3 Tips to Bring Balance to Your Meals

3 Tips to Bring More Balance to Your Meals

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Remember those old kid cereal tv commercials when the narrator would say that cereal was part of a balanced breakfast? The camera would show the cereal and pan out to a spread of other foods such as fruit, juice, milk, and eggs. Often when you hear about nourishment being discussed, you hear the term ‘balanced.’ I get so many questions about what actually is a balanced meal? A balanced meal is any meal that balances macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) and colorful whole foods (think food from the earth not from a conveyor belt) to leave you feeling satisfied and happily fed. Keep in mind, every meal that you eat will not be balanced and that is totally normal and ok. Each meal or snack that you consume is an opportunity to connect and communicate with your body and learn what food makes your body feel alive and well fueled so you can slay life. 

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My top 3 tips to bring more balance to your meals:

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1. Set up a balanced plate. 

Think of a plate with a fork and spoon on the side. Now cut that plate in half- aim for half of your plate to be some kind of colorful whole food such as fruits and veggies. Take the other half of your plate and cut this half in half so you have two quarters. One quarter is for your protein and one is for your carbohydrate. Think of the spoon on the side of your plate. This spoon represents the amount of fat that should either be used throughout the cooking process or drizzled on the plate. If you are new to balanced meals- start with this method and then fine tune depending on how it makes your body feel. You may find that your body feels tired or sluggish with this amount of carb so you make the area of your plate for protein larger and carb smaller. You may find that you feel better with more than a spoonful of fat so you add more fat and make each section of the plate or one section a little smaller. Make it an experiment and keep it fun. 

2. Ensure your plate isn’t too large or too small. 

If you are trying the above method on a salad plate- you most likely will not reach a happily fed state from the portions recommended above. Same goes for if your plate is too large, you may feel like “whew, I’m stuffed” from following the portions above. How do you find a plate that is just right? Aim for a plate around 10”-12”. Experiment with what feels good for you and your body.

3. Keep it chill.

You can set up the most perfect balanced plate but if you are eating while watching tv, playing on your phone, or in any high stress or mindless state; it defeats the purpose of balanced meals. Keep your environment distraction free and chill. Maybe light some candles or put on your favorite chill playlist!

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Reach out to let me know how you plan to weave more balance into your meals this week and beyond.

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