March is National Nutrition Month
Here is a quick, accessible guide to a balanced, nutritious meal!
A healthy plate should include a balance of the different macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fat. This balance helps our bodies get the fuel we need to get us through the day and helps us stay full between meals. A balanced plate will be filled with ¼ protein, ½ carbohydrates, and ¼ healthy fats for most people. Continue reading below for more information about each macronutrient.
Protein
We need protein to maintain, build, and repair our bodies’ tissues. Including protein in our meals and snacks helps us feel full for longer. This can help with weight management by helping us stay satisfied between meals and limit grazing.
Everyone needs a different amount of protein depending on their size, activity level, and health conditions. Most adults need around 0.5-0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight or around 20-25 grams of protein per meal if they eat three meals per day. Again, this is a general recommendation and may not be right for everyone.
Protein foods should make up about ¼ of our plate. We can find protein in meat, fish, poultry, dairy, beans, lentils, soy, and nuts.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates seem to be quite controversial these days. Carbohydrates can be nutritious, and we all know they are delicious! Carbs help give our bodies energy to carry out our daily activities. Our bodies break down carbohydrates more quickly than protein and fat, so eating carbohydrates with protein and/or healthy fats is a good idea to help us feel full longer. For example, having an apple (carb) with nut butter (protein/healthy fat) or cheese (protein) and whole grain crackers (carb) for a snack will be more filling than if we ate an apple or whole grain crackers without protein or healthy fat.
We mostly want to choose healthier carbohydrates by selecting more nutritious and fiber-rich carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables over more processed carbohydrates like desserts, sodas, chips, candy, etc. The more nutritious sources of carbohydrates help us stay full longer because their fiber helps our food digest more slowly.
Fiber
Fiber is an important type of carbohydrate. It is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Fiber is important for our digestive health and our overall health. People who eat diets high in fiber tend to have lower rates of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and constipation. This is related to the benefits of eating nutritious fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables.
Women should aim to eat 25 grams of fiber per day, and men should aim to eat 38 grams of fiber per day. To start increasing the fiber in our diet, we should slowly introduce more fiber-rich foods and drink plenty of water to avoid constipation. We can do this by eating one extra serving of fiber-rich food for a few days and continuing to add an extra serving of fiber-rich food every few days until we reach our goal.
Fats
Fat is another nutrient that has received some bad press. Like carbohydrates, some fats are healthier than others. Fats provide energy and allow us to absorb specific vitamins called fat-soluble vitamins, and we use fat for many body processes.
Unhealthy fats, called saturated or trans fats, can be harmful to our health if we consume too much of them. Eating too much-saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol and may increase insulin resistance, which can increase our risk of heart disease and diabetes. We find saturated fat in fatty cuts of meat, butter, lard, and fried foods. It is best to eat these foods less often.
Healthy fats, called unsaturated fats, are liquid at room temperature and are better for heart health. These include oils like olive oil and avocado oil. You’ll also find healthy fats in nuts, seeds, avocados, and fish.
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If you’d like to learn more about changing your eating habits to improve your health, please get in touch with our Health Education team at 775-284-1898. Our dietitians would love to work with you to help you reach your health goals!
