A Guide to Healthy Eating. Template Included.
The Basics Of Healthy Eating
1. Meals should be centered around a lean source of protein.
2. Fiber should be included in your meals, preferably from multiple sources over the course of the day. These should include:
Grains
Legumes
Fruits
Vegetables
Tubers
3. Fat should be kept moderate, especially saturated fat [2], and should be included in some capacity at every meal. Since fats help to slow down the digestion of a meal, this will help to keep you satiated much longer. Monounsaturated fats, like the ones found in avocados, olives, nuts, and various kinds of nut butter, are great options to incorporate and also come packed with additional health benefits. These may include:
A lower risk for coronary heart disease [1].
A reduction in LDL cholesterol [3].
Improvements in blood sugar control [4][5][6].
An increase in postprandial fat oxidation and diet-induced thermogenesis [7].
Fish oil, which contains the essential omega 3 fatty acids, is also unsaturated (polyunsaturated) and is recommended to be acquired throughout the week (via seafood or through supplements). Fish oil contains both EPA and DHA which provides similar benefits as seen in monounsaturated fats [8][9].
4. Carbohydrates should make up the rest of your diet (from sources you enjoy) once protein goals (or 3-4 servings per day of protein) and fat calories have been considered. Protein should come from lean sources, i.e, low-fat sources, although not always necessary. Choose the ones you enjoy most and stick with them. Experimenting with different protein sources at both breakfast and dinner is a convenient time to do so given the access to a kitchen.
Fat vs. Carb Intake
Fats and carbohydrates will vary from day to day (protein can as well, but ideally we want this to stay consistent) however, so long as your calorie balance is in check, this won’t alter your weight in an isocaloric scenario. In sum, calories in/calories out matter (in conjunction with adequate protein and exercise protocols) for achieving an ideal body composition and well-functioning body.
Calories From Fats, Carbohydrates, & Protein.
So as we mentioned above, calories matter when it comes to weight loss and weight gain. If you eat more than what you burn in a day, you’re likely to gain weight in some fashion. Whether that be in the form of fat, muscle, glycogen, or a combination of the three.
If you eat less, your total weight is likely to decrease in the same fashion. The type of tissue loss, however, may be dependent upon your macronutrient consumption, in conjunction with the type of activity you’ve performed as well. Individuals who weight train will have a greater chance of maintaining muscle over those individuals who don't for example.
Macronutrients Briefly Explained
Fats contain 9 calories per gram and are readily stored as body fat once they are eaten and digested. Outside of providing us a steady source of energy for our lower intensity activities such as walking, fats will also slow down the digestion of a meal which is very important for a number of reasons.
It helps blunt hunger
Helps slow the release of other macronutrients eaten in a meal such as carbohydrates
And it also keeps our energy levels stable assuming a balanced meal has been eaten
We don’t need to eat too much fat from a physiological perspective, however, the fat we are recommended to eat really comes in handy for both our overall health and dietary adherence.
Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram and are typical for their role in providing us energy. Carbohydrates are also stored in our skeletal muscle and liver for later use, which makes them fantastic for exercise and general daily activities.
Carbohydrates are also what we call protein-sparing for this reason, which is important for whenever a significant amount of energy is being expended (or a lack of calories is being consumed).
Carbohydrates are also very comforting, they can help us relax at night, and are anabolic, which is important for the growth and repair of bodily tissues. Combine carbohydrates with your other two macronutrients and you’ll be pumped with energy and ready to tackle your day.
Protein as well contains 4 calories per gram and plays a very important role in the body for a number of functions. This includes:
Tissue repair
Immune health
Structural support of cells
They can even be used as an energy source in extreme cases where fats and carbohydrates have become scarce. Protein is also the building block for lean muscle tissue making it important for us to sufficiently consume it daily.
How Do We Implement Healthy Eating?
Lucky for us, eating healthy and leaning down is not as complicated as marketing has made it out to be. For example, sticking to your natural hunger cues and not forcing any special way of eating is a great way to see noticeable changes. Throw in some better food choices, consistent healthy eating habits, and a little bit of exercise, and bam - you’re well on your way to a better feeling and looking body (there are other factors to consider of course, but these points are a strong foundation).
