Balance is a prevalent concept in the realm of health and wellness. We are encouraged to create balanced lifestyles that accommodate both enjoyment and productivity, balanced fitness regimens of cardio and strength training, balanced social lives that provide community yet personal growth, and balanced diets including both nutritious and indulgent foods. The list of ways to find balance in our lives can go on, but I would argue that we won’t feel like we have the capacity to thrive in those areas if we are not first creating balance at the smallest level of the meals we eat.
Each meal that we consume adds up over time to create what would be considered our diet. To have a balanced diet requires a balanced meal. And to live a life that has a healthy balance in all areas of relationship, fitness, work, and play, you need to feel your best. In my experience, I only started to feel my best once I began to build my meals in a way that incorporated each component that my body needs to thrive.
In this post, I will break down the fundamental parts of a meal that you should aim to include every time you eat whether it’s breakfast, dinner, or a snack. This may seem like a simple concept that we’ve been taught over and over again since we were young. However, I believe that it is crucial to feeling like the most nourished version of yourself.
Components of a balanced meal
Protein
Protein is a very important component of any meal or snack. Protein will keep you full, balance your blood sugar, contribute to building healthy muscles, bones, and cartilage, regulate hormones, and help you to maintain a healthy weight (1). A meal or snack without a good source of protein will likely leave you satisfied for a moment, but very hungry only a couple of hours later. This is because protein balances out the spike in blood sugar that occurs when we consume carbohydrates. If you do not have the protein to stabilize a sharp rise in blood sugar, the high levels of sugar will come to dramatic crash, leaving you feeling tired and hungry.
Good sources of protein are complete proteins, which contain all 8 essential amino acids for the human body. Examples of complete proteins are:
- Red meats (beef, pork)
- Fish (salmon, tuna, cod, etc)
- Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc)
- Eggs
- Quinoa
- Dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc)
There are many other foods that are not considered complete proteins, but that are good sources of protein as well. These foods can be combined with one another to create complete sources of protein. Examples are:
- Whole wheat toast and nut butter
- Beans and rice
- Cheese and almonds
- Hummus and pita chips
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are crucial for supplying our bodies with energy to fuel our minds and our days. There is a big difference in simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates, however. Complex carbohydrates contain longer chains of sugars that take more time for the body to break down, thus providing a more stable and consistent source of energy to the body throughout the day. Complex carbohydrates that come from whole foods such as grains tend to be rich in micronutrients like Vitamin E, Vitamin B, and fiber and have been shown to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases(2). Simple carbohydrates, in contrast, are made up of short chains that the body is able to quickly breakdown into glucose. This glucose is sent straight to the blood and provides the all too familiar feeling of a “sugar rush.” This isn’t to say that you should avoid simple carbohydrates completely. In fact, many foods that are rich in vitamins and other micronutrients such as fruit and milk contain simple carbohydrates (2). Another distinction that should be made is that some complex carbohydrates like whole grains, can be refined and stripped of their components that contain healthy fat, fiber, and micronutrients (2). Examples of these foods are white flour, white bread, and some white pastas.
Nutritious sources of carbohydrates are:
- Whole grains (brown rice, wild rice, barley, buckwheat, oats, etc)
- Vegetables (broccoli, sweet potato, cucumber, carrots, dark leafy greens, bell pepper, eggplant, etc)
- Fruits (apples, oranges, bananas, dates, berries, pears, melon)
- Whole grain products (whole grain bread, whole grain pasta)
Fat
Fats from food are both promoted and warned against in the context of healthy eating and disease prevention. This is because, like carbohydrates, there are different kinds of fats. The fats that should be consumed in moderation are saturated fats. These fats contain linear a chain of carbon and hydrogen bonds that are stackable with other chains. This is why at room temperature most saturated fats like butter and animal fat are solid. Saturated fats in excess amounts can raise LDL cholesterol levels and put someone at higher risk for heart disease. Poly and monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, are known to promote health. They differ from saturated fats in their structure that contains a double bond, preventing them from stacking and becoming solid. These fats are often found in foods that have other health promoting nutrients such as avocados and dark chocolate. Healthy fats promote satiety, improve cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar, support gut health, and lower the risk of heart disease and hypertension (3).
Good sources of healthy fats to include in a balanced meal:
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Nuts
- Olives
- Flax and chia seeds
- Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, whitefish)
Put it all together and keep it simple!
In this graphic to the left you can see that the plate contains all 3 important components of a balanced meal.
- The grilled chicken is serving as the protein.
- The carrots, spring mix, and black beans are serving as complex carbohydrates. The beans are also a good source of fiber and some protein.
- The feta cheese, hummus, and olive oil drizzled on top of the salad are all serving as sources of healthy fats.
It is also important to note the serving sizes of each of these components. You should aim to have about half of your plate from complex carbohydrates, prioritizing ones that come from unprocessed grains and vegetables. About 1/4 of your plate (or more depending on your physical needs) should be protein, and the last 1/4 should be healthy fats.
I know that there was a lot of information in this post so I am going to leave you with this. KEEP IT SIMPLE! Don’t get caught up on trying to find the perfect food for each macronutrient for every meal. Focus on eating whole foods from natural sources and making sure you have a good combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat when you can.
If you can do that, I believe you will be hungry less often, feel more energized, and be well-equipped to live the life that you are called to live!
References
- https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/why-is-protein-important-in-your-diet
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325171#complex-carbohydrates
- https://www.uclahealth.org/news/eating-healthy-fats-has-many-benefits