Healthy meal – what does it LOOK like?

Making wholesome and nutritious food choices for most of your meals and snacks, as well as being conscious of portion sizes can have a profound effect on health, feeling well, high energy levels and long term health.

All too often we are bombarded with confusing and complex messages about diets and nutrition products. The diet industry is a lucrative one, and the media need to sell magazines, papers and advertising space. Diet fads come and go.

A healthy diet (and by ‘diet’ I simply mean a what you eat) you don’t need lots of fancy or exotic ingredients, restrictions of certain foods or food groups, or the feeling of being deprived. Think long term, make small changes, that over a long period of time will make a big difference.

Fill your fridge with vegetables, lean meat, eggs and lower fat dairy, and your cupboards with wholesome starchy food and tinned fish, tomatoes, nuts, seeds etc. Frozen vegetables are just as good, and often better nutritionally than fresh. By all means have things such as biscuits, chocolate, wine and beer, but don’t make it an everyday thing. If you fill up on the good stuff, there’s less room for the food that isn’t doing you any favours.

What does a healthy meal look like?

veggies

1/2 plate: salad/vegetables/fruit
1/4 plate protein: chicken, pork, beef, fish, beans, lentils
1/4 plate starchy food: potatoes, rice, pasta, quinoa, cous cous, wholemeal bread
use oils and oily dressings sparingly

Most people have far too much starchy food eg. BIG plate of pasta, and too little veg. Many athletes have too little starchy food fearing that carbohydrates will make them fat, too much protein and too little veg. How does this translate to real life? Here are some examples…..

Breakfast:

Seriously Healthy Pancakes
1 wholemeal toast, little bit of butter, 2 boiled/poached/dry fried eggs
Natural yoghurt & fruit, 1 toast
Homemade muesli
Summer oats
Shake: milk, spoon of yoghurt, banana/berries, honey
2 Weetabix, milk, banana

Meals:

For work packed lunch: Build a Box
Spaghetti bolognaise: 1/4 plate spaghetti, add extra veg to bolognaise (grated carrot, extra tin tomatoes). Serve with side salad or Deidre’s coleslaw
Meatballs in tomato sauce with extra veg & pasta
Salmon with Happy Carrots
Wholemeal pitta, tuna mixed with natural yoghurt/light mayo, chopped pepper, spring onion & lettuce
1 wholemeal toast, little bit of butter, 2 boiled/poached/dry fried eggs
Fiery Noodles
Super food salad with some chicken/fish
Lentil & tomato soup