Creating a nutritious diet starts with choosing wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. A well-balanced meal is key to feeling full and satisfied. But what exactly makes a meal balanced? If you’re looking to feel energized after eating instead of sluggish, check out this post for helpful tips on building meals that leave you feeling refreshed and ready to go!
What’s a balanced meal and why is it important?
A well-balanced meal is one that offers a variety of nutrients and food groups. In order to have a balanced meal, it should consist of a carbohydrate source, a protein source, some healthy fats, and one or more servings of fruits and vegetables.
Consuming a balanced meal helps with satiety, and increases energy, mental focus, and variety in your diet that’s great for your microbiome and gut health, and better nutrient consumption. Having an abundance of nutrients in your diet helps with bone health, muscle health, immunity, and much more.
How should you build a balanced meal?
The recommendations I am about to give you are based on the average recommendation for healthy eating. These recommendations vary on age, weight, activity levels, goals, and disease states.
Fruits and Vegetables
One rule of thumb is to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Increasing your consumption of vegetables helps by providing our bodies with vitamins and minerals that help with having strong bones, strong muscles, healthy skin, healthy eyes, and a strong immune system. Including a good number of fruits and vegetables in your meal also helps with reaching your daily fiber goal. Having adequate fiber in your diet helps you to feel full and satisfied while also promoting healthy digestion.
There are two categories of vegetables: starchy and non-starchy. Starchy vegetables tend to have more carbohydrates per serving. While they have lots of nutrients, they are higher in calories. Examples of starchy vegetables include potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Non-starchy vegetables are lower in calories and carbohydrates. Examples of non-starchy vegetables include leafy greens, peppers, and asparagus.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates should take up about one-fourth of your plate. A good goal is to aim for half of them to be whole grains because those types of carbohydrates contain more nutrients. Refined grains have parts of the grain missing, the bran and the germ, which removes some of the fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Starchy vegetables are also considered a source of carbohydrates so take these into account as you’re portioning out your plate.
Lean Protein
Protein should also take up about one-fourth of your plate. Choosing meats that are leaner, like fish, poultry, and lean beef, are lower in calories and in saturated fats. Choosing plant-based proteins, like beans, peas, and legumes, increases the fiber in your diet, while also providing the basic benefits of protein, including B vitamins, thiamin, and riboflavin. Consuming adequate amounts of protein is good for muscle maintenance, bone health, wound healing, and helps to maintain weight loss.
Healthy Fats
Including some healthy fats on your plate provides a wide variety of benefits as they lower the risk of heart disease, improve cholesterol levels, help control blood sugar levels, protect our organs, and reduce inflammation. Examples of healthy fats include avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
Portion Sizes
Understanding portion sizes is crucial when trying to build a balanced plate. A good way to figure out the portion sizes that are best for you, is to use your hands!
Meal Ideas
So now that you know how to build a healthy plate, here are some examples of balanced meals!
- Stir fry: You can make a stir fry loaded with vegetables and sauteed in oil for healthy fats. Adding wild rice for a whole grain source of carbohydrates and chicken or shrimp for a source of lean protein completes this meal!
- Harvest bowls: Bowls are a great way to include all of the nutrients and food groups! Start with a carbohydrate source. You could use brown rice or quinoa and pair it with a starchy vegetable, such as sweet potatoes. This is also a great way to use up some vegetables you already have in your fridge. Fill half of the bowl up with peppers, onions, carrots, or greens. For a lean protein source, you could add chicken or salmon. The simple addition of olive oil, nuts, seeds, or feta cheese adds a source of healthy fats to this meal.
- Basic breakfast: Making a breakfast meal with an egg omelet, for protein, filled with veggies, like mushrooms and spinach, and a side of whole grain toast and fruit is an easy combination for a balanced breakfast.
Conclusion
Sometimes balance is having carbohydrates, protein, fats, and vegetables in one meal, while other times, balance may be eating a dinner full of vegetables and having a brownie for dessert. Balancing your plate with foods that give you energy, foods that make you feel satisfied, and foods that make you feel happy is key. As I mentioned before, making a balanced plate perfect for you may not look like everyone else’s. Those who want to gain weight are going to have a different looking plate than those who want to lose weight. Creating a balanced meal shouldn’t be something that stresses you out. If you want more personalized recommendations that fit your lifestyle, feel free to reach out to one of our dietitians here at One Bite Nutrition!
