The Plate Method Secret to Eating Healthfully

One of the most common questions I get is a version of “What should I eat at each meal?”. It might sound like “What is a meal?” or “What does a good meal or snack look like?”.  If you wonder the same thing, don’t feel guilty or hopeless; years of convenience foods, advertising influences, and grazing have led many people to feel lost when it comes to serving up a healthy meal.
 
A simple way to start is to picture a round plate, ½ filled with vegetables and/or fruit, ¼ filled with a lean protein, and ¼ filled with a complex carbohydrate.
 
We call this the Plate Method because it allows us to visualize a healthy meal using a plate, without counting calories or macros. I love its simplicity as well as its benefits – it gets us a meal full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals while leading to fullness and satisfaction. You won’t get these benefits from a bowl of instant ramen noodles or a pastry.
 
Of course, every meal doesn’t have to look like this, but it works well for lunch and dinner. For example…

• Lunch: ½ plate of leafy greens, tomatoes, and cucumber slices; ¼ plate of canned tuna; ¼ plate of garbanzo beans. Add vinegar and oil, toss together, and you have a healthful filling salad.
• Dinner: ½ plate of green beans; ¼ plate of skinless chicken breast; ¼ plate of brown rice. Add spices and cook with olive oil, and you have a satisfying nutritious dinner.

 
At risk for diabetes? Learn how the CDC recommends using the plate method for meal planning here.
 
Best of health.