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High Protein Meal Plan for Women: A Sample Day for Strength Training
If you lift weights, eating enough protein is one of the simplest ways to support building muscle, or keeping it while you lose fat. You don't need a special diet to get there. You need a daily target, a decent serving at each meal and a handful of go-to foods.
Updated · 7 min read · By the HerShape team
This high protein meal plan for women covers all three, with a sample day of about 120 g of protein, vegetarian and vegan swaps, and a shopping list. Pair it with a training plan like our gym workout plan for women or home workout plan for women.
How much protein do you need?
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. It's set to cover the basic needs of nearly all healthy adults, not to support muscle gain from training.
For people who exercise, the major position statements give higher ranges:
- International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN): 1.4-2.0 g/kg a day is enough for most people who exercise.
- American College of Sports Medicine, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada (joint position): 1.2-2.0 g/kg a day, with higher intakes possibly useful for short periods when you're eating less.
A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials found that extra protein stopped adding to muscle gains from lifting at around 1.6 g/kg a day on average. So a practical range for women who strength train is 1.4-2.0 g/kg (about 0.6-0.9 g per pound). If you're eating in a calorie deficit to lose fat, aim for the upper half.
| Body weight | RDA (0.8 g/kg) | Strength training (1.4-2.0 g/kg) | Per meal, over 4 meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 40 g | 70-100 g | 18-25 g |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 48 g | 84-120 g | 21-30 g |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 56 g | 98-140 g | 25-35 g |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 64 g | 112-160 g | 28-40 g |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 72 g | 126-180 g | 32-45 g |
These are general ranges, not a personal prescription. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have kidney disease or another medical condition, your needs may be different: talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before raising your protein.
How much protein per meal
Both position statements recommend spreading protein across the day rather than saving most of it for dinner. The ISSN suggests about 0.25 g/kg per meal, or 20-40 g, evenly spaced every 3-4 hours. The ACSM joint position suggests about 0.3 g/kg after key training sessions and every 3-5 hours. For most women, that works out to 3-4 meals with 20-40 g each, plus a snack if you need one.
No need to rush a shake after training. The ISSN notes that protein before or after a workout both help and that a session's effect lasts at least 24 hours, so a protein-rich meal within a few hours either side of lifting works well.
What 20-40 g of protein looks like
| Food | Portion | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked | 100 g (3.5 oz) | 31 g |
| Salmon, cooked | 120 g (about 4 oz) | 27 g |
| Canned tuna in water, drained | 85 g (3 oz) | 20-22 g |
| Plain Greek yogurt, 2% | 200 g (just under 1 cup) | 20 g |
| Cottage cheese, 2% | 1 cup (226 g) | 24 g |
| Eggs | 3 large | 19 g |
| Tempeh | 150 g | 30 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 18 g |
| Edamame, shelled | 1 cup | 18 g |
| Protein powder (whey, pea or soy) | 1 scoop | 20-25 g, check the label |
Firm and extra-firm tofu vary a lot by brand, from roughly 9 to 16 g of protein per 100 g, so check the label before you count on it.
A 1-day high protein meal plan (about 120 g)
This sample day suits a woman of about 60-75 kg (130-165 lb) aiming for 1.6-2.0 g/kg. It has four protein-rich meals, about 120 g of protein in total and roughly 1,740 calories.
The calories show where the energy comes from; they aren't a target. Your needs depend on your size, activity and goal. To eat more, add carbs and fats (more oats or quinoa, toast, nuts). To eat less, trim those first and keep the protein portions.
| Meal | What to eat | Protein | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Overnight oats: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 200 g plain 2% Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup berries | 30 g | 400 |
| Lunch | Chicken quinoa bowl: 100 g cooked chicken breast, 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, 1 1/2 cups roasted vegetables, 2 tsp olive oil, lemon | 40 g | 470 |
| Afternoon snack | 1 apple, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 string cheese | 15 g | 370 |
| Dinner | 120 g cooked salmon, 1 medium baked potato, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tsp butter or olive oil | 35 g | 500 |
| Total | 120 g | about 1,740 |
Prefer a shake? Swap the snack for a scoop of protein powder in water and a banana (about 25 g of protein, 225 calories). For a full week, keep the structure and rotate the proteins.
