What’s an easy way to plan a balanced meal?
Often, I am asked by clients to “write a diet” consisting of a restricted list of foods to help them lose weight. There are countless different foods and pairings that it would be impossible for myself, or any person but yourself, to write a satisfying meal plan. This is because who is to say what you’ll be craving or what will be available to you in those moments when it is time to eat? Not only do meals need to be balanced in nutrition and controlled in calories, but they also need to be satisfying and appealing to an individual’s senses and food preferences. What I find to be MOST successful, is when I teach others the building blocks of a filling, calorie-controlled, nutritious meal and offer a “blue print” of sorts so that each client can plan meals on their own. We know from behavioral research studies that telling people what they can’t eat immediately makes them more fixated and interested in eating those exact foods. So instead, let’s plan a meal that includes both healthy and filling foods that prevent you from overeating, as well as a meal that includes foods you enjoy and are appealing to you!
The building blocks to every meal are the five different food groups- fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy/dairy alternatives, and grains. At every meal, combine about 1 serving from 3 or 4 of these different food groups to achieve a balance of protein, fiber and carbohydrates for stable energy, blood sugar management and hunger control. As often as possible, choose foods non- or minimally processed and close to their whole form for the highest nutritional value. It’s as simple as 1-2-3! From the table below, select one serving from 3-4 of the 5 different columns to create a meal.
Here are some examples of meals:
Overnight oats ~ ½ cup dry oats (grain), 5oz low fat milk and yogurt mixture (dairy), 2/3 cup sliced strawberries (fruit), 1 tbsp drizzled almond butter (protein)
Yogurt parfait ~ ¼ cup low sugar granola (grain) sprinkled on 5 oz plain yogurt dairy) + 1 sliced peach (fruit) + 10 walnuts (protein)
2 egg (protein) omelet with 1 cup baby spinach + 2 cherry tomatoes (vegetables) ¼ cup shredded part skim mozzarella (dairy) with 1 slice whole wheat toast (grain)
3oz grilled chicken (protein) 1.5 cups roasted broccoli and cauliflower (vegetable) with 2/3 cup cooked brown rice pilaf (grain)
Eating meals balanced in the food groups ensures your diet will meet 100% recommended daily intake (RDI) levels for vitamins and minerals, while also making sure your body receives a balance of carbohydrate, fat and protein for satiety, metabolism and optimal energy levels. For weight loss to occur, there must be a calorie deficit consistently. When your body is well nourished and blood sugar is well controlled, you will be able to control hunger and fight fatigue even in the deficit to achieve weight loss!