A very common nutritional advice is to eat a “healthy and balanced” diet. While this seems simple in theory, putting this concept into practice can be difficult, especially if you’re in the early stages of your nutrition journey. It goes without saying that “balance” means you should eat more vegetables and less sweets, but implementing it on a daily basis can be confusing if you don’t know exactly how to do it. Allow me to teach you how to prepare balanced meals in the simplest possible way.
Go back to elementary school and that moment when you were taught about food groups. Fruits and vegetables, cereal products, milks and alternatives, and proteins and alternatives. Go back to that exact moment and erase it from your mind. Why? Because your body doesn’t recognize the food group. Your body can’t tell if you’ve eaten a serving of cereal or a serving of milk. The only thing your body recognizes is the nutrients in the food you eat. Whether you eat carrots, potatoes, or almonds, your body only recognizes which macronutrients are in it: carbohydrates, protein, and/or fat.
Food is made up of macronutrients (the building blocks of the body) that also contain micronutrients: essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Therefore, the foods you eat are simply vehicles for your body to get the macronutrients and micronutrients it needs, not food groups.
What is a balanced diet?
Simply put, a balanced meal is one that contains all three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Macronutrients are a major component of the human diet and contribute to the caloric content of food. Each macronutrient plays an important role in the body, and adequate amounts of each macronutrient help optimize health, performance, and body composition.
Components of a balanced diet
Although many people have heard of the terms carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, most people don’t know how these macronutrients affect the body and where we find them.
- Protein
The building blocks of life, performing many critical functions in the body. The amino acids that make up proteins serve as structural components of skeletal muscles, enzymes, hormones, immune factors, transporters, acid-base regulators, and neurotransmitters.
Protein is found primarily in animal foods, such as red meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, yogurt, and some other dairy products, and can also be found in soy products, such as tofu and tempeh, as well as beans and soy products. Lentils.
2.Carbohydrates
The body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates also play a key role in digestion and intestinal health, glucose and insulin action, and cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. Carbohydrates include starch, fiber and sugar and can be further divided into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Fiber is a particularly important complex carbohydrate that aids in digestion, and adequate intake has been shown to help improve blood sugar control, blood pressure, and lipid profile.
Carbohydrates are found in whole grains, legumes (beans and lentils), fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
- Aliphatic compounds
Made up of smaller molecules called fatty acids, they play a variety of roles in the body, including the metabolism of fat-soluble vitamins, cell membrane function, maintaining the structural integrity of the brain and nervous system, and hormone synthesis. There are two main types of dietary fat: saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids, both of which are necessary for health.
Fats are found in animal foods, oils, butters, nuts, seeds, avocados and olives.
Balanced meal formula
To prepare a balanced meal, you need to include all three macronutrients. This means that at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you should make sure your meals include protein, carbohydrates (preferably starches and fiber), and fats.
Protein + Carbs + Fiber + Fat
5 benefits of a balanced diet
By creating balanced meals using all three macronutrients, you’ll be better able to eat a balanced diet overall and more easily support your health and goals. By preparing as many balanced breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as possible, you will:
- Eat a more balanced macronutrient intake.
By consuming balanced meals on a regular basis, you can ensure you are getting adequate and balanced macronutrients to support an overall more balanced diet. Current dietary guidelines recommend that individuals consume 45-65% of total daily calories from carbohydrates, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% from protein (1). By preparing a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can help ensure a more balanced macronutrient intake.
- Balance energy, blood sugar and hormones.
Not only does preparing balanced meals help ensure that you consume enough calories to fuel your body from one meal to the next, but eating balanced meals that contain protein and fiber can help balance blood sugar levels. Meals containing complex and fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats take longer to digest than meals containing refined carbohydrates and no protein, resulting in milder blood sugar rises and less fatigue and food cravings eager.
- Increase satiety, satiety and food satisfaction.
Since protein is the most satiating macronutrient and can reduce gastric emptying and/or slow energy and nutrient absorption, eating a balanced meal containing protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats can help increase satiety and satiety (2). Additionally, if you include all macronutrients in your meals and don’t avoid or devalue carbohydrate or fat sources, you’re more likely to feel satisfied after eating.
