- by Kelly Miller
- 2 minute read
3 Components of Balanced Meals
Written by: Mairead Rodgers, Registered Dietitian
We’re sure you’ve heard of balanced meals or even know that a “balanced diet” is key to your overall health – but what does that even mean?
The key components of a balanced meal are…
A source of protein. This could be meat, poultry, beans, tofu, eggs, dairy products, or nuts and seeds, or any combination of these. Protein foods should take up roughly a quarter of your plate.
A high fibre carb or whole grain. This could be a starchy vegetable, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn. It could also be whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or any other whole grain product. This serving should also take up roughly a quarter of your plate.
A big serving of fruits and vegetables. You don’t need both fruits and vegetables at each meal, but you do want a variety of both over time. This serving should take up roughly half your plate.
Balancing your meal like this can help keep portions in check without intense tracking and measuring. It also ensures you’re getting protein foods consistently to meet your needs, and getting lots of fibre from both your whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Having a balance of protein, carbs, and fibre also helps keep blood sugars more stable, which can keep your energy levels up throughout the day.
But what about fats?
Healthy fats are also a key part of balanced meals, but they’re usually part of other meal components and might not be eaten on their own. Adding olive oil or avocado oil to cook veggies or as part of a salad dressing adds healthy fats. Choosing fatty fish, like salmon or trout, includes a healthy fat in your meal. Having nuts or seeds to top a salad adds healthy fats. These fats help with heart and brain health, and can help us feel more satisfied with our meal.
Think about your typical meals – how would they fit into this balanced meal?
This could look like your typical meat (protein) with a potato (carb) and vegetables. It could also look like a tofu (protein) and vegetable stir fry, served with brown rice (carb). It could also look like whole wheat pasta (carb) with a meat sauce (protein and vegetable) and extra vegetables on the side. There’s so many ways to balance your meals!
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