You need the right fuel to keep yourself going on the job site. Ensuring your meals are properly balanced gives your body the nutrients it needs to produce energy. While the macronutrients—protein, carbs, and fats—are the foundation of a healthy diet, let’s not forget the micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—found in fruits and vegetables.  

Here’s a rundown of what goes into a balanced meal and the details you need to know to get started. 

The basics of a balanced meal

A balanced meal consists of four parts:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Healthy fats
• Fiber

If we break it down further, we need six essential nutrients for survival: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. Carbs, fats, and proteins are considered “macronutrients,” meaning they supply energy and form the bulk of our diets. “Micronutrients,” on the other hand, are needed in much smaller quantities and consist of vitamins and minerals—they are critical for optimal body system function. 

While water isn’t technically a nutrient in and of itself, it falls under macronutrients due to the quantities needed for optimal body function.

There are no hard and fast rules for how much of each macronutrient should be in your meal, but it’s best to incorporate some of each in every meal. Your exact nutrient requirements will depend on your current body composition and health goals. For example, if your goal is overall health, you may focus on a 50/20/30 ratio of carbs/fats/protein, whereas if you want to gain muscle, you may shift that to consume more protein, which may look like a 35/20/45 ratio. 

Balanced meal breakdown

Now that we understand what creates a balanced meal, let’s dig into each category.

Protein 

Ideally, around ¼ of your plate should be protein, but this may look different for everyone based on their optimal protein requirements. Including an adequate amount of protein is essential for maintaining muscle tissue, red blood cell production, and promoting enzyme and hormone production. 

However, not all proteins are created equal. Protein comes in two forms:

• Complete proteins contain all essential amino acids (EAAs) necessary to build functional proteins. These amino acids can’t be produced by the body alone and must come from exogenous (external) food sources. Ideally, aim to consume as many complete proteins as possible.
• Incomplete proteins only contain a portion of these essential amino acids in varying amounts, so the ratios of EAAs are imbalanced. Therefore, they cannot fully contribute to forming functional proteins. If you consume incomplete proteins, pair them with complimentary incomplete proteins to create a complete protein. For example, rice and beans contain amino acids that balance out the other’s shortfalls.

In addition to the roles above, protein is also critical for recovery during illness, making it increasingly important to support immune health as the colder months approach.

Best picks: Seafood, shellfish, eggs, red meat, poultry, milk, pulses, yogurt, tofu, cheese, and nuts/seeds.

Complex carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates are another staple in a balanced meal. While low-carb diets have been a fad for ages, they’re not ideal for people in physical jobs, as they need a steady energy supply for optimal productivity and performance.

Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for the brain, muscles, and other vital organs. They break down into glucose, which travels through the bloodstream to provide tissues and organs with ATP (energy). 

There are two main sources of carbohydrates:

1. Simple carbohydrates: Have a basic chemical structure that is easy for the body to digest. They are absorbed rapidly and provide an almost immediate source of energy. Simple carbs often produce a rapid spike in blood sugar, generally followed by a crash a few hours later.
2. Complex carbohydrates: Carbohydrates with longer, more complex sugar chains that take longer to digest are considered complex. These are typically high in fiber and elicit a much slower release of glucose into the bloodstream, providing a more sustained energy supply. 

When it comes to choosing the “healthier” option, complex carbs are the preferred choice since they provide your body with additional nutrients and a more sustained supply of energy. That said, simple carbohydrates have their place, especially for people on physical jobs who need an immediate energy supply. As a general recommendation, stick to complex carbs for most meals, but don’t eliminate simple carbs from your diet. 

Best picks: Wholegrain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread, barley, whole-grain cereal, and oats.

Healthy fats

When it comes to fats, there are several types, not all of which are considered healthy:

• Saturated fats: From poor-quality sources, saturated fat can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Having a high LDL cholesterol increases your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and stroke. 
• Transfats: Also called trans-fatty acids, these fats increase your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol. Nutritionally speaking, transfats are the least healthy and should be avoided whenever possible. 
• Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs): These fat molecules contain one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, making them liquids at room temperature. It’s ideal to consume MUFAs instead of saturated or trans fats for good health. 
• Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs): Polyunsaturated fats are another healthy fat choice that contains two or more unsaturated carbon bonds in the molecule, making them slightly more solid than MUFAs. Similarly, though, they reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and subsequently the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Some of the best choices for healthy fats (MUFAs and PUFAs) include nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil/olives, and cold-water fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, etc.)

Saturated fats often come from animal products, such as meats like beef, poultry, or lamb. Although meat inherently has saturated fats, levels increase when the skin is left on. Full-fat dairy products like cream and butter also naturally contain saturated fats (and small amounts of naturally-derived trans fat). Although generally considered unhealthy, this isn’t always the case. Saturated fats in coconut products and natural full-fat dairy are healthy to consume in moderation. Still, there’s debate on whether beef tallow and lard are healthier alternatives to industrial seed oils. The reason for this is that while some long-chain fatty acids raise your LDL, some saturated fats may benefit other markers referred to as atherogenic dyslipidemia, and concentrations of small, dense LDL particles decrease.