In terms of hunger cues, this can be a tricky topic as boredom, cravings, and simply the thought and smell of food can make you feel it’s time to have a snack. However, paying attention to when these sensations appear will help you differentiate between true hunger, and what we consider a craving. In general, cues that indicate hunger can present as the following:
Feeling empty in the stomach
Lacking energy
Stomach growls
Experiencing light headedness
Weakness
In general, these cues can vary in intensity but typically advise you that “hey, it’s time to eat.” Plus, as you continue to exercise and become more fit, these hunger cues and natural hunger rhythms most likely will change in accordance to how active you are. This may take some time, mind you, but as your eating habits change and body weight drops/changes week to week, cravings vs. hunger will become more identifiable to you over time.
For now, however, this template will be a great start for tackling every day without too much thought. Follow these guidelines, use good judgment, don’t try to be perfect and you’ll be well on your way to a better feeling body. Consistent and sustainable changes now equal big changes long-term. Guaranteed.
Meal Frequency & Meal Templates
So before going into the template, let’s talk about meal frequency and the importance behind it. In general, 3 meals per day is a great minimum to shoot for in order to keep nutrients and calories in the body over the course of the day.
And, although our bodies have systems in place to find energy elsewhere when food isn’t available (hence, not having a need to eat or snack every 3 hours), factors like muscle growth, tissue repair, and mental clarity will typically be better when calories and food are being supplied in reasonable doses.
3-5 square meals is a good standard to go by (eating every 4-6 hours) to ensure that you’re spacing out your protein and other nutrients properly. Here’s how it can looks on a daily timeline (calories and total nutrients will vary depending on your gender, height/weight, activity levels, and individual metabolism).
Meal 1. 8 am
1 medium apple
2 eggs on wheat toast (1 slice)
½ medium avocado
1 cup Greek yogurt cup
Macros & Calories
Meal 2. 12pm; 1pm.
Big salad
6oz chicken
Large handful of spinach, Romain, or spring mix
Shaved carrots
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese (~¼ cup) or ½ an avocado.
Fat free Italian dressing. 2 servings
Medium bowl of watermelon
Peanut butter toast
1 slice wheat bread
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Top lightly with cinnamon and sweetener
Macros & Calories
Macros & calories - Watermelon
Macros & calories
Meal 3. 5pm; 6pm; 7pm
Family dinner
85% Lean steak 3-5oz
1 medium Baked sweet potato or white potato
2 cups cauliflower/broccoli combo. Roasted. Baked on pan sprayed with Pam cooking spray
1 cup Mixed berries
Macros and calories
Calorie total: 1758
Protein: 127.3g
Carbohydrate:180.4g
Fat: 62.5g
Each meal contains a minimum of 500 calories.
As we can see, each meal is balanced and contains a consistent source of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Fat is used lightly in each meal and fiber is incorporated as well. In general, if you look at your plate/bowl, you’ll begin to see a common pattern.
Roughly 30% protein, 20% fat, and 50 % carbohydrate in total based upon the meal template above.
This is very standard and ensures that you’re getting enough of what you need in a sitting to feel good for the next few hours. Keep in mind that each meal won’t always turn out according to those percentages (and nor should they), but so long as your meal is in this average ballpark, the calories and macronutrient ratios will generally be in a great range to keep you full without feeling gross or lethargic.
Meals high in carbs for example with little protein and fat can make you feel tired and sometimes lightheaded, while a meal simply high in fat and not much else won’t really satiate you in any capacity. Eating a lot of protein by itself will leave you full, but lacking energy. Therefore, having each macronutrient in every meal is important for an overall balance.
Creating your own meals
So lastly, one of the biggest concerns is actually doing things on your own without a specific plan. Because hey, a meal plan is just a meal plan and not everything you see on a template or plan will be presented to you in real life.
Plus, when you sit down to eat, there are a million different options to whip up at that moment which can cause some confusion as to what’s a good choice. This isn’t an issue, however, as following these simple tricks will leave your meal balanced and something that will satisfy you for hours.
Keep in mind that although not every food on the planet is presented to you below, this is a very common list that you’ll see on a daily basis; both on menus and in the grocery store. Experiment and find different foods as well; if you ever wonder what is in it, always check the nutrition label for more information. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Pick 1-2 lean sources of protein.
Protein should be the first thing we take into consideration as protein alone is the most satiating macronutrient of the three. Plus, as you progress with your exercise program and start to become more fit, protein becomes more important for recovery and tissue repair (up to a point) and will make healthy eating that much easier to stick to. It can also be hard to fit protein into your daily eating plan which makes it a good first component to start with at every single meal.
The above are all great options and will vary slightly in regards to their ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat content. However, protein will predominate in these choices and can be incorporated in a variety of different ways.
