1500 Calories in Three Meals-a-Day

To eat healthy, choose a variety of foods and drinks from and within different food groups. Make food choices that will limit your intake of saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars, salt and alcohol.

How much you should eat? That depends on your height, weight, age, sex, level of physical activity and whether you are looking to maintain, lose or gain weight.

www.MyPyramid.gov can help you determine how many servings you should choose from the different food groups, as well as how many discretionary calories you can have. That refers to the calories left over after you've met your nutrient needs with wise choices from the other food groups. You can "spend" those calories on larger portion sizes, higher fat versions foods, or by adding sweets, fat, or alcohol.

Following is a sample 1,500 calorie plan, including selections from all the food groups.

Meal	Food Group	Servings	Menu Choice	Amount	Calories
Breakfast	Grain Equivalent	1	Whole wheat toast	1 slice
	Fruit	1 1/2	Banana	1 small
			strawberries	1 cup
	Milk	1	low-fat milk	8 ounces
	Oils/Fats	2-3	peanut butter	1 tablespoon
	Discretinoary		coffee	1 tablespoon
			sugar	2 teaspoons
					435
Lunch	Grain Equivalent	2	whole wheat bread	2 slices
	Meat Equivalent	3	roast beef, lean	2 ounces
			baby carrots, raw	1/2 cup
	Fruit	1	pear, sliced	1 small
	Milk	1	low-fat milk	8 ounces
	Oils/Fats	1	mayonnaise, regular	1/2 tablespoon
					498
Dinner	Grain Equivalent	2	pasta, cooked	1 cup
	Meat Equivalent	2	chicken, cooked	2 ounces
	Vegetables	1	marinara sauce	1/2 cup
		2	broccoli, cooked	1 cup
		2	salad, tossed	2 cups
	Milk	1/2	low-fat milk	4 ounces
	Oils/Fats	2	olive oil	2 teaspoons
	Discretionary		vinegar, seasoning
			zero-calorie beverage
			almonds	10	576
Total					1509

Sources

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

1500 Calories in Three Meals-a-Day

Sources

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