“Apparently ‘macros’ isn’t short for macaroni and cheese.”

— unknown

This quote gave me a good belly laugh. It’s a welcome reminder that we shouldn’t take life too seriously. All too often, we’re taught that our nutrition needs to be a rigid series of points, equations, or ratios, and that food rules must be adopted and closely obliged in order to live a healthy life. Oof!

Like many others, I’ve personally confronted this battle. When I used to embark on a health kick, my head was filled with the idea of deprivation, things I couldn’t have or reasons why I needed to punish myself by making better food choices. First I counted calories. Then I tried counting macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. No matter what direction I took, I was always left feeling confused and frustrated. Not only did these approaches fail to work, they created a toxic relationship with food — and myself. It wasn’t until my perspective around food and healthy eating shifted that eating well became easier and actually enjoyable.

The fact of the matter is, counting and tracking don’t work for our everyday life and that these approaches quickly become cumbersome or not even possible to keep up with. And when you’re not able to count and track something, you then don’t have the skills you need in order to navigate your food choices. This is why so many people get stuck in the on-off again cycle that prevents them from maintaining healthy eating habits in their day-to-day life.

Years studying food psychology has taught me that labels make eating feel rigid, confining, and most of all, dehumanizing. It takes the joy out of one of the most fundamental pleasures of being human - food!

That’s why here at Nutrition Simplified, we leave behind strict rules. No counting macros. No labeling food as “off-limits” or “bad,”. We like to keep things simple and focus on real foods as much as possible. If nature made it, eat it. If man made it, leave it.

But still, there are so many questions we ask ourselves when preparing and planning our meals:

Will this keep me full?
Do I have enough protein?
Am I getting all of my nutrients?
Is this going to taste good and be satisfying?

Rather than turning your food intake into a math problem that needs to be solved, there are simpler methods you can employ to get the same -or better- results.

Start here: aim to fill half of your dish with non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with starchy carbohydrates, and one quarter with a lean source of protein. Top it off with a dash of healthy fats for brain boosting nourishment and you can feel confident that you’re giving your body what it needs. It’s that simple, no calculations needed!

This approach can extend to your grocery basket. Fill it with half produce, one quarter proteins and one quarter whole grains or starchy vegetables. This will fill your fridge with a variety of wholesome foods, which will go to work for you by controlling blood sugar, keeping hormones in check, helping you feel amazing from the inside-out.

So now that we’ve simplified the picture of a balanced meal, the next question arises: how much of each nutrient are we really supposed to have? In reality, portion size varies from person to person, and even meal to meal. With that being said, here is a place for you to start…

NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES

SERVING SIZE: 2 FISTS (1 CUP)

These plants should make up the bulk of your plate – the more, the better! Their fiber and water content help to keep you full and provide your body with the nutrients you need to support healthy digestion.

Examples include: artichokes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, radish, sprouts, spinach, snap peas, swiss chard, string beans, tomato, zucchini, etc.

STARCHY CARBS (GRAINS, LEGUMES, ROOTS, & FRUITS)

SERVING SIZE: 1 FIST (1/2 CUP)

These carbohydrates provide the body’s main source of energy —glucose— affecting everything from cognitive health, digestion, weight balance, fertility, and metabolism. Your brain, along with every cell in your body, runs on them, which is why they’re so important to include in balanced meals.

Examples include: oats, rice, peas, beans, lentils, corn, potatoes, carrots, squash, all fruit, and more.

PROTEIN

SERVING SIZE = PALM (1/2 CUP)

Protein makes up every cell in our bodies, so it’s important to eat enough as well as the best quality when possible. Nutrition research shows that eating protein at every meal, especially breakfast, can reduce the hunger hormone ghrelin and promote satiety. Depending upon your particular preferences, your protein choices might include plant-based protein, animal-based protein, or both! When shopping for animal-based proteins, look for options labeled with: organic, 100% grass-fed, wild-caught sustainable, and humanely raised.

Animal protein examples include: poultry, pork, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy, and more.
Plant protein examples include: chickpeas, lentils, beans (such as black, kidney and adzuki beans), split peas, peanuts, edamame, tofu, seitan, nuts, quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, savi seeds, and more.

HEALTHY FATS

SERVING SIZE: 1 THUMB (2 TBSP OIL-based [oil, butter, nut butter] OR 1/4 cup food-based [olives, avocado])

Healthy fatty acids play an integral role in supporting cognitive function, improving memory, and beating brain fog, and are well know for their attributes to healthier cardiovascular and endocrine systems. They quiet inflammation, keep our skin from getting dry, and harmonize our hormones every day.

Healthy fat examples include: olives / olive oil, coconut / coconut oil, avocados / avocado oil, raw nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnut, pine nut, etc.), nut butter, raw seeds (flex, chia, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.), ghee, grass-fed butter, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines, and more.

Keep in mind, your portion sizes will change depending on not only your particular needs but also your nutrition goals, so start with these general guidelines, then increase or decrease based on your individual hunger and satiety cues. If you’re unsure how to tap into this level of body intuition, we designed our seven day whole food cleanse to help you shed food addictions and tune you in.

And always remember this: there is no one perfect diet. No one size fits all. The ways in which we eat should fluctuate to meet the needs of our ever changing lives. They should change seasonally, yearly, or whenever the demands of our lives dictate.

Depending upon your particular nutrition goals, health conditions, medical history, allergies or intolerances, this guideline may need to be adjusted to better suit your individual needs.

Bottom line: If we fill our plates with a variety of real food and eat until we feel satisfied, we supply our bodies with the nourishment necessary to thrive. In the words of Michael Pollan: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."