Food Pyramid 2000 Calorie Diet
When in school, you probably learned that an average adult should eat 6 to 11 servings a day of bread, cereal, rice and pasta, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, 2 to 4 servings of fruits, 2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese, and 2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts. The same food pyramid states that fats, oils and sweets should be used sparingly.
Still, the USDA introduced a new food pyramid, available at MyPyramid.gov that puts an emphasis on avoiding trans fats, limiting the sugar and saturated fat intake and eating a higher amount of whole grains, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
The new food pyramid postulates the following: a daily intake of 6 ounces of grains, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruits, 5.5 ounces of meat and beans, 3 cups of dairy, and 6 teaspoons of oils.
Foods for a 2000 Calorie Diet: How to Eat 2000 Calories a Day
Following the new USDA guidelines, what are the foods for a 2000 calorie diet? And how should you incorporate them in your day to day diet? Take a look at the following 2000 calorie diet guidelines and create your own tasty 2000 calorie diet menus!
According to the new food pyramid rules, you should eat 6 ounces of grains every day. That might mean an English muffin, 1 cup of rice, 1 slice of bread and a 5-inch tortilla. Just keep in mind that you should opt for whole grains.
Your daily 2 cups of fruits may consist of 1 cup of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) and a medium apple or pear. As for the 2.5 cups of veggies, go for a combo of (baby) carrots, asparagus, spinach and broccoli.
When it comes to the daily 5.5 ounces of meat and beans (in other words, protein foods), choose a mix of cooked chicken, beef or salmon, nuts (almonds are some of the best) and cooked beans.
Do you wonder what your 3 cups of daily dairy intake could be made of? First of all, remember that, regardless of your choices (cheese, milk, yoghurt), they should be non-fat. A tasty, nutritious combo might consist of 1 cup of yoghurt, 1/3 of cheese and 1 cup of skimmed milk. You may also go for soy milk, but keep in mind that you’ll need more calcium than it can provide on its own.
Last but not least, your 2000 calorie diet should include 6 teaspoons of healthy oils. How do you incorporate them into your diet? You shouldn’t worry about your oil intake as long as you eat foods such as nuts, avocado, olives and salmon.
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