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Diet Bites Color Wheel Diet Plan™

A Free Diet Plan Designed by Diet Bites

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 of food 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 - Lists Food Group daily recommendations; great for anyone interested in tracking their daily diet.

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

Nutrition Notes for 2,000 Calorie Diet

Fruits Food Group Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juice 1 cup of 100% fruit juice equals 1 cup of fruit from the Fruit Group

Vegetables Food Group

Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juices
Dark Green Veggies - 3 cups per week
Orange Veggies - 2 cups per week
Legumes - 3 cups per week
Starchy Vegetables - 3 cups per week
Other Vegetables - 6.5 cups per week
2 cups of raw leafy greens equals 1 cup from the Vegetable Group**

Grains Food Group Includes oats, barley, rice, wheat, cornmeal, bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, tortillas, grits 1 slice of bread equals 1 ounce from the Grain Group 1/2 cup of cooked pasta, rice or cereal equals 1 ounce from the Grains Group 1/2 of grains consumed should be whole grains

Meat, Beans, Lentils, Nuts, Seeds & Eggs Food Group 1 ounce of meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey, fish) equals 1 ounce 1 egg equals 1 ounce 1/4 cup of cooked dry beans equals 1 ounce 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter equals 1 ounce 1/2 ounce of nuts and/or seeds equals 1 ounce

Milk & Dairy Food Group 1 cup of milk or yogurt equals 1 cup from the Milk Group 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese equals 1 cup Cream cheese, butter and cream are not considered as part of the Milk Group Sources should be skimmed, low fat
Oils - Minimal Consumption Includes oils that retain liquid state at room temperature such as canola, sunflower, olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil. Includes foods high in oil such as certain species of fish, avocados, nuts & olives. Includes processed foods such as Mayo, salad dressings and soft margarine are chiefly oil.
Discretionary Calories - Foods that you choose to add to your daily diet. Includes foods low in fat or fat free with no added sugar.

*Amounts based on information from the USDA and are estimated calorie needs.

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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This original Diet Bites' article contains the following:

Diet Bites Color Wheel Free Diet Plan

USDA Recommended Daily Calories for Dieters

Example Menu for the Color Wheel Diet Plan

How adding color to reduced calorie meals adds pleasure to palate.

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