The Breakdown for Balance



Life is all about balance, and nutrition is most certainly no exception.  Knowing what to eat, when to eat it and how much of it to eat can be overwhelming.  The goal is to keep it simple and sustainable!


There are six nutrients our body needs to survive:


  1. Protein

  2. Carbohydrates

  3. Fats

  4. Vitamins

  5. Minerals

  6. Water


Of the essential nutrients, only three provide calories (protein, carbohydrates, fat) and are referred to as macronutrients.  Each plays a crucial role in our body’s ability to function.  


What is a balanced meal?


Building a balanced diet is a fancy way of saying “incorporate protein, carbohydrates and fat into each meal.”  The best way to do this?  Think about a trip to Chipotle each time you create a meal.  


You walk in the door, stand in line, and the order goes something like this:




The first three options are carbohydrates.  Next are proteins.  Followed by your high-fiber veggies and salsa (which you can fill your bowl or burrito with).  The last few options are fats and this is where your modest 400 calorie meal can quickly become 800 or 900.  Choosing one of these items is most important because fat calories are more than double those of carbohydrates and protein.  


Diet Trends


Our newsfeed of life can be flooded with various diet trends.  Striving for balance is what can ensure sustainability.  Some find dieting styles which work well for them and it is a wonderful thing!  A good rule of thumb is to avoid eliminating any one food or food group from your diet (with the exception of an allergy or intolerance) and have it all in moderation. 


Imagine the results we can achieve by simply changing ONE question.

Rather than “what do I want to eat?”, try asking yourself “what does my body need?” 


The Takeaway?


Don’t overthink it.  Use the example of a trip to Chipotle when building each meal.  Small changes yield big results because consistency is key.  So often we default to asking what we can remove from our diet to help us hit our goal.  Let’s flip the script and see what we can add to our plate that is nutrient dense and help us each balance.