When I was growing up, I remember dinnertime specifically having certain “necessary” portions to make it “dinner.” Breakfast didn’t have guidelines to my knowledge at the time. Neither did lunch, or snacks. But dinnertime was specific. We had a meat, we had a vegetable, and we had a starch. One of each portion per plate.
In recent years, I’ve often buried myself in nutrition or personal development reading. I recently read Healthy Hormones by Belinda Kirkpatrick. In this book, she mentions that in order to feel satiated (aka not hungry again soon after eating), your meals (and snacks!) need to include three elements.
- Protein
- Good fats
- “Something fresh” – a fruit, a veggie
Kirkpatrick says that the “good fats” are key to this feeling of satiation.
Since reading this, I’ve been very mindful of trying to include these three elements into every time I eat.
Let me give you some examples…
For breakfast, I had scrambled eggs (protein) with zucchini, spinach and tomatoes (something fresh), and I used avocado oil (good fat) to prepare it.
For lunch, I will have a chickpea salad (protein and something fresh), and on that salad I will have a dressing made with sunflower oil (good fat).
For snack, I will have an apple (something fresh) with almond butter (protein and good fats).
For dinner, I will have chicken (protein), avocado (good fat and something fresh) and bok choy with garlic (something fresh).
With some experimentation, I have found this combination helps. Kirkpatrick explains that it doesn’t only help with satiation, but it assists in keeping your blood sugars level as well.
Of course, there are many other examples of what you can eat using this combination. You just need to know what lands in what category. Protein and “something fresh” are the most straight forward. Knowing what lands under good fats might be a little trickier. And of course, there are overlaps on some foods.
I’ll lay out a small outline below for anyone who wants some more clarification.
Protein : Meats/Fish, Beans, Nuts & seeds, Eggs, Quinoa, Oats
Good fats : Avocado/Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Nuts/Nuts butters, Fish/Fish oil, Chia seeds, Coconut/Coconut oil
Something Fresh : Fruits, Veggies, Herbs
Once it is laid out like that, it’s very easy to see how you can incorporate one of each into every meal or snack. While I don’t ALWAYS accomplish this, I do try my best – and I definitely notice a difference in how long (or not so long) it is until I am hungry again.
Give this way of eating a shot – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Raising LeBar 