Enjoy this 1300 calorie meal plan that includes a low carb, high protein diet plan that can be used by women who are looking to either burn fat or gain lean muscle mass!

As a woman, if you are remotely serious about reaching your fitness goals, you should count calories & watch the ratio of carbs to protein to fat, and what percent of your total caloric intake each piece makes up.

Whey Protein Shake with water (120 kcal)

1/4 cup peanuts (207 kcal)

4 oz boneless turkey meat (212 kcal)

Protein Bar - pick one with less than 15g carbs (150 kcal)

4 oz Tilapia - grilled or baked (109 kcal)

1 small apple (48 kcal)

Remember to drink plenty of fluids and try not to eat after 8pm if you can.

Notice how we broke down this plan into 6 meals instead of 3-4. Eating smaller meals more frequently keeps your metabolism busy all day and improves digestion. Don’t skip meals and don’t eat too much in the morning or at lunch. “Making up” for it later means skipping meals.

Getting fit and staying fit does not have to mean a restrictive diet 24/7. Invest in a nice food scale, measure everything, and enjoy looking and feeling your best!

Source : Associated content

Remember, always 5-6 meals a day! this helped me a lot with my workouts

In recent years the word “powerfood” has been diluted by various advertisements and fad diets. Many times the foods advertised are not healthy and definitely not powerfoods. A real powerfood should leave you feeling energized and invigorated, it should be a food that can help tired muscles recuperate and it should be a food that does not consume an untoward amount of your daily calorie budget without providing ample body benefits. While ideal powerfoods can vary slightly from body to body, many women have similar dietary needs. This article presents exceedingly beneficial and healthy foods for women. All of these foods are part of my personal powerfood top ten. (They are not presented by rank.)

1. Spinach

In her article Iron Deficiency Anemia, Dr. Elizabeth Ross states that “5% of women between the ages of 20 and 49 have iron deficiency with anemia and 11% have iron deficiency without anemia.” Right off the top the percentages sound small, but that breaks down to between one and twenty women and one in ten women who are not getting enough iron. a cup of cooked spinach will provide 2mg of iron, or a little over 11.1% of your daily value. That same cup of spinach only carries 21 kcal and will also provide your body with 2.7 grams of protein. Powerfood indeed! A delicious and deliciously simple way to prepare spinach is to mix it in with a few scrambled eggs.

2. Eggs

Eggs are the second powerfood on our list. Eggs went through a period of several years of being demonized for their cholesterol content, but they really are an essential powerfood for many people. They contain a very decent and healthy amount of protein - 6.1 grams for a 79 kcal investment. Each egg also contains 5.6 grams of fat. Depending on your current diet, this can be either good or bad. Many people who follow a more healthy lifestyle have probably reduced their meat intake to lean cuts or switched to “veggie meats.” In this instance the 5.6 grams of fat can come in very handy as you work towards your daily fat intake requirement. Speaking for myself eggs are one of the few sources of fat in my diet that I eat on a regular basis. If you are concerned about your fat intake though, switch to egg whites only. These can be purchased already separated or you can pick up a regular carton and separate the white and yolk yourself. All of the fat and cholesterol in an egg are contained within the yolk. Since most of the protein is found in the egg white, not eating the yolk will still leave your egg with “powerfood” status.

