Are Women Confused Over Their Calorie Intake?

Even for the wellness-minded woman, calorie counting, portion distortion and intense cravings can hinder the impact of an exercise regimen. According to a recent survey, less than half of women (48 percent) who exercise at least once per week have seen any desired result since beginning their routine.

A potential cause?

Eight in 10 of the women surveyed (82 percent) admit they struggle with poor nutrition habits. These may include succumbing to cravings of foods that lack nutrient density, indulging in oversized portions, and a lack of knowledge about how many calories they should or do consume while participating in a fitness regimen.

To help coach women through these common hurdles, Florida Grapefruit has teamed up with nationally renowned author Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D. to unveil The Grapefruit Active Lifestyle Meal Plan.

This simple, flexible and nutritionally balanced seven-day plan includes contemporary recipes featuring grapefruit to help women fuel their active lifestyle. Fifteen percent of women surveyed admit they don’t believe healthy meals taste good, so recipes included in the plan feature fresh, savory and delicious ingredients to help make a healthy lifestyle feel more satisfying.

“Florida grapefruit and grapefruit juice are delicious, satisfying, and contain fewer than 100 calories per serving,” says Blatner. “It’s peak grapefruit season right now and the perfect time to incorporate this meal plan into your existing regimen to help keep you energized and able to sustain healthy results over time.”

The suggested meal plan follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture MyPlate food guidance system and includes nutrient-rich fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein.

Additionally, fresh grapefruit and 100 percent grapefruit juice are featured daily in some of the recipes and snacks for their invigorating taste, essential nutrients and health and weight management benefits when coupled with a healthy lifestyle.

On a typical day, women following the plan will enjoy tasty recipes such as:

• Broiled Grapefruit with Yogurt, Coconut & Walnuts for breakfast;
• Savory Chicken Marinara Quinoa Bowl for lunch;
• Parmesan Pita Pizza and Chopped Kale Salad & Lemon Almond Dressing for dinner;
• Two nourishing snacks, such as creamy Yogurt Herb Dip with crispbread crackers and a refreshing G-jito Grapefruit Mocktail, help add even more variety and bold flavor to the plan.

Each day’s suggested meals and snacks add up to about 1,600 calories, but can be tailored based on individual needs by adding or removing a daily snack. The plan includes simple ingredient substitutions to meet the needs of those following vegetarian or vegan eating regimens.

More Juicy Survey Findings

• Thirty-five percent of those surveyed admit they tend to indulge in oversized portions.
• More than half (52 percent) of women surveyed admit their weight management efforts are often derailed by cravings or foods that lack nutrient density.
• Nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) respondents say they are unsure how many calories they should consume on a daily basis to maintain or lose weight when active in a fitness regimen.
• About a quarter (27 percent) of respondents have trouble accurately calculating their daily calorie intake.
• Nearly six in 10 women (59 percent) reported seeing some lackluster or even undesirable results from their current fitness regimen, such as unwanted weight gain or bulk, weight loss plateaus or no change to their bodies at all.

For the full scoop on the Grapefruit Active Lifestyle Meal Plan, including variations, tips, recipes and nutrition information, visit Facebook.com/JuicyScoop.

The Florida Department of Citrus, which released this information, is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry.