Many people strive to balance their dinners with healthy ingredients, but forget about balancing the rest of their meals and snacks through the day. Breakfast is usually the worst There are also many diets that claim you should limit or remove carbohydrates or fats from your diet.
SIDE EFFECTS FROM EATING UNBALANCED MEALS:
Fatigue
Sugar cravings
Sleep problems
Mental fogginess
Weight gain
Insulin resistance
Instead of these unbalanced approaches that may damage your metabolism, we are going to focus on balancing ALL your meals and snacks with proper food choices and portions of carbohydrates, protein, good fat and vegetables. This is the key to optimize your metabolism! When you eat small frequent meals balanced with the right nutrients, you will be amazed at how good you feel!
HOW TO BALANCE OUT YOUR MEALS PROPERLY:
From my experience, I have developed some balancing guidelines that fit for most people. Note: If you are very active and/or have a large stature, your carbohydrate and protein needs may be slightly higher.
1. Include approx. 20-25 grams of carbohydrates at each meal, 4-5 times/day.
2. Include approx. 1-3 oz of protein at each meal, 4-5 times/day.
3. Eliminate all bad fats and include healthy fats throughout your day at most of your meals.
4. Include plenty of non-starchy vegetables throughout your day at most of your meals.
*For a more detailed listing of proper portion sizes, food choices, and tons of sample balanced meals, checkout my workbook: Nutrition Simplified, A Realistic 7 Step Workbook to Jumpstart Your Metabolism. You can order it on my website or on Amazon.com.
Balanced Breakfast Ideas:
1. 2 scrambled eggs with spinach, ½ cup beans and fresh salsa
2. 2/3 cup oatmeal with ¼ cup nuts, chopped strawberries (3 medium), and topped with 2 Tbsp coconut milk
Balanced Lunch Ideas:
1. Large green salad with chopped veggies, 2-3 oz chopped chicken breast, ½ cup garbanzo beans and topped with olive oil vinaigrette dressing
2. Tacos made with 2 soft corn tortillas, 2-3 oz of fish/shrimp, avocado slices, lettuce or cabbage, and tomatoes
Balanced Dinner Ideas:
1. Vegetarian stir-fry with loads of veggies, crushed peanuts (¼-½ cup) served over ½ cup brown rice
2. BBQ meat or fish (2-3 oz), 1 medium ear corn on the cob, and side salad with olive oil vinaigrette
Balanced Snack Ideas:
1. 1/3 cup tuna salad with 10 Nut Thin crackers and cucumber slices
2. Smoothie with approx 1 cup fruit, 2 Tbsp real nut butter, ¼ cup coconut milk, and water/ice as desired
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