Diet planning

By following a few tips, you can create a diet plan that's both flexible and nutritionally balanced. One basic step is to ensure that your diet includes adequate calories. At amounts below 1200 (twelve hundred) calories, it's difficult, if not impossible, to obtain the daily values recommended for vitamins and minerals. Men should eat at least 1600 (sixteen hundred) calories a day. Follow the Food Guide Pyramid for suggestions on how many servings you need from each food group: breads and cereals; vegetables; fruits; meats, beans, and nuts; dairy products; and fats, oils, and sweets. Using the Pyramid guidelines, you might develop sample menus for a week at a time. These menus could also double as your grocery list. Or, you could simply keep a food diary of what you eat. As you approach the end of the day, examine your food intake to see where you might be lacking. For example, if you haven't eaten enough grains or vegetables that day, load up on them at dinner. Whatever technique you use to create a meal plan, be sure to include breakfast. People who skip breakfast are more likely to miss out on nutrients and to overeat later in the day.