Put simply, not all saturated fat is bad for your health—choose what you consume wisely. 

Trans fats, however, are almost always an unhealthy choice. They can raise your bad cholesterol (non-HDL) in your bloodstream, increasing your risk of heart attack, stroke, or even vascular dementia. 

Vegetable oils, also known as industrial seed oils, are highly processed and extracted from the seeds of various plants. Despite some organizations promoting them as heart-healthy, vegetable oil intake should be reduced or eliminated. They contain free radicals—unstable molecules that damage other cells—and are overly processed with an unbalanced ratio of omega 6:3 fats. High levels of omega-6s compared to omega-3s exacerbate inflammation in the body, which increases the risk of numerous chronic diseases. Industrial seed oils include:

• Sunflower oil
• Corn oil
• Canola oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Safflower oil
• Vegetable oil
• Peanut oil
• Rice bran oil

Best picks: Nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut/coconut products, olives/olive oil, cold-water fatty fish, full-fat dairy products.

Fruit and vegetables

Vegetables and fruit are essential for micronutrient and fiber intake and should make up the bulk of your plate. They are also rich in phytonutrients like antioxidants, which promote and maintain health through anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory agents. A high intake of fruits and vegetables provides your body with the micronutrients and fiber needed to keep body systems and metabolism running optimally. Many nutrients in fruits and vegetables play an important role in maintaining healthy cells and repairing tissue damage caused by specific metabolic processes or external pollutants. 

On top of that, these foods add bulk to your meals to enhance satiety and regulate bowel movements. Ideally, aim for half of your plate to be vegetables. Fruit can be included in a healthy diet, but it’s best eaten on its own, away from main meals.

Best picks: Spinach, broccoli, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, beets, peas, bell peppers, apples, bananas, cherries, oranges, and berries (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, cranberry).

What to avoid in meals

Keeping meals balanced and healthy is simple, but food shopping also bombards consumers with unhealthy options. As a general rule of thumb, stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store—the inner aisles are where the processed foods live. 

Here’s what you should avoid in your meals.

Processed/refined grains

Processed grains are whole grains that have been subjected to processing. In their most natural form, grains contain several layers—germ, bran, and endosperm—containing vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These layers and the nutrition that comes with them are stripped away during the refining process. Milling removes the bran, the important fiber-heavy outer layer. Then, the germ layer, which is full of fatty acids and vitamin E, is stripped. 

Put simply, refined grains are relatively nutrient-devoid, making them less ideal choices than whole grains and minimally refined carbohydrates. 

Sugar

On average, roughly 33% of the sugar we consume is added sugar. Overconsumption puts you at a greater risk for several chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cognitive decline, and certain cancers. Excessive sugar consumption also wreaks havoc on your metabolism, increasing blood sugar and your risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and dental issues. 

Generally speaking, avoid any products with processed sugars—white sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and any other 50+ names disguising sugar. Opt for natural sugars like honey, maple syrup, date syrup, molasses, stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol to keep things clean.

Unhealthy fats (industrial seed oils)

As mentioned earlier, not all fats are created equal. Industrial seed oils—canola, cottonseed, grapeseed, vegetable—are heated to extremely high temperatures, producing free radicals that damage cells and lead to inflammation and oxidative stress. The byproducts created during the processing of these oils pose significant risks to long-term health. As such, they should be avoided whenever possible.

Man-made trans fats are another category of fats that should be avoided. Consuming trans fats increases bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lowers good (HDL) cholesterol levels, leading to a higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke. The consumption of trans fats has also been linked to a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Salt

Overconsumption of salt can cause high blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. Around 75% of the salt we consume comes from everyday packaged foods, like cereal, deli meats, and breads. Avoiding processed and packaged foods is an easy way to reduce salt consumption.

Opt for low-sodium options to keep your meals more heart-healthy, and consider swapping your good ol’ table salt for Redmond Real Salt—a pure, unrefined salt containing 60+ naturally occurring trace minerals.

Bottom line

A balanced meal containing protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and fruit and vegetables is a simple way to maintain energy levels and productivity for long shifts. Fast food and pre-packaged meals can be tempting and convenient, but cooking doesn’t have to be boring—it can be clean, healthy, and still flavorful and satiating. Plus, nutrient-rich foods make you feel better. 

Overly processed foods with industrial seed oils, sugar, and too much salt can put you at risk for several diseases or dangerous medical events like heart attack and stroke. Are you willing to take that risk in an industry where cardiovascular complications are already high? Think twice about what you’re cooking to feel your best, and load up your plate (or lunch bag) with what’s in your body’s best interest.

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