What Is A Balanced Meal?

Looking at it from the typical western standard approach, “left brain approach,” we define it as one that provides you with all your nutritional needs, the macronutrients and micronutrients. 

But I want to introduce another way of looking at it, the “right brain approach” which defines a balanced meal as one that not only provides you with all your nutritional needs, but also satisfies your taste buds, color, texture, aroma, and how food makes you feel - an energetically balanced meal.  I learned this complementary approach while attending my chef’s training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute, and I have been incorporating it ever since, when putting together meals for myself, family and clients. 

Nutritionally speaking, a balanced meal is one that contains all the nutrients needed for your body to function at optimal levels. The macronutrients (defined as essential nutrients in large quantities): proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water; and the micronutrients (small quantities required, but also essential) vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, to meet your nutritional needs, the goal is to include these foods in your daily meals:

Carbohydrates - whole grains, beans, vegetables, seeds, fruits;
Proteins - beans, bean products, fish, seeds, nuts, meat, eggs, dairy;
Fats and oils - cooking oils, nut butters, nuts, seeds, butter, animal foods;
Minerals - salts, sea vegetables, vegetables, fish, lean grass-fed meat;
Vitamins - vegetables, fruits, sea vegetables;
Enzymes - fermented foods, raw vegetables and fruits;
Water - spring water, vegetables, fruits;

The “right brain approach” on the other hand, is a bit more subtle, but still quite easy and interesting concept to practice when putting a meal together. Rather than classifying your needs as macro and micro nutrients, they are classified slightly differently, though as you will see the ultimate goal is still the same.  Practitioners of Chinese medicine have been relying on this concept for centuries, and is associated with the Five Elements Theory, here food is classified into Five Phases (among everything else). 

Under those elements, flavor, color, and texture, play an important role. The theory is that each of these flavors is found in the tongue, so if each is incorporated in the meal, the meal will be satisfying.  Also each of these flavors is associated with an organ system in the body, so food from each category need to be eaten every day to nourish all of the organs.

The flavors are: bitter, sweet, spicy/pungent, salty, and sour.  Under this theory all foods are classified in one of these flavors, here are the most common examples:

Bitter: leafy green vegetables:  kale, collards, broccoli, parsley, Brussels sprouts, chicory, dandelion greens, endive, mustard greens, cucumber, chard.
Sweet: yellow-orange vegetables:  cooked carrots; winter squash (acorn, butternut, buttercup, delicata) sweet corn, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yams.
Spicy or Pungent: ginger, garlic, mustard, watercress, raw red and white radish, scallions, onions, leeks, horseradish.
Salty: sea salt, miso, shoyu, tamari, salty condiments, and sea vegetables.
Sour: vinegars, sauerkraut, sour pickles, lemons and limes.

The goal is to have at each meal something sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy/pungent.  A note about sweet flavors. It is not the one coming from ice cream, or sugar sweetened beverages.  Here we are talking about the sweetness as it comes from some foods, for example sweet potatoes or butternut squash.  Orange vegetables are the ideal candidates in this category.

The colors associated are green, red, yellow, white and gray/deep purple/ brown/black.
The goal again is to incorporate all these colors in your meals.

Green: leafy greens, kale, collards, broccoli, parsley, etc
Red: tomatoes, red peppers
Yellow: yellow-orange vegetables, squashes, carrots,, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, yams
White: garlic, onions, radishes, scallions, leeks, horseradish, ginger, mustard
Gray/deep purple, brown, black: sea vegetables, sea salt, miso, shoyu

Incorporating texture, means, having creamy, crunchy, chewy consistencies:
Here is an example: if you are making oatmeal porridge for breakfast. The oats will give you the chewy consistency, adding a little butter will give you some more creamy consistency – if you cook the oatmeal starting with cold water it will get very creamy! Then add some roasted or soaked raw nuts for crunchiness, and you are all set.

Here is another example of an energetically balanced meal:
Roasted winter vegetables: sweet potatoes, parsnips, (sweet, orange and white colors)
Broiled fish with fresh ginger and scallions (salty and sharp/pungent)
Green salad, include either Belgian endives or watercress (bitter and crunchy) with dressing (sour).

The food for thought I want to leave you with, is that ultimately the goal is to consume a meal that will leave you satisfied, (but not overly full), will give you lasting energy that will carry you thru till your next meal (rather than a quick burst but short –lived), and that also have satisfied all your taste buds in terms of colors, flavors and textures.
Another way of looking at creating balance with your meals is the acid-alkaline concept, but lets leave it for another time…