Vegetarian and vegan swaps
Most plant foods have less protein per serving than meat or dairy, so portions run a little bigger and soy foods (tempeh, tofu, edamame, soy milk) do a lot of the work.
| Meal | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | No change (30 g) | Make the oats with 1 cup soy milk and a scoop of pea or soy protein instead of yogurt (about 30-35 g) |
| Lunch | Swap the chicken for 150 g tempeh (lunch about 39 g) | Same as vegetarian |
| Snack | No change (15 g) | Swap the string cheese for 1 cup soy milk (about 15 g) |
| Dinner | 3-egg omelet with 30 g cheddar, plus the potato and broccoli (about 34 g) | 1 cup cooked lentils in tomato sauce over 1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, with broccoli (about 30 g) |
The vegetarian day lands around 118 g and the vegan day around 115-120 g. Unsweetened soy milk has about 7 g of protein per cup. Almond and oat milks usually have 1-3 g, so check the label if you're counting on milk for protein.
Shopping list
- Animal proteins: chicken breast, salmon fillets (frozen is fine), eggs, canned tuna in water
- Dairy: plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, milk
- Plant proteins: tempeh, extra-firm tofu, frozen shelled edamame, lentils (dried or canned), unsweetened soy milk
- Optional: whey, pea or soy protein powder
- Carbs: rolled oats, quinoa, potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain bread
- Produce: berries (frozen works), apples, bananas, broccoli, peppers, zucchini, onions, leafy greens, lemons
- Fats and flavor: olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, tomato sauce, spices
Cook two proteins and one grain on your prep day and most meals come together quickly.
Common mistakes
- Back-loading protein. A 10 g breakfast and a 70 g dinner might reach your daily total but miss the spread. Move some into breakfast and snacks.
- Eating far too little while trying to lose fat. More protein helps when you're eating less, but it can't rescue a diet so low that your training falls apart.
- Mixing up raw and cooked weights. 100 g of raw chicken breast has about 22 g of protein, not 31. Pick one way to weigh and log it the same way every time.
- Trusting the front of the package. Some "protein" snacks have only a few grams per serving. Read the label.
- Expecting protein to do the training's job. Protein supports the repair and growth that lifting starts. Progressive training is what drives it; our weight lifting for beginners guide covers the basics.
How HerShape helps
If you'd rather not plan every meal yourself, HerShape builds a weekly workout and meal plan around your goal, dietary preferences, equipment, schedule, life stage and cycle phase. Your protein target is set from your body weight, and meals can be swapped if something doesn't suit you. With Pro, you can ask Coach Sarah (the AI coach) to swap a specific meal or snack. Progress tracking is built in.
Download HerShapeYour first plan is free. Pro is $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. See what is included
Frequently asked questions
How much protein should a woman eat to build muscle?
The ISSN range for people who exercise is 1.4-2.0 g per kg of body weight a day, about 0.6-0.9 g per pound. In a 2018 analysis, muscle gains leveled off at around 1.6 g/kg on average.
Can I lose fat on a high protein meal plan?
Yes, as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn overall. Keeping protein toward the upper end of the range and continuing to lift helps you hold on to muscle while you lose fat.
Do I need protein powder?
No. The ISSN notes that active people can get enough protein from whole foods; powder is a convenient way to top up. If you use it, one scoop usually adds 20-25 g.
Is a high protein diet safe?
For healthy adults, the ISSN says 1.4-2.0 g/kg is consistent with the Institute of Medicine's Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (10-35% of calories from protein), and the Institute of Medicine set no upper limit for protein. The sample day above gets about 28% of its calories from protein. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or have another medical condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian first.
Will eating more protein make me bulky?
No. Protein on its own doesn't add size; training does, and noticeable muscle gain takes months of consistent lifting and enough total food.
Sources: Jäger R et al., "International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise," Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017; Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM, "Nutrition and Athletic Performance," joint position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2016; Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, National Academies Press, 2005; Morton RW et al., "A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults," British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018; USDA FoodData Central (food values).