Sticking to low-calorie foods (under 100 calories) in your meal plans is one way to stay within limits to lose weight. To create a healthy and effective 1000-calorie diet plan, you need to concentrate on foods with the greatest nutritional value and the least calories. You will need to get protein, B vitamins, minerals and fiber from grain products. Calcium should come from nonfat dairy items and leafy greens. To lose weight, fruits and vegetables should comprise the bulk of your diet.
Protein
Do not skimp, splurge on low-calorie foods with protein content. Even a daily 1000-calorie maximum allows for tuna fish (canned in water, 3 oz., 99 calories), fresh cod, haddock and orange roughy (3 oz., less 100 calories), nonfat milk (1/2 cup, 42), an egg (71) and three slices of extra-lean deli ham (60) or two slices of Canadian bacon (83).
According to health experts, high-fiber foods that contain protein, such as ready-to-eat bran cereal (1/2 cup, 78 calories) and cooked oat bran (1 cup, 88), may help you lose weight. They make you feel full and give you energy within low calorie content.
Fruits
Fruits other than avocadoes and bananas (which are high in calories) are the snack of choice when you want to lose weight. Halve whole pieces of fruit, such as apples, and keep servings of cut fruit 3/4 cup or less. This will give you a fruit serving that is about 5 percent or less of your total daily calorie allotment.
Apples, pears, oranges, cantaloupes, honeydew, kiwifruit and a scattering of blueberries and strawberries makes a fruit salad composed entirely of low-calorie foods. Orange juice can be squeezed on top as a dressing. Fruits (without added sugar) can also become sauce for fish or additions to yogurt, and are good with high-fiber, whole-wheat crackers (4 crackers, 68 calories).
Vegetables
Most vegetables are high-nutrient, low-calorie foods. Some that are packed with vitamins and minerals include carrots (1 cup, 55 calories), broccoli (1 cup, 55 calories), spinach (41 calories), zucchini (36 calories), artichokes (one whole, 64 calories), and sweet potatoes (one baked, 131). You can enjoy half portions of potatoes and artichokes (without added fat or sugar) to stay within 1000 calories.
Very low-calorie vegetables still have significant nutrients, such as cabbage (1 cup, 35 calories), which is high in dietary fiber. Veggies with higher water content, such as green peppers (30 calories), celery (19) and cucumber (14), are the lowest of them all.
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