- Ensure adequate fiber and micronutrient intake.
Eating regularly balanced meals containing fiber can help you meet your recommended daily fiber intake. Overall, current evidence supports an intake of at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, or 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed per day (3). Additionally, regular consumption of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, especially a variety of fruits and vegetables, can help increase the absorption of important vitamins and minerals. - Optimize athletic performance and support body composition goals.
Meal content helps achieve training goals and optimize body composition. While an athlete’s specific macronutrient needs may vary by sport and goal, carbohydrate and protein consumption and timing play an important role in muscle maintenance, overall performance, and optimal recovery. Additionally, consuming a balanced meal containing adequate protein and fiber has been shown to aid in athletic competition goals such as weight loss and muscle building, especially when combined with strength training (4).
What does a balanced meal look like?
Balanced meal recipes allow you to choose at least one food from each part of the recipe to create a plate filled with protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fat. Here is a visual example.
Balanced plate example
Think of it like checking a box; making sure you have a source of carbs, protein, and fat on your plate or bowl at every meal. Here are some simple examples of implementing the protein + carbs + fiber + fat formula:
Eggs + toast + spinach + cheddar cheese
Milk + Oats + Berries + Almonds
Deli meat + biscuits + carrots + hummus
Tuna + Pita + Salad + Mayonnaise
Chicken + Pasta + Broccoli + Pesto
Salmon + potatoes + asparagus + olive oil
Shrimp+white rice+tomato+avocado
Turkey + Quinoa + Kale + Avocado Oil
Steak + corn + salad + dressing
Tofu + brown rice + cabbage + sesame oil
Chickpeas + couscous + cucumber + feta cheese
Lentils + Barley + Green Beans + Butter
Note that there are many sources of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat that you can add to your meals! For example, your meal can include more than one vegetable (for example, a salad of lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers), or more than one source of protein (for example, chicken and black beans in a salad), or more than one, but Rather than just being a source of fat (like avocado and pumpkin seed salad), balanced meal recipes are designed to be simple and ensure every macronutrient is included.
Other things to consider
Prioritize whole foods. When preparing balanced meals, it’s best to prioritize whole foods whenever possible. Creating meals that include red meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs, dairy, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables is a simple way to ensure you prioritize both macronutrient and micronutrient intake. method time.
Add color and flavor. Remember: a balanced meal doesn’t have to be boring or boring! Make your meals visually appealing by using a variety of colors and textures, and feel free to add as many herbs and spices as you like to make your meals as delicious as possible.
Strive to eat enough for all three meals. The “3 for 3” formula is a simple but helpful guide when preparing balanced meals. Eat all three macronutrients at all three meals. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or meals 1, 2 and 3: aim to include all three macronutrients.
Consider portion size. When developing a balanced meal, it’s also important to consider the portions of protein, starchy carbohydrates, fiber, and fat you add to the meal, especially if your goal is weight loss or changes in body composition. While calorie or macro counting is one method, hand portion sizing is a simple but effective tool to ensure you’re consuming portion sizes that best meet your personal needs.
Don’t forget water. Although water is not part of a balanced meal formula, remember that water is also considered a macronutrient because the body needs large amounts of it. Current dietary guidelines recommend 0.5 to 1.0 ounces of water per pound of body weight throughout the day and/or with meals.
Listen to your body. It’s important to remember that your body is the best coach you have, and you have to learn to listen to it, interpret what it says, and give it what it needs. In addition to prioritizing balanced meals, you also need to respect your natural hunger and fullness cues by listening to your body or using a tool like the Hunger Fullness Scale. Also, remember that your favorite foods and dishes, even pasta and pizza, can be included in a balanced meal recipe.
Strive for consistency, not perfection. Remember, balanced meal recipes are guidelines, not rules. The goal is to implement this guideline at as many meals as possible as often as possible, not at every meal for the rest of your life. Some meals and days will be easier than others, that’s real life. As with all aspects of nutrition, consistency is the goal, not perfection.