Building a balanced meal

While Keto seems to be all the rage right now, I find that eliminating or severely reducing any one food group not only makes that particular diet difficult to sustain long-term, but can also complicate your relationship with food. Telling yourself you can’t have something often increases your cravings for a particular food, and sets you up for a “pass” or “fail” test, which can lead to feelings of guilt.


There is a ton of conflicting and confusing nutritional information leaving many unsure of which direction to take. I find that staying away from any extremes is the safest place to land. 🙏🏼 Balanced diets that include each food group, such as the Mediterranean way of eating, have been proven to be beneficial for health & longevity.

Balanced meals that include Protein + Complex Carbs + Fiber + Heart-healthy Fats will keep your body nourished, full & fueled. Each of these plays an important role in your health:
→Fiber keeps you full and keeps your digestive system healthy
→Protein aids in muscle and tissue building & repair
→Carbs are your body’s main source of energy
→Fats aid in the absorption of nutrients, hormone production and cell growth

Build a balanced meal with a selection from each category:
✔Proteins – eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, tofu, beans & legumes, yogurt, etc.
✔Carbs – whole grain bread, rice, quinoa, pasta, oatmeal, etc.
✔Fiber – fruits & veggies!
✔Fats – olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butters, etc.
✔Flavor – spices, fresh herbs & condiments to make the meal delicious & satisfying
This is a basic list that you can build upon based on your preferences and personal needs.

Pass on the trendy extreme diets and reap the benefits of #balance

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Meal Planning & Prepping 101

Meal Planning & Prepping 101

Why it’s helpful:

-Meal planning & prepping makes eating healthy easier and more convenient, especially for those who are busy and on-the-go.

-Limits the decision-making needed at each meal.

-Reduces the need to exert willpower and settle for less-healthy meals out of convenience.

-Saves you $$$$$!!!! You can save a significant amount of money over time by choosing to bring lunch to work everyday rather than order out with your co-workers!

Questions to ask yourself:

What are your favorite foods?

How can you build balanced meals (protein, carb, fat + fiber) using your favorite foods? Having staple meals is super helpful!

How much variety do you need? 

Can you eat repeat meals/leftovers, or do you get bored of foods quickly?

Which meals you do need prepped (ie: lunch & snacks for work) and which meals can you make at home (ie: breakfast & dinner)?

What days of the week can you food shop and set aside time to prep?

How many “flexible” meals a week would you like? (ie: dinner out, birthday lunch with a co-worker, brunch with friends, ice cream on a weeknight just because).

It can be helpful to plan these “fun” meals into your week.

You may choose to plan out your meals Monday-Friday, and leave the weekends open for flexibility, or you may prefer to have some”fun” meals throughout the week. Choose what works best for you!

Here’s an example of how to plan “fun” foods into your week:

Note: the salad simply represents healthy homemade meals 😉

Step 1: Pick your meals

~Aim for balance of carbs, protein, fats & plenty of fiber from fruits & veggies

~Aim for whole foods

~Give yourself as much variety as you like

~MUST include foods you love! 🙂

~Plan your meals for however many days you’d like

Step 2: Make your grocery list

You can organize your list into the categories: Produce, Pantry items & Proteins

Step 3: Prep!

You can prep each meal, one at a time starting with breakfast, or prep one category at a time: produce, pantry items & proteins.

Any meals that you’ll need to take on the go can be placed into glassware/containers so they are ready to grab & go! For the meals that you can cook at home, prepping the ingredients helps make cooking a breeze!

Meal Prep Example:

Breakfast:

~Make overnight oats

~Assemble yogurt parfaits (keep granola separate so it stays crunchy)

Snacks: 

~Wash and chop fruits & veggies

~Portion out snacks

Lunch:

~Hard boil eggs

~Make soup

~Assemble lunch boxes

Dinner:

~Prep veggies

~Marinate tofu

~Season salmon

Side notes:

~If you’re sitting down to a meal that you prepared, but are truly not in the mood for it, you can absolutely opt for something else! However, I find that when you prep meals using foods & flavors you LOVE, you’ll usually be super satisfied!

~While meal prep day may feel time-consuming, think about how much time it is saving you the rest of the week & remind yourself of the benefits:

>>Makes life easier

>>Makes eating healthy easier

>>Saves you time & money

Now go get your meal prep on!


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