If you're overwhelmed by all the information about how to eat healthy, give balanced plate eating a try. It's easy, intuitive, and it's easy to do no matter where you are.
By Dani Levy-Wolins, Registered Dietitian at Thistle
Have you been looking to make some changes to your nutrition habits? Here at Thistle, our mission is to help people get and stay healthy. We encourage small, sustainable steps towards a larger goal; this way, your hard work that goes into creating new habits has the best chance of creating a long-lasting lifestyle change.
With so much information (or mis-information) available about “the best diet”, there’s value in a more liberalized and inclusive approach, as it tends to lead to higher overall quality of life and more sustainable change. Balanced plate eating makes it easier to understand portion size for the different types of food we add to a plate, which makes it easier when traveling or going out to dinner with friends.
Balanced plate eating is more than just a way to balance the different types of foods we put on our plate, but also balance when it comes to physiological hunger vs eating for social or emotional reasons. It’s important to recognize these different reasons for eating when we consider how to tackle new nutrition habits, and may explain why fad diets are so tough to stick with long term. Enter balanced plates!
A Well-Balanced Plate
Balanced plate eating helps us visualize how different foods should make up a full plate. This means that no matter where you are, you can look at a plate and visualize portion sizes for the different foods available.
Half the Plate - Fruits and non-Starchy Vegetables
Fill half the plate with fruits and non-starchy vegetables (non-starchy vegetables include most vegetables, but exclude things like potatoes, yams, butternut squash etc - these higher carbohydrate foods belong on a different part of our plate). This section of our plate provides us with vitamins and minerals, and is naturally modest in calorie content yet high in terms of satiety. Fruits and vegetables satiate us because of fiber’s effect on the brain and body. Fiber helps trigger leptin, which is the hormone responsible for satiety; fiber also slows down the transit time of food in our digestive tract, which delays gastric emptying and how quickly food moves through our bodies.
Quarter of the Plate - Energy Foods
One of the remaining quarters of the plate is for foods that give us energy. If we mention the word “carbohydrates”, most people will think of the foods that are a good fit for this ¼ of the plate. Fruits and vegetables also technically fall under the category of “carbohydrates”, but tend to have a higher ratio of fiber:simple sugars than the ingredients on this portion of our plate. This section of our plate includes grain-based foods (rice, oatmeal, quinoa, bread, etc.) and starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes or yams. Some higher sugar fruits (tropical fruits are good examples) can also be included here. When choosing the food we want for this quarter of our plate, we suggest opting for more complex carbohydrates (vs more refined) to help with blood sugar stabilization and longer lasting energy - an example of this could be including more whole grains, in place of more refined. Lastly, in terms of portion size - we generally advise 1 cup of cooked grain, or ½ - 1 cup of cooked starchy vegetables; this range can support different body sizes and activity levels.
The Final Quarter of the Plate
Protein is vital to overall health and plays a role in the creation and repair of cells (including muscle tissue cells), antibody, hormone and enzyme production, and the transportation and storage of different chemicals in the body (1). Similar to fiber, protein also supports satiety, yet is naturally low in calories. Protein is found in both plant and animal sources. Thistle favorites include foods like tofu, edamame, tempeh, beans, chickpeas, lentils etc. Aim for around 20 grams of protein per meal - a great starting point for most people.
Make Room for Fat
The final part of a healthy meal is fat. Many times, fat is already included in an ingredient on the plate, so we chose to add a sliver to the plate itself. If you make a stir fry with sesame oil, for example, or cook tofu with coconut milk, you’re already including fat into your meal. Nuts, seeds (and nut and seed butters and oil), coconut, avocado, and chocolate are some other sources of fat. Fat is also located in protein, including eggs, tofu, and other legumes. We use fat for energy, but also rely on fat for thermoregulation, cell function, hormone production, and for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Fat is the most calorically dense part of the plate so a little goes a long way. We can strive for portion sizes of 1-2 tablespoons when using nut/seed butter and oil. This final component rounds out our balanced plate!
Thistle's Meals Are Balanced Plates
Does this style of eating ring any bells? Take a look at some of your most recent Thistle meals (our lunches and dinners in particular) and you’ll notice a base of fruits and vegetables with ¼ “plate” higher carbohydrate foods and ¼ “plate” protein-rich foods.
Easing Into Balanced Plate Eating
If balanced plate eating sounds like a good fit for your needs and goals, here are some tips on how to get started. Until balanced plate eating becomes second nature, start with one of the components: consider filling ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables for 1 meal each day. To make it easier, think about the steps that lead up to enjoying a meal:
- Take inventory of your fridge and pantry
- Create a shopping list of foods you need
- Shop for what you need and prep your ingredients
In an ideal world, we’d be able to complete all steps every week to make healthy choices the easier option. If you find yourself in a bind, however, feel free to resort to the “fun plate” method - this is simply an assortment of easy snack items that are consistent with balanced plate eating:
- Fruits and veggies: carrots, bell peppers, berries - whatever you want
- Energy food: your favorite crackers (we love gluten-free Cult Crackers)
- Protein: hummus for dipping and a hard boiled egg or two
- Fat: nuts, seeds, nut/seed butter, avocado, olives (and fat is already in other foods like hummus and egg yolk)
Balanced plate eating doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Designed to make healthy choices more intuitive, we encourage you to consider this style of eating as you create new intentions and goals. Thistle will continue to make meals with balanced plates in mind, and we welcome you to join us.
About Dani: Dani is a registered dietitian who completed her undergrad at Oregon State, her masters at Northeastern, and her dietetic residency at Alta Bates Summit Hospital in Oakland, CA. Her background is split between geriatric care and sports nutrition, having worked in both nursing homes and athletic facilities.
