The Food and Drug Administration "grades" food items as high- or low-calorie foods by the percentage of calories (energy units) that they add to your daily diet. For an average 2,000-calorie eating plan, a caloric content of 400 or more for one serving of food is considered high, while 100 calories or less is low. Other nutritional components, smaller portions and greater levels of exercise may offset high energy numbers. Still, you'll be better able to maintain your weight by substituting some extravagant menu items for those that are lower in calories.
Breakfast
Your favorites may include bagels (1 small, with seeds, 229 calories); cheese danishes (1 piece, 266); poached eggs (1 egg, 71); or pancakes (1 plain, 83). Add cream cheese or syrup for an additional 50 calories per tablespoon or butter for an extra 100.
A healthy diet plan might include more low-calorie foods, as in this breakfast of yogurt (8 oz. plain, 143); cantaloupe or honeydew melon (1 cup, 54, 61); nutritious bran flakes cereal (1/2 cup, 78); and nonfat milk (1 cup, 83). Orange juice (112) and apple juice (114) provide vitamins and minerals, but herbal tea (2) has lower caloric content.
Fast Foods
Fast foods are heavy on meats, oils and other high-calorie components. Any of these fried and breaded items may need to be limited in your diet plan: fish sandwich (with tartar sauce and cheese, 523 calories); chicken sandwich (515); and corndog (460 calories). A cheeseburger (large patty with condiments and vegetables, 451); medium order of French fries (427); and a vanilla milkshake (357) comprise over 75 percent of your recommended caloric intake for the whole day.
With care, you can select more low-calorie foods on Mexican restaurant menus. Instead of tacos (1 large, 571) and beef chimichangas (425), choose bean and cheese burritos (189) or taco salads (279).
Dinner
Alcoholic beverages such as red wine (4 oz., 88 calories) and beer (12 oz., 153) can play a limited part in a healthy diet plan. Offset higher calorie dinner meats and fish such as pork spareribs (3 oz., 337) and sockeye salmon (1/2 fillet, 335) with low-calorie foods (3 oz.) such as beef top sirloin (207), halibut (119) and canned shrimp (85).
Caloric counts for vegetable and grain sides can be moderate when you don't add too much butter, cheese or breading. Enjoy plenty of nutrient-rich brown rice (1 cup, 216); potatoes (1 baked, 188); and corn (1 ear, 75), as well as 1-cup servings of carrots (55), broccoli (55) and green beans (38).
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