Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and have links throughout this blog to items I enjoy using.
The word balance has been floating around the health world for a while now and we see all kinds of information about balancing work and home life, school and work, exercise and work, etc. We even see balancing exercise and nutrition, the 80/20 rule, 80% kitchen and 20% exercise. But what does it mean by kitchen?
The kitchen is where the nutritional magic happens, this is where we fuel our bodies with food. But what food should we fuel our bodies with and how.
Balanced plate typically looks like:
- ¼ plate lean protein: chicken, turkey, fish, beans, lentils, soy product
- ¼ plate whole grains: rice, quinoa, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, root vegetables
- ½ plate colors: a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Now we do not always eat vegetables for breakfast or fruits for dinner but choose 2-3 different colors to put on that half of your plate
- Healthy fats such as plant fats: avocado, olive oil, or nut butters
Not all our food is laid out pretty on a plate and it can be hard to visualize how much of each part of our plate so, think about the components individually.
Such as a sandwich: 2 slices of bread = whole grains; tomatoes and lettuce are your colors; and turkey is your protein and lastly, condiments mustard and mayo. The next question is: “What can you add to make this more balanced?” Maybe sprouts and cucumbers or bell peppers for some sweetness. You can change up your mayo to an olive oil based.
I like to use a plate to help me with my balanced meals like this one from Amazon.
Next I like to think about what my upcoming week is going to look like. This way I can address ahead of time days that are going to be long and super busy and stay fueled. I typically make a dinner the night before that will have leftovers so I can take them for lunch the next day.
- Balanced week, think about what you are eating throughout the week
- How often do you eat out?
- How many meals are just snacks?
I take time each week, usually later in the week, to plan out my next week. Thursdays are my day; this allows time for grocery shopping and meal prep along with mental prep.
I use multiple ways to plan, my first way is on my Google calendar this is for my work schedule and places I need to be. Then I use a planner to add additional planning such as recipe plans for the week, break times, and family time.
I use a planner similar to this one from Amazon.
How do you create balance throughout your week?