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Creating a macro meal plan can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Between selecting the correct food, increasing protein intake, and ensuring you are only consuming healthy fats, there are many components to consider when creating an effective meal plan.
This is why we have created a balanced meal macro meal plan for women. This guide explains the importance of macronutrients, the benefits, and a 7-day meal plan to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Understanding Macros and Their Importance for Women’s Health
Macronutrients refer to carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which are essential for our body's function. Carbohydrates are used as an energy source and metabolism. Protein is most well-known for building muscle; however, it is also responsible for tissue growth and regulating the immune system. Healthy fats are used for energy, absorbing vital nutrients, supporting the brain, and producing hormones.
A balance of macronutrients including complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats provides our body with the nutritional balance that improves energy levels, weight management, mood, and cognitive function while reducing the risk of chronic disease.
Benefits of a Macro Meal Plan for Women
Macro meal plans give us more control over our nutrition, making each food work for us. While tracking our macronutrient and calorie intake may seem restrictive, it gives us more control by allowing us to choose how we spend our recommended daily intakes.
Below are several benefits and reasons you should consider using a macro meal plan.
Sustained Energy Levels
In a world where we are constantly on the go, energy has become one of our biggest commodities. Whether it is family, work, or simply trying to navigate the average day on a poor night's sleep, our energy is constantly being pulled in all different directions.
Manipulating our macronutrient intake is one of the most effective ways to improve our energy levels (the other is sleep!). Carbohydrates make up a large portion of our macronutrient balance and are a major energy source.
Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes are loaded with fiber and provide a slow release of energy. This means less hunger, less cravings, and fewer energy dips.
Better Weight Management
Controlling our macronutrients is an excellent tool for managing weight. As mentioned, protein and carbohydrates can improve satiety. This can help reduce our daily calorie consumption and help us manage our weight.
Furthermore, protein has been shown to increase thermogenesisthe metabolic process during which the body burns calories to produce heat, boosting our metabolism. The reduction of total calorie intake and metabolic boost enables us to maintain a healthy weight.
Improve Mood & Cognitive Function
Consuming a diet consisting of balanced macronutrients can improve our mood and cognitive function. Complex carbohydrates and protein can balance energy levels and reduce dips, improving mood and cognitive function.
B vitamins found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, leafy greens, and whole grains can help reduce stress, and anxiety while improving mood and cognitive function. Meanwhile, foods containing magnesium including whole grains, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and vegetables have been associated with a decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress
Additionally, the amino acid tryptophan found in bananas, oats, milk, tuna, cheese, chicken, and bread helps create serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates our sleep, mood, and memory. Eating a variety of foods as a part of a balanced macro meal plan will help improve mood and cognitive function.
Reduces The Risk of Chronic Illness
Macro meal plans containing built around whole foods can also reduce the risk of chronic illness. Obesity is linked to chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, type 2 diabetes, psychological issues, and joint and muscular disorders.
Nutrient-dense macro meal plans combined with a calorie-controlled diet can help maintain a healthy weight. Furthermore, nutrients such as vitamins C, E, and zinc are antioxidants that can help support our immune system, and decrease inflammation, and the risk of chronic illness.
Meanwhile, foods rich in fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can reduce chronic disease and inflammation while improving metabolic health.
7-Day Sample Macro Meal Plan for Women
This is a 7-day sample macro meal plan for women. It contains nutrient-dense whole foods, rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This meal plan is flexible, meaning we can eat the same meal and adjust portion sizes to match our macronutrients and calories for weight gain, weight loss, and maintenance.
The meal plan below contains meals with similar ingredients, with some repeat meals and snacks. This will make it easier to buy ingredients and streamline the meal prep process.
