MyPlate Worksheet: 1,200 Calories

Obesity and Bariatric Surgery

Your calorie needs are about 1,200 calories a day. Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.

MyPlate graphic showing healthy balance of foods.

Vegetables: 1½ cups

Fruits: 1 cup

Grains: 4 ounces

Dairy: 2½ cups

Protein: 3 ounces

Eat a variety of vegetables each day.

Aim for these amounts each week:

1 cup dark green vegetables
3 cups red or orange-colored vegetables
½ cup dry beans and peas
3½ cups starchy vegetables
2½ cups other vegetables

Eat a variety of fruits each day.

Go easy on fruit juices.

Good choices of fruits include:

Berries
Bananas
Apples
Melon
Dried fruit
Frozen fruit
Canned fruit

Choose whole grains whenever you can.

Aim to eat at least 2 ounces of whole grains each day:

Bread
Cereal
Rice
Pasta
Potatoes
Tortillas

Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese each day.

Good choices include:

Low-fat or fat-free milk or chocolate milk
Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese or other reduced-fat cheeses
Calcium-fortified milk alternatives

Choose low-fat or lean meats, poultry, fish and seafood each day.

Vary your protein. Choose more:

Fish and other seafood
Lean low-fat meat and poultry
Eggs
Beans, peas
Tofu
Unsalted nuts and seeds

Choose less high-fat and red meat.

Source: USDA MyPlate, www.myplate.gov

Know your limits on sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars

Your allowance for saturated fat is 13 grams or less a day.
Limit added sugars to 30 grams or less a day.
Cut back on salt (sodium). Stay under 2,300 mg sodium a day. If you have a health condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, your doctor will likely tell you to limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg a day.

Get moving and be active!

Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week or 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.

MyPlate Servings Worksheet: 1,200 calories

This worksheet tells you how many servings you should get each day from each food group, and tells you how much food makes a serving. Use this as a guide as you plan your meals throughout the day. Track your progress daily by writing in what you actually ate.

Food group	Daily MyPlate goal	What you ate today
Vegetables	3 half-cups or 3 servings One serving is: ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables ½ baked sweet potato ½ cup vegetable juice Note: At meals, fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit and eat them first.
Fruits	2 half-cups or 2 servings One serving is: ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit 1 medium piece of fruit 1 cup of berries or melon ½ cup dried fruit ½ cup 100% fruit juice Note: Make most choices fruit instead of juice.
Grains	4 servings or 4 ounces One serving is: 1 slice bread 1 cup dry cereal ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal 1 5-inch tortilla Note: Choose whole grains for at least half of your servings each day.
Dairy	2-1/2 servings or 2-1/2 cups One serving is: 1 cup milk 1½ ounces reduced-fat hard cheese 2 ounces processed cheese 1 cup low-fat yogurt 1/3 cup shredded cheese Note: Choose low-fat or fat-free most often.
Protein	3 servings or 3 ounces One serving is: 1 ounce cooked lean beef, pork, lamb, or ham 1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey (no skin) 1 ounce cooked fish or shellfish (not fried) 1 egg ¼ cup egg substitute ½ ounce nuts or seeds 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter ¼ cup cooked dry beans or peas ½ cup tofu 2 tablespoons hummus