This diet was born in one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, Harvard. Eating a complete, varied, and balanced diet is what the body needs. So nutrition experts at the Harvard School of Public Health put together a guide to creating healthy, balanced meals that can be served on a plate or taken in a Tupper. In this way, you can eat everything (or almost) but with the right proportions.
WHAT IS THE HEALTHY PLATE METHOD?
The healthy plate method helps you visually know the amounts to eat and allows you to forget about the scale to weigh food. The first thing you should do is imagine a plate and mentally divide it into 2 lines so that you have 3 servings left. Divide the plate into 2 halves and then divide one of them into two halves (that is, the plate must be divided by one half and two quarters)
- In the middle will be vegetables. You can eat vegetables of all colors and sizes, although it is always best to eat seasonal products. Whether cooked or raw, vegetables provide us with water, very few calories and are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- In one of the rooms you can serve foods rich in carbohydrates, that is, cereals: whole wheat, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and foods made with these ingredients, such as pasta. Remember that you should always opt for whole grains. Not only because they contain more fiber, but also because refined cereals such as white bread or white rice contain a higher glycemic index and have a greater impact on blood sugar control and excess weight. In this room, you can also put the tubers, like potatoes. And they will always be better if they are boiled or baked.
- In the remaining piece of the plate (the other quarter) you will put the foods with protein. Or in other words, the time has come for meat, fish, eggs, and legumes. You must give preference to legumes, blue and white fish and white meats such as chicken, turkey, or rabbit. Although you can eat red meat, limit your intake, and of course, if you want to lose weight, forget about processed meats like bacon or sausages.
So the dish will consist of 50% of vegetables, 25% of cereals, and another 25% of protein foods. As you can see, the type of carbohydrates in this diet is more important than the amount because some carbohydrate sources such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes are much healthier than others.
AND ALSO USE OLIVE OIL
To make it a rich and healthy diet, use olive oil to season or cook your dishes. If it is extra virgin, even better. Olive oil can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in the face of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. According to a study by the University of Bordeaux in France, the risk of cardiovascular accidents is 41% lower in people who regularly use olive oil compared to those who never use it.
Accompany your plate with a piece of fruit. As with vegetables, if they are in season, much better.
Regarding cooking, you should opt for grilled, baked, boiled, papillote, and steam foods and avoid fried and battered foods.
And finally, do not forget to hydrate yourself correctly from water avoiding sugary drinks.
FOR CHILDREN YOU CAN ALSO USE THE HEALTHY PLATE METHOD.
The healthy plate method is recommended for adults and children because it is a diet that provides all the nutrients the body needs. Therefore, it can be done as a family. Children can develop their healthy dish method from Nutriplato, a project of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu together with Nestlé that helps the little ones to improve eating habits and prevent overweight and obesity in children.
EXAMPLES OF HEALTHY DISHES.
BAKED SEA BASS WITH POTATOES AND STEW.
Sea bass is one of the leanest white fish since it has very little fat. Along with its high content of proteins of biological value as well as vitamins and minerals make it a perfect fish to consume frequently. For the garnish, the potatoes are ideal together with the vegetables from the stew.
LEMON CHICKEN WITH WILD ASPARAGUS AND BROWN RICE.
Chicken provides proteins of high biological value, that is, those that contain the 9 essential amino acids and that are found in foods of animal origin. You can accompany it with a little brown rice with sauteed asparagus.
COUSCOUS WITH GREEN BEANS AND GRILLED SALMON.
Grilled vegetables with sardines: Choose your favorite vegetables (seasonal) and cook them on the grill. If you accompany it with a toast of whole wheat bread with tomato and a couple of sardines on top, you have a very healthy and very complete dish. Sardine is a blue fish that although it contains more fat than sea bass, it is a great source of omega-3 that helps to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in addition to containing vitamins such as A, D, and E.
Complete the healthy plate diet with a good dose of exercise, either outdoors or at home.
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