Day 1 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Poached Egg with Avocado, Tomato, Low-Fat Feta on Whole-Grain Toast
- Lunch: Grilled Chicken & Quinoa Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, Corn, Red Onion
- Dinner: Mexican Chicken Stew with Quinoa, Beans
- Snacks: Protein Smoothie with Whey Protein, Banana, Blueberries, Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
Day 2 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Grilled Chicken and Veggie Omelet with Whole Grain Toast
- Lunch: Steak Burrito Bowl with Mexican-style Rice, Red Pepper, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Greek Yogurt, Olive Oil, Fajita Seasoning
- Dinner: Air Fried Lemon and Garlic Salmon with Quinoa Salad
- Snacks: Protein Yogurt, Fruit Salad
Day 3 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Mixed Berries, Maple Syrup, Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, Chia Seeds
- Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Corn, Yellow Peppers, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil
- Dinner: Pesto-crusted Cod with Lentils, Tomatoes, Chilli
- Snacks: Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters, Protein Yogurt
Day 4 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Spinach and Pepper Frittata with Eggs, Feta, Tomato, Garlic
- Lunch: Slow-cooked Quinoa Chili with Red Onion, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Garlic, Jalapeno, Chickpeas, Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, Corn, Cauliflower
- Dinner: Spicy Curry Salmon & Tomato Bake with Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Chickpeas, Coriander, Lemon, Low-Fat Yogurt, Naan Bread
- Snacks: Protein Smoothie with Whey Protein, Banana, Blueberries, Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Almond Milk
Day 5 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Mixed Berries, Maple Syrup, Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, Chia Seeds
- Lunch: BBQ Protein Bowl with Chicken Breast, Cabbage, Carrot, Corn, Chili, Brown Rice
- Dinner: Oven Baked Portuguese Chicken Wraps with Lettuce, Tomato, Corn, Radish, Avocado, Carrot, Greek Yogurt, Coriander
- Snacks: Whey Protein Shake, Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters
Day 6 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Protein Pancakes with Banana, Oats, Eggs, Low-Fat Milk, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Whey Protein, Light Maple Syrup
- Lunch: Turkey Gyro Bowl with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Brown Rice, Ground Turkey, Olive Oil
- Dinner: Air Fried Lemon and Garlic Salmon with Quinoa Salad
- Snacks: Whey Protein Shake, Veggie Sticks and Hummus
Day 7 Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Spinach and Pepper Frittata with Eggs, Feta, Tomato, Garlic
- Lunch: BBQ Protein Bowl with Chicken Breast, Cabbage, Carrot, Corn, Chili, Brown Rice
- Dinner: Crisp Sweet Chilli, Garlic, and Ginger Chicken with Brown Rice, Carrot, Red Pepper
- Snacks: Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters, Protein Yogurt
Calculating Your Macronutrient Needs
Macro meal plans can allow us to adjust our macronutrient ratios and calorie intake to suit our goals. Below we list macro rations for weight loss, muscle main, and maintenance.
Recommended Macro Ratios for Weight Loss
Manipulating your macros for weight loss will require a calorie deficit, an increase in protein, and a decrease in carbohydrates. As mentioned, protein intake improves satiety and boosts our metabolism, which is great during a calorie deficit.
Furthermore, additional protein is also needed to preserve lean muscle mass during your calorie deficit, with a recommended daily intake of 2.3–3.1 grams per kilogram of body weight.
The calorie deficit means we will need to decrease overall portion size. Meanwhile, you will need to increase the portion of lean protein food and decrease carbohydrates such as quinoa, and brown rice.
Here is the recommended macronutrient ratio for weight loss:
- Carbohydrates: 40% of total calorie intake
- Protein: 30% of total calorie intake
- Fats: 30% of total calorie intake
Recommended Macro Ratios for Muscle Gain
Gaining weight requires a calorie surplus while maintaining moderate to high carbohydrate intake to fuel our workouts. As mentioned, carbohydrates are a major energy source and are essential to recovery and restoring muscle energy stores. During this process, the recommended protein intake is approximately 1.4–1.6g/kg/day.
Here is the recommended macronutrient ratio for Muscle Gain:
- Carbohydrates: 50% of total calorie intake
- Protein: 20% of total calorie intake
- Fats: 30% of total calorie intake
Recommended Macro Ratios for Maintenance
Maintaining weight requires us to match our daily calorie intake and expenditure while consuming a large portion of carbohydrates, and decreased protein.
Here is the recommended macronutrient ratio for Maintenance::
- Carbohydrates: 55% of total calorie intake
- Protein: 15% of total calorie intake
- Fats: 30% of total calorie intake
Recap: Adjusting Your Macro Plan as Your Goals Evolve
Macro meal plans offer a flexible means of reaching our health and fitness goals. The creation of a nutrient-dense meal plan ensures we are feeding our body essential vitamins and minerals to support and enhance our overall health. From here, we can easily manipulate our calorie and macronutrient intake as our goals evolve.
Macro meal plans enhance our current and future health with benefits including:
- Sustained Energy Levels
- Better Weight Management
- Improve Mood and Cognition
- Reduce The Risk of Chronic Illness
If you are considering creating a macro meal plan, we recommend using a nutrition-tracking app and fueling up on nutrient-dense foods. This will not only help you achieve incredible results but also enhance your overall health.
FAQs
What is a macro-based meal plan?
A macro-based meal plan focuses on balancing macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—in specific ratios to meet individual nutritional and health goals.
How do these meal plans ensure balanced nutrition?
These meal plans are designed to provide a precise balance of macronutrients to support energy, muscle maintenance, and overall health. By incorporating the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, they help sustain energy levels and promote effective weight management.
How can I adjust my macro intake to match my fitness goals?
Portion sizes and macro distribution can be tailored to fit specific fitness or health objectives, whether for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance. Tracking your macronutrient intake helps ensure you stay within your desired ratio to meet these goals.
What role do macronutrients play in this meal plan?
Each macronutrient serves a purpose: protein helps with muscle repair and satiety, carbs provide essential energy, and healthy fats support cell function and hormone regulation. This plan ensures these nutrients are balanced to optimize health and performance.
How do I track my macros while following this meal plan?
To accurately follow a macro-based meal plan, use tracking tools or apps that allow you to log your food intake and monitor the distribution of carbs, protein, and fats. This helps you stay aligned with your macro goals.
