The complete balanced meal planner

Here it is: the dietitian-devised complete balanced meal planner! Choose any combination of steps 1-6 and you will create a healthy, and flavoursome, balanced meal. Give it a try for yourself and have a go planning your dinners (or lunches) for the week.

Step 1: Choose your protein

This should take up ¼ of your plate. Choose lean meats and trimmed of skin and fat, dried or reduced salt tinned versions of lentils and other legumes, raw or dry roasted, unsalted nuts and natural nut and seed butters (without added sugar or salt) and reduced fat dairy, where possible.

Meat:

100g beef, lamb, kangaroo, veal, chicken, turkey, pork or fish (in the form of mince, steak, breast, diced, sliced, tinned, skewers, rissoles, meatballs, etc)

Meat alternatives:

2 large eggs

170g tofu or tempeh

1 C lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, cannellini beans and other legumes

30g nuts, seeds, or nut or seed paste

Dairy:

1 cup (250mL) milk

½ cup (120mL) evaporated milk

2 slices (40g) hard cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, fetta)

½ (120g) cup soft cheese (ricotta, cottage)

¾ cup (200g) plain natural or Greek-style yoghurt

Step 2: Choose your carbohydrate

This should take up another ¼ of your plate. Choose wholegrain and low GI versions where possible.

Grains:

1 cup cooked pasta (spaghetti, penne, risoni, lasagne sheets, cannelloni tubes, wonton wrappers etc), noodles (rice, egg), rice, quinoa, pearl barley, buckwheat, bulgur, polenta or semolina

2 slices bread, 1 medium roll, 1 flatbread (wrap, pita etc)

4 crispbreads

2 small English muffins or crumpets

1/3 cup flour (wheat, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, corn) or breadcrumbs- into patties, pancakes etc

Starchy vegetables:

1 medium potato, sweet potato, parsnip, taro or cassava

1 medium corn cob

1 cup lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, cannellini beans and other legumes

Step 3: Choose your vegetables

This should take up the remaining ½ of your plate. Each of the following is 1 serve; aim for 3 or more serves to fill half your plate. Choose fresh, frozen, or reduced salt tinned versions and as many different colours as possible.

Cooked:

½ cup cooked green, orange, white or purple vegetables (e.g. broccoli, carrot, pumpkin, cauliflower, mushrooms, beetroot, etc)

½ cup cooked beans, peas, lentils or other legumes

Raw:

1 cup leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, rocket, kale, silverbeet, etc)

1 cup raw salad vegetables (cucumber, capsicum, sprouts, etc)

1 medium tomato

Step 4: Choose your cooking method for each element

Note: Plate elements (protein, carbohydrate and vegetables) can be cooked together or cooked and kept separately.

Boil

Microwave

Steam

BBQ/grill

Stir-fry

Pan-fry

Poach

Bake/roast

Stew/casserole

Toast

Step 5: Choose your flavour base

Usually in tablespoon quantities per plate.

Marinade

Tomato

Stock

White or red wine

Soy/tamari/hoisin/oyster/fish sauce

Herb or spice rub

Reduced fat cream or evaporated milk

Pesto

Curry paste

Step 6: Choose your flavour additions

Usually in teaspoon or tablespoon quantities per plate.

Herbs- fresh, dried or paste

Spices

Onion

Garlic

Chilli

Ginger

Lemon, lime or other citrus

Cheese- parmesan, fetta, ricotta, mozzarella, etc

Condiments- mustard, chilli jam, etc

Olive or nut oils