Balancing Your Plate

Learning how to balance your plate may be daunting, but once you learn the basics it will be easy as pie... gluten free pie of course.

Every time you eat, all three of the Building Blocks should be present on your plate; Protein, Carbs, and Fat. And they should be balanced to optimize your metabolism and properly fuel your body.

Each persons' dietary needs will vary, but as a standard for EACH MEAL, you should have:

30 grams Carbohydrates

21 grams Protein

and make sure you have healthy fat present

For a Snack, you want to make sure to have 7 grams of protein for every 10 grams of carbohydrates and again make sure to have a fat present.

For each meal, I like to think in 3 categories. What is my source of protein, what is my source of carbohydrate, and what is my non-starchy vegetable that will help to fill me up?

I start with picking a meat such as chicken, pork, beef, or fish and will usually have

3-4 oz.

Then I pick a starchy vegetable or carbohydrate such as sweet potato, butternut squash, or quinoa. I will usually have about 1/2 cup of this depending on the nutrition.

Lastly, I fill up my plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or a side salad. This food is essentially "free" - meaning it is so low in carbohydrates, they don't really count.

When my plate is full, I think about where I am getting my fat. Is it in my protein from cooking or my starchy vegetable? If not, I will dress my salad or simply top my food with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

If you think about those three steps at each meal, you will be balancing your plate properly and getting your metabolism on track in no time.... And if you balance right, just maybe you'll be able to have a piece of that pie.

And always remember, NEVER eat alone,

Riley