Assembling a Balanced Meal

Eating healthy looks different for everyone, but a common misconception is that it means only eating salad vegetables and boring food, leaving you feeling unsatisfied and hungry. But this is not the case! Whilst vegetables are super important, there are other components to include in your meals which are equally as crucial. 


A meal should be balanced, providing your body with a range of nutrients and leaving you feeling satisfied, reducing the need to snack excessively between meals. Incorporating all of the components of a balanced meal also makes eating vegetables more exciting and leaves you with endless meal variations. Eating in a balanced approach, instead of being restrictive, is also more likely to lead to a sustainable, long term dietary change.

Carbohydrates the body’s preferred source of energy, especially our brains which use about 20% of the body's energy. Carbohydrate rich foods also provide us with a range of other nutrients including fibre, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The Australian Dietary guidelines actually recommend that 45-65 percent of our energy intake should come from carbohydrates, so there is no need to fear carbs! 

When assembling a meal, ensure that you have included at least one source of carbohydrate. Some options include:

To ensure you are getting enough to meet guidelines, the carbohydrate portion of your meal should be roughly a quarter of the overall dish. It is best to choose wholemeal and wholegrain varieties of grain products (e.g. wholemeal/wholegrain bread or pasta) over more refined grain options (e.g. white bread or pasta) as they contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals. 

2. Protein

Protein is a crucial part of a healthy diet as it helps to build and repair our muscles and is used to make hormones and enzymes which carry out important bodily functions. Protein also plays an important role in promoting satiety. When we eat protein, it is broken down into amino acids which are absorbed into our blood. This causes our body to release hormones that let us know that we are satisfied and no longer hungry. The protein portion should also be roughly a quarter for a balanced meal. 

For a balanced meal, ensure you have a source of protein, such as:

3. Fat

Fats are essential as they help produce hormones, support cell function and allow our bodies to absorb fat soluble vitamins - vitamin A, D, E and K. Additionally, fat slows down our gastric emptying, meaning food is kept in the stomach longer, keeping us feeling fuller for longer. Some fats are healthier than others. It is best to limit your intake of saturated fat which is found mostly in animal based products such as dairy foods and meats, as well as palm oil, coconut products and deep fried or high fat snack foods (e.g. chips, crackers, biscuits). 

Healthy fats in small amounts form part of a balanced meal. This includes:

4. Colour - aka fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide us with fibre, as well as a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Choosing different coloured fruits and vegetables increases the variety of vitamins and minerals we consume. Fruit and vegetables also bulk up our meals with volume, without adding lots of energy. The volume keeps us feeling fuller for longer without eating more energy or kilojoules than our body needs. Getting enough fruit and vegetables can reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Ensuring each meal is half filled with fruit and/or vegetables is a great step in ensuring you are eating enough fruits and vegetables.