Tracking the 3,200 Calorie Diet Plan

Printable Tracking Sheet

Article by Diet Bites


It's Not Always About Losing

While we tend to think of high calorie diets as fuses that set off an increase in body weight, this isn't always the situation.

There are individuals who have difficult in maintaining a normal size who struggle to gain rather than to lose.

This is generally due to their gene pool composite and their very fast metabolic rate but it can also be tied to other instances such as an illness or a disease.

While candy bars, cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, doughnuts, cupcakes and fried foods contain an abundance of kcals, they also contain an abundance of fat grams, most of which are derived from saturated and Trans varieties.

These are the more unhealthy sources of fatty acids and have been shown in numerous health studies to raise the risk of heart disease as over time, a build-up can occur within the circulatory system, thus blocking the free flow of blood throughout the body. When the blood cannot efficiently reach the heart muscle, a medical emergency comes into play.

Therefore, when the individual is in need of gaining weight rather than losing, doing such by using healthy food and beverage choices makes the wisest and most healthy choice. And anyone who finds that they are deficient where body weight is involved, they should seek the professional medical advice required for ruling out serious factors which could be contributing or causing the underweight condition as well as a recommended specialized daily eating plan suited to their medical needs.

Recommended Daily Servings for the 3200 Calorie Diet

The caloric base for this daily plan basically mirrors the 3000 kcal version; the difference can be found within the discretionary calorie allotment which increases with the energy values.

The equivalents listed below generally equate to a one ounce serving of most solid foods.

Grain: Ten ounce equivalents and this amount has remained steady since we hit the 2800 kcal benchmark. In fact, the only change between the caloric span is seen within the Vegetable Group recommended servings which increased from 3.5 cups to four.


Vegetable: 4 cups; a mix of the day's amounts from this group may resemble the following selections:

1/2 cup of the following vegetables: yellow squash, beets, carrots,  and 1 cup of turnip greens prepared using a steaming process.

Fruit:2.5 cups; be sure to choose plenty of different colors that will entertain the eyes and satisfy those taste buds. If you experience digestive upset when citrus foods are involved, rather than eating the entire specimen - opt for a squeeze of the juice instead.

If this still bothers the gut, ask your doctor for an alternative. While consuming a whole grapefruit can irritate the digestive system, a squeeze of fresh lemon on fish OR a squeeze of lime juice into your bowl of chicken tortilla soup might settle well on the stomach.

Dairy:3 cups which works out to twenty-four ounces which in turn works out to about one per hour. Take note that once we hit the 1400 kcal amount for daily total, the recommendation for this Food Group has remained steady at the three cup recommendation.

It's the richest group of all for calcium benefits, so dig in deep and get your rightful share of such. Calcium is also one of the three vital electrolytes of the body which works to balance fluids and is necessary for life itself.

Protein:  7 ounce equivalents which translate to any of the following per equivalent: a large egg, a Tablespoon of peanut butter - or any other natural nut based butter, an ounce of fish, one ounce of lamb, beef, pork or poultry.

In Summary

When building the meal plate, we suggest starting with the base of the official American Food Pyramid - the Grain Group. This will set into motion the direction of the meal as well as the recipe.

For example, if you're in the mood for Mexican food, then a whole grain tortilla shell should set the pace. And even here we have so many choices that we can make; we can go flat and prepare a tostada with beans and a healthy mix of greens. We can go limp with a corn tortilla or we can opt for the flour version and make a burrito.

If we opt for bread, we can prepare a healthy sandwich filled with lean protein selections, vegetables and even a slice or two of avocado which assists in inviting the Fruit Group to the meal.

What about pasta?

Next, as you continue to build your meal try to ensure that all of the vital groups and part of the meal and if they cannot be fit in, then work around that issue and add the missing servings as your day continues.

1600 Calorie Diet | 1800 Calorie Diet | 2000 Calorie Diet

2200 Calorie Diet | 2400 Calorie Diet

2600 Calorie Diet | 2800 Calorie Diet

Return to Pyramid Diet Index

 

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