An easy balanced eating plan for both beginners and seasoned cooks looking to simplify their routine and increase their intake of healthy foods.

Eating a balanced diet and planning simple meals and snacks can help clients reach their health goals. This program helps teach balanced diet basics with a variety of delicious meals and easy-to-follow recipes. The plan is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It limits sodium and added sugars.

The meals included in this program support bone health and the immune system while also providing adequate iron intake.

This program was created with the following key considerations:

Macronutrients
An ideal diet meets food group needs with nutrient-dense options and comprises over 40% carbohydrates, 10% to 30% protein, and under 40% fat. This plan contains a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, high-fiber whole grains and legumes, low-fat dairy, healthy fats, and lean proteins to provide adequate nutrition and fuel throughout the day.

Bone Building Nutrients
Calcium is a mineral that is essential for building healthy bones. Magnesium has a structural role in bone maintenance, influences bone-building cells, and modulates potential bone-damaging inflammation. This meal plan uses calcium-rich ingredients like fortified milk beverages, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds. Magnesium is incorporated from food sources like chickpeas and leafy greens.

Iron
Iron is an important mineral that helps produce red blood cells and transport oxygen throughout the body. Nutritional iron deficiency is common worldwide and can be prevented by including daily iron-rich foods. This meal plan provides iron sources like poultry, ground beef, and spinach.

Immune Support
Zinc and selenium are essential minerals critical for immune function. Zinc can be found in this plan from whole grains, legumes, nut butter, seeds, and meat. The plan provides over 80 mcg of selenium daily by incorporating eggs, beef, oats, and bananas. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help your body absorb more iron from iron-rich foods and prevent you from getting sick. This plan provides vitamin C from whole food sources like strawberries, broccoli, and bell pepper.