If you're overwhelmed by all the information about how to eat healthy, give balanced plate eating a try. It's easy, intuitive, and it's easy to do no matter where you are.
By Dani Levy-Wolins, Registered Dietitian at Thistle
Have you been looking to make some changes to your nutrition habits? Here at Thistle, our mission is to help people get and stay healthy. We encourage small, sustainable steps towards a larger goal; this way, your hard work that goes into creating new habits has the best chance of creating a long-lasting lifestyle change.
With so much information (or mis-information) available about “the best diet”, there’s value in a more liberalized and inclusive approach, as it tends to lead to higher overall quality of life and more sustainable change. Balanced plate eating makes it easier to understand portion size for the different types of food we add to a plate, which makes it easier when traveling or going out to dinner with friends.
Balanced plate eating is more than just a way to balance the different types of foods we put on our plate, but also balance when it comes to physiological hunger vs eating for social or emotional reasons. It’s important to recognize these different reasons for eating when we consider how to tackle new nutrition habits, and may explain why fad diets are so tough to stick with long term. Enter balanced plates!
A Well-Balanced Plate
Balanced plate eating helps us visualize how different foods should make up a full plate. This means that no matter where you are, you can look at a plate and visualize portion sizes for the different foods available.
Half the Plate - Fruits and non-Starchy Vegetables
Fill half the plate with fruits and non-starchy vegetables (non-starchy vegetables include most vegetables, but exclude things like potatoes, yams, butternut squash etc - these higher carbohydrate foods belong on a different part of our plate). This section of our plate provides us with vitamins and minerals, and is naturally modest in calorie content yet high in terms of satiety. Fruits and vegetables satiate us because of fiber’s effect on the brain and body. Fiber helps trigger leptin, which is the hormone responsible for satiety; fiber also slows down the transit time of food in our digestive tract, which delays gastric emptying and how quickly food moves through our bodies.
Quarter of the Plate - Energy Foods
One of the remaining quarters of the plate is for foods that give us energy. If we mention the word “carbohydrates”, most people will think of the foods that are a good fit for this ¼ of the plate. Fruits and vegetables also technically fall under the category of “carbohydrates”, but tend to have a higher ratio of fiber:simple sugars than the ingredients on this portion of our plate. This section of our plate includes grain-based foods (rice, oatmeal, quinoa, bread, etc.) and starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes or yams. Some higher sugar fruits (tropical fruits are good examples) can also be included here. When choosing the food we want for this quarter of our plate, we suggest opting for more complex carbohydrates (vs more refined) to help with blood sugar stabilization and longer lasting energy - an example of this could be including more whole grains, in place of more refined. Lastly, in terms of portion size - we generally advise 1 cup of cooked grain, or ½ - 1 cup of cooked starchy vegetables; this range can support different body sizes and activity levels.
The Final Quarter of the Plate
Protein is vital to overall health and plays a role in the creation and repair of cells (including muscle tissue cells), antibody, hormone and enzyme production, and the transportation and storage of different chemicals in the body (1). Similar to fiber, protein also supports satiety, yet is naturally low in calories. Protein is found in both plant and animal sources. Thistle favorites include foods like tofu, edamame, tempeh, beans, chickpeas, lentils etc. Aim for around 20 grams of protein per meal - a great starting point for most people.
Make Room for Fat
The final part of a healthy meal is fat. Many times, fat is already included in an ingredient on the plate, so we chose to add a sliver to the plate itself. If you make a stir fry with sesame oil, for example, or cook tofu with coconut milk, you’re already including fat into your meal. Nuts, seeds (and nut and seed butters and oil), coconut, avocado, and chocolate are some other sources of fat. Fat is also located in protein, including eggs, tofu, and other legumes. We use fat for energy, but also rely on fat for thermoregulation, cell function, hormone production, and for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Fat is the most calorically dense part of the plate so a little goes a long way. We can strive for portion sizes of 1-2 tablespoons when using nut/seed butter and oil. This final component rounds out our balanced plate!
Thistle's Meals Are Balanced Plates
Does this style of eating ring any bells? Take a look at some of your most recent Thistle meals (our lunches and dinners in particular) and you’ll notice a base of fruits and vegetables with ¼ “plate” higher carbohydrate foods and ¼ “plate” protein-rich foods.
Easing Into Balanced Plate Eating
If balanced plate eating sounds like a good fit for your needs and goals, here are some tips on how to get started. Until balanced plate eating becomes second nature, start with one of the components: consider filling ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables for 1 meal each day. To make it easier, think about the steps that lead up to enjoying a meal:
- Take inventory of your fridge and pantry
- Create a shopping list of foods you need
- Shop for what you need and prep your ingredients
In an ideal world, we’d be able to complete all steps every week to make healthy choices the easier option. If you find yourself in a bind, however, feel free to resort to the “fun plate” method - this is simply an assortment of easy snack items that are consistent with balanced plate eating:
- Fruits and veggies: carrots, bell peppers, berries - whatever you want
- Energy food: your favorite crackers (we love gluten-free Cult Crackers)
- Protein: hummus for dipping and a hard boiled egg or two
- Fat: nuts, seeds, nut/seed butter, avocado, olives (and fat is already in other foods like hummus and egg yolk)
Balanced plate eating doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Designed to make healthy choices more intuitive, we encourage you to consider this style of eating as you create new intentions and goals. Thistle will continue to make meals with balanced plates in mind, and we welcome you to join us.
About Dani: Dani is a registered dietitian who completed her undergrad at Oregon State, her masters at Northeastern, and her dietetic residency at Alta Bates Summit Hospital in Oakland, CA. Her background is split between geriatric care and sports nutrition, having worked in both nursing homes and athletic facilities.
