Eating a “nutrient dense” diet means eating foods that have high nutritional value (vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthier fats) and are low in calories. The goal of a nutrient dense diet is to create stable energy levels and to support growth, repair, and the feeling of well being. This type of eating is not associated with restrictive eating but rather establishing a whole foods base with a variety of foods and being mindful of portion sizes.
Along with highlighting the value of nutrition in a meal plan, a complete meal plan should also fit and support your daily needs (school/work, financial, and/or cultural).
1. Constructing Meals Using The Four Food Groups
A welled balanced plate helps your body gain access to all the essential nutrients while also making meal prep more fun and less daunting.
An example of a basic meal structure is as follows:
- Fruits and Veggies: Multiple Varieties for sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber
- Proteins: Beans/Lentils/Eggs/Fish/Chicken/Turkey/Beef/Lamb/Pork/Tofu/other
- Starch/Grains: Oats/Brown Rice/Whole Wheat Bread/Potatoes/Corn
- Fats: Nuts/Seeds/Avocado/Olive Oil/Fatty Fish
- Dairy: Milk/Yogurt/Cheese/Veggie Dairy Alternatives/Greens
It’s vital to have a variety of foods in your diet to ensure that you stay healthy. This is because each food provides a different nutrient profile.
2. Identify Key Daily Health Promoting Nutrients
Focusing on certain nutrients brings energy, productivity, and overall wellness. Identifying ways to incorporate these nutrients into your meals and on-the-go snacks is ideal.
Here are a few main nutrients and their sources:
Fiber: Beans, berries, oats, veggies, and whole grains.
Iron: Lentils, beans, lean meats, spinach, and fortified cereals.
Calcium & Vitamin D: Fortified plant-based dairy alternatives, and Vitamin D through safe sun exposure and certain fish.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: found in salmon and sardines, as well as walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
Protein: helps to heal damaged tissues and maintain blood glucose levels.
Iron plant foods in combination with Vitamin C are good sources to enhance iron absorption. (citrus fruits and bell peppers)
3. Structure Your Snacks & Drinks
Between meals, snacks can offer energy when adapted to a longer duration. Your drink choices also play a role in your health by introducing unnecessary sugar.
Here are some examples of snacks you can prepare:
- Yogurt with fruit
- Whole grain toast with nut butter
- Carrot sticks with hummus
- Cheese with apple slices
- Trail mix with nuts and seeds
If you are concerned with beverages, here are examples of some better beverages:
- Drinking water is the healthiest drink option.
- If you want a source of calcium and protein consider milk or any dairy alternative drink.
- If you want a drink with no sugar consider unsweetened tea.
Sugary drinks are more likely to be consumed in excess as they do not have the same filling sensation that food has.
4. Create a Practical Plan Using Small Systems
Meal plans will only work for you if you will be to adapt to them to suit your lifestyle. Smaller planning systems will help you to keep to a meal plan as they help to reduce the amount of decisions you have to make with your food and will allow you to have the same meals to eat.
These are some systems you could use:
- Breakfast Rotation: Choose two to three meal options to have for breakfast and rotate to have different meals each week.
- Bulk Prep: Prepare grains, beans and/or proteins in larger quantities in advance.
- Build A Bowl: Choose one grain, one protein, one vegetable, and one sauce to create separate meals.
- Smart Shortcuts: Buy frozen vegetables, canned beans, and prewashed salad greens to save time.
Reading labels can help you make better choices. To make better decisions on what to buy look for labels that have less added sugar and saturated fat and more fiber.
Conclusion
A meal plan that incorporates a wide variety of good nutrients helps your health. The best meal plans contain a variety of foods including vegetables, legumes, plant protein, whole grains, healthy fats, balanced, slated snacks and fuels for energy. Smaller planning systems help people be consistent, instead of depending on will power. These meal planning systems help people develop long term habits that fuel their body and make eating healthy flexible and adaptable to how they live their life.