Recipes for a balanced diet

There is no universal standardized recipe for a balanced diet. The core logic is that "each meal covers the three basic ingredients of cereals and potatoes/whole grains, high-quality protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and then dynamically adjusts according to one's own basal metabolism, taste preferences, and dietary restrictions." Ordinary people do not need to count the nutrients in the table to the gram. By following this large-scale meal plan, 90% of daily nutritional needs can be covered.

When I was doing fitness and nutrition consulting in the past two years, I met many people who asked for "standard recipes that are different every week." When they got back, they either found it difficult to buy the ingredients and made them difficult to cook, or they got tired of eating them for two or three days and gave up after a week. Some people directly copy the meals prepared by fitness bloggers, including boiled chicken breasts and brown rice. After eating them, their aunt loses her hair and blames "a balanced diet for not working." Oh, by the way, at that time, we often encountered two completely opposite catering schools quarreling with each other: proponents of low-carb ketosis believed that cereals and potatoes raised blood sugar quickly and were completely "junk nutrition", while relying on fat for energy was more stable and could cause weight loss quickly. ； Traditional nutrition researchers also say that carbohydrates are the core source of energy for the brain. Long-term lack of carbohydrates can lead to slow reactions and depression.

In fact, there is nothing wrong with both sides of the argument. The problem lies in "imposing a template regardless of the group of people." If you have high blood sugar, or you need to control fat in a short period of time to prepare for competitions, you may feel better if you cut out refined rice noodles and replace them with high-quality fats for energy. ； But if you are an ordinary office worker who works from 9 to 5 and can’t even get 6,000 steps between commuting and walking every day, you will most likely not be able to make it through 3 p.m. without carbohydrates, and you will be yawning at the computer screen all day long, and you won’t even be able to count on taking out takeaways.

The most worry-free adapted version of catering I have ever seen was made by a planning colleague at my former company. She never cares about the caloric-to-macro ratio, and the bento she brings every day is packed with "a small box of staple food, a palm-sized egg white, and a half box of vegetables": brown rice with fried pangasius + stir-fried broccoli on Monday, steamed pumpkin with braised beef + cold spinach on Tuesday, and sometimes when she is too lazy, she just boils corn, two tea eggs and a box of washed tomatoes, which can be done in ten minutes. After eating like this for more than three months, her previous physical examination revealed that the problems of high blood lipids and excessive low-density lipoprotein had improved. It was much more effective than her previous takeout and light meals until she had diarrhea.

If you are a student party and can only eat in the cafeteria, it is easier. Just put together three items when cooking: one portion of rice/steamed buns, one portion of meat dishes (chicken legs, steamed fish, scrambled eggs are all fine, try to choose ones that are not stir-fried with heavy oil), two portions of vegetarian dishes. If you are afraid that it will not be enough, add some blanched vegetables. For about ten yuan, you can have a balanced meal, which is much better than eating instant noodles and burgers every meal. Oh, by the way, it doesn’t matter if you are a vegetarian. Replacing the meat protein with plant proteins such as tofu, chickpeas, and quinoa can still meet your needs. I have a friend who is a vegetarian. He relies on multigrain rice + fried tofu + two servings of vegetables for every meal. The physical examination indicators are normal than many people who eat meat.

There have been many arguments in the popular science group about whether snacks such as milk tea can be eaten when eating a balanced diet. Some people say that eating something high in sugar and oil will be considered a failure, while others say that there is no need to wrong yourself if you eat what you want. My own experience is that there is no need to make a balanced diet an ascetic-like task. Leave a "flexible quota" 1-2 times a week. You can drink milk tea if you want, and eat hot pot if you want. As long as the three meals most of the time comply with the basic framework, it will not affect your health at all. On the contrary, it will not be easy to overeat due to being suppressed for too long. After all, what we want is a lifelong eating habit, not a three- to five-month sudden weight loss package.

When I first learned about nutrition, I had to go through a trap. I had to use a food scale to weigh every meal: 100g brown rice, 80g chicken breast, 150g green leafy vegetables, and even the oil was measured in grams. After eating for half a month, I felt sick when I saw chicken breasts. Later, I simply threw away the scale. Based on my fist, I roughly estimate: one punch of staple food, one palm of protein, two punches of vegetables. If you want to eat braised pork ribs, cook two more pieces, and just fill it with less than half a spoonful of rice. Instead, I have persisted for almost three years. Now all the indicators in the physical examination are normal, and I don’t have to calculate in front of the food chart all day long.

To put it bluntly, the recipe for a balanced diet is never a fixed menu printed on the Internet that requires you to follow it word for word. It is a personalized combination that makes you feel comfortable eating, energetic when you wake up the next day, and your physical examination indicators are normal. Don’t be fooled by those “10 must-eat healthy foods” and “diet blacklists that you must never touch”. The best balanced diet is the one that suits you.

Oh yes, a final reminder: If you have special diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease, don’t make random plans on your own. Be sure to find a clinical nutritionist to customize a plan based on your condition. Ordinary people can follow the above framework and basically won’t go wrong.