What Does a 1,500-Calorie Day Look Like?

When you're trying to eat healthier or lose weight, sometimes you just want someone to tell you what to eat. Following a meal plan that's designed by a registered dietitian is a great place to start, but first, you need to know what your daily calorie goal is.

How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Goal

According to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most adult females require between 1,600 and 2,000 calories, and adult males between 2,000 and 2,400 calories, per day. Consequently, most people will lose weight following a 1,500- to 1,800-calorie diet. If you want to be even more precise about how many calories you should eat each day to lose weight, this simple calculation will give you a daily calorie goal that can help you lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds per week.

• To estimate how many calories you need each day to stay at the weight you are right now, multiply your current weight by 12.
  
• To lose 1 pound/week: Cut 500 calories/day.
  
• To lose 2 pounds/week: Cut 1,000 calories/day.

Example:

If your current weight is 160 pounds and your goal is to lose 1 pound per week:

160 [lbs.] x 12 = 1,920 [calories]

1,920 [calories] – 500 [calories] = 1,420 calories

This formula is used in many clinical weight-loss trials and assumes the person using the equation is sedentary. If you're an active person, you may find you need more calories than what you calculated to feel satisfied during the day. In that case, you can multiply your weight by 15.

However, the best gauge for whether you're at the right level is how satisfied you feel—you shouldn't be hungry all day—and whether you're losing weight. If you're losing weight on 1,800 calories a day and you feel great, stick with that. This calculation is just a suggested starting point. As you lose weight, you may want to run the calorie-target calculation again since your calorie needs will have changed. You could also talk with your health care provider or a registered dietitian for a more personalized calorie goal.

For healthy weight loss, we don't advise losing more than 2 pounds per week. If you calculate a daily calorie goal that's less than 1,200, set your calorie goal at 1,200 calories. Below that, it's hard to meet your nutrient needs—or to feel satisfied enough to stick with a plan. Additionally, drastic caloric restrictions, less than 1,200 calories, increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies and health complications.

If you're unsure, start with a 1,500-calorie meal plan—a calorie level at which most people will lose weight in a healthy way. Here, we show what a day's worth of food looks like on a 1,500-calorie diet. And when you're ready for more, try our 1,500-Calorie Diet Plan for Weight Loss.

Some original reporting by Nicci Micco, M.S.

Breakfast

For breakfast, choose something between 300 and 350 calories.

Sample Breakfast:

• Avocado & Arugula Omelet (344 calories)
• 1 cup green tea (2 calories)

TOTAL: 346 calories

Other Breakfast Ideas:

Apple-Cinnamon Quinoa Bowl

Muesli with Raspberries

Strawberry-Ricotta Waffle Sandwich

Morning Snack

Aim to keep snacks around 100 calories.

Sample Snack:

• 1 medium apple, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon (95 calories)

TOTAL: 95 calories

Lunch

Aim to make lunch 350 to 400 calories.

Sample Lunch:

• Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad (400 calories)

TOTAL: 400 calories

Afternoon Snack

Use your afternoon snack to fill out the rest of the day's calories.

Sample Snack:

• 1 cup cucumber slices (16 calories)
• 1 medium carrot, cut into sticks (25 calories)
• 1/4 cup hummus (104 calories)

TOTAL: 145 calories

Dinner

Aim for dinner to be between 425 and 525 calories.

Sample Dinner:

• Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp (447 calories)
• 2 cups mixed greens (18 calories)
• Dressing: 1 tsp. olive oil + 1 tsp. Dijon mustard + 2 tsp. red-wine vinegar + a pinch each of salt and pepper (49 calories)

TOTAL: 514 calories

Daily Total: 1,500 calories, 79 g protein, 91 g carbohydrates, 31 g fiber, 100 g fat, 2,026 mg sodium

The Bottom Line

Eating for weight loss doesn't have to be boring and tasteless—nor should you be constantly hungry. Regardless of what an equation says you should be eating, it's important to tune into your body and hunger and fullness cues. Avoid seeing weight loss as a means to an end; instead, consider what health habits contribute to weight loss and overall health and gradually make the necessary changes so they become a part of your daily routine.