What Makes a Meal Healthy? — A Dietitian’s Guide to Balanced Eating

As a dietitian I'm often asked "Is this healthy?" and yikes, what a loaded question. I need to know so much about you to answer that question appropriately, so my answer usually is "It depends!" and then I take the conversation further to determine health history, family history, food relationships, ect. . . sometimes the person who asks me wants to run away.

So what makes me answer "Yes!" to the healthy question? Its usually a whole meal and not just one specific food. This is because I'm looking for various nutrients, blood-glucose management (yes this is important whether you have diabetes or not), gut health, muscle maintenance, and taste, and this can rarely be fully met with just one food.

If you're born mid 90s or before (like me) you grew up learning the food pyramid, which unfortunately was difficult to apply to real life. MyPlate has replaced this pyramid, which is much more visual and actionable.

In general, all meals and snacks should follow this guideline.

If your plate is filled with

• a variety of colorful plants

  • fruits

  • vegetables

  • whole grains

• a lean protein

  • chicken

  • fish

  • beef

  • fermented tofu

  • eggs

  • greek yogurt, kefir

• a heart-healthy fat

  • avocado

  • cheese

  • oil-based dressing

there's a high chance I'll say its healthy. This is because the plants provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all needed to feed our gut, protect us from daily stressors and make bodily functions happen. The protein maintains and builds muscles, which keeps our metabolism going, strengthens our bones, enhances the lining of our intestines, to name a few. The fat gives us some flavor, the ability to absorb certain nutrients and helps us feel full.

When plants, protein and fat are eaten together in appropriate portions (look at the colors of each above) by someone with normal health, blood-glucose will be steady and a variety of nutrients will be consumed to then allow the body to do all the amazing things its meant to do. When portions of each are not as above, that's when discomfort, hunger, over-full, blood glucose highs and lows and nutrients deficiencies can set in and potentially cause health issues.

Different people have different needs and therefore my statements above may not be "healthy". This is why working with a dietitian to pinpoint specific needs and goals pertaining to the individual is recommended, and why I love my job so much.