What, when and how of eating a balanced diet

2 fruits, 5 veges, 5 grain? or is it 4 grain?! How much protein? and what about fat?!

Eating healthy doesn't have to be so hard and/or confusing! So I thought I would help by writing up a basic guidelines for you to follow so you can achieve a healthy balanced diet!

To start we want to get you eating small meals often. This keeps your body burning fat and makes sure you use more calories for energy, rather than storage. The mission is to keep your metabolic rate as high as possible, which is the rate at which your body burns off calories. 

The faster it's running, the closer easier it will be to lose weight and keep it off. 

So make sure you eat every 2-3 hours, consuming 5-6 high quality meals throughout the day. 

Plan your meals ahead of time so you know exactly what and when you'll eat.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! 

 Lean protein should be eaten with each and every meal you consume, as it's responsible for tissue growth and repair. Good choices include grilled chicken or turkey, lean beef, egg whites, tuna fish or salmon, cottage cheese and protein shakes. For best results, shoot for one gram of protein per pound (kgs x 2.2) of body weight each and every day.

Carbohydrates are also important, but the type is critical. These should come from complex sources like whole grains, wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, vegetables, brown rice, sweet potatoes. Stop listening to all that no-carb talk you might hear. Carbohydrates are important to fuel your muscles and shouldn't be cut out entirely. Carefully chosen, yes. Removed completely, never. 

Stay away from refined sources like white bread, chocolates, lollies.  All they do is give you a quick-me-up, not lasting energy.

Finally, you have your fats. Fat's are important for growth and will keep your muscle-building hormones at a healthy level. Don't make the mistake that many guys do trying to avoid all fats in order to cut fat. Make sure you take in good fats daily, which are crucial for great health and best results. Not all fats are created equal, and to lose fat you need healthy fat in your diet. Make sure you take in fats like a tablespoon of olive oil, almonds, fish, or peanut butter a few times a day. Avoid foods with a ton of saturated or trans-fats. They're packed with calories, yet provide few nutrients.  

Here is a usually break down of how your days meals should be planned out. Below explains the macronutrient splits throughout your day. 

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats

 Mid Morning Snack: Protein + Fruit/Veggies

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Dessert: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

When you train eat its a little different. 

Nutrition around your workout needs to be priority to make the most out of your workouts. 

So here is a good guideline to follow when working out.

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats/Fruit

-WORKOUT-

Post Workout: Protein + carbs

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit/Veges

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Before bed: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

 If you train in the afternoon-

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats/Fruit

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

-WORKOUT-

Post Workout: Protein + Carbs

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Dessert: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

So how much is each serving?

Here is some examples -

Protein

· 80-100 grams cooked lean beef

· 65-100gm cooked meat or chicken

·  (eg 1/2 cup mince, 2 small chops or 2 slices roast meat)

· 2/3 cup cooked beans or lentils

· 2 eggs

· 80-120g cooked fish fillet,

· 1 cup (250ml) milk

· 2 slices (40g) cheese

· 1 tub (200g) yoghurt

·         Scoop of Protein Powder

Fruit

· 1 medium apple, orange, banana, etc (150g)

· 2 small apricots, plums, etc (150g)

· ½ cup (125mL) fruit juice             

· Dried fruit eg 4 dried apricots

· 1 1/2 tablespoons sultanas

· About 20 grapes or cherries

· About 8 strawberries

Vegetables

· ½ cup (75g) cooked vegetables

· 1 cup salad vegetables

Carbs

· 2 slices (30g) multigrain bread

· ½ cup or 80g cooked brown pasta/rice

· 1 bowl (45g) breakfast cereal

· 1/2 cup muesli

· 1 cup Sweet potato

· 1/2 cup  Barley

· 1/2 cup Quinoa

Fats

· Avocado 1 TBS

· Almonds 15g (dry roasted) (~8 pieces)

· Cashews 1 tbsp or 9.65g

· Enova oil 1 Tsp or 4.5g

· Flax oil 1 Tsp or 4.5g

· Mayonnaise (Light, reduced-fat) 1 Tbsp or 15g

· Oil (olive or canola0 1 tsp 

· 4.5g Peanuts 1/3 oz or 9.36g

· Peanut/Almond butter (smooth or crunchy) 2 tsp

· Pecans or 1 tbsp or 7.44g

·  Salad dressing (Light, reduced-fat) 2 Tbsp or 30g

·  Sesame seeds 1Tbsp or 9.4g

What your plate should look like - 

The End :)