Most people wouldn’t use quick, healthy, and cheap in the
same sentence. After polling some of my peers, many wanted to know what they
can eat, being college students, that is easy and fast to prepare, healthy, and
doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I’m going to walk you through the components of
a healthy meal and give you some ideas! Most of the ingredients, when bought in
bulk or on sale, are not expensive!
What
Exactly Does a Healthy Meal Look Like?
Let’s start with the simple components. Every meal should
have:
·
Carbohydrates- Carbs break down into glucose
which is what your body uses for energy to keep you alive and moving. You
should get a little more than half of your daily calories from carbohydrates.
·
Protein- Protein is what helps your body
repair muscles and perform basic functions that you need to stay alive. The
average male needs about 56g of protein per day unless extremely active. The
average female needs about 46g of protein per day unless extremely active or
pregnant.
·
Fat- Fat is what your body uses for
energy when there are no carbohydrates left. It also helps to insulate and
cushion your organs. About 20-35% of your calories should come from fat. For
example, if you are eating 2,500 Calories/day you should be getting anywhere
from 55-97g of fat per day.
·
Fruit and/or Vegetable- Fruits and
vegetables should make up most of your meal! They have many vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, and fiber.
Now let’s talk about how to use this information to build a
healthy meal! The easiest way is to pick a food from every category and combine
them. You can also leave them separate for all those who don’t like casseroles
or one pot meals.
1. Pick a
carbohydrate- choose whole grain when possible. Good suggestions would be brown
rice, quinoa, wheat berries, oatmeal, Kamut, barley, whole grain bread, or
spelt. You can also use potatoes or sweet potatoes.
2. Choose a
protein- look for lean meats, poultry, and fish. Healthy options
include 90/10 ground beef, ground turkey breast, skinless chicken breasts,
tilapia, salmon, shrimp, tuna, low fat or fat free milk, eggs, beans, lentils, or
any cut of meat with the word “loin”. If
you are vegetarian or vegan, some good choices are tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans,
or lentils.
3. Incorporate
some fat- fat is essential for life, but many people get too much. The
type of fat also matters. You want to choose foods low in saturated fats and
high in healthy unsaturated fats like avocados, oil, nuts, seeds, flax seeds,
and salmon, which has high amounts of beneficial Omega-3 fats.
4. Add fruits
and vegetables- like I stated above, the majority of your meal should
be fruits/vegetables. There are TONS of choices! Some of the most popular
vegetables include broccoli, green beans, peas, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms,
bell peppers, onion, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, lettuce,
tomatoes, spinach, and corn. If you’re looking to branch out, try Brussels
sprouts, asparagus, kale, artichoke, collard greens, pumpkin, or sprouts. Fruit
choices include apples, oranges, pears, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe,
honeydew melon, bananas, kiwi, cherries, berries, and peaches. Try something
new with papaya, mango, plums, and nectarines.
Sample
Meals
Now that you know the basic components and choices for
healthy meals, here are some ideas!
·
Oatmeal with blueberries, strawberries, peanut butter,
and 1% milk
·
Whole grain cereal, cinnamon, banana, low fat or fat
free milk
·
2 egg omelet with spinach, red bell pepper, and low
fat cheddar cheese, slice of whole wheat toast with trans-fat free margarine
and jelly
·
Whole wheat turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and
avocado, carrot sticks, hummus, and a small apple or pear
·
Quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, spinach, and
salsa
·
Brown rice, low fat and low sodium cream of chicken
soup, chicken breasts, broccoli, and cauliflower
·
Baked pork loin, mashed potatoes, grilled zucchini and
squash
Here are some websites that have more healthy cooking ideas:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/healthy-eating-charts
For more on how to cook on a budget, visit the previous blog
post: http://sfadiningrd.blogspot.com/2014/11/healthy-eating-on-budget.html
References:
Written by Taylor Dees, SFA Dietetic Intern 2014-2015
Reviewed by Sarah Drake, MS, RD, LD
Reviewed by Sarah Drake, MS, RD, LD
No comments:
Post a Comment