#PortionPlateSeries

Did you follow along on Instagram last week for the #PortionPlateSeries? I spent the week sharing how to use this awesome tool that allows you to ditch counting calories/macros/points forever!

Keep reading for a recap of each scenario!

If you have been to any of my nutrition seminars or have read any of my blog posts, you know I am BIG on using the portion plate 🍽 I avoid having my clients count ANYTHING – not calories, macros, or points. We use this tool in everything we do together 👍
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The concept is to fill 50% of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 25% with lean meats, and 25% with complex carbohydrates at each meal. It’s that simple!
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Keep reading for examples of HOW to use the portion plate in different .different scenarios 🍕 🍣 🍝🥗 🥪. While sometimes it might be easy to add a 3oz piece of grilled chicken, 1/2 cup of quinoa, and 2 cups of 🥦 to the plate like this photo shows – the reality is that our plates and recipes don’t always look this way.

Let’s talk SUSHI 🍣 is it a healthy option? The answer is YES! Keep reading as I’m breaking it down today for the #PortionPlateSeries
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Sushi is a great healthy option packed with omega 3s (healthy fats), veggies, sometimes more healthy fats 🥑, and carbohydrates 🍚. When it comes to balancing out your plate, a sushi roll counts on the protein/carb half of your plate. This leaves the other half for VEGGIES! I always recommend opting for a the salad or seaweed salad (pictured here at @murasakidowntown) on the side with your sushi roll.
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Healthy Sushi Ordering Tips:
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🐟 Go for the raw/steamed/grilled salmon or tuna roll for the most amount of healthy omega3 fats
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🍘Ask for brown rice for extra fiber and fullness. Each roll has about 1 Cup of rice, so be sure to count this in the carb portion of your plate
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🥟Watch out for tempura and deep fried rolls – this is just a fancy word for breaded in panko and deep fried! This option would be considered one of your fun foods for the week
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🌸Eat the ginger on your plate! It can help boost your immune system and also has anti-inflammatory properties
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🍜Opt for the reduced sodium soy sauce (or Tamari) to decrease bloat
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🥢Use chopsticks! Even if you’re not skilled in using them, they will help you slow your pace of eating – but also sushi with a fork just seems wrong 🤔anyone else agree? 🙋🏻‍♀️
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🍣 Still hungry after a roll and salad? Try sashimi to fill you up with more protein and good fat rather than another sushi roll with an additional cup of rice

🚨 Attention: This is not a boring salad 🚨
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Salads have gotten reputation for being boring, tasteless, and unsatisfying – but I am here to bust up those myths for today’s #PortionPlateSeries post 🥗
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A meal salad is an easy way to make 50% of your plate veggies (the darker the greens the better – start with 2 Cups), but what about the other parts to your plate? 🍽 Here are some easy ways to add lean proteins, and healthy carbs to your salad. 📷 is of @traderjoes tabouli over hearty romaine, fat free feta, and grilled chicken – it’s one of my go-to lunches!
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Ways to add lean protein to your salad (3oz-6oz depending on the person):
🍗 Grilled Chicken
🐟 Roasted Salmon
Tofu
🥩 Grilled sirloin
Roasted turkey
🧀 Cheese
🌰Nuts/Seeds
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Ways to add complex carbohydrates to your salad (1/2 – 1 Cup total depending on the person):
Fruit 🍎🍉🍎🍐🍊🍓🍇🍑🍍
Dried fruit (unsweetened cranberries or raisins)
Whole grains like quinoa or wild rice🍚
Whole wheat pita chip crumbles
Organic low sodium canned beans (black, pinto, soy beans, chickpeas)
Starchy vegetables (roasted 🍠 🌽 or butternut squash)
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Of course healthy fats from 🥑 and oil based dressings are great additions as well!

Is there a more satisfying lunch than a 🥪? There is something so comforting about the combination of bread/protein/veggies/condiments that I just love! So how does the sandwich fit on the portion plate? 🍽 For today’s #portionplateseries post we are breaking it down.
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First let’s start with the 🍞I always recommend a bread where the first ingredient says “WHOLE.” This means that it has the entire grain, and has all of the nutrients and antioxidants from the bran, germ, and endosperm – basically you’re getting more bang for your buck 👍 Examples include whole wheat bread, Ezekiel bread, sprouted wheat bread, and #glutenfree options. The bread counts as the 25% carb on your plate.
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Then we move onto the protein 🍗I recommend keeping lean deli meats (turkey, chicken, ham) to a couple of times per week mainly because they are processed and many contain nitrates. You could also opt for a grilled chicken breast as well (pictured here), or a #vegetarian protein source like cheese, hummus, or natural 🥜 butter. This counts as the 25% protein on your plate.
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Your 🥪 counts as your meat/protein, so what’s missing? 50% 🥒🥕🍅🌶 I always recommend serving raw or roasted non-starchy veggies, or a salad on the side with a sandwich. Many sub shops offer chips, an apple, or more bread with a sandwich – however this would create a possible carb overload with 75% of your plate now being carbs. I absolutely love raw red bell pepper strips, but some of my other favorites are baby carrots, celery, cucumbers, and snap peas.

🍕+🥗=😋
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It’s the weekend and time for P-I-Z-Z-A in the #PortionPlateSeries. YES pizza can fit into a healthy diet 🎉 Here’s how:
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Pizza is made up of primarily protein (cheese/meat) and carbs (crust) so this would count on 50% of your plate. Making your own pizza is a really easy way to keep it healthy, and I love using @traderjoeswhole wheat crust to make my 🍕, along with part skim mozzarella cheese. Of course a cauliflower pizza crust is another option as well! If you’re dining out, restaurants like @brixxpizza has a whole wheat option and locally both @sidewallpizza and @swamprabbitcafe have #glutenfree crust options as well. Go for the 🥦🍅🥕🌶 toppings as much as possible!
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🥗 pairs perfectly with pizza, and many restaurants have salad options to have on the side. This also fills the remaining 50% of your plate with veggies! You can opt for traditional lettuce based salad, or I love adding a fun salad like @eatsmartveggies 7 #Superfood Salad on the side to my clients meal plan pizza meals (yes I put pizza on meal plans).

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” – Julia Child 🙌
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This is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people, and this concept is at the root of my business! My husband and I took a trip to 🇮🇹 this past spring where I really saw this come to life everywhere we went. There were of course some masterpieces, but one of our favorite dinners was at 6:30PM (a totally inappropriate dinner time in Italy) after hiking in #CinqueTerra and they were incredibly simple 🍝 dishes with lots of fresh local ingredients! For my last #PortionPlateSeries post I wanted to share how #pasta can fit into a healthy balanced diet 🍽
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To state the obvious, a pasta dish will count as your carb portion of your plate, but the keys are #1 portion size (keep it to 25%) #2adding lean protein #3 adding 🍅🥦. One really easy way to do that is by creating a pasta primavera dish filled with lots of different veggies! This dish is one from my custom #mealplan recipes that I give to my clients, and it’s a Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera with Spicy Chicken Sausage featuring @traderjoes brown rice #glutenfree penne pasta (or you can use whole wheat). This dish only has 4.5oz of raw pasta for four servings, but with all of these veggies and four chicken sausages it is incredibly filling! Check out my IG story to see how I made the pasta sauce as well.
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Well there you have it y’all: the #PortionPlateSeries is complete with ways to fit 🍣 🥗 🥪🍕 and🍝 into your healthy lifestyle. I hope you have found these to be helpful, and if there are any other cuisines/dishes that you have questions about be sure to leave them in the comments below.