What Does a 2,000-Calorie Diet Look Like?

See what a day's worth of food looks like on a 2,000-calorie diet. Plus, get a sample meal plan with healthy ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

The number of 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 how much food you get on a well-balanced 2,000-calorie-a-day diet (you can compare it to the 1,500-calorie version).

While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being. Buy now and get it in your mail in 2 within 2 minutes.