2000 Calorie Diet

Below is a detailed 2000 calorie diet meal plan for one week.

This is a 200 calorie diet meal plan that accommodates a solid workout regimen and thus includes specific calorie and macronutrient amounts.

It also includes a post-workout meal, which is to be consumed after your workout and is thus, assuming that you will be working out.

This 2000 calorie diet meal plan is meant to be an example of what a well-balanced diet looks like. Nutritional information is provided under each meal.

It is extremely important that you plan your meals ahead and prepare many of your meals in advance.

For example, if your time is limited during the week, it may be a good idea to prepare the chicken breast on Sunday and then refrigerate it until it is needed.

This meal plan will also help you to read nutrition labels. It is made for someone on an approximate diet of 1800-2000 calories per day.

If you use the BMR calculator and exercise calculator and realize that you need more or less than calories than this, feel free to tweak the portion sizes to allow you to reach your goals.

It is very important that you try and stay within this range to help you reach your goals quicker and more effectively.

The goal of this diet plan is that it will be a guide for you to improve your gut health and be able to eat healthier as a lifestyle change and not just as a temporary “diet.” Also provided are serving sizes and portions for each of the foods in your meals and it is extremely important that you measure your foods.

Eventually, you’ll get a grasp of what a “cup” is and what “4 oz” of chicken breast is and you will no longer need to measure out serving sizes anymore.

The calories in this eating plan have been spaced into 5 well balanced meals. This was done because it is very important that you continuously eat throughout the day (every 2-3 hours).

This will prevent overeating and will allow you to be less hungry throughout the day so that you do not binge eat.

The second meal of the day in the diet meal plan below is titled “post workout meal.”

The time of the workout will determine when the “post workout meal” is consumed. For example, if you work out later in the day, the “post workout meal” will be after your workout and you should move your other meals around accordingly to fit that specific day.

On “off” days, where you do not work out, it is still okay to consume the “post workout meal” as one of your meals, as they are complete and nutritious meals.

Provided in this meal plan are a variety of post workout meals, and they are all equally valuable options. However, if you prefer one over the other, feel free to consume the same post workout meal after every workout.

It is very important that you consume your post workout meal immediately following a workout for optimum effectiveness, and you should prepare your post workout meal before going to the gym.

**Season the meals listed in the 2000 calorie diet meal plan below as you like, and you may want to include a tablespoon or two of olive oil when cooking.

Although olive oil is not listed, extra calories were added to meals with chicken and fish in the diet meal plan to account for it.

**Regardless of what “post workout meal” you choose, it is important that it contains both carbs and protein (approximately 25-30 g of protein and 45-60 g of carbohydrates).

**Not specified in the diet plan is water consumption. It is very important that you keep hydrated throughout the day and should consume approximately one gallon of water per day.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the 2000 calorie diet plan!

Diet Meal Plan: 2000 Calories

Day 1

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 slices whole wheat toast, 1/3 avocado, fruit of choice
540 kcal, 21g protein, 65g carb, 20g fat

Post workout meal: Protein shake w/maca powder and banana
300 kcal, 25g pro, 50g carb, 0g fat

Lunch: ½ baked potato, 4 oz chicken breast (make enough chicken for lunch and dinner), steamed green beans
400 kcal, 40g protein, 35g carb, 4g fat

Snack: fruit and 1 cup cottage cheese (low-fat or non-fat)
300 kcal, 32g protein, 35g carb, 2g fat

Dinner: Dinner: 5 oz baked or grilled halibut w/ sweet potatoes (2 medium) and asparagus
430 kcal, 44g pro, 50g carb, 4g fat

Day 2

Breakfast: 1 cup cheerios with milk (2% or skim) and a fruit of choice (either in cereal or on side)
300 kcal, 10g pro, 50g carb, 5g fat

Post workout meal: 1 cup greek yogurt (nonfat, plain) w/ 1 banana and 1 tablespoon honey
300 kcal, 22g pro, 50g carb, 0 g fat

Lunch: turkey sandwich (4-5 slices of turkey w/ 2 slices whole wheat bread + vegetable toppings of choice) w/ cup of soup (non-creamy—ex: chicken noodle, vegetable, minestrone, etc)
395 kcal, 35g pro, 53g carb, 7.5g fat

Snack: apple with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
300 kcal, 8g pro, 32g carb, 8g fat

Dinner: chipotle bowl (w/ chicken or steak, rice, beans, guacamole, veggies, salsa—try to eliminate cheese and sour cream)
610 kcal, 44g pro, 59 carb, 24g fat

Day 3

Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat toast, ½ cup cottage cheese and sliced yellow peppers
440 kcal, 34.5g pro, 46g cho, 30g fat

Post workout meal: Protein shake w/ fruit (optional: add collagen powder)
300 kcal, 25g pro, 50g carb, 0g fat