3. Peanut Butter

When I refer to peanut butter as a powerfood, I prefer to work with the all natural kind. All natural peanut butters do not contain damaging trans fats, and, like eggs, can play a beneficial role for your body by providing necessary fats that you may not be consuming from other sources while eating a healthy diet. Since more women than men seem to consume low-fat or fat free versions of most dairy products, the fat in peanut butter can be a real blessing! Most peanut butter products have a serving size of 2 Tablespoons, but I recommend keeping it to one, and coupling the peanut butter with a healthy whole grain cracker or bread to maximize the benefits. One tablespoon of peanut butter will set you back 105 calories, but it will provide you with 4g of protein, 1 g of fiber, and 8 grams of fat (only 1.25 grams of which are saturated). The other grams are all heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt packs a powerfood punch, and it can do it in a variety of ways. Yogurt is now available in regular, reduced fat, fat-free, and fiber-added varieties. Most yogurts will contain between 7 and 14 grams of protein, and depending on the type of yogurt you purchase, it can also contain up to 5 grams of dietary fiber. If you are limiting your fat consumption, a low fat or reduced fat variety will help you meet you goals. Also important for a woman is the 20-30% daily value of calcium most yogurts will provide. The calorie count of a yogurt can range from 80 to over 200 plus per serving. I would recommend avoiding yogurts with over 200 calories most of the time, as the health benefits of these are typically overshadowed by sugars and flavoring added to alter the taste of the product.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a powerfood, though it may not be one you have thought of too often as such. While more organic varieties of oatmeal will provide the best benefits, a lot of women will not have time to indulge in the lengthy process of preparing this often, so we will discuss instant oatmeal now. Instant oatmeal is yet another food that has recently been reborn with added fiber and less sugars depending on the brand you are consuming. An average container of quick oats will contain 140 calories per cup, 2.5 grams of fat (.5g saturated and 1g each of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats), 26 grams of carbohydrates, 4g of which are dietary fiber (2 each of soluble and insoluble), and 5 grams of protein. An added bonus is that you will also be consuming around 14% of your daily iron requirement. Oatmeal is an ideal breakfast food. The carbs will provide you with some early morning energy and the other nutrients will keep your body humming until lunchtime.

6. Whole Grain Pasta

The nutritional breakdown of the various pasta-types is different, but for the purpose of this article we will focus on a favorite of most - spaghetti. A serving of whole-grain spaghetti is a great powerfood. It would be ideally eaten an hour or two before a vigorous afternoon workout session. This is because it is going to provide you with a whopping 40 grams of carbohydrates (5 grams of fiber included), which will be enough to power you through even the most intense workout. The 190 calories invested in the serving will also provide you 2g of healthy fat and 8grams of protein, which means if you are woman who will be lifting weights during that workout, you will be doing your muscles a real favor as well!

7. Tofu

Tofu is a power food because for a low calorie investment of 72 per 3- ounce serving, you can consume 7.8 grams of protein. Tofu is also a food that is easily dressed up and substituted into recipes, meaning you can easily incorporate it into your favorite dishes and reap the benefits while not making a drastic change in your dinner menu.

8. Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are an easily accessible powerfood - any woman looking to lead a healthy lifestyle can pick a package up at any grocery counter and be well on her way to a nutrient dense dinner. 4 ounces of this wonder-meat contains only 120 calories, and for those 120 calories you are rewarded with 26 grams of protein - your muscles will sing your praises for consuming a chicken breast, especially if you lift weights as part of your healthy lifestyle! This chicken breast is only going to contain 1 g of fat and 0 carbohydrates. Chicken is so versatile that you can bake a package of these, store the excess, and then have chicken added to your salads and sandwiches for days after you eat the initial dinner.

9. Salmon

What is a powerfoods list that would not contain salmon? Fish have been referred to as brain food for years and salmon is the king when it comes to eating fish. This is because a serving of salmon contains nearly a full day’s requirement of Omega-3 fatty acids. That same 4-oz serving will also provide you with 15 grams of protein and only takes away a mere 120 calories of your daily calorie budget.

10. Blueberries

A proper powerfood list should contain at least one fruit, so I have decided to go with a personal favorite, blueberries. Blueberries are an antioxidant factory; they boast 7 mg of Vitamin C and .4 mg of Vitamin E in every of a cup. This of a cup will contain only 41 calories and will also provide you a gram of fiber! A healthy dose of antioxidants is essential to any powerfood consumer!

All of the powerfoods featured in this article, with the exception of blueberries, are featured because of their quality protein, carbohydrate (especially dietary fiber), and fat contents. Several contain a nice combination of each. Protein, carbs, and fat are the big three in my diet, and I have always found that if I am mindful of getting a healthy and balanced amount of each of these I also consume a wide and generous amount of nutrients and vitamins, so much so that I rarely find a need for supplementation in my diet. I am sure any other woman who consumes these healthy powerfoods on a regular basis as part of her diet will find the same thing.

Sources: Associated content

Personal Knowledge

Food Labels

“Iron Deficiency Anemia: Risk, Symptoms and Treatment.” Elizabeth M. Ross, M.D., L.D.N. 2008. (April 5, 2009).

Pennington, Jean A.T. and Helen Nichols Church. Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. 14th Edition. New York: Harper & Row. 1985.