Back to The Vegetables -- Shaping Your Plate

A conversation with Sarah Martel of Health Transitions helped me figure out the best way to tell you how to eat. I am an intuitive person and eater. I can muddle through almost anything by trusting my gut.

But I know that not everyone can do this. As I explained to Sarah how I've been unable to articulate my healthier way of eating, she told me that she's simplified it. She tells people that we are made up of 70% water, so if you eat 70% of the watery, less concentrated, foods such as vegetables and fruit, and 30% of the other food such as beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and other dense foods, that it works out just right.

So yesterday when I put my cooked red rice into "my bowl" (yes, I try to eat out of one special, beautiful ceramic bowl), I realized that I clearly put in too much. I took half of it out, leaving about 3/4 cup, and then added my tofu and many vegetables equaling about 2 cups (leftover from my Winter Vegetables Beyond Broccoli class the prior night), and topped it with curried cashew creme sauce. That was breakfast. And I felt satisfied for hours.

So, whether it's your plate or bowl, take a look and determine if you've got the best proportion of food on it? Is it close to the 70/30 ratio that Sarah mentioned? If not, I'd suggest that you work toward that. It takes practice and sometimes things get out of whack but luckily, there is always the next meal or snack. And snacks, well that's another story (or blog post). Be on the lookout for kale chips two ways.