Your Guide to Fast and Balanced Meals
Sometimes (ok, a lot of times) eating healthy can seem impossible. It’s always a good idea to have some simple strategies to fall back on so you can stick to healthy habits and reach your goals.
First, let’s just take a breath. If you’re here, you’re really striving to create delicious and nutritious meals but also don’t want to spend hours doing it. I get it - I feel that way too! Lucky for us, healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Take a look at the visual below for a go-to template for building meals, whether you’re cooking yourself or eating out.
You really just need 3 elements to build a balanced meal - vegetables, a protein source, and a carb source (and if you’re really in a pinch, just think protein and produce). These don’t have to be cooked from scratch. You can definitely use packaged foods for some (or all) of the categories to cut down on time - no shame in that! For the most part, try filling your plate like this:
1/2 fruits and veggies (think salad veggies, but also carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, etc. These can be raw or cooked)
1/4 carb (grains, starchy veggies like potatoes and corn, beans, pasta, etc)
1/4 protein (everything from eggs to meat to yogurt)
Do this and you’re giving yourself things that will help you feel satisfied after eating - fiber, protein, and healthy fats, not to mention vitamins and minerals.
Doing a little work ahead of time can make it so much easier to eat healthy on busy days. - think of this as a checklist but hold it loosely. You don’t have to check off everything. Take what you need and leave the rest!
Plan ahead: Nothing revolutionary - this step will save you time, money, and stress if you can get to it. If you’re super organized and motivated, come up with a rotating meal schedule and corresponding grocery lists. You’ll save time and money by automating the planning process, and improve your kitchen skills through repetition.
Prep ahead: Set aside some time each week to prep ingredients, like washing and chopping vegetables, marinating meat, or cooking grains - or even just one of those!
Make it convenient: No one ever saw a whole cucumber and thought, “I can’t wait to clean and chop that for my snack right now!” Have your go-to healthy snacks all ready for when hunger strikes - think sliced fruit or veggies, nuts and seeds, trail mix, or cheese and crackers.
Involve your family: Though not exactly easy or convenient, letting your children help with meal prep or grocery shopping encourages them to try new foods, or at least interact with them, increasing the chance they’ll eat them at some point
Here are some unique ideas to help you implement these tips:
Get help! If you're short on time or inspiration, there are tons of services out there to help you get healthy meals on the table. If you’ve got no time and can spare the extra expense, meal delivery companies send you fully prepared meals you can just reheat and eat. Meal kits send you pre-measured ingredients so you get to do some of the cooking without the prep work. These also help you build your menu and shopping list and can even guide you in the prepping and cooking process - my favorite is CookSmarts!
Use a slow cooker or pressure cooker: If you're short on time or don't enjoy cooking, consider appliances that help prepare meals with minimal effort. In my experience, you can make just about anything in an InstantPot in record time and slow cookers are a great set it and forget it option. (InstantPots also have a slow cook feature - one appliance, many cooking options!)
Host a healthy potluck: Your social life is an important part of your health so look for ways to eat well with others! Host a healthy potluck where everyone brings a healthy dish to share. You can try new recipes, exchange ideas, and have fun while eating healthy. Or team up with a friend or family to tag team meals - do dinner together once a week and alternating who’s cooking/hosting, or make extra and share your meals amongst yourselves.
If all else fails, remember your 3 categories - veggies, protein, fiber-rich carbs. Aim to get all three on most of your plates and you’ll be on track. And you really don’t get extra points for making everything from scratch! If it lowers your stress levels to use packaged foods (I’m talking frozen veggies to mac & cheese), go for it!
The goal is not perfection. It’s to be flexible, creative, and consistent, and above all to enjoy what you’re eating and the journey towards a healthier lifestyle.