Meal plans are a great starting point, and understanding how to build a plate with PHFF is super helpful when starting to work towards your goals, but…a 30 year old active women doesn’t have the same requirements as a 45 year old women who hasn’t been to the gym in 10 years. And a 40 year old mom of 2 little kids won’t have the same needs as a man in his 50s. Your body is as unique as your personality – and it’s time to start eating that way.

The Foundation: Your PHFF Blueprint

You already know that PHFF (Protein, Healthy Fat, and Fiber) is your ticket to blood sugar balance and better energy (if you’re unfamiliar with this concept – start here!) But here’s the thing: while everyone needs these nutrients, how much you need is totally personal to you.

Think of PHFF like your body’s foundation:

• Protein is your building block for muscle, metabolism, and staying full
• Healthy fats keep your energy steady and your cravings in check
• Fiber regulates your digestion and blood sugar
• Starchy carbs provide energy and fuel for our muscles and brain

Build Your Perfect PHFF Plate

Choose a protein, some healthy fat, fiber, and starchy carbs from the list to build your plate. Under the lists, you’ll find our recommendations for serving amounts for each.

Protein

• Women: 100+g/day | Perimenopausal Women: 120+g/day | Men: 150+g/day
• Women: 30+g/meal | Perimenopausal Women: 40+g/meal | Men: 50+g/meal

Healthy Fat

• Women: 60+g/day | Men: 70+g/day
• Women: 10-30g/meal | Men: 20-40g/meal

Pro tip: Think in servings of about 10g fat each. Most people do best with 1-4 servings per meal, depending on your goals, gender, activity level.

Fiber

• Women: 25+g/day | Men: 30+g/day
• Women: 7+g/meal | Men: 9+g/meal

Starchy Carbs

• See the chart below. We go into detail about what starchy carbs and why we count them over “total” carbs here.

Smart Swaps to Level Up Your Meals

Making PHFF Work for YOUR Body

Your body is constantly sending you signals about what it needs. Think of hunger like your body’s text messages – once you learn to read them, you’ll know exactly how to respond.

Signs You Need to Level Up Your Meals:

• Hungry within 2-3 hours after eating? Your meal needs more staying power
• Energy crashing before your next meal? Time to check your PHFF balance
• Not recovering well from workouts? You might need more carbs than what the chart tells you
• If you know you’re not riding the blood sugar rollercoaster, and you’re eating PHFF, you should be able to go 4 hours between meals. If you can’t –

Here’s How to Adjust

1. Start with Protein

• Add an extra 10g (like another ounce of chicken or half scoop of protein powder)
• Still hungry? Move to step 2

2. Check Your Fiber

• Aim for 7-9g per meal
• Add easy boosters like chia seeds, berries, or extra veggies
• Not satisfied? Let’s talk fat

3. Boost Your Fats

• Add another 10g serving (half an avocado or a tablespoon of nut butter)
• Think of fat as your satisfaction insurance

4. Consider Your Carbs

• Having trouble getting through your workouts? Add an additional serving of starchy carbs.
• Unable to go up in weight or reps week after week when using a progressive overload strength program? Add another serving of starchy carbs.
• Feeling really low energy, but know you’re eating PHFF at each meal? It may be time to add more carbs, assuming you’re getting enough sleep.
• But remember: always pair them with PHFF!

Making This a Lifestyle (Not Another Diet)

Let’s get real: nobody wants to spend their life weighing lettuce or avoiding their favorite foods. Here’s how to make PHFF work in real life:

The Snack Situation

Despite what you might have heard, you don’t need to eat every 2-3 hours to “boost your metabolism.” In fact, constant snacking can keep your blood sugar on that roller coaster we talked about. Here’s the deal:

• One strategic snack a day is usually plenty
• Make it PHFF-approved – lots of ideas here!
• Save it for when you’ll go longer than 4 hours between meals

Keep It Flexible

• Out of ground beef for tacos? Chicken or ground turkey works too.
• No quinoa? Grab some rice or beans.
• Can’t do dairy? There are plenty of other protein options.
• Avocado gone bad? Grab a handful of nuts or a drizzle of olive oil.
• Vegetarian? We’ve got you covered with plant-based swaps.

Use the lists of Proteins, Healthy Fats, Fiber, and Carbs in this section to see where you can make swaps. This will also help you save on your grocery bill!

Your Food, Your Rules

The beauty of understanding PHFF is that it works anywhere:

• At restaurants (just build your plate with PHFF in mind)
• During holidays (yes, you can still enjoy your mom’s famous pie)
• On vacation (because life’s too short not to try the local cuisine)

Your Action Plan

1. Start paying attention to your hunger signals
2. Experiment with your portions using our adjustment guide
3. Notice how different meals make you feel
4. Keep what works, change what doesn’t