1000-Calorie Diet

Here is a balanced eating plan containing about 1000 calories. Due to its low calorie content, it is for short-term use only (eg. 14 days), perhaps to restart weight loss, or as a form of cleansing diet. Ideally, include a daily multinutrient (multivitamin/multimineral) as part of your daily eating to ensure adequate nutritional intake. Please also note that rapid weight loss is not sustainable by following this type of low energy diet. Typically you will lose weight for a short period, but then weight reduction will slow down (as your body conserves calories) and you may feel fatigued and ill. Weight loss research indicates that, unless medically supervised, diets under 1000 calories per day are neither healthy nor effective for long term weight reduction.

Short Term 1000 Calorie Diet Plan

Food Group	Number of Daily Servings	Serving Portion Size Quantity equivalents for each of the food groups
Fruit	2 servings (1 cup)	Fruits – 1 cup chopped raw or cooked fruit, 1 cup fruit juice.
Vegetables Dark green vegetable. Orange vegetable. Legumes. Starchy vegetable. Other vegetables.	2 servings (1 cup) 1 cup/wk .5 c/wk .5 c/wk 1.5 c/wk 4 c/wk	Vegetables – 1 cup chopped raw or cooked vegetable, 1 cup vegetable juice, 2 cups leafy salad greens.
Grains (Bread, Rice, Pasta, Cereals) Whole grains Other grains	3 oz 1.5 oz 1.5 oz	Grains – These each count as 1 ounce-equivalent (1 serving) of grains: half cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 slice bread; 1 small muffin (1 oz); 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes.
Lean Meats, Beans, Legumes, Nuts	2 oz	Meat and beans – These each count as 1 ounce-equivalent: 1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; quarter cup cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 Tbsp peanut butter; half ounce nuts or seeds.
Dairy Foods	2 cups	Milk – These each count as 1 cup (1 serving) of milk: 1 cup fat-free milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces natural cheese such as Cheddar cheese or 2 ounces processed cheese.
Fats and Oils Representing the amounts that are added to foods during processing, meal-preparation cooking, or at the table.	15 grams	Oils/fats should be free of trans-fats, and low in saturated fat.
Remaining Calorie Allowance The discretionary calorie allowance is the remaining amount of calories in each food pattern after selecting the specified number of nutrient-dense forms of foods in each food group. The number of discretionary calories assumes that food items in each food group are selected in nutrient-dense forms (that is, forms that are fat-free or low-fat and that contain no added sugars).	165 calories	If as part of your eating plan you choose foods with a higher fat or sugar content than those recommended, these extra calories should be taken from your remaining calorie allowance.

Source: USDA Food Guide (Dietary Guidelines 2005)

When is a 1000-Calorie Diet Appropriate?

Eat about 1,000 calories a day (for no more than 14 days) if you have a small build and want to:
- overcome a weight loss plateau.
- rebalance your digestive system after a period of unhealthy eating.

Diet Nutrition and Weight Reduction on a 1000 Calorie Diet Plan

An unhealthy body does not lose weight efficiently. So pay attention to the nutritional value of your food choices. 1000 calories is low-energy diet, so choose only the most nutritious foods. Avoid ‘empty-calorie’ foods (like sodas and cookies) and take a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.