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

Find out how much of each food group you should be eating for a well-balanced diet.

Just how many calories you need in a day varies with your gender, age, weight and activity level (find out how many calories you need in a day here). But the most common number is 2,000, which the FDA uses 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). So what does a 2,000-calorie diet look like?

Here’s how much of each food group you should be eating for a well-balanced 2,000-calorie-a-day diet—as well as some ways to eat the right amount.

—Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Editor

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