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To lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit. This is where you eat fewer calories than the body needs.
In my experience as a Registered Dietitian, 1300 calories might be enough for some women to lose weight without affecting their muscle mass.
However, it has to be done correctly. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered.
Here, we’ll see several 1300 meal plan options for you to download for free. I’ve included PDFs for download with a full grocery list and easy-to-follow recipes.
Knowing what you are going to eat in advance can save you time and money. It can also remove the temptation to make bad choices just because they’re more convenient.
But, before we begin, remember a personalized meal plan is always going to be the best approach. Lowering your calories too much can affect your metabolism, performance, recovery, and overall health.
So, make sure you check with a professional before you follow any of the following meal plans.
What is a 1300 calorie meal plan?
Related: 1500 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
A 1300 calorie meal plan is a diet where you eat 1300 calories per day. The meal plan contains three main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), with two small snacks in between.
Keep in mind you can always make adjustments. For example, you can add more vegetables or replace one with another if you don’t like it.
You can also replace a protein with another as long as they are both lean options. For example, you can replace chicken breast with fish.
So, who can follow a 1300-calorie meal plan?
A 1,300-calorie meal plan is ideal for women who want to lose weight. It can be a good option for women who are sedentary or lead a lightly active lifestyle (two to three low-intensity training sessions per week).
Benefits and Drawbacks of a 1300 Calorie Meal Plan
Related: A Healthy 3000 Calorie Meal Plan With PDF
While most people benefit from having all their meals planned, it can’t work for everyone.
Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of a 1300 calorie meal plan.
Benefits
- Can promote fat loss without affecting muscle mass.
- Highly nutritious and satiating meals to prevent feeling hungry.
- When you plan ahead, it can save you time and money.
- Knowing what you are going to eat makes it easier to stay on the plan.
Drawbacks
- People might not have enough time to cook all meals.
- Men following the meal plan can experience muscle loss or nutrient deficiency.
- A 1300 calorie meal plan may be too restrictive if you’re already at a healthy weight.
- For highly active women, it might not provide enough calories.
List of Available Dietary 1300 Calorie Meal Plans For Free Download
Related: 1600 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
There is no one-size-fits-all meal plan. In just a minute, I’ll be sharing plans with a different amount of days (7, 21, or 30) or different macro distribution.
Here is a list of all the 1300 calorie meal plans you are later going to find in the article:
- 7-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
- 21-Day Fix 1300 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
- 30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
- 1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/40/20 PDF
- 1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/30/30 PDF
- 1300 Calorie Meal Plan 35/35/30 PDF
- 1300 Calorie Meal Plan 50/30/20 PDF
Tips for Following the 1300 Calorie Meal Plan
If you are recently starting on a weight loss journey, I understand it might be challenging or overwhelming. I see it all of the time. Fortunately, there are solutions to many of these problems.
If you follow these tips I’ve picked up during my years of experience, it can make it easier to achieve your goals. Knowing the importance of meal prep and the foods you should eat or avoid helps you stay on plan.
Meal Prepping Tips
If you don’t cook much, meal prep sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be.
One of my favorite things about meal prepping is that it can be adjusted to meet everyone’s needs.
You can prepare in advance as many meals as you want, or you can simply prep some ingredients (veggies or rice).
Benefits of Meal Prep
Why bother with meal prep? It’s simple:
- It helps you stay on plan by preventing you from eating unhealthy foods.
- Meal prep encourages better portion control.
- Decreases stress levels. You don’t need to think about what you are going to eat.
- Plans can save you time and money, since you’ll be eating out less.
- Takes the guesswork out of healthy grocery shopping.
How To Meal Prep
- Understand your needs. Once you check the meal plan, decide what you want to prepare. Do you want to cook all the meals in advance? Only snacks? Do you need to get washing and chopping the produce out of the way? Give yourself some time to think about what your biggest struggles are.
- Set a date. To help create a habit, stay consistent when you meal prep. Choose a day and time to help you stick to the plan. A tip I always give my clients is to put meal prep in their calendars like any other appointment. Before long, you’ll get into the rhythm.
- Go grocery shopping. Take your grocery list shopping to stock the pantry and fridge. If you need to replace an ingredient you don’t like, edit the list before you go.
- Make the meals. Once you get everything on the grocery list, start assembling the meals. Clean your produce, prepare your rice or pasta, and more.
