Building Balance on your Plate

Is it often that you sit down and eat your meal and find yourself either unsatisfied or hungry within an hour or two? If you feel this way, it is likely time to re-evaluate how you build your plate for each of your meals. The easiest way to make sure we are getting proper nutrition throughout the day to sustain us is by thinking about the nutrient groups, or macronutrients, that we are eating with each meal. Macronutrients are often referred to as “macros” and consist of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Ideally, our most balanced plates will consist of all three and include micronutrients as well. However, a good rule of thumb that is almost always achievable is at least two macronutrient groups with each snack or meal. For women, we encourage prioritizing protein in breakfast, lunch, and dinner and building your meals around your chosen source of protein. So, we challenge you to build balanced plates this week and remember, at least two out of the three macronutrients with every meal and prioritize protein!

Common macronutrient sources:

• Protein: 

-Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, eggs, tofu

-Protein shakes or protein bars (we encourage minimal ingredient sources)

• Fats:

-Avocado, nuts, nut butters, oils, butter, chocolate

• Carbohydrates:

-Potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, oats, starchy vegetables