Ok Mallory, Focus....Let's learn how to build a meal! It sounds so simple, and it is. You just need to make sure you have all of the parts of the puzzle. Now, I'll be the first to admit, I don't always have all of the parts, but I try my hardest to have a varied meal that incorporates all of the food groups. Trust me, it is easier than you may think.
So let's dive right in shall we? I decided to be biased and post my favorite food group first: Proteins. Proteins play a HUGE part in your body, I'm talking molecular level important. So it is important to have adequate protein in your diet. Basically, your DNA wouldn't replicate without it, which would be bad...so don't cut out protein...please.
Protein Sources:- Meat, Eggs, Fish (no brainers)
- Dairy Products
- Legumes, Nuts, Seeds
- Whole Grains/Cereals
- Fruits and Vegetables (protein content is minimal in comparison)
Your body needs multiple sources and different kinds of proteins to work correctly, which is where vegetarians can run into issues. Vegetarians need to eat multiple foods to make a complete protein that the body can use, whereas animal proteins usually make up a complete protein. A lot of times, those who are vegetarian don't know how to replace what they aren't getting from meat with other foods.
ANNOUNCEMENT: I am not against vegetarianism by any means. I just couldn't do it myself.
Now that that is off of my chest, I can move on.
It is my preference to begin planning a meal with the meat. For the vegetarians out there, this can be translated to your protein source of choice. I try not to have the same protein source more than one day a week, or at least try to spread them out (I could eat chicken every day). Every once in a while, I'll have a meatless meal, but my husband usually whines when this happens and ends up eating a snack later on. I think he is just being dramatic. Proteins can be very filling, regardless of what kind.
For example, the other day I had broccoli and cheddar soup. There was a hefty amount of cheese in the soup, and it had a milk base. That's enough protein for me, so no meat for that meal. Plus meat can get expensive, so meatless meals are OK for me.
How much do you need? Well for adults, the USDA suggests having 5-6oz equivalents a day (see the website for specifics), and it should be 1/4 of your plate. 3oz of meat is about the size of a woman's palm if you were wondering. Most Americans eat too much protein on average, just a fun fact. Too much protein can contribute to wt gain...(dangit). But when it comes to cost savings, this works out in our favor. 4 chicken breasts can technically count as 8 -3oz servings of protein. I eat by this portion size, my husband doesn't. It's up to you.
I feel like I'm rambling at this point, so I'm going to stop talking, er um typing.
Moral of this story:
- Proteins are important
- Suggested serving size is 3oz
- To me, it is the main event of the dish
Hope I didn't confuse anyone! As always, any questions, feel free to leave them below! I'll hit on every female's favorite food group next time...bet you can't guess what that is ;)
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