Feeling your best begins with fueling up on the right foods. We worked with our Wegmans nutritionists to create these delicious balanced meal options to help you make the most of every meal.
A balanced meal includes three food groups, such as a protein, veggie, and whole grain, and often includes a healthy fat, like nuts or oil.
If you’re following a low carb diet you can substitute the whole grain with a serving of non-starchy vegetables.
Balanced Meal Must-Haves
Vegetables
Start with produce for antioxidant plant compounds that support an active lifestyle.
Protein
Add a protein like chicken, fish or veggie burgers to help you feel full longer.-
Whole Grains
Balanced Meals We Love
Plant-Forward Balanced Meals
Most adults and children snack multiple times a day. In fact, snacking makes up about 50% of all eating, which means the choices you make during snack time affect your health as much as your meals! It’s all too easy to snack on foods that don’t necessarily support your health goals. So, smart snacking is key to getting all your food groups and nutrients.
What Makes a Smart Snack?
Snacking helps keep hunger at bay between meals and provides an opportunity to get the foods and nutrients you need to support your health. Smart snacks are those that pack a nutritious punch: fruits & veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and dairy make great snacking choices. Try picking two food groups, with one choice providing protein (such as nuts or cheese); protein at snack time can help keep you full and may help regulate blood sugar between meals. Go for snacks that are just enough to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Protein at snack time can help keep you full and may help regulate blood sugar between meals.
Snacking Success
Set yourself up for success by choosing snacks that are both easy and delicious. Pre-portioned and portable snacks are a great start. It’s also important that you want to eat your snack; be sure to choose snacks that appeal to you and that offer a variety of tastes and textures so that snacking is an enjoyable experience.
3 Smart Snacks
Baby Carrots and Hummus
Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes
Blueberries with Greek Yogurt and Granola
Go for Nuts and Seeds
The fiber and plant protein in nuts and seeds help you feel full, so enjoying them as a snack or sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt, salads or soup can be a great way to help with weight management.
Almonds and peanuts are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which may help decrease damage to cells and slow the development of plaque in your arteries. And most nuts are a good source of the mineral magnesium, often linked to healthy blood pressure and diabetes prevention.
Many studies have shown that eating nuts and seeds improves cholesterol, reduces inflammation, and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
What about the fat?
Nuts and seeds have significantly more unsaturated fats than saturated fats. These healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats are linked to heart health. Among all plants, walnuts and chia and flaxseed contain some of the highest levels of Omega-3s, a special unsaturated fat shown to promote brain and heart health and reduce inflammation.
Delicious Recipes with Nuts
