What is a Well-Balanced Meal? - Whole & Healthy Kitchen (2024)

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

As a nutrition expert with a deep understanding of well-balanced meals, I am here to provide you with valuable information on the concepts used in the article about well-balanced meals.

A well-balanced meal is one that consists of various components to ensure optimal nourishment for our bodies and brains. The article suggests that a well-balanced meal should have half the plate filled with vegetables, while the other side of the plate should be divided between protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. To remember this, you can use the acronym PFF, which stands for Protein + Fiber + Fat.

Why are vegetables important in a well-balanced meal? Firstly, they help jumpstart your digestive system before consuming heavier foods. Secondly, vegetables contribute to maintaining strong bones. Additionally, they are rich in fiber, which aids in maintaining a healthy weight and regular digestion. Vegetables are also packed with essential nutrients like vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, and magnesium. Moreover, they contain phytochemicals that protect your health, boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

The other half of the plate should be divided between protein, fat, and whole grains. Protein plays a crucial role in the health, repair, and replenishment of our bodies. Our muscles, skin, hair, and connective tissues are all made up of protein. It also serves as a foundation for various chemical messengers in the body, such as enzymes, neurotransmitters, and hormones.

Whole grains, although also a type of carbohydrate, provide essential nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, thiamine, zinc, iron, manganese, antioxidants, and polyphenols. These nutrients are beneficial for overall health.

Healthy fats are necessary for brain function and joint lubrication. They also help in feeling full, staying satiated, and ensuring proper nourishment. Enjoying healthy fats in your meals not only adds great taste but also provides important benefits for your overall well-being.

In between meals or as snacks, it is recommended to consume juicy and fresh fruits and berries such as peach slices, apple slices, pears, cherries, watermelon, bananas, and fresh raspberries. These fruits offer natural juiciness and are gifts from nature. Additionally, incorporating wild foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, wild blueberries, spirulina, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and probiotics can tremendously benefit your brain, gut, and overall body health.

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is important to have whole meals that incorporate the principles of a well-balanced plate. Eating one to three snacks in between meals can help ensure optimal nourishment and sustained energy throughout the day.

To enhance the flavor of your meals, don't forget to include sea salt, spices, and herbs for depth and variety.

For more real-life examples of well-balanced meals, you can join the group on Facebook and check out the units at the top of the page: Facebook.com/WholeAndHealthyInsideOut.

Common varieties of whole grains include oatmeal, popcorn, millet, quinoa, brown rice, whole rye, wild rice, wheat berry, bulgur, buckwheat, couscous, barley, and sourdough bread.

When it comes to plant-based proteins, popular options are lentils (red, green, brown, chickpea), beans (black, white, pinto), edamame (or tofu), hemp hearts, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, protein powder, peanut butter, almond butter, quinoa, farm-raised/pastured chicken, eggs, beef, wild-caught salmon, tilapia, haddock, cod, shrimp, kale, and greens (which contain more protein than one might think).

For healthy fats, you can incorporate olives/olive oil, coconut/coconut oil, nuts, seeds, nut butters, butter, ghee, avocado/avocado oil, and grapeseed oil into your meals.

Remember, once you have healthy fats in your meal, using broth for cooking is recommended. Avoid using canola or vegetable oil as they can be harmful to your gut health.

The article also provides additional resources and tools for a wholesome and healthy kitchen experience, such as a kitchen wisdom poster, a 3-part video series on transforming your kitchen experience, and a kitchen alchemy course. These resources can help improve your skills in mindset and whole food preparation, enhance your kitchen workflow and self-confidence, explore perception, habits, and beliefs, and celebrate small steps and decisions that lead to positive changes in your self, kitchen, and life.

To further engage with the community and share your well-balanced meals, you can post pictures, quotes, screenshots, or videos on Instagram or Facebook using hashtags like #WAHKwithus, #WAHKinspired, #WholeHealth, #WholeandHealthyKitchen, #WholesomeCooking, and #CookEveryDamnDay.

For more blogs and related content, you can visit the website mentioned in the article.

I hope this information provides you with a clear understanding of what constitutes a well-balanced meal and inspires you to create nourishing and delicious meals for yourself and your loved ones. Remember, a well-balanced meal is the key to optimal health and well-being.