How to create a balanced meal
Balance is a word that means different things to different people. In terms of nutritional balance - in my experience a lot of people simply aren’t striking the right balance. When I say balance in a nutritional sense I am referring to the amount of balance between everyday foods and sometimes/occasional foods. In particular vegetable and fruit intakes are well below recommendations. And research backs this up; Australians are nowhere near meeting their vegetable and fruit intakes, with only 5% of Aussies meeting their sufficient intakes of both (1).
Simply by being more mindful when preparing and serving out main meals, we can more easily reach our 5 & 2 goals. You don’t need to set up your plate in this exact same manner (as above), but simply think about the portions of ingredients when preparing meals. Half of your plate should be filled with a variety of colourful, non-starchy vegetables. When it comes to colour, the more the better. Each colour in vegetables and fruits has a distinct profile of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemical which are very beneficial to human health. Another reason for including plant variety in your diet is to ensure that you are getting the complete range of available micronutrients.
All foods can and should be enjoyed in an overall healthy diet, but we need to think more about how often we have certain foods. Looking at the image (left) how often are you really eating sometimes foods and occasional foods? Are you getting a good balance of everyday foods every single day???
Next you need a source of carbohydrate - roughly the size of a clenched fist or handful - depending on your energy expenditure levels. A low GI, wholegrain form is usually best (I say usually because there are some circumstances, such as with athletes who need to quickly replenish glycogen stores who would better benefit from high GI food sources). Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking used to determine how quickly carbohydrates in foods and drinks raise blood glucose levels. In general; low GI carbs are where most food choices should be from. A GI rating of <55 is considered low GI, medium is 56-69, while high is >70. Let me give you a practical example of how different varieties of the same food can influence GI…
Jasmine rice has a GI of 89 (per cup), while white Basmati rice has a GI of 58 (per cup).
Wonder White vitamins and minerals white bread has a GI of 76 (per 1 slice), while Burgen wholegrains & oats has a GI of 51 (per 1 slice).
While GI is a useful tool, it isn’t the only measure we should consider… There are some highly processed ‘sometimes foods’ that get a low GI rating due to all the factors that affect the GI rating - like fat and protein content, the processing method and the type of sugar the food contains. Also, we rarely eat foods in isolation of others. So we need to be mindful of the entire meal to make the most of this. Mixing high GI foods with low GI foods can bring the overall GI level of the entire meal down.
Another really simple way of choosing carbohydrates is to think about how processed they are. Ideally you want to select the least processed and refined option available. Instead of plain white pasta, select wholemeal pasta. Instead of white bread, select a grainy option…
Now let’s look at protein… You want to be looking for a portion of meat that is roughly the size of your palm. White fish you can go a little larger and opt for a hand size. Leaner options are best because they are often lower in saturated fat (diets high in saturated fats have been linked to chronic disease and obesity). Protein is also a great for our satiety - meaning it helps keep us fuller for longer, and therefore makes managing our hunger levels easier. Have you ever tried to be ‘super healthy’ and had just a salad for lunch - I’m talking just the salad, lettuce, tomatoes, carrot, olives, capsicum etc, but no complex carbs or protein? I can guarantee about an hour later you would have been starving. Why? Because there isn’t much protein there!
Protein is particularly important for growth. I’m sure you are very well aware of how important protein is for muscle growth, but it isn’t just gym-goers that need enough protein. Adequate protein intake spaced throughout the day is important to anyone trying to manage their weight. The ability to keep your hunger levels under control while dieting is really important for adherence. Protein also helps to ensure that when dieting (actively trying to lose weight) that weight lost isn’t going to be a high amount of lean tissue (which you want to preserve so you can become more metabolically active). If you don’t like to eat a lot of meat, don’t worry! There are heaps of healthy non-meat and plant proteins that can get you to your daily targets with some careful planning. Eggs, egg whites, tofu, legumes. pulses and dairy are some other options to help reach your targets. If you are a meat-eater be sure to select lean versions or cut off visible fat - particularly if weight loss or maintenance is your goal.
A small amount of fat is essential in the diet. Because fat is the most calorie dense macronutrient (9 calories per 1 gram of fat), it is very easy to over eat calories from fat. Select healthy plant oils from olives, nuts, seeds and avocados with smaller amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil, and animal fats. You only need a small amount of fat - so aim for roughly a thumb size at your main meals. There will be often be small amounts of fat in your protein and to a lesser extent your carb sources. When cooking proteins, there is often some form of fat used to prevent sticking during the cooking process. While not often thought of as a fat source, it still contributes. Nuts and seeds are another great source of fats and can be included in a variety of main meals to provide not only a fat source but also texture and flavour. You want to avoid trans fats at all costs as they have been implicated in heart disease and inflammation. Trans fats are found in highly processed products like bakery items, margarines, chips, crackers and fast food.
So now that you know how your plate should look - here are some ideas on how to get the balance right in your next meal…
Spaghetti bolognese - grate/process a heap of veggies like capsicum, mushroom, zucchini and carrot in the mince sauce. Select a wholemeal pasta and a heart smart or 95% lean meat, or make it vegetarian and use tempeh or lentils instead of meat.
Tuna pasta bake - dice lots of veggies like zucchini and carrot then add in some peas and corn. Select a wholemeal pasta and use tuna in spring water.
Chicken and vegetable tray bake - select lean chicken thighs or breast (maybe 600g), use a marinade like this one, heaps of chopped veggies - pumpkin, zucchini, capsicum, tomato and mushroom, then serve with basmati rice and more salad greens.
Sandwich - ditch the white bread and opt for a low GI bread option like Burgen (any of their range is amazing). Use avocado or hommus instead of margarine or butter, and add lots of salad like tomato, lettuce, beetroot, sprouts, carrot, cucumber and capsicum and use a lean protein source like a boiled egg, canned tuna, cooked chicken/turkey breast.
Breakfast could consist of a brekkie bowl - cooked quinoa or rice, with a couple of poached eggs, some grilled mushrooms & tomato with a few thin slices of avocado.
If a sweeter breakfast is more to your liking, use this time to get a serve of fruit in and concentrate on whole grains. Personally I love having egg white oats - chia seeds and oats with grated pear and then some egg whites added in at the end for protein and a really creamy texture.
The options are endless really - you just have to think about crowding out some of the more processed items on your plate to make way for the everyday foods - particularly those veggies and fruits we aren’t getting enough of.
If you found this useful, leave me a comment or share it on social!
Source: AIHW (2018). Fruit and vegetable intake. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2018/contents/indicators-of-australias-health/fruit-and-vegetable-intake
