A theme for nutrition:
The Principle of KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly 😉

Simple = sustainable, sustainability leads to consistency, and consistency creates change!!!!

Times of high stress or uncertainty are the PERFECT opportunities to get back to the basics. If you guys follow me on social media, you may have seen me post about the PEC Plate, which is a guideline I established to help me create nutritious meals without having to track or measure anything. Here’s an explanation of what PEC Plate means:

P=Protein. Protein is my main focus when it comes to meals and I always try to have about 6 oz of quality protein on my plate. I classify a protein as “quality” if the food’s calories are derived mainly from protein, not another macronutrient (i.e. MEAT, POULTRY, FISH and even some dairy, like non-fat Greek yogurt). Quinoa, beans and lentils do contain protein, but the majority of their calories are from carbohydrate. Cheese does contain protein, but the majority of its calories are from fat. This is a very important distinction!🍗🍖🥩

E=Energy. Ok so technically all calories provide a certain amount of energy, but each macronutrient is unique in the type of energy and benefit it provides our bodies. While protein can be converted to usable energy for the body in dire cases, protein is mainly used for cell growth and maintenance, while carbs and fat provide the calories that our cells use more easily and willingly for energy to power movement and thought! BOTH are important to include in meals, as carbohydrates provide faster-acting energy and fats provide longer-lasting energy. Fruits and veggies are excellent sources of carbohydrate. Olive oil, egg yolks, avocados and nuts & seeds are great sources of fat.🥑🥦🥕🍎🍠🥥

C=Color. More color means more vitamins and micronutrients! These little guys are key in so many bodily functions and chronic disease prevention. “Eating the rainbow” is an easy way for humans to improve the overall nutrient density of our diets. Fruits and veggies will be the major players here. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things. ROY G BIV it up baby!!🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Browse the hashtag #pecplate on Instagram to see some real life examples of what this looks like for me!

ALSO – check out the “No-Brainer Meal Template” linked on the homepage of the website!  I think it’s a great tool to utilize in the creation of perfect PEC Plates if you’re tired of thinking about what to eat! Any of these combinations will result in a nutritious, tasty meal that will be so easy to pull together. I’ve been batch cooking lately, meaning I don’t prep specific meals, just meal components! Then I mix and match the components as I please throughout the week.

My favorite proteins have been chicken breast, lean ground beef and pork tenderloin; my go to non-starchy veggies are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini & bell peppers; carbs I love are sweet potatoes, bananas and apples, and avocado, olive oil & peanut butter are the fats I utilize most! 

If you don’t know what seasonings to use when cooking something, just use salt, pepper & garlic powder! That combo is good on everything (and I know because I put those three on everything, hah!)

I hope these basic guidelines are helpful to you in creating simple, nutritious meals! There are so many more options than what are listed here; I just wanted to highlight some of my personal favorites.