- Weigh foods and portion them out. To help you stay on the right path, weigh the food and place them in individual containers. This will allow you to control the portions and make it easier to stay in the 1,300-calorie meal plan.
Foods To Eat
If you are eating over 2,000 calories per day, decreasing to 1,300 calories is tough. If you are not careful with the foods you pick, hunger and cravings can start creeping in, making it more difficult to follow the meal plan.
Highly satiating foods like proteins and vegetables can help prevent hunger. Since they take longer to digest, you feel fuller for longer.
Additionally, make sure you replace processed foods with the unprocessed version. For example, whole grain bread is going to be more filling since it’s higher in fiber. Also, it’s higher in nutrients which can reduce the risk of nutrient deficiency.
Finally, if you are still hungry, you can always include more vegetables. Add a couple of carrots sticks as a snack, or add more greens to your main dish. Just be sure you’re not adding more oils and dressings with it.
Foods To Avoid
Processed foods are high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat. They also won’t be very satiating, which is why you feel the need to eat more of them.
For example, one can of fruit juice is going to provide the same calories and carbs as four or five slices of white bread.
These are known as empty calories, meaning it doesn’t provide any nutrients and only calories. Not ideal to have in a 1,300 calorie a day meal plan.
Macro Calculator
For some people, eating 1300 calories is not the way to go.
It can be too few calories, increasing the risk of nutrient deficiency, muscle loss, and changes in the metabolism.
While it is always better to get a personalized approach from a health professional, I understand that sometimes it’s not an option.
For that reason, use a calorie and a macro calculator to determine how many calories you need based on your height, weight, age, and activity levels.
Our macro calculator is one of the easiest to use. Here’s how it works:
- Select your experience with nutrition and training: Beginner, moderate, or expert.
- Select your tracking experience: Beginner, moderate, or expert.
- Tell us your age, weight, height, and body fat percentage (optional).
- Select activity levels: Sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, heavily active, or athlete.
- Share your email to get your results.
7-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan
Related: 1700 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
First on the list, we have a seven-day balanced meal plan. It provides 50% carbs, 20% proteins, and 30% fats.
Monday
- Breakfast: Eggplant shakshuka
- Snack: Toast with cottage cheese
- Lunch: Miso baked tofu and rice
- Snack: Sweet and crunchy chickpeas
- Dinner: Artichoke, olive, and sun-dried tomato pesto pizza
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Eggplant shakshuka
- Snack: Toast with cottage cheese
- Lunch: Artichoke, olive, and sun-dried tomato pesto pizza
- Snack: Sweet and crunchy chickpeas
- Dinner: BBQ Chicken pizza
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Eggplant shakshuka
- Snack: Toast with cottage cheese
- Lunch: BBQ Chicken pizza
- Snack: Sweet and crunchy chickpeas
- Dinner: Classic grilled cheese sandwich
Thursday
- Breakfast: Avocado and tempeh sandwich
- Snack: Fruit and egg snack plate
- Lunch: Classic grilled cheese sandwich
- Snack: Mackerel salad open face sandwich
- Dinner: White bean burgers
Friday
- Breakfast: Avocado and tempeh sandwich
- Snack: Fruit and egg snack plate
- Lunch: White bean burgers
- Snack: Mackerel salad open face sandwich
- Dinner: One-pot snap pea and mackerel orzo
Saturday
- Breakfast: Whipped ricotta and strawberry toast
- Snack: Fruit and egg snack plate
- Lunch: One-pot snap pea and mackerel orzo
- Snack: Mackerel salad open face sandwich
- Dinner: Roasted vegetable quinoa salad
Sunday
- Breakfast: Whipped ricotta and strawberry toast
- Snack: Fruit and egg snack plate
- Lunch: Roasted vegetable quinoa salad
- Snack: Mackerel salad open face sandwich
- Dinner: Korean egg rice
To get started with this delicious meal plan, click on the following link to download the recipes and grocery list.
7-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
21-Day Fix 1300 Calorie Meal Plan
If you’re committed to your goals and ready to get prepping, dive right into a three-week plan.
In my experience, the more weeks you can plan in advance, the easier it will be to follow the meal plan.
This 21-day plan provides the same macro breakdown as the previous meal plan: 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fats.
