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I would have failed as a nutritionist if I never taught you exactly how to build a balanced meal. This will be essential in going forward that you understand the role of different nutrients. 

This will help with your decisions in food choices from grocery shopping, to arranging your plate and having a good base knowledge here is vital for getting toward your best self. 

The primary focus of building a balanced meal is understanding macronutrients.

Role of macronutrients: 

There are 3 different nutrients found in food known as protein, fat and carbohydrate. 

While some foods can be all three of these items together, you must know that each food you choose is at least 1 of these and each of these macronutrients have vital role in the body. 

As you may understand already is that we need large amounts of these nutrients and I’ll explain a bit of what role each has in the body.     Your body thrives when it is fed protein, fat, and carbohydrates at each meal. This gives the most well-rounded supply for your body to create energy, build up our body, or store for later use.

Check out this post for inspiration of a perfect balanced meal.

Protein:

is needed to make enzymes + hormones, and build + repair your body. I’ve noticed higher protein foods have become a bit more trendy lately and with good reason. Many many people are drastically under consuming protein and it make such a drastic difference in how your body performs as well as how you feel day to day. If you are looking for a starting place on getting in enough protein I would aim for about 100g per day. Now wait, protein need is determined by MANY variables and I am giving a suggestion to a broad range of individuals, so understand this is just a estimation of a need. A more appropriate way to calculate your own need would be to take the ratio .8 up to 1 full g of protein per lb. of body weight. For example, a 150lb person ideally would need between 120-150g of protein per day. 

I know I often have clients coming to me getting MAYBE 40g in per day and they’ve never even considered that it may not be enough. I understand that suggesting to you that getting 150g per day may seem unrealistic. But I want you to understand 40g of protein is drastically low, and may be more appropriate for a child. One way to divide this up is looking to get close to 30g of protein for your meals with a couple snacks in between if needed that also include protein. And that amount you set up for weather it is 100 or 130- this is a goal. We’re only looking for your peronal best and not perfection.

Related: Teaching your kids about a balanced diet

What to eat to increase your protein:

Choose the best quality protein available to you for its greatest performance. As always with making food choices, it is important to listen to your own body’s bio feedback. Bio feedback refers to how you feel, how your energy levels are, how your hunger levels are ect. If you find that getting in your “ideal” amount of protein had you feeling over stuffed, constipated or you emotionally feel miserable— this is when you dial back. Listen to your body. 

Keep easy, premade proteins on hand- like Archer sticks, boiled eggs, or GoMacro bars. For more ideas, download my protein shopping guide.

Fat:

Fat increases satiety, and provides a steady source of energy. It is essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, producing hormones, and building our cells. Our culture has become increasingly confused about what to eat or not eat when it comes to dietary fat. Often people associate consuming fats to a wide waistline and choose the low-fat options to be “healthier”. With a decrease in the intake of fat, the body and its functions suffer. Joints become stiff, skin is dry, hair even falls out. You also lose the ability to emulsify fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

Along these lines, it’s important to recognize not all dietary fat is the same and the balance of these fats works to get your body back into harmony. Specific types of fat also work to control inflammation in the body. Creating a balance in Omega 6 vs Omega 3 (2:1) you will be able to see a decrease in your consistent hunger, mood irregularities, skin issues, and brain fog.

While fat IS high in calories it is the MAIN source of fuel for the brain. Fats burn like logs in a fire: slowly, cleanly and consistently. When your body is in fat-burning mode, you will experience satiety and steady energy throughout the day. The process of converting fat and ketones into ATP (cellular energy) is more efficient and produces fewer free radicals (compared to burning sugar) which as you’ll see in upcoming modules why this is so important. Fat gives you CLEAN ENERGY.

Photo: Rebecca Simpson

4.Carbohydrates

Our quickest form of energy, often with greatest ties to our emotions. I said when we were talking about fat that fat is the steady burning logs on the fire. Carbohydrates are the quick burning kindlin wood that lights fast, burns hot, and burns up quick. Carbohydrates may be best limited for SOME people. However- women with constant fatigue and nutrient depletions will find they feel best on a diet with a higher carbohydrate ratio.

Now, I also tend to find a lot of women that are struggling with fatigue or mood swings etc, also tend to be women that are OVER consuming simple carbs. When I am suggesting you may feel best with a higher carb ratio, I’m not suggesting you have 2 muffins with your eggs in the morning instead of 1. Carbohydrate sources are very broad and I do want you to get an understanding of what may differentiate one carbohydrate source from another. 

 Ideal carbohydrate sources:

•  Brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, potatoes, root vegetables, organic oatmeal, and if you can tolerate gluten, sprouted grain bread like Ezekiel.

What makes an ideal carbohydrate source would be something that is called a complex carbohydrate. Setting it apart from a simple carbohydrate that has very limited forms of use in the body. The complex carbs are designed having nutrients like fiber + protein in them as well which makes it last longer in the digestive system and is more useful in the body system.     

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Recently, I shared a presentation I prepared for my children’s elementary school, going over the basics of a balanced meal. This was specifically built for children to understand. After so many people asked for the downloads to be shared for either personal use or a homeschool lesson, I am adding it here for a free download. Understand, this was made super simple for children. Don’t get distracted by the nuanced topics. We can all still learn from these techniques.

Fiber: 

Although commonly overlooked fiber is classified as a macronutrient based on the amount needed in the body (just like water). It also fits underneath the classification of carbohydrate. Fiber takes a long time to digest in the body leaving you fuller longer. It aids in healthy elimination as well as provides good food for the good bacteria in your body, to help it to repopulate well.  Getting in more fruits and vegetables as well as more whole grains or items like beans- if tolerated are a great way to increase your fiber intake. 

That’s It bars are a fun source of fiber that even kids love!

Related: Top 10 fiber rich snacks on the go

Micronutrients: 

Micronutrients are nutrients needed but only required in small amounts. We’re talking about vitamins and minerals. Deficiencies here have a very vast array of symptoms from anemia and fatigue to depression and muscle cramps. A balanced meal would incorporate a variety of micronutrients as well.

I’m not going to touch in detail about each micronutrients but I do want you take away the key principle of the need of variety in the diet. 

So, where macronutrients serve primarily as building blocks of the body and as fuel for energy production. Micronutrients serve primarily as co-factors for proper physiological function and also as structural building blocks, and only make up 1% of the body. 

When I am talking about variety, it must be understood that nutrients do not work in isolation. Each macro- and micronutrient works in synergy with other available nutrients. Some nutrients enhancing the qualities of each other. Others inhibit or interfere with the physiological action other nutrients.

Photo: Rebecca Simpson

Major Takeaway:

Building a balanced meal requires a protein source, healthy fats, vegetables and fiber, and a whole food carbohydrate source. 

Understanding their individual roles helps you to regularly create these balanced meals again and again. 

Focus on lots of color and variety. Vegetables are rich in invaluable vitamins and minerals, while the protein is needed to make enzymes, hormones, and build and repair your body. 

Fat will increase your satiety and the carbs are our quickest form of energy. This perfect balance creates the best kind of meal. 

If I could encourage you to make only a couple changes to your diet currently, it would be prioritizing protein- especially at breakfast and eating a greater varied diet. This may come easier for some than others, but I would like to encourage you to incorporate new foods into the diet. 

If you can share your balanced meal ideas, we would love to read them! We love to know what other people are eating, don’t we? 

*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I do not recommend products I have not personally vetted.*

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