3000 Calorie Diet Plan

A 3000 calorie diet plan is usually recommended for athletes, very active young people, or those you want to gain weight. The calorie intake for a normal active adult ranges from 1600 to 2200 for active women, to about 2000 to 2800 for active men. Consuming 3000 calories per day is a lot and can expose the body to a lot of unhealthy food items that are high in fat and contain empty calories. The best way to use these extra calories in an efficient manner would be to plan a diet that gives the body maximum nutrition.

The first step to planning a 3000 calorie diet would be to break it into several meals a day.

One can go for small 500 calorie meals eaten at frequent intervals or three main meals of about 800 to 850 calories with two snacks in between of about 200–250 calories each. Even with a slightly higher calorie intake, the method of consumption remains the same. The food guide pyramid suggests the following points to keep in mind while planning a diet:

Include whole wheat products like pasta, bread, and so forth to contribute to about 6 to 11 servings in a day.
Include lots of vegetables, the more variety the better, between 3 to 5 servings a day.
Add about 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day.
Protein such as nuts, eggs, fish, and lean meat should contribute to 2 to 3 servings each day.
Dairy products such as milk and cheese are also at 2 to 3 servings in a day.
Use oil sparingly.

A 3000 calorie meal plan for men may usually have more protein in the diet, depending on what purpose needs to be achieved. Young athletic men need to keep their body sufficiently nourished in order to be able to perform intensely physical tasks. Protein and carbohydrates are an important source of energy and therefore must be consumed in adequate quantities.

A healthy menu for women will also follow the guidelines of the food pyramid. A high calorie diet is usually recommended for women who are underweight and need to put on some extra pounds. Young women especially need to consume food items with high iron content. This is because they may suffer from iron deficiency because of the monthly menstrual cycle. Iron is an important nutrient and care should be taken that the body gets enough of it through a well planned diet.

The best way to plan a 3000 calorie diet would be to consult the nutritionist and monitor progress on a weekly basis.

References:

http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/rkr/biology130/pyramid/foodpyramidguide.pdf

Submitted on January 16, 2014