Creating a Balanced Meal

In recent years, the meaning of a balanced meal has changed somewhat. It used to be that an acceptable balanced meal centered on meat, starches, vegetables and fruits, but now we know that there is more to a balanced meal than that.

The whole balanced meal pyramid is different. Vegetables and fruits along with the whole grains in breads and cereals, pasta, and rice are the mainstay of the balanced meal. The meat and fats are used as a flavoring for the meal. Beans, nuts and soy have also replaced meat in some of the balanced meals.

Balanced meals do not have to be boring. Color, texture, temperature and variety are good gauges to go by. Different colors tend to assure that your meal is rich in vegetables and fruits. Crunchy foods are your protein filled nuts, raw vegetables and fruits. Mix those with the smoothness of pasta, cheeses and chewy whole grain breads and you have variety. Serve some foods cold, like fruit, and some hot, like sauces and soups. The hardest thing to get past is not to have meat as the focal point.

You will want to avoid foods with transaturated fats, added sugar products and high sodium. We know now that these sabotage our healthy balanced meal, and preservatives have no place in a well balanced meal.

Do not be locked into old patterns of meal planning. Plan your menus for the week. Get creative; your family will love it. You can balance daily menus and use snacks to get in those extra veggies and fruits. Lighthearted conversation at meal time promotes the healthy digestion of the well balanced meal.