Lean meats, when providing yourself a serving, should roughly be the size of your fist when cooked. This will be approximately 100-150 calories and will provide you 20g of protein per serving. The size of a deck of cards is also a good mental comparison to aim for when sitting down to eat.
For low-fat dairy, a half cup to a full cup will be a serving and will range from 100-200 calories depending on the total amount of fat in the product itself (protein will range from 10 grams - 20 grams as well).
Tofu is a little bit trickier as different levels of firmness will change the total calories per serving. In general, the same method to measure lean meat is a good standard to go by to make things simple. Use a deck of cards as a standard here and always look at the nutrition label to get an idea of what’s a rough serving (if possible).
Step 2. Pick 1-2 carbohydrate sources.
These are all very dense sources of carbohydrates and will be fantastic and nutritious for you to enjoy. Healthier carbs like these also come loaded with fiber (both soluble and insoluble) which have been shown to lower cholesterol, slow the release of nutrients in a meal, and keep you feeling fuller, longer. More beneficial research around fiber is still coming out, so it’s a huge plus to consume more of it in a day (without going overboard).
Serving-wise, just about all carbohydrates will come out to be roughly the same for both starch heavy options (rice, beans, bread, potatoes) and fiber heavy options (fruits and vegetables).
1 cup of any rice, bean, legume, or tuber cooked will yield roughly 200 calories. This is a general serving to go with for any starch heavy source of carbs. Bread in all forms will usually be ~100 calories per slice as well unless otherwise specified by the label (like in the case of low-carb bread which can be a lot lower in calories). 1 medium fruit/1 cup of fruit will be ~ 100 calories or less as well.
Vegetables will vary like in the case of carrots, which tend to be more calorie-dense; however, for the sake of this template, enjoying lots of vegetables should take priority with little restriction to them. Don’t worry too much about calories from these sources for now and enjoy them as much as your appetite will allow in a meal.
Calories are very low for the amount of volume you get (like in the case of a salad) so worrying about these calories is not so important when starting an eating plan. Eating too many calories regardless of the source will make you gain weight, mind you, but gaining weight because of eating too many vegetables is pretty hard to do if you practice moderation. Aim to have at least 2-3 servings a days.
Step 3. Add in 1-2 servings of fat.
Which will come in the form of:
In the case of dairy, certain high-fat meats, and whole eggs, there will also be protein incorporated in each serving. However, there is a significant amount of fat in these sources to also count as such.
1 cup of full-fat dairy (like yogurt and milk) will count as a serving while a ¼ cup of cheese will be roughly 1 serving as well. Both are fairly generous servings when putting together a meal. ¼ cup of nuts will be roughly 180 calories and will generally measure out to be the size of your palm when poured into your hand. For cheeses, a ¼ cup will be more like a 2-3 finger pinch full as well.
Since fats are 9 calories per gram, the servings are much smaller as compared to your protein and carbohydrates. Therefore, a good way to use fats in a meal is as a garnish or as added flavor. For example, adding dressing on a salad or some cheese to your baked potato; here, you can stick within the serving amount while still adding taste to the meal you are enjoying.
To ensure you are getting enough fat on a daily basis, I recommend sticking with 1-2 servings at each meal as indicated in the table (or ~200 calories from a higher fat sourced food). This way, our meals will not only taste good, but we won’t go overboard with fats in order to leave room for the arguably more versatile macronutrients: protein and carbohydrates.
Examples On A Plate
On a plate, here’s what we can expect things to look like:
And as we can see, there is a good distribution between each macronutrient. Protein is emphasized in each meal (eggs, yogurt, shrimp, and tilapia) while our fats (egg yolk, yogurt, avocado, butter, salad dressing) and carbs (wheat bread, yogurt, corn, vegetables, and rice) are also included in larger/lesser quantities. Protein and carbohydrates tend to predominate a meal (50%-70% of the plate combined) while the rest is comprised of healthy fats (~ 20%-35% of the meal).
Again, it won’t always be perfect like this, but keeping in mind what the bulk of your plate should look like will make it easier for you to decide what to eat. Be sure to include a vegetable if you can for extra nutrients, fiber, and food volume. You may notice a big difference in your satiety levels by doing so.
Day in the Life Example Based On Various Foods
Morning.
Person A, let's call her Pam, wakes up, gets ready, and heads downstairs to grab something to eat. However, she notices she's not too hungry before heading off to work as she had a late dinner while grading papers. So instead of eating now, she packs a meal for when her stomach starts to growl. This includes:
1 cup of berries mixed in with Greek yogurt,
1 scoop of protein powder,
1 packet of sweetener if needed,
2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
Wheat toast
Meal Breakdown:
Protein. 2 servings.
