“Lee-Ann, just tell me what to eat!”
If I had a dime for every DM, blog comment, or email reply I received saying, “Lee-An, just tell me what to eat,” I’d be a gazillionaire! And I totally understand. Eating the ‘right’ foods in the ‘right’ amounts at the ‘right’ time of the day can be overwhelming and confusing – like we don’t already have enough going on juggling kids, work, household responsibilities… the list goes on and on.
I understand it’s tempting to just want to be told what to eat. One less thing to think about, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.
First of all, every person has different macro and caloric needs, so an across-the-board meal plan won’t always work.
Second, we’re unique individuals with different likes and dislikes, food sensitivities, food access, etc., and that must always be taken into account.
And, perhaps most importantly, it’s boring to eat the same foods day in and day out and that repeated pattern leads to binge eating that can seriously impact your progress.
Even though I don’t believe in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to eating, I know that seeing how other people eat is helpful for generating ideas and defining what would work in your own day. So, I created a “framework” (with handy-dandy visuals) for creating meals and how I plan my day. Be sure to save the image below for quick reference in the future!
Whenever I make myself a meal, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I make sure that I include what I like to call the foundational four: protein, fat, starch (carb), and vegetables. Having these four things on my plate will ensure I’m getting the macro and micronutrients I need.
For breakfast, this might look like sweet potato hash, breakfast sausage mixed with all sorts of veggies, or leftovers from dinner.
At lunch, I might choose a homemade personal-size pizza on a low carb cauliflower crust topped with mozzarella, broccoli, and lean ground turkey.
For dinner, this may be a grilled chicken breast on top of a leafy greens salad with 2 tablespoons of my favorite salad dressing.
Each one of these meals incorporates the four elements of a macros made easy plate. Following this formula can be helpful for making an easy plate that has everything you need for a healthy and filling meal.
