Many people want to know “how to eat”. While it ultimately comes down to what your personal goals are, there are general guidelines to help you structure your meals. This is the case whether its for feeling better and having stable energy throughout the day, losing weight, or increasing performance. Lets look at several examples that are nutritious and taste great.
This example is a lightly wilted spinach salad with mixed nuts (pistachios, walnuts, almonds), dried cherries and cranberries, and Gorgonzola. 
You could substitute goat cheese and the flavors would still very nicely complement one another. Aside from the flavor combinations, the real benefits are in the food combinations. Spinach has the highest Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of any vegetable- the overall effect of the food’s antioxidants in the body. By lightly wilting the spinach in the pan, you are able to consume more volume of spinach at one time (about six times as much) compared to raw- without appreciably degrading the nutrients. Low-medium heat for five minutes at the most is all you need. You can add the nuts and fruit in the pan as well just beforehand, to lightly toast and to let the flavors start to meld together. Add the cheese just as you turn off the heat.
What you have is a meal that contains not only some of the best antioxidant sources available, but you also have healthy fats in the way of nuts (the kind that helps lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and animal source protein from the cheese to help make use of the plant-sourced nut protein. Plant proteins are what we call incomplete proteins- they need to have a certain ratio of all nine essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of life, and all of our body’s tissues need complete protein provided in the diet. While animal source protein contains complete protein with the right proportion of essential amino acids, we have to be cognizant of the choices we make when selecting vegetarian options. The next example takes care of this.
This example can be enjoyed hot or cold. Its eggplant with quinoa and lentils. 
The lentils are from the legume family and are high in fiber and minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. When combined with quinoa, a sort of sand-sized high-fiber grain from the flats of Bolivia, you now have a vegan-friendly complete protein. I make my own tomato sauce that I used as a base liquid. I caramelize shallots and garlic in olive oil, then simmer plum tomatoes in the same pan for about a half hour. I boiled lentils and quinoa, then added them to the tomato sauce while in the pan. You can add as much or as little broth as you like for the consistency you’re looking for. The eggplant I broiled in the oven for just a few minutes before cutting up and adding to the pan. Make sure to leave eggplant out for a half hour before cooking, as it will draw out excess water that you can easily wipe away.
This light but satisfying example is mixed berries with walnuts. 
Berries are low-glycemic and high in antioxidant content, so you get a two for one deal: low-glycemic prevents body fat accumulation, and the rich micronutrient content enables your body’s cells to work more efficiently and use the energy you have stored (body fat). While it makes a great snack or dessert substitute, this is what I personally have for breakfast almost every morning, plus nonfat Greek yogurt for high-quality protein. It gives me stable energy and mental acuity throughout the morning into noontime. You can also substitute almond butter for nuts, and its quicker to eat when you’re in a hurry.
Walnuts and almonds are some of the highest nutrient-dense nuts commonly found. You can substitute other nuts, but some of the more popular nuts are lower in nutrient density and higher in fat, gram for gram. Walnuts and almonds are also a great source of fiber, in addition to health-promoting unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fats help to not only prevent cholesterol buildup in the arteries, but help to shuttle away existing LDL cholesterol and our own body fat!
All of these meals contain some of each macronutrient- protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Fat is absolutely necessary for optimum health, particularly plant-sourced fat as we have in these meals. Fat is also necessary to have in each meal in order to fully maximize absorption of many of the micronutrients (chiefly vitamins and phytochemicals). That’s where the term fat-soluble vitamin comes from- its absorbed and transported in fat molecules.
These meals are also low-glycemic. If you are looking to lose bodyweight, maintain bodyweight, or have stable energy throughout the day, then low-glycemic carbohydrates will help you accomplish this. This means that when your body is breaking down and absorbing carbohydrate, it does so at an even and steady pace. Have you ever felt really tired after a meal? That’s your insulin clearing out excessive sugar from the bloodstream as a result of too many carbs or high-glycemic carbs. The body says “Whoa, too much at one time. Lets shuttle it to the body fat cells for storage.” By focusing on the types of colorful fruits and vegetables like we have in these examples, you have steady, stable energy and your body is able to burn more body fat throughout the day. The micronutrients work to unlock the stored energy already in the body.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and learned some helpful information for healthy all-around eating. I’m excited to share I have just published three brand-new MP3 audio programs that discuss these topics and more. Two of the programs also contain a downloadable glycemic-index chart and formula. If you’d like to learn about how to improve you health and fitness while in the car, during a workout, or when relaxing in the coffee shop, click here.