Monday
- Breakfast: Peanut butter and banana protein porridge
- Snack: Rainbow veggie pinwheels
- Lunch: Cheesy cauliflower and broccoli casserole
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Dinner: Orange sesame tofu with greens and rice
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Peanut butter and banana protein porridge
- Snack: Rainbow veggie pinwheels
- Lunch: Orange sesame tofu with greens and rice
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Dinner: Red lentil dahl
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Peanut butter and banana protein porridge
- Snack: Rainbow veggie pinwheels
- Lunch: Red lentil dahl
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Dinner: Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta
Thursday
- Breakfast: Apple cinnamon toast
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with apricots
- Lunch: Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta
- Snack: Banana and chocolate chip oatmeal cups
- Dinner: Kale and millet egg bake
Friday
- Breakfast: Apple cinnamon toast
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with apricots
- Lunch: Kale and millet egg bake
- Snack: Banana and chocolate chip oatmeal cups
- Dinner: Portobello veggie burger with goat cheese
Saturday
- Breakfast: Banana and nut chia oats
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with apricots
- Lunch: Portobello veggie burger with goat cheese
- Snack: Banana and chocolate chip oatmeal cups
- Dinner: Tofu and veggie stir fry
Sunday
- Breakfast: Banana and nut chia oats
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with apricots
- Lunch: Tofu and veggie stir fry
- Snack: Banana and chocolate chip oatmeal cups
- Dinner: Lebanese stuffed onions
To get started with this delicious meal plan, click on the following links to download the recipes and full grocery list week by week:
- 21-Day Fix 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 1 PDF
- 21-Day Fix 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 2 PDF
- 21-Day Fix 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 3 PDF
30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan
Related: 1800 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
Now, if planning for three weeks has better benefits, imagine planning for one entire month. While it might sound like a bigger commitment, I make it way simpler by providing you this 30-day balanced 1,300-calorie meal plan.
The meal plan provides 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fats.
Monday
- Breakfast: High protein peanut butter oatmeal
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Lunch: Tofu veggie summer rolls
- Snack: Strawberry cottage cheese toast
- Dinner: Kale blueberry salad with lemon tahini dressing
Tuesday
- Breakfast: High protein peanut butter oatmeal
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Lunch: Kale blueberry salad with lemon tahini dressing
- Snack: Strawberry cottage cheese toast
- Dinner: Miso baked tofu and rice
Wednesday
- Breakfast: High protein peanut butter oatmeal
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Lunch: Miso baked tofu and rice
- Snack: Strawberry cottage cheese toast
- Dinner: One pot spinach and artichoke pasta
Thursday
- Breakfast: Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich
- Snack: Goat milk yogurt and banana
- Lunch: One pot spinach and artichoke pasta
- Snack: Pita with Za’atar
- Dinner: Veggie and feta zucchini boats
Friday
- Breakfast: Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich
- Snack: Goat milk yogurt and banana
- Lunch: Veggie and feta zucchini boats
- Snack: Pita with Za’atar
- Dinner: Hummus pasta
Saturday
- Breakfast: Savory arugula and olive oatmeal
- Snack: Goat milk yogurt and banana
- Lunch: Hummus pasta
- Snack: Pita with Za’atar
- Dinner: Slow cooker enchilada beans and quinoa
Sunday
- Breakfast: Savory arugula and olive oatmeal
- Snack: Goat milk yogurt and banana
- Lunch: Slow cooker enchilada beans and quinoa
- Snack: Pita with Za’atar
- Dinner: Caprese Mason jar salad
To get started with this versatile and tasty one-month meal plan, click on the following links to download the shopping list and recipes week by week:
- 30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 1 PDF
- 30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 2 PDF
- 30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 3 PDF
- 30-Day Balanced 1300 Calorie Meal Plan Week 4 PDF
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/40/20
Related: 1900 Calorie Meal Plan PDF
If your doctor recommends a low-fat diet due to heart or liver problems, this is a better option for you.
Check out the following menu for a simple 1,300 meal plan with 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fats.
