Calorie-Counting Diet
(Calorie-Controlled Diet)
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)
- 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
- One serving = approximately 25 calories
|
Type
|
One Serving
|
|
Cooked vegetables
|
½ cup
|
|
Raw vegetables
|
1 cup
|
|
Tomato or vegetable juice
|
½ cup
|
Fruits
- 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
- 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
-
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
- 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
- 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.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
- Review Date: 03/2013 -
- Update Date: 00/31/2013 -