High Iron 1200 Calorie Sample Menu

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a new 1200 Calorie Sample Menu. Many younger women do not get enough iron in their every day diet. Obtaining enough iron on a low calorie diet is especially difficult. However, this menu will provide you with plenty of iron.



If you are over 51 or otherwise don’t need a lot of iron, you can easily adjust the total iron by changing a few of the menu choices. I’ve provided you with the iron count so that you can substitute other foods.

The cereal I selected for this menu has 8.1 mg of iron for a 3/4 cup serving. There are other cold cereals with significantly more iron but I intentionally stayed away from those because the day’s menu includes other iron-rich foods. Your body will absorb more of the iron if smaller amounts are consumed throughout the day.

Also, eating iron-rich foods along with a good dietary source of Vitamin C will aid the absorption of iron. For breakfast that source of Vitamin C is the orange juice. For lunch it is the tomato slices. And for supper it is the broccoli.

In addition to iron, this menu offers plenty of fiber. The recommended dietary fiber count for women between the ages of 19 and 51 is 25 g of fiber. For women over the age of 51 the recommended amount is 21 grams of fiber.

Sample Menu for 1200 Calories #14

Breakfast

3/4 cup Crunchy Corn Bran cereal (Quaker – 90 calories, 8.1 mg iron, 5 g)

4 oz. Skim Milk

4 oz. Orange Juice (56 calories)

1 Egg – Hard-boiled

Snack

6 oz. Yogurt – Creamy Raspberry Light n’ Fit (100 calories)

Lunch

6 Tbsp Hummus – 100 calories, (1.4 mg iron)

4 Slices Tomato

6 leaves Red Leaf Lettuce – (1.2 mg iron)

2 Slices Flax & Fiber Bread (Arnold, 160 calories, 5.4 mg iron)

water, unsweetened tea or coffee

Snack

1 medium apple with skin

1 cubic inch Low Fat Mozzarella (55 calories)

Supper

3 oz. Chicken Breast Roasted – (.9 mg iron)

1 small baked potato (138 calories, 1.6 mg iron)

Image via Wikipedia

1/2 cup Broccoli steamed

2 tsp. Light Butter with Canola Oil (Land O’ Lakes, 33 calories)

water, unsweetened tea or coffee

(Always remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day.)

Total Calories = 1216

Total Fiber = 32.5 g

Fat = 19%

Carbs = 58%

Protein = 24%

Calcium = 1101 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day)

Iron = 21.1 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg)

1500 Calorie Diet Menu

Modify the 1200 Calorie Diet Menu to fit your needs. Other than coming up a little short on calcium for women over 51, this is a healthy well-balanced menu. You can increase the total calories to 1500 by choosing larger portion sizes for any of the foods in the menu. Or you can add additional foods.

Till next time, remember to watch your calorie intake and stay healthy!