Smaller Larger

Calorie-Counting Diet by Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RD

What Is a Calorie-Counting Diet?

The premise of the calorie-counting, or calorie-controlled, diet is to stay within a target number of calories each day. Although this diet works well for some, most registered dietitians recommend a more individualized eating plan.

Why Should I Follow a Calorie-Counting Diet?

Following a calorie-counting diet can help you manage your weight and blood sugar levels. If you are overweight, reducing the number of calories you consume will help you lose weight, thereby also lowering your risk of several health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure . If you are underweight, increasing your calorie intake will help you gain weight.

Calorie-Counting Diet Guide

The calorie-counting diet breaks food into different food groups and allots a certain number of daily servings from each group. This method helps ensure a balanced diet and also makes it easier to keep track of calories.

A balanced diet includes a variety of foods from each of the main food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and beans, and oils. Based on your calorie needs, a dietitian can help you determine how many servings you can have from each of the groups. Depending on your situation and calorie requirement, you may also be allotted some discretionary calories that you can use for foods not in these main groups (eg, sweets, desserts, and certain beverages). Alcohol, if permitted by your doctor, should be limited to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

The below chart shows the main food groups and the calories per serving for foods in these groups. You should work with a dietitian to calculate how many servings of each group you can have per day.

Grains (includes starchy vegetables) _____ servings per day

One serving = approximately 80 calories

Type	One Serving
Bagel (varies), 4 ounces	¼ of a bagel (1 ounce)
Bread (white, pumpernickel, whole wheat, rye)	1 slice
Bread, reduced calorie or “lite”	2 slices
Broth-based soup	1 cup
Cooked beans, peas, or corn	½ cup
Cooked cereal	½ cup
Crackers	4-6
English muffin, hot dog bun, or hamburger bun	½
Muffin, 5 ounces	1/5 (1 ounce)
Pasta, rice	1/3 cup
Popcorn, air popped, no fat added	3 cups
Potato	1 small (3 ounces)
Pretzels	¾ ounce
Sweet potato or yam	½ cup
Tortilla	1 small
Unsweetened, dry cereal	¾ cup

Vegetables _____ servings per day

One serving = approximately 25 calories

Type	One Serving
Cooked vegetables	½ cup
Raw vegetables	1 cup
Tomato or vegetable juice	½ cup

Fruits _____ servings per day

One serving = approximately 60 calories

Type	One Serving
Canned fruit	½ cup
Dried fruit	¼ cup
Fresh fruit	1 small or 1 cup (eg, cut up or berries)
Fruit juice	½ cup

Milk _____ servings per day

Calories in one serving varies as listed below

Type	One Serving
*90 calories per serving*
Nonfat or low-fat milk	1 cup
Plain, nonfat yogurt	¾ cup
Nonfat or low-fat soy milk	1 cup
*120 calories per serving*
2% milk	1 cup
Soy milk	1 cup
Yogurt, plain, low-fat	¾ cup
*150 calories per serving*
Whole milk	1 cup
Yogurt, plain (made from whole milk)	¾ cup

Meat and Beans _____ servings per day

Calories vary as follows:
- One very lean serving = approximately 35 calories
- One lean serving = approximately 55 calories
- One medium-fat serving = approximately 75 calories
- One high-fat serving = approximately 100 calories

Type	One Serving
*Very lean*
Egg substitutes, plain	¼ cup
Egg whites	2
Fish: fresh or frozen cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, tuna	1 ounce
Nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese	¼ cup
Poultry: chicken or turkey, white meat, no skin	1 ounce
Shellfish	1 ounce
*Lean*
Beef: round, sirloin, flank, tenderloin, roast, steak, ground round (trimmed of fat)	1 ounce
Fish: herring, salmon, catfish, tuna (canned in oil, drained)	1 ounce
Parmesan cheese	2 tablespoons
Pork: lean pork, such as fresh ham, Canadian bacon, tenderloin, center loin chop	1 ounce
Poultry: chicken or turkey (dark meat, no skin); chicken (white meat with skin)	1 ounce
Tofu, light	½ cup or 4 ounces
Veal: lean chop, roast	1 ounce
*Medium-fat*
Beef: most beef products (ground beef, meatloaf, corned beef, short ribs, prime rib)	1 ounce
Cheese with five grams or less of fat per ounce: feta, mozzarella	1 ounce, (Ricotta 2 ounces)
Egg	1
Lamb: rib roast, ground	1 ounce
Pork: top loin, chop, cutlet	1 ounce
Poultry: chicken (dark meat with skin), ground turkey or ground chicken, fried chicken (with skin)	1 ounce
Sausage with 5 g or less of fat per ounce	1 ounce
Tofu	½ cup or 4 ounces
*High-fat*
Cheeses: all regular cheese (eg, American, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss)	1 ounce
Hot dog (beef, pork, or combination) *count as 1 high-fat meat plus 1 fat exchange	1 ounce
Peanut butter	1 tablespoon
Pork: spareribs, ground pork, pork sausage	1 ounce
Processed sandwich meats: bologna, salami	1 ounce
Sausage (eg, Italian, bratwurst)	1 ounce

