by calculating your total daily calorie number, decide how many meals and snacks you wish to eat, then use food labels to help you develop individual menus.
Step 1
Calculate the number of calories you need each day to meet your goals. Meet with a registered dietician or your physician, consult page 14 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's free download, "Dietary Guidelines for Adults," or use an online calorie tool such as the one at LIVESTRONG.COM. Subtract 500 calories from your recommended daily calorie number for each pound of weight you wish to lose each week.
Step 2
Divide your calories into the number of meals and snacks you wish to eat each day. For example, if your daily calorie goal is 1,500, plan a 400-calorie breakfast, a 150-calorie mid-morning snack, a 400-calorie lunch, a 150-calorie afternoon snack and a 400-calorie dinner.
Step 3
Write menus for all meals and ideas for snacks each day. Aim to obtain 50 percent of your calories from non-starchy vegetables and fruits, with the rest roughly split between starchy vegetables and lean protein. Alternately, divide your foods by nutrient type. Get 50 to 60 percent of your calories from whole grains, beans and legumes, with the rest evenly split between lean protein and healthy fats.
Step 4
Use nutrition labels to determine the calorie content of your meals. Check to see the calories per serving, rather than just the calories per package. Food manufacturers sometimes create unrealistic serving sizes to make their foods look as if they contain fewer calories.
Step 5
Use an online calorie research tool such as LIVESTRONG.COM's MyPlate for the calorie content of fresh foods or others for which you can't find calorie numbers.
Step 6
Adjust your meal plan based on your calorie research to create your final daily eating plan. Examine it to see that you have several servings of vegetables, fruits and dairy, as recommended by "Dietary Guidelines for Adults."
Things You'll Need
- Copy of "Dietary Guidelines for Adults"
- Nutrition Labels
- Online calorie calculator
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