Monday
- Breakfast: Hot chocolate smoothie
- Snack: Smoked salmon crackers
- Lunch: Chicken and lettuce wrap
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Riced parsnip and chicken
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Hot chocolate smoothie
- Snack: Smoked salmon crackers
- Lunch: Riced parsnip and chicken
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Shrimp, mango, and avocado salad
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Hot chocolate smoothie
- Snack: Smoked salmon crackers
- Lunch: Shrimp, mango, and avocado salad
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Pressure cooker Mexican chicken and quinoa
Thursday
- Breakfast: Peach blueberry smoothie
- Snack: Strawberry papaya smoothie
- Lunch: Pressure cooker Mexican chicken and quinoa
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with raspberries
- Dinner: Soba noodles and seared tuna bowl
Friday
- Breakfast: Peach blueberry smoothie
- Snack: Strawberry papaya smoothie
- Lunch: Soba noodles and seared tuna bowl
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with raspberries
- Dinner: Creamy red pepper pasta with chicken
Saturday
- Breakfast: Pineapple spinach smoothie with savory chickpea and spinach muffins
- Snack: Strawberry papaya smoothie
- Lunch: Creamy red pepper pasta with chicken
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with raspberries
- Dinner: One pot smoky chicken and rice
Sunday
- Breakfast: Pineapple spinach smoothie with savory chickpea and spinach muffins
- Snack: Strawberry papaya smoothie
- Lunch: One pot smoky chicken and rice
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with raspberries
- Dinner: One pan lemon spiced chicken and potatoes
To begin, click on the following link to download the full grocery list and recipes:
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/40/20 PDF
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/30/30
This meal plan is the perfect option for women who want to lose fat mass and maintain their lean muscle mass. It has a distribution of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fats.
The PDF link for this woman’s printable 1,300 calorie meal plan is down below.
Monday
- Breakfast: Turkey apple breakfast hash
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Lunch: Curried chicken wrap
- Snack: Mackerel salad open-face sandwich
- Dinner: Spinach tuna crepes
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Turkey apple breakfast hash
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Lunch: Spinach tuna crepes
- Snack: Mackerel salad open-face sandwich
- Dinner: Curry spiced chicken chili
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Turkey apple breakfast hash
- Snack: Post-workout green smoothie
- Lunch: Curry spiced chicken chili
- Snack: Mackerel salad open-face sandwich
- Dinner: One pot taco pasta
Thursday
- Breakfast: Tempeh, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
- Snack: Peanut butter and blueberry frozen yogurt
- Lunch: One pot taco pasta
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Dinner: Tofu and cauliflower fried rice
Friday
- Breakfast: Tempeh, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
- Snack: Peanut butter and blueberry frozen yogurt
- Lunch: Tofu and cauliflower fried rice
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Dinner: Thai chopped chicken salad with peanut sauce
Saturday
- Breakfast: Creamy blueberry smoothie
- Snack: Peanut butter and blueberry frozen yogurt
- Lunch: Thai chopped chicken salad with peanut sauce
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Dinner: Shrimp and onion fritters
Sunday
- Breakfast: Creamy blueberry smoothie
- Snack: Peanut butter and blueberry frozen yogurt
- Lunch: Shrimp and onion fritters
- Snack: Grapefruit with cottage cheese
- Dinner: Sesame beef and brown rice
To get started with this delicious meal plan, click on the following link to download the recipes and grocery list:
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 40/30/30 PDF
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 35/35/30
If you are thinking about going keto but don’t want to do it all of a sudden, here is the perfect meal plan. It provides 35% carbs, 35% protein, and 30% fats.
This allows you to slowly start decreasing the carb intake without suffering a severe keto flu (nausea, headache, foggy brain, and fatigue) or feeling hungry all day long.
