One thing that is greatly lacking from the dieter's plate is color. A typical healthy dinner might look like the following: White rice, white chicken breast, white cauliflower, white bread & white navy beans with white skim milk as the healthy beverage.

Add a shot of color of we've suddenly got this for about the same number of calories:

Golden saffron rice, white chicken breast, dark green broccoli, brown rye bread & orange baby carrots - and of course, healthy white milk as a beverage.

Just look at the color that defines this fantastic meal: gold, white, green, brown & orange. Adding color to your plate not only makes dieting more fun, it also ensures a healthier diet plan.

If you would like to experiment with adding color to your daily diet plan, you can use our Color Wheel Diet Plan to do such.

The following chart provides our unique Color Wheel Diet Plan based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Food groups are listed along with the USDA recommended daily amount in column 2. The third column provides examples of what the recommended daily amounts might resemble when using our Color Wheel Diet. The last column lists examples offood choices matching the food colors.

Nutrition notes for the 2,000 calorie daily diet are listed below for your quick reference. Our Color Wheel Diet Plan is based on the USDA daily recommendations and is therefore, not a fad diet. It IS a fun diet plan! Links are listed below that lead to daily diets ranging from 1,200 calories to 2,400 calories, including links to Tracking Charts for Dieters located at Diet Bites.

2,000 Calorie Daily Diet - Diet Bites' Color Wheel Diet Plan
Food Group	USDA Recommended Daily Amount	Diet Bites' Color Wheel Diet	Examples of Food Choices
Fruits	2 cups =	1/2 cup yellow fruit 1/2 cup of green fruit 1/2 cup of red fruit 1/2 cup of orange fruit	1/2 cup banana 1/2 cup of pear 1/2 cup of strawberries 1/2 cup of cantaloupe
Vegetables	2.5 cups =	1/2 cup of dark green vegetables 1 cup of raw green leafy vegetables** 1/2 cup of orange vegetables 1/2 cup of yellow vegetables 1/2 cup of white vegetables	1/2 cup broccoli 1 cup of salad greens 1/2 cup of carrots 1/2 cup of yellow squash 1/2 cup of potato
Grains	6 ounces =	1/2 cup of cooked wheat pasta (tan) 3 slices of whole grain bread (tan) 1/2 cup of cereal (multi-color) 1 White Flour Tortilla	1/2 cup of wheat pasta 3 slices of whole grain bread 1/2 cup of cereal 1 flour tortilla
Meat, Beans, Seeds, Nuts, Eggs, Peanut Butter	5.5 ounces =	1/2 cup of beans, peas, lentils or legumes 3 ounces of white meat 1 yellow /white egg (or brown egg) 1 teaspoon of brown peanut butter	1/2 cup English Peas 2 ounces of chicken breast 1 egg 1 teaspoon of peanut butter
Milk, Dairy	3 cups =	2 cups of white skim milk 1 ounce of yellow cheese	2 cups of milk 1 ounce of cheddar cheese
Oils	6 teaspoons =	Use Golden Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Margarine Sparingly	Use Golden Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Margarine Sparingly
Discretionary Calories	Allow 267 Calories =	These are the calories that you choose to fit into your daily diet which may or may not fall into the official food groups. Preferably, the discretionary calories should come from healthy sources.	267 discretionary calories

Keep in mind that the Color Wheel Diet Plan is intended as a pattern to enhance the healthy daily diet. Don't forget about all the important colors - such as purple eggplant, sunshine yellow lemons, pink grapefruit, maroon colored grapes and so forth. In addition, don't forget to experiment with a variety of healthy foods - such as adding a dash of peanut butter to the 'nuts, seeds, protein, bean' food group.

As to daily oil & fat consumption recommended by the USDA, decreasing such can trim calories significantly. However, equally important to keep in mind is the fact that fats are an important part of any diet plan and should not be totally eliminated.

As to beverages, outside of skim milk we recommend water and low calorie/sugar free beverages.

The Diet Bites Color Wheel Diet Plan

Based on USDA Daily Recommendations

1,200 Calorie Diet | 1,400 Calorie Diet | 1,600 Calorie Diet | 1,800 Calorie Diet

2,000 Calorie Diet | 2,200 Calorie Diet | 2,400 Calorie Diet

Free Tracking Sheets for Your Diet

2,400 Calorie Diet | 2,600 Calorie Diet | 2,800 Calorie Diet | 3,000 Calorie Diet | 3,200 Calorie Diet

Keep in mind that before going on ANY diet plan, you should always obtain your doctor's permission as personal health condition might determine other needs. The information at Diet Bites is intended to enhance your diet plan and should not ever be replaced for your doctor's recommendations.

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