Quality nutrition is one of the keys to a healthy, happy body that feels, looks and performs well! However, when you are starting out learning about nutrition, trying to make good choices on what is healthy or “unhealthy” for you can be overwhelming.

Every food is made up of “macronutrients” which are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. We need to eat a balance of each of the macronutrients of approximately 40-55% carbohydrate, 25-30% protein and 30% fat each day to stay healthy and give our bodies enough energy and nutrition to function.

The simplest way to begin learning about choosing good quality foods at your meals is by using your hand to create a BALANCED MEAL, which is a meal with a portion of carb, fat and protein and some micronutrients either included in fruit (which is a carbohydrate) or a serve veggies.

This is made up of:

Palm of protein

Half cupped hand of carbohydrate

Thumb of fat

Fist of veggies

In the simple example above I am using grilled chicken as the source of protein, white rice as the carbohydrate, olive oil as the fat and spinach as the vegetable.

But you could just as easily have a meal like:

A smoothie with protein powder, banana, almonds, spinach (and water or almond milk)
Steak, potato, butter and broccoli
Salmon, quinoa, avocado, mixed salad
Greek yoghurt, berries and walnuts
Tuna, rice-cakes, avocado and tomato

The options are endless!

While all foods contain different ratios of the macronutrients, some foods contain more vitamins and minerals, fibre and are more easily digested than others. While I stay away from labelling foods as “good” or “bad”, choosing better quality foods MOST (>80%) of the time will help us feel energised, maintain healthy digestion and will make it easier to keep your portion sizes in line with your goals. And keeping lower quality or processed foods, (if you would like to include them), under 20% of the time.

Generally good quality foods are wholefoods, or minimally processed and as close to the original source. Foods that are packaged, fried, processed or full of preservatives are generally lower quality.

If you would like to learn which foods fall into different categories, and start building balanced meals you can download the “Handy Balanced Meal Builder” cheat sheet!

Note: This is just a simple guideline to begin learning about macronutrients and understanding balanced portion sizes so that you can maintain a balanced healthy daily intake. The amount you eat is what determines changes in your body composition.