There is a very famous technique today to help us eat healthy, in addition, it can help us a lot so that our children eat more varied. This is the healthy plate method or plate diet. Throughout this text we are going to tell you everything that this simple technique can do for us, and it is not little.
The plate diet was created in 2011, very recently, by experts from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard University School of Public Health, and it is gaining more and more reputation every day. It is about dividing the plate in a conscious way to make it colorful, varied and balanced, where calories are isolated in the background, and we give relevance to nutrients.
A fun way to learn to eat, create healthy portions and encourage us to start a healthy life. In addition, it is valid for all ages as we will see throughout the text.
What is it and what is it for?
The healthy plate method is precisely that, using our usual plate of food and dividing it into portions. Like the children’s school tupperware that has different compartments or the children’s silicone plates that also have different compartments to put in the highchair.
Something like that, but in an imaginary way, since our plate will be flat and without physical divisions. The goal is to eat varied and balanced without being assailed by doubts as to whether we have eaten more of one food and less of another.
We will learn the divisions of the plate in the next section. The plate method, also known as the Harvard plate, is used to eat healthy, varied and balanced, gathering almost all the nutrients that our body needs in a single plate. That is your goal. By improving our diet we improve our current and future health, and can even prevent cancer.
This method can be used in the 3 main meals of the day , that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Desserts are separate, but experts are always clear that the fruit must appear. It can be mixed with natural Greek yogurt without sugar and chocolate chips at least 75%, seeds, nuts, or whatever we want, but always rich in nutrients.
How to create a perfect dish
When it comes to the perfect dish, everyone will tell you that it doesn’t exist, but this method brings us very close to that perfection. In a standard flat plate of about 23 cm in diameter, we make 3 imaginary divisions, where 50% are vegetables and greens, and the other 50% is divided into 25% quality proteins and 25% carbohydrates.
Then the drink is added, which must be without sugar, so it only leaves room for water, coffee, tea and 100% natural fruit juices. For dessert, fresh fruit is always recommended and if it is canned, it should be in its own juice and without added sugars.
Vegetables and greens will provide us with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, 25% dedicated to hydrates will provide us with the necessary energy, while 25% of proteins include not only meat, fish and poultry, but also nuts , legumes, eggs, etc.
Other details are the daily doses. For example, according to the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity, an adult should consume legumes 3 times a week, oily fish 4 times a week, lean meat less than 4 times a week, very limited red meat, and all vegetables and fruits. the days.
Other recommendations are 4 eggs a week, 20 grams of nuts a day, eliminate extra sugars such as soft drinks, chocolate bars, energy drinks, etc. and do sport at least 3 times a week with moderate intensity.
It helps you lose weight?
Of course, by improving our diet, avoiding ultra-processed foods, controlling the intake of carbohydrates, sugary drinks, industrial pastries, and others, increasing the amounts of vegetables, fresh produce, fruits, quality proteins and creating varied menus, little by little we will notice changes in our weight.
Improving nutrition improves our lives, making us more aware of what we eat, losing anxiety, respecting schedules, feeling more energetic, etc. All this helps to lose weight and improves our internal and external health. A poor diet can even cause us to have oily skin, acne, muscle aches, and overweight.
It must be said that this method of the plate or plate diet is to have a healthy diet and turn it into a game, but it is not a diet in itself. If we think we need help from a nutritionist, then we have to ask for it. If we just want to improve our lifestyle and eating habits, the Harvard plate may be the key.
Is it suitable for any age?
The answer is yes, but a child cannot eat the same amounts as an adult, nor with the same frequency. In other words, the children’s diet must be very balanced so that they consume all the necessary nutrients, and for this they must eat many vegetables, cereals, legumes, fruits, seeds, nuts and reduce the intake of red meat and sugary drinks such as chocolate shakes, Coca Cola, Nestea, Aquarius, and the like. As we explain below.
For example, a child should eat healthy, varied, that the act of eating be something that excites him, that they be consistent meals and portions, etc. A child between 3 and 6 years old should eat whole grain bread, dairy products, fruits and vegetables daily; legumes a maximum of 4 times a week; rice, pasta and potatoes also a maximum of 4 times a week; up to 4 eggs a week; fish and meats that are blue fish and lean meat about 3 times a week and everything that is pastries, spicy, sweet, fried, fast food and others, very sporadically, or better, never.
In the case of older people, this method is also very suitable for them, since it makes it easier for them to see everything in one place and not have to change plates and carry and bring food. For older people, food should be easy to swallow, increase hydration, be in small pieces, and contain nothing that could harm their teeth or digestive system.