Yogurt
Protein powder
Carbohydrates. 2 servings.
Fruit
Wheat toast
Fat. 2 servings
Peanut butter
After prepping her food, Pam finds that she has 1 hour before she needs to leave for work and decides to do a quick workout to get her metabolism and appetite up to speed. After her workout, she does have a protein bar to keep her energy levels and hunger stable.
40 wall pushups
40 rows
60 reverse lunges (30 per leg).
30 minute brisk walk.
4 x 30 second planks
Mid-morning.
Pam feels her appetite kick in after that workout and decides to have her breakfast.
Afternoon.
Now time for lunch, Pam heads to Whole Foods to make herself a nice salad. She comprises it of the following:
6oz chicken
Half of an avocado
Good sized bowl of spring mix and Romain garnished with cucumbers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and a few croutons.
Fat free Italian dressing
¼ cup cheddar cheese
1 medium apple on the side
A hot tea
Meal Breakdown:
Protein. 2 servings
Chicken
Carbohydrates. 2 serving
Apple
Vegetables
Fat. 2 servings
Cheese
Avocado
Dinner
Now back home after an easy day in the office, Pam makes the following:
85% Lean steak 3-5oz
1 Baked sweet potato topped with a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of brown sugar and salt.
2 cups of cauliflower/broccoli combo. Roasted. Baked on a pan that’s sprayed with Pam cooking spray.
1 cup of mixed berries.
Meal Breakdown:
Protein. 1 servings
Steak
Carbohydrates. 2 serving
Potato
Fruit + vegetables
Fat. 2 servings
Steak
Butter
She finds herself not so hungry, so instead of trying to finish everything on her plate, she opts to eat her protein, veggie, and a bit of her fruit. If she gets hungry later, she knows she can always finish what's leftover.
Myths and Truths
Nutrition myths are out there and we’ve all encountered them at some point in time. Whether that be categorizing foods as good or bad, or avoiding certain foods/products in general, these myths can really throw you off and lead you down a road of non-sustainable eating habits. For example, artificial sweeteners most likely won’t make you gain weight, eating avocados won’t help you lose weight faster, and intermittent fasting, i.e, not eating all day just to have one huge meal at night, typically won’t do much for weight loss considering all calories are in fact equal.
There are many more, and likely more to come, but sticking to consistent meal times and emphasizing nutrient dense foods is a great way to go in order to get started. These foods come loaded with nutrients, provide us satiety, and don’t contain as many calories as the refined treats we tend to enjoy (see below). Bottom line, calorie intake is of the utmost importance when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.
2 Oreo sandwich cookies (~38 grams in weight) = 140 calories
2 medium apples (~360 grams in weight) = only 180 calories
Wrapping Things Up.
Eat when hungry and around your workouts - preferably before.
All macronutrients are important and are required to sustain a healthy body. Keep them all in your daily eating plan and enjoy them to their fullest.
Calories matter for weight gain/weight loss.
Don’t go crazy with condiments like dressings, oils, and higher fat garnishes (cheese on salads).
Be sure to limit your intake of empty calories. These come in the form of sugary drinks, dressings, and other foods that typically taste good, but don’t do much to satisfy your hunger.
Exercise daily and make it an effort to move your body. This not only will help regulate your appetite, but it gives your body a need to have one as well!
Make protein and a vegetable/fruit the highlight of each meal. This is not only great for appetite control, but also for our health and body composition as well.
Don’t force-feed yourself if you simply don’t want to eat, even if it’s healthy. There is no need to finish everything in front of you and no need to eat when you’re just not hungry.
No food is bad food, just the quantity in which we choose to consume those foods. Too many calories can yield poor health outcomes overtime if those calories are not put to good use. Weight loss can still occur even on the worst diet so long as the calorie balance is in check. However, we emphasize high nutrient dense foods for the satiety and health benefits they provide us.
Sleep, rest and manage your stress. Getting in shape is here to enhance your body and mind, not drive you crazy!
References
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4. (n.d.). MUFAs: Why should my diet include these fats? - Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/mufas/faq-20057775
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6. (n.d.). High-monounsaturated-fat diets for patients with diabetes mellitus. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9497173/
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8. (2018, March 1). How does high DHA fish oil affect health? A systematic - PubMed. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494205/
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