General guidelines for balance:

• combine some carbohydrate (carb) and protein at each meal
• have your plate about ¾ full with carbohydrates and ¼ full with protein
• add a little fat to at least some of your meals every day
• refuel every 3-6 hours (if you are consuming well-balanced meals it is normal to get hungry every 3-6 hours which is your signal to refuel with a meal or a snack)

Examples of well-balanced meals that are quick to throw together:

• turkey or chicken (protein) on whole wheat bread (carb) with mustard or mayonnaise (fat)
• broccoli with salad dressing (fat)
• dried Apricots (carb)

• bean salad made of legumes - kidney beans, white beans, chick peas (protein) mixed with vinegar and oil (fat)
• bagel (carb)
• mango slices (carb)

• hummus - a chick pea puree (protein) in a pita (carb)
• grapes (carb)
• glass of milk (protein + carb)

• crisp bread crackers (carb) and cheese (protein)
• apple (carb)
• homemade muffin (carb)

• tuna or egg (protein) mixed with mayonnaise (fat) on rye bread (carb)
• carrot sticks (carb)
• kiwi (carb)
• social tea cookies (carb)

• pasta with tomato sauce (carb)
• seafood, chicken, legumes, tofu or lean ground beef mixed in (protein)
• salad with dressing (fat)
• melon (carb)

• fish, poultry without the skin, or lean pork (tenderloin) or lean beef (inside round steak) - (protein)
• squash (carb)
• brown rice (carb)

• spinach salad with orange slices, walnuts and diced chicken or legumes (protein) with oil and vinegar dressing (fat)
• whole wheat roll (carb)
• yogurt (protein + carb)

• flour tortillas (carb) stuffed with low fat refried beans (protein), chopped green onion and tomato, yogurt and salsa
• glass of milk (protein + carb)
• fruit salad (carb)

Fueling every 3-6 hours may mean that you need a snack between meals to keep the engine running. If you get hungry between meals, here are some snacking ideas to keep you going:

• crackers with or without peanut butter or cheese
  
• yogurt
  
• pretzels
  
• dry cereals
  
• fruit - fresh or canned
  
• muffins
  
• bagels, buns, bread sticks
  
• carrot sticks, green pepper slices
  
• homemade trail mix - pretzels, dry cereal, dried fruit
  
• low fat cookies such as arrowroot, social tea, graham wafers, gingersnaps
• try slicing bananas and freezing in a container or frozen grapes for a change
  
  
  

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  So remember...
  
  • make sure you're well-hydrated
  • kick start your body with breakfast and
  • refuel every 3-6 hours during the day

  to maximize your energy level!