| Back to Balance: Enjoy Balanced Meals
| Including a variety of different food groups helps you balance your meals. This gives your body fuel to stay energized and satisfied until your next meal or snack. Balanced meals include:
| | • | Carbohydrates (Carbs): Main energy source for brain, muscles, and organs (e.g.: whole grain rice, pasta, bread, fruits, and starchy vegetables)
|
| | • | Protein: Builds and repairs muscles and tissues, and supports your immune system (e.g.: meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, tofu, and dairy products)
|
| | • | Fats: Aid essential vitamins and hormone health, provide long-lasting energy, and help build cells (e.g.: nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish)
|
| When you include all three (carbs, protein, and fat), your body stays fuller longer, your energy stays more stable, and you support strength, focus, and overall health.
| For help planning your best-balanced meal, check out CommonHealth’s Build a Better Meal campaign.
|
|
|
|
| Plan Ahead for Balanced Snacks
| Just like meals, balanced snacks help you feel satisfied between meals and prevent energy crashes. Select one food from each column in the table below to complete your yummy snack.
|
|
| | |
|
| | | | | | | | ½ - 1 cup sliced fruit or berries
|
| ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
|
| | | ½ cup plain cottage cheese
|
| | 1 oz whole wheat crackers
|
| | | | | | 4 oz carrot, celery and bell pepper slices
|
| | | 1 slice whole wheat bread
|
| 2 oz low-sodium deli meat
|
| ½ oz light, low-sodium cheese
|
|
| *Table reference: National Academy of Sports Medicine, Certified Nutrition Course
|
|
|
