Introduction
Everyone has a different schedule between work, school, hobbies, and social activities. Consider the notion of figuring out a helpful eating pattern based on your daily activities. This reflection can help manage your hunger throughout the day.
Taking this a step further, plan out balanced meals and snacks. This can be as simple as having a go-to list of favorites. Having a list handy ensures that decisions are made in advance of hunger. This is important so that the hunger, stress, and emotional monster is not the decision maker for what we eat.
Table of Contents
The Basics of a Balanced Meal:
- Protein
- Plant based protein — beans, lentils, peas, quinoa, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, protein pasta like the brand Banza
- Animal based — fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, bison, yogurt, milk, eggs
- Carbohydrates
- With fiber and energy (complex carbohydrates) — beans, peas, lentils, winter squash, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, corn, wild rice, quinoa, bulgar, fruit (fresh/frozen/dried)
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Sweet bell peppers, summer squash like zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onions, spinach, kale, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, celery root
- Healthy fats
- Avocado/avocado oil, olives/olive oil, nuts/nut butter, seeds/seed butter
3 Sample Meal Ideas
Balanced Sample Meal Idea #1:
Rainbow Veggie Cauliflower Fried Rice
Crumbled tofu, edamame, riced cauliflower, red bell pepper, red cabbage, carrots, broccoli, green onion, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and oil
For this meal example, we have selected crumbled tofu and edamame which double as the protein and the carbohydrates with fiber and energy. Riced cauliflower, red bell pepper, red cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and green onion are the non-starchy vegetable sources. The sesame seeds and cooking oil serve as the healthy fats.
Pro-tip: Substitute the tofu for scrambled egg. This recipe serves as a template and can be altered in terms of spice and what rainbow of vegetables you choose.
Balanced Sample Meal Idea #2:
Salmon, wild rice, roasted carrots, spinach, and avocado
For this meal example, we have selected salmon for protein, wild rice for carbohydrates with fiber and energy, roasted carrots and spinach for non-starchy vegetables, and avocado for a healthy fat. The salmon also doubles as a healthy fat because of its omega-3 content.
Pro tip: Wild rice typically takes 45 min to cook on the stove top, so instead of cooking the rice for today’s meal, enjoy a meal that takes less time or have leftovers. Use this time to prepare the rice, and then tomorrow have the salmon. Feel free to marinade salmon the night before or add sauces but there is magic in making simple food, with less ingredients, less to purchase, less time preparing, less is always more!
Balanced Sample Meal Idea #3:
Chicken, black beans, salsa verde, red pepper, oil
For this meal we have chosen chicken as the protein, black beans are both protein and carbohydrates with fiber and energy, non-starchy vegetables are red pepper and salsa verde, and the healthy fat is the oil used to cook the chicken.
Pro tip: You can buy one pound of chicken cooked (choose rotisserie for convenience) or buy raw chicken breasts and cook yourself, two cans of black beans (rinsed), one jar of salsa verde, and one red bell pepper (or substitute jarred roasted bell pepper or a non-starchy vegetable of your choice). Depending on the portion, you could get 4-8 servings. My favorite salad with this dish is a Mexican inspired slaw that includes red cabbage, shredded carrot, apple cider vinaigrette (bonus ingredients to consider adding are green onion, cilantro, ground cumin, garlic, and/or avocado).
Chicken salsa verde testimonial from Quick & Delish by Alicia Connor on Youtube
The above meal ideas serve as templates that can be modified for your taste preferences.
An Intentional Act of Self-Love
Meal planning, the intentional act of planning what you will eat in the future, is an act of love, an investment in your time for your future beautiful self. Take a little time today to feel better tomorrow.
To learn about creating your own simple, healthy meal planning system and get support to meet your health goals, schedule a free one-on-one Nutrition for Wellness Strategy Session with me!
To receive meal planning tips, recipe ideas, and to learn about meal planning events, join my email list.
Cheers to your health,
Alicia
By Alicia Connor, MA / Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Chef
Links to Alicia Connor’s Socials:
- Quick & Delish on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/QuickDelishbyAliciaConnor
- Quick & Delish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quick_delish/?hl=en
- Quick & Delish on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliciaconnorrd/
- Join Alicia Connor’s email list: quickanddelish.ck.page/cheers-to-your-health
- Sign up for Alicia Connor’s Virtual Meal Planning Series: https://www.quickanddelish.net/workshop
Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.
Author Bio
Alicia Connor is a registered dietitian nutritionist and chef who is passionate about encouraging lifestyle shifts with a focus on meal planning and simplifying healthy eating. Alicia built a career as a chef, including working at a top San Francisco restaurant. As a young adult facing hereditary vision loss, she took control and pivoted to another career as a dietitian to grow roots deeper than ‘just cooking.’ She has seen the impact of meal planning and nutrition in her clients over the years, often through their increased energy, empowered weight loss journeys, and freedom to pursue more of their passions due to increased confidence.
Moving away from the mindset of dieting, Alicia helps clients build a toolkit of strategies to reduce stress and increase peace of mind. She supports her clients through one-on-one sessions and a virtual meal planning program to build helpful habits and create actionable plans to meet their goals.
‘Quick & Delish by Alicia Connor’ is a video cooking series on YouTube where Alicia presents easy recipes with minimal steps for flavorful, balanced meals.
Image Descriptions
- Header: Love Your Self texgt on notes pinned on corkboard.
- Balance board on a white background with silver spheres.
- Weekly meal prep concept with raw food ingredients in chalk-drawn lunch boxes on a green background.
- A testimonial comment from Quick & Delish by Alicia Connor on YouTube it says,“Just made this for dinner. Really good and took overall maybe 15 minutes to make, including prep.” -Nancy
- Author photo: Alicia Connor a pretty brunette with dark wavy shoulder-length hair wearing a denim jacket as she leans on a kitchen counter with assorted veggies in front of her.