How to put together a Balanced Meal

Putting together a nutritionally balanced meal is important to help you meet your nutrient requirements and keep you full and satisfied between meals. It’s easier than you may think and today I want to talk you through what every balanced meal needs, and which foods to get it from.

Formula for a balanced meal:

• 1/2 plate of vegetables

• 1/4 plate of quality protein

• 1/4 plate of complex carbohydrates

• Plus 1 serve of healthy fats

Now, where do you get each of these I hear you ask, continue reading for great sources of each.

Quality Protein

Protein sources can include meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds. You can choose one or go for a combination of your liking.

When following a vegetarian, vegan or plant based diet, we need to combine various sources of protein throughout the day. This is called protein combining and helps you get all of the various amino acids that are found within different sources of plant based protein.

Complex Carbohydrates

Wholegrains (brown rice, barley, rolled oats, spelt), pseudo grains (quinoa, buckwheat), and some of the more starchy vegetables like sweet potato, potato and pumpkin are all considered to be complex carbohydrates. These foods are important for our dietary fibre intake and are not something to be cut out or feared. When choosing carbohydrates, always opt for the less refined options listed here and incorporate them into a healthy balanced meal using the above formula.

Healthy Fats

Sources of healthy fat help to keep you full and are beneficial to so many different areas of our health. You can find good sources of fat through foods such as nuts, seeds, extra-virgin olive oil and avocado.

It’s as simple as that! By balancing your plate in this way you’re giving your body the fuel it needs to thrive, while enjoying delicious recipes that will keep you satisfied.

You can read more about nourishing your body with healthy foods here.

For plenty of balanced meals and lots of recipe inspiration, check out the recipe section of my website here.