The Basics on Building a Healthy Meal
When I was in my early twenties, I spent a lot of time fretting about my weight and my appearance. Like a lot of women, I had an unhealthy relationship with food. As a result, my diet consisted of low-calorie breads, lots of fruit and veggies and pretty much zero fat and protein.
Unknowingly at the time, I was both undereating and under-nourishing myself to a point that my health started to be impacted. I had no concept of what a balanced meal was, let alone how to build one. And not many people around me seemed to know either.
“I had no concept of what a balanced meal was, let alone how to build one. ”
Fast forward eight years and there seems to be a general societal shift towards healthier eating. Whether it’s due to the ever-increasing number of people experiencing preventable health issues, or the ever-increasing number of influencers in the nutrition space (hi!), it’s clear that more and more people want to make educated, nourishing food choices - and I am here to help.
Here is my Mindful Nutrition quick guide on how to build a balanced meal:
Part 1: The Basics
You can’t build a balanced meal without considering the basics, i.e. your macronutrients.
Macronutrients are nutrients that your body needs in large amounts to provide energy and to support your overall health. They include protein, carbs and fat.
Think about building a balanced meal like building a house. In order to build a house, you typically need to first set the foundations (protein), then build the walls (carbs) and then add a roof (fat).
“Think about building a balanced meal like building a house.”
Protein
Protein is an essential building block of our bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and skin. It’s also needed to make enzymes and hormones which help our bodies to function appropriately. It helps our body to repair/grow tissues, and is particularly important when you live an active lifestyle. Additionally, protein is the most satiating macronutrient, so keeps us feeling fuller for longer.
You can choose from both animal-based or plant-based sources:
Animal-based
Meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, duck)
Eggs
Fish (cod, haddock, sea bass, salmon, mackerel, anchovies, herring, sardines)
Shellfish (mussels, prawns, crab, lobster)
Dairy (cheese, yoghurt, kefir)
Plant-based
Legumes (beans, lentils and pulses)
Tofu and tempeh (both soy products)
Nuts
Seeds
Edamame
Quinoa
Seitan
When building a balanced meal, you should aim for approximately 20-25% of your meal to be made of protein.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy. This means that the body uses carbs before protein or fat to make energy. This is because carbs can be broken down to create energy much quicker than protein and fat. Complex carbohydrates in particular are an essential part of any meal because they release their energy gradually, unlike simple carbs which release their energy quickly and can result in a sudden energy spike, followed sometimes by an energy slump. Not only do complex carbohydrates provide slow-releasing energy, but they also provide fibre – a key nutrient needed to maintain our gut health.
“Fibre - a key nutrient to maintain our gut health.”
Complex carbohydrates
Oats
Brown / Red rice
Wheat
Barley
Buckwheat
Rye
Spelt
Beans
Couscous
Quinoa
Beans
Lentils
Peas
Potato
Sweet potato
Butternut squash
Broccoli
When building a balanced meal, you should aim for approximately 20-25% of your meal to be made of complex carbohydrates.
Fat
Fat is a critical component of every cell in the body and ensures that nutrients can enter cells and waste products can exit. Fat is necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (Vitamins A, D, E and K) and the maintenance of healthy skin and hair. In addition, fat is essential to maintain brain function and hormone production. The ‘healthy’ fats that we should strive to include in our diet include:
‘Healthy’ Fats
Extra virgin olive oil
Olives
Avocado
Nuts
Seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame)
Nut butters
Coconut oil
Oily fish (think SMASH – salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring)
When building a balanced meal, you should aim for approximately 10% of your meal to be made of healthy fats. This can include sprinkling oils, nuts and seeds over your meals.
Part 2: The Design
Back to the house analogy.
You’ve now built your dream house but how do you go about making it a home? You design it the way you like. You add your personal flavour and decorate it the way that makes you happy. And if you’ve the money, you can redecorate it again and again.
This is where your micronutrients come in.
Micronutrients are nutrients your body needs in small amounts that do not provide energy but play important roles in growth, development, and disease prevention. These nutrients are found in abundance in whole foods, but particularly fruits and veggies.
“You’ve now built your dream house but how do you go about making it a home? You design it the way you like. You add your personal flavour and decorate it the way that makes you happy. ”
Fruits and veggies
Eating fruits and vegetables is essential for good health because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, much needed fibre and natural compounds found in plants that have health-promoting properties, called phytonutrients. Our bodies need vitamins and minerals to function optimally, fibre to maintain good digestion and a healthy gut and phytonutrients to fight against infections, improve heart health and lower the risk of chronic diseases.
“Eating fruits and vegetables is essential for good health because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, much needed fibre and natural compounds found in plants that have health-promoting properties, called phytonutrients.”
How you add them is up to you, but they should make up the biggest chunk of your plate.
Fruits
Apples
Bananas
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
Citrus fruits (lemon, orange, lime)
Pineapples
Mangoes
Kiwis
Cherries
Apricots
Figs
Plums
Pomegranate
Vegetables
Leafy greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard)
Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, brussel sprouts)
Carrots
Asparagus
Nightshades (peppers, aubergine, potatoes, tomatoes)
Courgette
Cucumber
Celery
Radish
Beetroot
Onion
Squash (butternut squash and pumpkin)
Fennel
Artichoke
When building a balanced meal, you should aim for approximately 40-50% of your meal to be made up of fruits and vegetables – the more variety and colour, the better for your gut. Each colour provides a unique set of health benefits so add as many as you can.
“The more variety and colour, the better for your gut.”
Part 3: The Conclusion
What makes a house a home is not just the foundations, walls and roof. It’s the way you decorate it, the colours, the vibe.
The same can be said for a balanced meal. What makes a meal whole is the inclusion of all the basics (your protein, carbs and fat), but also the inclusion of the fruits and veggies you choose to add colour and vibrancy.
Start with the basics (your macronutrients)
Protein: 20-25% of your meal
Complex carbs: 20-25% of your meal
Fat: 10% of your meal
And then add your own touch (with micronutrients)
Fruit and veggies – 40-50% of your meal.
All the while thinking about diversity, vibrancy and fibre!
Its important to build a balanced meal at every sitting not just because it ensures that you get the essential nutrients your body needs. It also keeps you feeling satiated and energised while boosting brain function, digestive health and your mood, and lowering your risk of chronic disease.
I hope you have found this quick guide useful and can begin building your own balanced meals, decorating them to suit your palette (both in colour and flavour!)
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Thanks for reading,
Mindful Nutrition x