Women have different nutritional needs compared to men. From managing family to work, a woman does a lot cope up with the pressure. While managing work and family, it becomes difficult for a woman to maintain a healthy diet. But right food not only keeps you healthy but also improves your mood, boosts energy and helps controls cravings. A good diet supports you through different stages of life. After the 30s, the nutritional needs of your body increases, so you can’t neglect your dietary needs.
No matter how busy you are, you strictly need to follow a healthy diet that has a good amalgamation of vitamins, minerals, energy and calcium. Calcium is very essential for women because it builds healthy bones and teeth, keeps them strong as you age, ensures proper functioning of the nervous system and promotes good heart health. Also, the body of a woman goes through menstruation, child-bearing, and menopause which is why their body has higher requirements for iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin B9. here in this blog, we are going to share a list of foods that are considered healthy for women and should be consumed regularly.
Reference intakes (RI) for women
| Energy | 2000kcal |
| Protein | 50g |
| Carbohydrates | 260g |
| Sugar | 90g |
| Fat | 70g |
| Saturates | 20g |
| Salt | 6g |
| calcium | 1,000 mg |
| Iron | 17.0–18.9 mg |
A healthy and balanced diet of a woman includes –
- Vegetables and any subgroup such as beans, peas, starches, etc.
- Lentils and sprouts
- Green leafy vegetables
- Red or orange vegetables
- Whole fruits like orange, banana, papaya, apple, kiwi, etc.
- Whole grains such as quinoa, corn, millet, and brown rice
- Dried fruits
- Limited full-fat dairy products
- A variety of protein such as lean meats, seeds, eggs, nuts, and soy products
- Oils such as canola, olive, flaxseed and avocado
- Chocolate bars
- Potato
- Fruit juice
Women should have 5 meals a day for a healthy body. Only some women take care of their health and consume recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, lentils, nuts, dairy and oils.
Things you should avoid consuming
- Microwave popcorn
- Sugar
- Flavored, fat-free yoghurt
- Wheat bread
- Processed foods
- frozen food
- chips
- alcohol
- tobacco
- Cigarettes
- Junk food
How much fibre should you eat?
Fibre is very important to keep your digestive system healthy. Consume fibre as much as you can. However, following is the list of essential fibre intake according to your age –
- Women between 19 – 30 should consume 28 grams of fibre every day.
- Women between 31 – 50 should consume 25 grams of fibre every day.
- Women age 51 or older should consume 22 grams of fibre every day.
The nutritional needs of women changes throughout their lives. A woman goes through 5 phases of life – teenage, young adult, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. You should change your eating habits according to your age. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should take special care of their diet. Consume a nutrition diet and support your health and baby’s body development.