Fats _____ servings per day

One fat serving = approximately 45 calories

Type	One Serving
*Monounsaturated*
Avocado	2 tablespoons (1 ounce)
Oil (canola, olive, peanut)	1 teaspoon
Olives	9-10 large
Peanut butter	2 teaspoons
Tahini paste	2 teaspoons
*Polyunsaturated*
Margarine	1 teaspoon
Mayonnaise, regular	1 teaspoon
Mayonnaise, low-fat	1 tablespoon
Salad dressing, regular	1 tablespoon
*Saturated*
Bacon, cooked	1 slice
Butter, stick	1 teaspoon
Coconut, sweetened, shredded	2 tablespoons
Cream cheese, reduced fat	1½ tablespoons
Cream cheese, regular	1 tablespoon
Cream, half and half	2 tablespoons
Shortening or lard	1 teaspoon
Sour cream, reduced fat	3 tablespoons
Sour cream, regular	2 tablespoons

Sweets and Desserts _____ servings per day/week

These foods tend to be high in sugar and/or fat, while providing little nutritional value. They may or may not be included in your diet plan.

Type	Serving Size
Angel food cake, unfrosted	1/12 cake (2 ounces)
Brownie, small, unfrosted	2 inch square (about 1 ounce)
Cake, frosted	2 inch square (about 2 ounces)
Doughnut, plain	1 medium (1½ ounce)
Gingersnaps	3
Honey	1 tablespoon
Ice cream	½ cup
Ice cream, low-fat	½ cup
Milk, chocolate, whole	1 cup
Pudding, sugar-free (made with low-fat milk)	½ cup
Sports drink	8 ounces
Sugar	1 tablespoon
Syrup, regular	1 tablespoon
Yogurt, frozen, low-fat	1/3 cup

Free Foods

These foods contain less than 20 calories per serving.
Eat as desired, unless a serving size is given, then limit to three servings per day.

Type	One Serving
Bouillon, broth or consommé	—
Candy, hard, sugar free	1 candy
Carbonated or mineral water	—
Coffee	—
Cream cheese, fat-free	1 tablespoon
Creamers, nondairy	1 tablespoon
Diet soft drinks, sugar-free	—
Drink mixes, sugar-free	—
Garlic	—
Gelatin dessert, sugar-free	—
Herbs, fresh or dried	—
Horseradish	—
Jam or jelly, light	2 teaspoons
Ketchup	1 tablespoon
Lemon or lime juice	—
Margarine spread, fat-free	4 tablespoons
Mayonnaise, fat-free	1 tablespoon
Mustard	—
Nonstick cooking spray	—
Pickles, dill	1½ large
Salad dressing, fat-free or low-fat	1 tablespoon
Salsa	¼ cup
Soy sauce	—
Spices	—
Tabasco or hot pepper sauce	—
Tea	—
Vinegar	—
Whipped topping, light or fat-free	2 tablespoons
Wine, used in cooking	—
Worcestershire sauce	—

Tips and Suggestions

If your goal is to lose weight, researchers have found that reducing your caloric intake is the key to success, not reducing a particular nutrient (like carbs).

To become more aware of how many calories you are consuming, follow these tips:

Read food labels for calorie information per serving.
Focus on the serving sizes you are eating. They directly impact calorie intake.
Spread out your calorie intake throughout the day. Find what works for you, whether it is consuming your calories in three standard meals a day or spread out into six mini-meals.
Work with a dietitian to create a calorie-counting plan that takes into account your lifestyle and preferences.
Eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups. This will ensure that you get all the nutrients you need and will also leave you more satisfied.

RESOURCES:

American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/
American Dietetic Association http://www.eatright.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canada’s Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/
Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/

References:

American Diabetes Association website. Available at: http://www.diabetes.org/ . Accessed December 29, 2009.
Powers M. American Dietetic Association Guide to Eating Right When You Have Diabetes . Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 2003.
4/14/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:859-873.

Last reviewed March 2013 by Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN

All EBSCO Publishing proprietary, consumer health and medical information found on this site is accredited by URAC. URAC's Health Web Site Accreditation Program requires compliance with 53 rigorous standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audits. To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at HLEditorialTeam@ebscohost.com.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.