Getting sufficient nutrition for the calories you consume requires eating healthful foods in variety. This is the concept behind a 2,000 calorie diet meal plan recommended by both the American Heart Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the average adult. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan sets calorie limits that can be adjusted to your body type and activity level to maintain, gain or lose weight.
Significance
Simply restricting your food intake to 2,000 calories won't improve your diet unless you manage to get the nutrients you need within that limit. Government health agencies recommend choosing healthful foods from among nutritional food groups to get a range of vitamins and minerals. When your body gets the fuel it needs from an eating plan that doesn't exceed calorie limits, it can function at optimum levels.
Function
For instance, the body needs fiber for digestion, calcium for bone cell growth, and vitamins and minerals for other metabolic tasks. A healthful diet provides these with daily grains, low-fat dairy products and fruits and vegetables. Your body needs energy, measured in calories. Too many calories, however, lead to weight gain, which can result in long-term health problems. An eating plan that keeps calories in check balances your nutritional intake to keep you healthy.
Features
The DASH diet lets you choose servings within 2,000 calories from these food groups: grains; oils; vegetables; fruits; milk products; meats, poultry and fish; nuts, seeds and legumes (dry beans); and sweets. In making food choices, you should limit salt, sugar, fat and cholesterol content while you increase calcium, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamins A, C and E. Milk and cheese should contain little or no fat. Meats and fish should be lean.
Identification
Creating your own 2,000 calorie eating plan is simple. Use the nutrition facts listed on food labels and the USDA Nutrient Database (for raw veggies and other items sold without labels). Add up the calories in your menus to total 2,000. By eating the suggested number and sizes of servings on the DASH diet, you'll get the right amount and range of nutrients.
Considerations
Calorie levels and food combinations on the DASH meal plan can be adjusted to satisfy nutritional needs at different stages of your life. The array of healthful foods is also safe for people with many medical conditions and especially beneficial to those with, or at risk for, heart disease and diabetes. Diets like this nutrient-rich, limited-calorie plan are both flexible enough and stable enough to become an effective part of your overall fitness program.
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