Meal & Snack Ideas for Balanced Meals

How much protein and carbohydrates should you be eating each meal? Well, that depends. But here is a super rough, probably not that helpful, guide to macronutrients.

Protein - 20-35%, Carbs 45-65%, Fat 10-30% of your total daily calories.

When I’m adjusting my daily meals to new activities or lifestyle, I usually take the middle percentage and see what that looks like on my plate and then adjust to how I’m feeling at the end of the day for the next day. I am currently making some adjustments to my diet as I am lifting weights one more day per week than I did last year. This isn’t necessarily because I felt like I needed more exercise. I get a lot of movement each day, but it’s because my work schedule isn’t so physical anymore, and the extra lifting day makes sense based on how my body feels.

It’s good to get 2-3 days of weight lifting plus 1-2 days of cardio or other type of movement, like a long walk, yoga, or pilates. Do you need to be in zone 2 for xxx number of minutes? Probably not, but you probably need more weight lifting and movement than you currently get.

Back to the macronutrient ratios. The ratio above will be slightly different for all of us. What someone who lifts heavy weight 3 times per week eats will have to be different than someone who has a desk job and mainly relies on pilates and long walks for exercise. But let's say your activity is similar to someone else; two people will probably feel better with slightly different macronutrient combinations. Do not rely on what someone tells you is best for you; experiment to find what feels best to you. Every body is different.

Below I am sharing my go to meals and snacks. I divided them up into pre/post workout snacks, sweet meals, and savory meals. I try to keep my freezer and two shelfs in my cabinets stocked all the time. Frozen fruits, vegetables, and meats that can be used quickly and easily, plus nuts, seeds, oats, pouched and canned beans, beef sticks, and grains. I especially keep these stocked when things get busy, like Carnival or Final Exam week. What works for me, might not work for you. If you don’t like the ingredients I mention, think about something similar that you do like and switch it out.

Pre/post workouts:

Depending on the amount of fat and protein, both of which take longer to digest than carbohydrates, you want to time your meal before a workout so that you are not still digesting it during the workout. This doesn’t feel good and doesn’t provide you with any energy for your muscles to use during the workout. This goes to your muscle savings account, not the cash in your wallet (if we are using this as a way to make sense of what I’m talking about it). This is good for bloodsugar stability and building and maintaining muscle.

Your muscles use up the protein and carbohydrates in your muscles when there isn’t enough glucose in your bloodstream. Remember glucose is the energy from carbohydrates (and other nutrients in dire situations) that we NEED to do anything and everything. It’s our main energy source. If you aren’t fed enough, then you won’t gain or maintain your muscle mass.

Using stored nutrients can be a good thing, until you don’t have enough quick glucose and you crash out staring at the ceiling wondering how you go here. (Hi, its me with the chronically low blood sugar and a low pulse so I need snackies on me at all times) Eating enough about two hours before you lift helps make sure your body has enough energy for the movement you need. When I was boxing regularly I would eat greek yogurt, granola, and berries for breakfast. However, it took me a few sessions to get the timing correctly. I had to eat two hours almost exactly before my session and lower the fat content of the yogurt slightly. Even an hour and half or two and half hours yielded poor results in the ring, but with two hours I had a ton of energy to go hard and didn’t need a snack mid workout because my blood sugar wasn’t crashing.

Let’s say your workout is between meals, either first thing in the morning or right after work but before dinner. You might want to try a small snack so your muscles have some quick energy to use. If you are unsure if you need a snack to aid in a better workout, then try eating something small on the way and see how you feel. Sometimes we don’t even know we need just a small something to help us get better results. Experimentation is key.

Here are a few ideas:

Boiled egg, slice of cheddar cheese, thick slice of baked sweet potato

Large spoonful (or two) of Chia seed pudding with mango and a tablespoon of peanut butter

Small yogurt cup or slices of cheese, berries, and walnuts

Deli turkey, slice of cheese, a couple olives or some cucumbers slices or cherry tomatoes

Gummy bears (or grapes) and a beef stick (or 2)

Apple, deli turkey, and slice of cheese

For larger meals, the ratios stay the same. Mostly carbohydrates, a quarter protein, some fat. This means that half to slightly more than half of your plate is vegetables with some grains, a good portion of protein that fits your needs, and a little fat. Remember some nutrients need fat in order to be absored, this is why no to low fat diets don’t make any sense. Your brain, eyes, and organs all need fat to work properly. Finding the right balance for your meals throughout the day takes some experimenting, especially as your body is changing. I broke these meal ideas, with appropriate carb to protein to fat ratios, down into sweet and savory. Remember breakfast for dinner is still a balanced meal. It doesn’t really matter what you have when as long as you are getting nutrient dense meals most of the time.

Sweet Meals Ideas:

Baked oatmeal with milk or milk alternative, berries, and walnuts. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter on top.

Chia seed pudding with flax seeds, berries, peanut butter (just a larger amount than a snack)

Mix fruit and veggie smoothie with protein powder and a liquid of your choice (sometimes I add cold brew if I didn’t have my morning coffee, other times I add coconut water or a milk alternative or even water)

Yogurt, mangoes, berries, granola or cinnamon toast crunch (GF), and honey

Hot oatmeal, cinnamon, peanut butter, and berries (or plums, apples, or whatever fruit you like)

Savory Meal Ideas:

Rice, seasoned black beans, pulled chicken or a couple fried eggs topped with raw red onion and cilantro, plus a cucumber and cherry tomato side salad with lots of apple cider vinegar and some avocado oil

Quinoa, tomatoes, carrots, kale, and mushrooms sauteed with ghee, apple cider vinegar and a little chicken stock, baked chicken breast

Farro, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta, dried cranberries, spinach, celery salad topped with a vinegar dressing, add a protein of your choice like ground turkey.

Pasta (radiatori is my favorite), spinach, salmon, goat cheese, lemon zest, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper

Pasta with butter, green peas, parmesan, baked chicken, salt, lots of pepper, roasted brocolirabe on the side (or mixed)

How does that sound? You and I might not like the same things, but the amount of nutrients is the important piece. Mostly vegetables with some grains, a good portion of protein for your needs, and some fat. Fat can be oil, butter, avocado, ghee, sour cream, cheese, or greek yogurt and I’m sure I’m forgetting a fat source. As a lactose free person, I will sometimes even mix greek yogurt into my pasta dish for a creamy sauce.

I want to end with the best laid plans don’t mean much without the right routines to make it happen. We have access to recipes on our phone and in cookbooks, but if we still aren’t feeling good about what to eat. It might be because your routines to eating well are off balance. Are you setting yourself up to eat the food you know you want to eat? If not, start thinking about how to build more structure into your week so you don’t have to make day to day decisions about your food.

If you would like to talk more about how to build structure in your day to eat healthier, I am currently taking nutrition coaching clients.