Monday
- Breakfast: Gingerbread smoothie
- Snack: Greek yogurt with almonds, chia and honey
- Lunch: Spinach tuna crepes
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Baked cod with veggies and quinoa
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Gingerbread smoothie
- Snack: Greek yogurt with almonds, chia and honey
- Lunch: Baked cod with veggies and quinoa
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Orange chicken with broccoli
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Gingerbread smoothie
- Snack: Greek yogurt with almonds, chia and honey
- Lunch: Orange chicken with broccoli
- Snack: Cottage cheese crackers with cucumbers
- Dinner: Lemon dill chicken with rice and kale salad
Thursday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese with cherries
- Snack: Creamy mango pudding
- Lunch: Lemon dill chicken with rice and kale salad
- Snack: Tuna nori wraps
- Dinner: Salmon with rice and greens
Friday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese with cherries
- Snack: Creamy mango pudding
- Lunch: Salmon with rice and greens
- Snack: Tuna nori wraps
- Dinner: Ground turkey, broccoli, and sweet potato
Saturday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
- Snack: Creamy mango pudding
- Lunch: Ground turkey, broccoli, and sweet potato
- Snack: Tuna nori wraps
- Dinner: Chicken rice and broccoli
Sunday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese with mango
- Snack: Creamy mango pudding
- Lunch: Chicken rice and broccoli
- Snack: Tuna nori wraps
- Dinner: Creamy dill chicken with rice
It’s easy to plan and delicious to eat. Click below for your shopping list and detailed recipe guide:
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 35/35/30 PDF
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 50/30/20
The last meal plan is ideal if you want to increase your protein intake without reducing the carbs. It is great for women who are highly active and need to have a speedy recovery thanks to a good energy supply (carbs).
Monday
- Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
- Snack: Basil radish dip with cucumber slices
- Lunch: Chicken tacos with chipotle coleslaw
- Snack: Chicken salad on crackers
- Dinner: Peach and arugula salad with chicken
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
- Snack: Basil radish dip with cucumber slices
- Lunch: Peach and arugula salad with chicken
- Snack: Chicken salad on crackers
- Dinner: Moroccan chicken and spaghetti squash
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Peach cherry smoothie
- Snack: Basil radish dip with cucumber slices
- Lunch: Moroccan chicken and spaghetti squash
- Snack: Chicken salad on crackers
- Dinner: Tuna, spinach, and feta pita
Thursday
- Breakfast: Tomato, onion egg white omelet with palak paratha
- Snack: Smoked salmon wrapped cucumbers
- Lunch: Tuna, spinach, and feta pita
- Snack: Pepper and onion mini egg white bites with turkey and cabbage rolls
- Dinner: Maple ginger chicken and veggie bowl
Friday
- Breakfast: Tomato, onion egg white omelet with palak paratha
- Snack: Smoked salmon wrapped cucumbers
- Lunch: Maple ginger chicken and veggie bowl
- Snack: Pepper and onion mini egg white bites with turkey and cabbage rolls
- Dinner: Meal prep chicken and cilantro lime quinoa
Saturday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese and raspberries
- Snack: Smoked salmon wrapped cucumbers
- Lunch: Meal prep chicken and cilantro lime quinoa
- Snack: Pepper and onion mini egg white bites with turkey and cabbage rolls
- Dinner: Okra and beef stew
Sunday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese and raspberries
- Snack: Smoked salmon wrapped cucumbers
- Lunch: Okra and beef stew
- Snack: Pepper and onion mini egg white bites with turkey and cabbage rolls
- Dinner: Orange chicken and broccoli
To get started with this delicious meal plan, click on the following link to download the grocery list and full recipes:
1300 Calorie Meal Plan 50/30/20 PDF
Conclusion
That concludes all the free 1,300 meal plans for you to download.
Be sure to select the plan that’s best for your needs. For example, you might need a longer stretch of planned meals for your busy schedule, or a different macro distribution to support your activity levels.
Following a 1,300-meal plan can be an ideal option for women to lose weight. However, if you are highly active, check with a health professional to make sure it’s right for you.
If you don’t have access to a health professional, you can always use our calorie and macro calculator. But remember that we always encourage you to follow a personalized approach.
Which of these meal plans caught your attention? Let us know in the comments which recipes you are excited to try.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you lose weight by eating 1300 calories a day?
Yes, you can lose weight by eating 1,300 calories. As long as you are in a caloric deficit, eating fewer calories than the body needs, you are going to lose weight.
What should I eat on a 1300 calorie diet?
To prevent getting hungry on a 1,300-calorie meal plan, add highly-satiating foods like lean protein and vegetables. Never add highly processed foods since they are high in calories, sugars, and fats.
Why can’t I lose weight on 1300 calories a day?
If you are not losing weight on 1,300 calories a day, you might want to check if you are actually consuming 1,300 calories. Write in a food journal for at least three days (including weekends) to understand the root cause of not losing weight.
How to eat under 1300 calories a day?
Include high lean protein and vegetable options since they take longer to digest. This leads to an increase in fullness levels which makes it easier to stay within 1,300 calories a day.
