If you don't want to spend money on commercial food systems, pay to join a weight-loss group or hire a dietician to help you eat right, you have plenty of resources to help you create a personal eating plan. You can find your recommended daily calorie number, set a weight-loss or maintenance goal, create healthy meals and snacks and check to see you are getting the nutrients you need with a variety of handy and authoritative free tools.
Step 1
Download and read a copy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," available at the USDA's website. Read authoritative reviews of the USDA recommendations from reputable sources, such as the Harvard School of Public Health's Healthy Food Pyramid or Mayo Clinic's Healthy Weight Pyramid.
Step 2
Find your recommended daily calories for weight maintenance. Read page 14 of "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" or use an online calorie calculator, such as the one at LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate.
Step 3
Subtract 500 calories from your daily recommended calorie number for weight maintenance for each pound of weight you want to lose each week. Alternately, use an online calorie calculator to help set your daily calorie goals.
Step 4
Create three daily meals and two snacks in advance for each day. Divide your plate into three sections. Fill about half your plate with nonstarchy vegetables. Include a variety of red, green and yellow vegetables such as spinach, peppers, green beans and squash. Fill about a quarter of your plate with lean protein, such as chicken or turkey breast, tuna or salmon. Choose low-fat cuts of beef, such as flank or sirloin. Bean and nuts also are good sources of protein. Fill about another quarter of your plate with starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, brown rice or whole-grain pasta. Add a serving of fruits and one of dairy.
Step 5
Create low-fat, low-calorie snacks of approximately 100 to 200 calories. Fruit, unsalted nuts, yogurt cups and sliced vegetables make good choices.
Step 6
Read nutrition labels to determine the number of calories in each of your planned meals and snacks. Check to see whether your meals give you enough of each essential nutrient. Use an online nutrition analyzer, such as the one at LIVESTRONG.COM, to find nutritional information for food and drinks that aren't labeled, such as fresh fruit or vegetables. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends paying attention to the amounts of vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and dietary fiber.
Step 7
Reduce the portion sizes or exchange foods in your daily meal plan to get the correct number of calories and types of nutrients you want.
Step 8
Replace high-fat, high-calorie and high-cholesterol ingredients in your favorite dishes with healthier options. For example, eat egg white omelets instead of those made from whole eggs. Reduce the cheese and eliminate the meat from pizzas. Make burgers using ground turkey breast and skip the mayonnaise and cheese.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics; December 2009
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Harvard School of Public Health: Healthy Eating Pyramid
- Mayo Clinic: Food Pyramids: Explore These Healthy Diet Options
Member Comments