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Balanced Meal Planning:
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Meal Planning
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Wondering how to get a quick meal on the table yet still assure it's nutritionally balanced?
That's where I come in. As your personal nutrition guide, I'm here to share the tricks of the trade with you.
Now, if you're like lots of people, just the thought of planning meals ahead sends you running for the telephone to make dinner reservations.
However, what I'm suggesting is much easier than making a weekly menu plan, so don't worry.
Balanced meal planning simply requires you to keep a few basic nutrition principles in mind...and a few basic foods on hand. You'll see that by thinking about food differently, meal planning becomes a cinch. Quick and easy, perfectly balanced meals practically make themselves when you do!
Meal planning as easy as 1-2-3...
For balanced meal planning, all you have to do is choose a food from each category...
- Lean Protein
- Low Starch Vegetable
- Healthy Fat
- (optional) Starch: whole grain, whole grain product or starchy vegetable
Then, add some seasoning or sauce and voila...a healthy quick meal in a flash!
For example, take a
- Turkey burger made from ground breast meat (lean protein), top it with
- Tomato slices (low starch veggie),
- Slices of avocado (healthy fat), and serve on a
- Whole wheat bun (whole grain product)
Add catsup or BBQ sauce if you like, and you've got a balanced meal that I, a Registered Dietitian, would approve of.
Here are some examples of the foods in each category:
| 1 Lean Protein | 2 Low Starch Veggie | 3 Healthy Fat | 4 Starch (optional) | 5 Sauce (optional) |
| Skinless Chicken | Tomato | Avocado | Whole Wheat Bun | BBQ Sauce |
| Skinless Turkey | Broccoli | Canola Oil | Brown Rice | Low Sodium Teriyaki |
| Shellfish | Snap Peas | Cashews | Whole Wheat Pasta | Marinara |
| Egg | Onions | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Whole Wheat Bread | Salsa |
| Lean Meat | Spinach | Nuts | Sweet Potato | Balsamic Vinegar |
| Soy Foods: Tofu, Tempeh, Edamame | Green Beans | Seeds | Barley | Fruit Preserves |
- Poultry: skinless chicken and turkey
- Fish: salmon, sardines, halibut, cod, tilapia, flounder, and canned light tuna
- Shellfish: shrimp, scallops, crab, oysters, lobster
- Eggs: whole eggs and egg whites
- Meat, Pork, Lamb and Veal: lean beef (round, sirloin, tenderloin, rump), lean ham, Canadian bacon, lamb loin chop, veal chop, veal roast
- Soy: tofu, tempeh, edamame (soybeans)
- Lowfat Cheese
Low Starch Vegetables (from A to Z!)
artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, summer squash, zucchini
Healthy Fat
avocado, canola oil (organic, expeller pressed), flaxseed oil, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, peanut oil, pumpkin seed oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, nuts (ex: pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds), nut butters (ex: natural peanut butter, almond butter) and seeds (ex: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseeds)
Starch: Whole Grains, Whole Grain Products and Starchy Vegetables
Whole Grains and Whole Grain Products:
barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat crackers, oatmeal, quinoa flakes, quinoa pasta, brown rice pasta
Starchy Vegetables:
corn, green peas, potatoes (white or sweet), turnips
Some Seasoning and Sauce Suggestions
- BBQ Sauce
- Fat-Free Salad Dressings (my favorites: Annie's Naturals, Newman's Own, Spectrum Naturals)
- Fruit Preserves (my favorites: American Spoon Fruit, Polaner All-Fruit Jam)
- Low sodium Teriyaki
- Low sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
- Marinaras
- Mustards (Dijon, Horseradish)
- Salsa (look for interesting flavors like black bean and corn, mango, pineapple, etc.)
- Vinegars (balsamic, rice wine, red wine, flavored vinegars)
I told you meal planning was easy! Here are some examples of how you can bring everything together:
| 1 Lean Protein | 2 Low Starch Veggie | 3 Healthy Fat | 4 Starch (optional) | 5 Sauce (optional) |
| Turkey Burger | Tomato Slices | Avocado | Whole Wheat Bun | Catsup |
| Chicken (stir fry) | Snow Peas & Scallions | Cashews | Brown Rice | Stir Fry Sauce |
| Shrimp (for soft taco) | Sauteed Onions & Peppers | Canola Oil to Saute Shrimp & Veggies | Whole Wheat or Corn Tortillas | Salsa |
| Shrimp (cold pasta salad) | Broccoli | Sesame Oil | Whole Wheat Pasta | |
| Low Fat Feta Cheese | Sun Dried Tomatoes | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Brown Rice | |
| Canned Light Tuna | Broccoli & Cherry Tomatoes | Low Fat Poppyseed Dressing | Spiral Noodles (whole wheat or brown rice pasta |
You know...
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A recipe is simply someone's suggestion of what they think goes well together. So you really don't need a "recipe" in order to help you get a meal on the table. You don't need a "recipe" to tell you it's ok to put salsa on chicken, rice and broccoli.
If you like salsa, and you like chicken, rice and broccoli, I bet you would like the resulting meal!
And that's all you really need to know to get a delicious, nutritious meal on the table in a flash.
Bon Appetit!
Use this handy meal planning worksheet to plan your own balanced meals and post it on the refrigerator as a reminder of all the healthy quick meals you know to make.
Back to Personal Nutrition Guide Home.
Back to Quick Meals.