Lunch: Samurai Sam’s teriyaki rice bowl (size regular w/ chicken or steak, brown rice, and veggies)
480 kcal, 37g pro, 69g carb, 5g fat

Snack: almonds (1 oz = ~25 almonds), and choice of fruit
265 kcal, 6g pro, 26g carb, 14g fat

Dinner: 1 cup cous cous, 2-3 small turkey meatballs (made with lean or extra lean meat), and steamed or sauteed vegetable of choice (green beans, broccoli, snap peas, etc.)
530 kcal, 38g pro, 70g carb, 4.5g fat

Day 4

Breakfast: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt w/ 1 banana (sliced), 1 tablespoon of honey, ¼ cup granola
420 kcal, 25g pro, 66g carb, 6g fat

Post workout meal: Protein bar (builder’s and jay rob are good choices)
270 kcal, 20g pro, 30g carb, 8g fat

Lunch: 6 inch sub (w/ turkey or ham on whole wheat, w/ veggies of choice, mustard and/or small amt of oil and vinegar—try to avoid mayo), cup of soup (non-creamy, such as chicken noodle, vegetable, minestrone, etc)
375 kcal, 24g pro, 55g carb, 6.5g fat

Snack: 2 tablespoons hummus with veggies (celery, broccoli, snap peas, carrots, etc) and 1 cup grapes
164 kcal, 34g carb, 3g pro, 3g fat

Dinner: 6 oz Rotisserie chicken (store-bought or home-made), half cup baked beans, baked potato, vegetable of choice
560 kcal, 52g pro, 72g carb, 6g fat

Day 5

Breakfast: 2 whole wheat waffles with 1 cup cottage cheese and ½ banana and 1 cup strawberries sliced on top
335 kcal, 20g pro, 55g carb, 4.5g fat

Post workout meal: Protein shake w/ collagen and fruit
300 kcal, 25g pro, 50g carb, 0g fat

Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich (2 slices whole wheat bread w/ 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 tablespoon jelly)
438 kcal, 15.7g pro, 60g carb, 20g fat

Snack: 1 cup edamame in shells (will be smaller quantity if shelled)
150 kcal, 12g pro, 14g cho, 4.5g fat

Dinner: 6 oz. chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice, steamed carrots
550kcal, 55g protein, 55g carb, 7g fat

Day 6

Breakfast: 1 cup cheerios with milk (2% or skim) and a fruit of choice (either in cereal or on side)
300 kcal, 10g pro, 50g carb, 5g fat

Post workout meal: 1 cup greek yogurt (nonfat, plain) w/ 1 banana and 1 tablespoon honey
300 kcal, 22g pro, 50g carb, 0 g fat

Lunch: turkey sandwich (4-5 slices of turkey w/ 2 slices whole wheat bread + vegetable toppings of choice) w/ cup of soup (non-creamy—ex: chicken noodle, vegetable, minestrone, etc)
395 kcal, 35g pro, 53g carb, 7.5g fat

Snack: apple and almonds, walnuts or pistachios (1 oz)
265kcal, 6g pro, 32g carb, 4.5g fat

Dinner: home-made tacos (4 oz. Sliced chicken breast (or if you prefer shredded beef), ½ cup beans, sautéed veggies of choice, shredded lettuce, ½ cup rice, 2 small whole wheat or corn tortillas)
730 kcal, 52g pro, 90g carb, 15.5g fat

Day 7

Breakfast: smoothie (1 cup orange juice, 1 banana, 1 ½ cups frozen berries, ½ cup nonfat, plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey)
240 kcal, 12g pro, 55g carb, 0g fat

Post workout meal: protein shake w/ fruit
300 kcal, 25g pro, 50g carb, 0g fat

Lunch: salad: lettuce or spinach, shredded carrots, 4 slices deli turkey (cut up), 1 slice cheese (swiss, cheddar, or provolone, cut up), hard-boiled egg, 2 tablespoons dressing (oil and vinegar) and whole wheat dinner roll
500 kcal, 32.4g pro, 24.5g carb, 30g fat

Snack: 1 cup edamame in shells (will be smaller quantity if shelled), orange, and ½ cup almonds
280 kcal, 15g pro, 31g cho, 10 g fat

Dinner: Baked or grilled halibut (5 oz) w/ medium baked potato and green beans
430 kcal, 44g pro, 50g carb, 4g fat

The 2000 calorie diet meal plan completed!

Put It into Practice: 3 Impactful Takeaways to Implement

• Follow the meal plan: Use the detailed 2000 calorie diet meal plan provided in the article for one week. It accommodates a solid workout regimen and includes specific calorie and macronutrient amounts, as well as a post-workout meal.
• Prepare in advance: Plan your meals ahead of time and prepare many of them in advance. This can help you stay on track with your diet and reach your goals more effectively.
• Eat regularly: Follow the eating plan’s schedule of 5 well-balanced meals spaced throughout the day. Eating every 2-3 hours can help prevent overeating and reduce hunger.