Build A Better Plate Anywhere
Coach Al your Pursuit Performance nutrition coach here with tips and tricks when it comes to building your ideal plate even with limited access, time and resources. Most folks have an idea of what’s ideal when it comes to approaching their nutrition goals, but over the last 10 years and counting most common piece of feedback I receive from those trying to be more mindful about nutrition and optimize their choices for their goals is: But what do I eat? Your plate should be a combination of all 3 major macronutrients: a protein, carb, and fat source. Fruits and veggies should also have a spot on your plate for increased satiety and your
micronutrient (vitamins, minerals and your friend fiber) needs. Here are some examples of foods that’ll help you hit those macronutrients you can add to your
grocery cart to help you prepare for the upcoming week:
PROTEIN SOURCES
-Chicken breast (whole or ground)
-Turkey breast (whole or ground)
-Lean steak
-Ground beef
-Egg whites
-Shell fish
-White fish
-Tuna steak/swordfish
-Salmon
-1 can low sodium salmon
-1 can of low sodium tuna fish
-Greek yogurt
-Cottage cheese
-Whey protein isolate or powder of choice
VEGETARIAN PROTEIN SOURCES
-Tofu
-Tempeh
-Edamame
-Chickpea pasta
-Seitan or vital wheat gluten
-Beans
-Low or fat free feta
-Vegan protein bar
-Nutritional yeast
-Vegan protein powder of choice (pea, rice, soy, egg white based are all good options)
CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES
-Quinoa
-Oatmeal
-Cream of rice
-Whole grain pasta
-Sprouted grain bread
-Sourdough bread
-White, brown or black rice
-Yams or sweet potatoes (orange, white, yellow, Asian, blue are all great options).
-Winter squash (kabocha, delicata, acorn, butternut and spaghetti).
-Parsnips
-Beets
-Cruciferous veggies
-All fruit (fruit is an amazing carb source loaded with nutrients and fiber depending on your
choices).
-Raw honey
FAT SOURCES
-Nut butter
-Seed butter
-Coconut butter
-Nuts
-Peanuts
-Olive oil
-MCT oil
-Coconut oil
-Avocado
-Flax meal
-Flax oil
-Hemp seeds
-Whole eggs
On a budget? Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious, won’t go bad on you as quickly as fresh, and are often cheaper for larger quantities. Buying grains, meats and even protein powder in bulk is always the move here, as well. Say you haven’t gone to the store and you’re not prepared. Don’t trip!
We can make it work with limited options, team. Maybe you’re at the airport, a rest stop or it’s late and nothing but a corner store is open. Let’s take our balanced plate approach and throw together a parfait! Grab a container (or 2) of Greek yogurt (protein), a medium piece of fruit (carbs) and a small bag of raw nuts (fats) and you’ve got yourself a quick meal that covers all your bases you can put together almost anywhere.
Protein bars and shakes are also quick meal replacement options to cover all your macros in one, and things like hard boiled eggs, fruit cups, and fresh veggies are almost always available at these places to add meal replacements to ensure a balanced plate. Need something quick before practice or a workout? Now that’s a little bit of a different story. Pre-workout plates should focus on quick digesting carbs (purposely keep the fiber low) moderate protein, and low fat. The goal is to digest and use this meal for energy as efficiently as possible. The more aerobic in nature the activity the less volume we want (think liquid meals/calories and energy gels). For something like weight training a more substantial meal given enough time to digest will be ideal.
Let’s look at your grocery list: Cream of rice or oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder and
some nut butter is the Coach Al go-to, here. Lean protein and white rice or egg whites and
toast/fruit are also some of my favorite pre workout meals.
Not all foods are created equally in terms of their nutrient density and energy balance, so when
you’re making choices keep in mind certain foods will have a bigger or lesser bang for the
caloric buck. For example, leafy green veggies and fruit such as berries, root veggies, most
grains, and lean protein are generally great choices for fat loss because we can eat more of those (volume) for less calories. Foods in the same quantities with more calories per serving will be ideal for those trying to gain muscle or for longer duration exercise days. Everybody is different, and your nutrition approach should reflect what will work best for you and your goals.
All of this is an effort to get you started. Interested in chatting more about your specific nutritional strategy? Don't remember to sign up for Gains For Girls February 1st, and if you can't make it email me to schedule a FREE consultation:
Coach Al,
allyson@onthepursuit.fit