The Protein 411

Protein helps to maintain lean muscle, grow and repair all cells in your body, and regulate your appetite, according to Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, the author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies. On average, active women need about half a gram of protein per pound of body weight every day (so an active 140-pound woman would need 70 grams of protein). One way to meet this goal is to include a source of protein at every meal. A high-protein meal would have 25 percent of its calories coming from protein.

Plant-Based Protein: Beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, quinoa, amaranth

Animal Protein: Eggs, low-fat dairy, white meat poultry, lean beef, pork loin, fish