Men’s Health Month: Building a Healthy Plate

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Redesign Your Plate.
More than half should be vegetables, complex carbs or beans and think color! 

Wrap-It Up.
Use a few  fresh salad leaves such as kale or spinach, add tomatoes, avocado, your choice of meat with a whole grain tortilla.

Good Ol’ Faithful Chicken & Rice
… and veggies! Make your life easy by grilling an extra piece of chicken for dinner and use left-over brown rice (could use quinoa too) and vegetables to make a tasty cold salad.

Plan-ahead! Roast a cookie sheet of veggies with olive oil, salt, pepper at 350 for 30 minutes. You have your veggie servings for the rest of the week. (start with already cut up and clean veggies, use tin foil for less clean up)

Baked Sweet Potato
If you have a microwave at work, just pop your baked potato in to heat it up and bring a separate pot with beans, tuna or other healthy toppings.

  • Brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt
  • Maple syrup, butter and toasted pecans
  • Sour cream, chives, salt and pepper
  • Blue cheese, walnuts, and honey
  • Mini marshmallows, brown sugar and cinnamon (pop it under the broiler to toast the marshmallows a bit)
  • Beef, Turkey or Veggie Chili
  • Sloppy Joe meat
  • Taco seasoned beef or chicken
  • Black beans, corn, salsa and avocado
  • Shredded chicken tossed with BBQ sauce
  • Almond butter, granola, berries and honey
  • Peanut butter, sliced bananas, honey and cinnamon
  • Vanilla yogurt and berries

Soup From the Freezer
Homemade soup is simple to prepare and can be frozen into separate portions for days when you don’t have time to prepare lunch. Add vegetables, barley, beans and lentils to bulk it up.

Protein Quinoa Bowl
Toss together your choice of fresh or cooked vegetables with cooked quinoa, fresh herbs, and a vinaigrette dressing. Add nuts, boiled egg or mashed avocado for variety. East to prep & pack.

The Classic Sandwich
Start with whole grain bread and make sure to have a handful of greens like spinach, arugula or kale.  Then go for color such as tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, or artichokes. Think of hummus or avocado for your dressing.  Give goat cheese a try, you will be pleasantly surprised. A Greek yogurt chicken salad  with grapes, nuts and seeds can add variety to the easy-to-pack sandwich! 

Salmon
Fresh or canned, salmon is ideal to mix with pasta, rice, or cold boiled potatoes as the basis for a nutritious and filling lunchtime meal.

Need more? Schedule a time with Vanessa, P50’s Registered Dietitian, to talk specific to your needs, your lifestyle, and your goals!
Call 751-2974 or email her at vanessa.lennick@proximal50.com.