How much protein should be in a 2000 calorie diet?

Just how many calories you need in a day varies with your gender, age, weight and activity level, with the most common number being 2,000 calories. Because it's the most common, the FDA uses 2,000 calories as a base to determine daily values of various nutrients (that's why 2,000 calories is also the reference number used on the Nutrition Facts Panel on packaged foods). If you want to lose weight rather than maintain a healthy weight, that number will change. So what does a 2,000-calorie diet look like? And is it the best calorie goal for you and your needs? Start by estimating your daily calorie goal and see what you get on a well-balanced 2,000-calorie-a-day diet (or check out the 1,200 and 1,500 calorie versions).

This simple calculation will give you a daily calorie goal that can help you estimate how many calories you need to maintain your current weight or lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds per week. Most people will lose weight following a 1,500 calorie diet.

Related: How Many Calories You Should Eat Each Day to Lose eight,

1. To estimate how many calories you need each day to stay at the weight you are right now, multiply your current weight by 12.

2. To lose 1 pound/week: Cut 500 calories/day

3. To lose 2 pounds/week: Cut 1,000 calories/day

Say your current weight is 190 pounds:

1. To maintain your current weight: 190 lbs. x 12 = 2,280 calories

2. To lose 1 pound/week: 2,280 calories – 500 calories = 1,780 calories

3. To lose 2 pounds/week: 2,280 calories – 1000 calories = 1,280 calories

This formula is used in many clinical weight-loss trials and assumes the person using the equation is sedentary. If you're an active person, you may find you need more calories than what you calculated to feel satisfied during the day. The best gauge for whether you're at the right level is how satisfied you feel (you shouldn't be hungry all day!) and, if weight loss is a goal, whether you're actually losing weight. If you're losing weight on 1,900 calories a day and you feel great, stick with that. The calculation is just a suggested starting point. As you lose weight, you may want to run the calorie-target calculation again, since your calorie needs will have changed.

For healthy weight loss, we don't advise losing more than 2 pounds per week. If you calculate a daily calorie goal that's less than 1,200, set your calorie goal at 1,200 calories. Below that, it's hard to meet your nutrient needs-or to feel satisfied enough to stick with a plan.

Some original reporting by Nicci Micco, M.S.

How much protein should be in a 2000 calorie diet?

For breakfast, choose something between 400 and 450 calories.

Other breakfast ideas for a 2,000-calorie diet:

Apple with Cinnamon Almond Butter

Aim to keep snacks around 150 to 200 calories. Try these easy snack ideas.

1 medium apple, sliced (95 calories)

1 Tbsp. nut butter mixed with a pinch of cinnamon (98 calories)

Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps (498 calories)

Use your afternoon snack to fill out the rest of the day's calories.

1 cup cucumber slices (16 calories)

1/4 cup Garlic Hummus (151 calories)

Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats

Aim for dinner to be between 550 and 650 calories. Browse these healthy dinners recipes to find some you want to try.

strawberry-mango nice cream

3/4 cup Strawberry-Mango Nice Cream (70 calories)

Daily Total: 2,010 calories, 75 g protein, 169 g carbohydrates, 38 g fiber, 122 g fat, 2,054 mg sodium

Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on October 25, 2021

If you look at a nutrition label on the back of any packaged food, you'll notice that all of the recommended daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. While a 2,000-calorie diet can meet the needs of a wide variety of people, the number of calories you need depends on things like your weight, age, activity level, and goals.   

Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 to give people more information about the nutrients in the foods they eat. The law also set up guidelines about what claims could be made by food manufacturers. To put that information into perspective and show how the nutrients fit into an overall diet, a standard reference was needed.

The 2,000-calorie diet is based on surveys done by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on how many calories people ate. Men said they ate an average of 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day, and women said they ate an average of 1,600 to 2,200 calories daily. Based on those numbers, a 2,000-calorie diet was settled on as a standard reference. 

Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods that give you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other healthy compounds. Cut back on added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. Here are examples of nutritious foods to fill up on:

Vegetables. Eat a wide variety of vegetables of all colors. In general, women should eat 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily, and men should eat 3 to 4 cups daily. Choose veggies like:

  • Dark greens, such as swiss chard and turnip greens
  • Red and orange vegetables, such as squash and beets
  • Beans, peas, and lentils
  • Starchy vegetables, such as corn and peas

Fruits. Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts. But aim to eat whole fruit, which is high in vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. Women need around 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit daily, while men need around 2 to 2 1/2 cups daily.

Grains. Include foods made from grains such as wheat, rice, oatmeal, and barley. At least half of your grains should come from whole grains, which have more fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Women should eat about 3 to 3 1/2 ounces daily, and men should eat about 3 1/5 to 5 ounces daily.

Dairy or alternatives. Focus on fat-free or low-fat versions of dairy products to get the calcium and nutrients you need. Women and men need about 3 cups of dairy or dairy alternatives daily, like:

  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Calcium-fortified plant-based milks, such as almond and soy
  • Tofu made with calcium sulfate

Protein foods. Women need 5 to 6 ounces of protein daily, while men need 6 to 7 ounces. Choose protein foods that are lean or low in fat. Many Americans eat enough meat, poultry, and eggs, but you should include more:

Oils. This group includes vegetable oils and the oils naturally found in foods, such as nuts and seafood.

If you focus on eating enough nutrient-dense foods, it won't leave much room in your diet for snacks or meals that only offer empty calories or saturated fat. While you can eat those goodies in small amounts, you should generally cut back on foods with lots of:

  • Added sugars
  • Saturated fat
  • Sodium

One way to plan a 2,000-calorie diet is to spread the calories throughout your meals and snacks. It might look like this:

  • 500 calories for breakfast
  • 500 calories for lunch
  • 600 calories for dinner
  • 400 calories for snacks

Another way is to plan your meals with an exchange system. A day's menu might look like this:

Breakfast: 2 grains, 2 fruits, 1 dairy, 1 fat

Lunch: 2 grains, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 proteins, 2 fats, 1 dairy

Dinner: 4 grains, 1 fruit, 5 vegetables, 4 proteins, 3 fats

Snacks: 1 grain, 1 dairy

Your doctor can help you come up with a meal plan that works for you based on your overall health, activity level, and weight goals.

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