Shhhh! I’m about to let you in on a secret that has helped me eat healthy meals without “dieting”, without counting macros, and without stressing. “The perfect plate of food” is something you can do while eating out in a restaurant. You can plan dinners around this concept. I now view food completely different using the 3 pillars that make up a truly balanced meal.
First, I have to give credit to Dr. Anthony Balduzzi (founder of the Fit Father Project and Fit Mother Project) for teaching me this concept. You can learn more about the perfect plate, including a list of meals that would be considered a perfect plate in this article by Erin Coleman here. If you’re interested in learning more about nutrition and fitness, you can check out their programs and coaching here: fitfatherproject and fitmotherproject.
What exactly is a “perfect plate”?
It consists of:
- ½ plate of vegetables, especially those green and leafy or low in carbs
- ¼ plate of proteins
- ¼ plate of healthy carbs
What makes this such an effective tool is that you can pick whole foods in each of these categories that you love! You can check out more information on what makes something a whole food here. You aren’t limited to eating only one thing or never eating something again. The key is to plan meals that are built around this concept. As I said before, we’ve done this for so long now that my brain looks at food as fitting into these 3 categories. You can plan so many healthy, delicious meals around this concept.
First, let’s look at vegetables!
This can be anything you enjoy, from roasting them with different seasonings (which makes for fun experimenting in the kitchen), to salads, to fresh cucumber, to veggies dipped in hummus or peanut butter, to a casserole or soup containing veggies, or even steamed or boiled (like green beans in broth). There are so many options. The important thing is to figure out some of the ones you love and eat those!
Proteins
Proteins are important for building muscle and maintaining a good blood sugar level throughout the day. It’s like an anchor to every meal. There are so many good kinds of proteins: including things like eggs, chicken, beef, nuts, cottage cheese, and yogurt. It is important that you stick as closely to the original whole food as possible and avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives.
Carbs
Carbohydrates include things like bread, noodles, rice, quinoa, higher-carb vegetables (like potatoes), and fruit. Processed flour, which is found in many carbs, is not a healthy option. It is best to avoid processed foods and foods containing flour. A great alternative is milling your own flour from whole grains and making homemade bread with wholesome ingredients. To learn about more healthy options for bread you can pick up at the store, click here.
The problem with many meals is that they are Carb-heavy. A good southern meal of meat with gravy (made from flour), mac and cheese (with noodles), a roll, mashed potatoes (with more gravy), and dessert is loaded with carbs. This will fill you up, but it doesn’t provide the balanced diet your body craves.
Many diets take the extreme opposite side and cut all carbs. Rusty and I did Keto for about a month and both lost weight. It was a good reset after Christmas one year. However, I love me some carbs! I didn’t like never being able to eat things like fruit. When we completed the “diet”, we both quickly jumped right back into eating carbs again. The perfect plate is something you can do forever. It isn’t so restrictive you feel like you’re missing out on food you love and it’s sustainable over time. Eating healthy is a life-long journey, not just a quick-fix diet.
Carbs vs Sugars
A lot of people don’t look at flour and fruit and sugars as all being in the same category. The truth is: the body responds in a similar way to carbs as to sugars. Both give us energy, and both cause an insulin response and blood sugar to rise. Before I learned about nutrition, I didn’t realize that eating bready, processed foods throughout the day wasn’t much better than the few desserts I was saving for special occasions. My body saw it all as sugar and carbs. Anyone who has ever battled diabetes can attest to this. A diabetic-friendly diet not only limits sugar-intake, it also monitors foods containing carbs.
Our bodies use carbs for fuel. If you’re on a diet and are hungry, healthy carbs can help curb this hunger. The important thing is to select ones that are good for your body and not processed carbs full of highly refined flours and sugars.
The Perfect Plate of Food for Dinners
At our house, nearly all of our suppers are planned around the perfect plate. Even if I don’t get a lot of veggies during the day, I know I’ll have a good portion as an end-cap to my day. This is a great way to consistently eat healthy food. On top of that, the last meal of the day is usually the one where our entire family comes together, so yummy, healthy food is available to not only me, but my entire family (although I do try to give the littlest members of my family some healthy substitutes if I know we’re having something they will not want to eat).
Eating Out and the Perfect Plate of Food
I love keeping the “perfect plate” in mind when eating out or fixing a plate at a church potluck. Even when I have very little control over my food, I can still use this concept to eat healthy, whole foods I enjoy. It’s definitely a tool I love having in my arsenal anytime I’m fixing my plate.
One more tip to keep in mind is that you might not always be able to find a healthy carb, especially if you’re on a trip or eating in a restaurant. The truth is you may not always have full control over your options (especially if you’re travelling). Most places will have meat and vegetables available. If you can’t find a healthy carb like fruit or brown rice, then you can just fill up on protein and veggies. You may just need more of these to help make up the difference.
The next time you are planning a meal or eating out, see if you can plan your meal around “the perfect plate of food.” Just remember to make half of your plate with low-carb veggies, ¼ protein, and ¼ a healthy carb. This formula is an incredible tool to help you eat in a healthy way and enjoy your meals at the same time!