The Three Essential Ingredients for a Healthy Plate
/When it comes to mealtime, you should be sure to have these three essential ingredients for a healthy plate. Those three are the macronutrients fat, fiber, and protein.
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If you’ve been reading Tasting Page for a while, first, thank you, and second, you must know by now that I’m all about healthy eating.
Healthy eating means nourishing your body with the right ingredients and keeping your body in balance.
A proper diet can help keep diseases away, as well as heart disease, and many cancers.
That’s some decent incentive but on top of that, eating the right food can improve your brain function and your overall quality of life.
You got it, right? You do but you don’t. At least that’s what my clients tell me.
You know to eat well but sometimes you get confused about the details and what a healthy plate should actually look like. Am I right?
When I work with women one-on-one, I give them details on how their plates should look at every meal, given their goals and individual health. While the specifics of a healthy meal can depend on the person, the overarching guidelines are similar.
I always say that you should have three things on every healthy plate. The big three are fat, fiber, and protein.
Macronutrients
Fat, fiber, and protein are known as macronutrients. You might find some camps that obsessively count their macros, aiming for perfection on a plate. I don’t fall into that camp but I do believe in making sure you have these three at every healthy meal.
Instead of spending copious amounts of time counting, I’d rather you spent your time sourcing the best ingredients. When you start with real food and avoid the processed, junk, counting isn’t as important.
It’s rare when someone needs to be told to slow down her salad intake. When you’re eating fresh greens and vegetables, you eat until you’re full.
The wonderful thing is that when you have the right fat, fiber, and protein at every meal, your body is going to be nourished, and you’re going to feel full longer, and have more energy.
Blood Sugar
Feeling full is important. When you’re full after every meal, you don’t need to snack in between (but if you don’t have that down yet, I have you covered with healthy snacking).
The key to all of this is keeping your blood sugar stable. When you’re blood sugar is stable you don’t have dips in energy and end up in a hangry state.
Often when this happens, it leads to reaching for quick fixes that are high in carbs and sugar. That then adds to uneven blood sugar levels and cravings and eventual weight gain.
Making sure you have fat, fiber, and protein at each meal will help keep your blood sugar balanced so you’re full after every meal and can make it several hours to the next.
The Three Essentials For a Healthy Plate
Fiber
Fiber is essential on a healthy plate and in a healthy diet.
I could also use the word carbohydrates, but here’s the deal on carbs. There are some simple and processed carbs that you just want to avoid on a healthy plate.
These carbs aren’t helping your health or diet.
Which ones? Think sugar and refined grains such as flour, white bread, and pasta.
These products are stripped of the nutrients and fiber, so they hit your bloodstream and give your blood sugar levels a big spike. Then comes the insulin to try and usher it away. All of this can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and even diabetes.
That’s why I prefer to talk about fiber. Fiber helps slow the digestion of your food.
We’re shooting for that stable blood sugar and fiber can help.
Fiber is also really good for your digestion and can help reduce your risk of chronic disease. On top of that, the right fiber may help with weight loss since it causes you to feel full and stop eating.
Low carb, low starch vegetables are a good way to get healthy fiber in your diet.
Low starch veggies naturally contain fiber and will keep your blood sugar stable. Not only that, but vegetables are also filled with vitamins and minerals, more essentials for your healthy eating plate.
I know you’re going to ask, what about gluten free grains? Things like quinoa and millet are better than refined grains but they still may not work for everyone. Gluten free grains can still spike your blood sugar and then there are issues with digestion that many can experience when eating food like quinoa or beans.
This is one of those things where you need to be the judge. You need to listen to your own body to see how you feel after eating a specific food. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Your body is the best indicator for the best ingredients for you.
Healthy Vegetable Fiber Sources and Recipes
Growing up, I always thought protein was the star of every meal since it usually took up half the plate. If you go to a restaurant, you’ll often see a huge piece of meat with a meager showing of wilted veggies on the side. Who knew a healthy plate should really be the other way around.
When I’m putting a healthy meal together, I start by filling at least half my plate with sautéed greens or other leafy vegetables, then I may add on a non-starchy carb like sweet potatoes, and a few ounces of protein finishes it off.
The amount of protein I eat can fit in the palm of my hand. How much you need will depend on your body composition. The Dietary Reference Intake stats .36 grams per pound but many believe we need much more for optimal health.
Protein gives you energy. You wouldn’t be able to operate without protein.
Protein is responsible for helping with muscle development, bone health, lowering blood pressure, boosting metabolism, and helping your body stay fit as you age.
So yeah, you want to make sure you get some healthy amounts of protein on your plate at each meal.
If you eat meat, always try and look for organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef like from US Wellness Meats. You’ll avoid a side helping of chemicals you usually get from factory meat. Organic grass-fed meat has also been shown to have more antioxidants and nutrients.
The same goes for wild-caught fish. Be sure to check Seafood Watch before buying fish to make sure you’re not consuming too much mercury or other toxins from bigger fish. I buy my seafood online at Vital Choice.
Vegetarians and vegans, your protein sources could include beans, eggs, nuts, avocados, quinoa, and tofu.
Protein Sources and Recipes
And last, but not least, we have fat rounding out the three essentials for a healthy meal.
Yes, fat can be healthy. The right fat, of course, in the right amount.
Trans fat or partially hydrogenated fats are what you want to avoid. They can lead to inflammation in the body as well as heart disease and other serious health issues.
Trans fats can be found in vegetable oils, fast food, cookies, crackers, and cakes. Make sure to read labels to avoid hydrogenated fats.
The right monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can do wonders for your body in moderation. These fats can help your heart and brain health, your skin and hair, your immune system.
Like fiber, healthy fat can help slow down the digestion of your food so you avoid those blood sugar spikes. It helps with hormone production and can help you feel full after a meal. When you’re full, you don’t need to eat anymore. Win-win.
You also need fat to absorb certain vitamins like Vitamin A, D, E, and K so yes, fat can be good and even essential to your body.
Healthy Fat Sources and Recipes
More Diet Help
If you’re interested in personalized help with your diet, reach out to learn about my personal one-on-one health coaching.
Everyone is different and every BODY has different needs. I can work with you on your individual needs so you can have more energy and less aches and pains. When you find out the right food to eat, everything works better, you sleep better, and you perform better.
Set-up a free discovery call today.
