HOW TO BUILD SIMPLE MEALS

One thing that can be overwhelming to people with respect to their nutrition is figuring out exactly WHAT to eat. Here we share some tips and tricks on how to build simple meals, which you're more likely to sustain your nutrition goals if you start with a simple meal plan.

Look over the food chart provided and flag (using a highlighter, for example) foods that you like from each category for easy reference (i.e., This way, when it's meal time, you don't have to spend time searching for the foods you like.) The items indicated with a “T” may be good choices, as they are food items which are easier to consume when traveling but also are just easy to grab and eat.
Plan to bulk prep some foods once or twice a week. Check out THIS video about bulk meal prep, as well as reference THIS BLOG.
NOTE: Obviously you can choose not to reheat meals, but the Street Parking style of eating is much simpler to follow when you have access to food that is already prepared. If bulk prep or leftovers aren't options for you, prepare yourself to spend more time in the kitchen.
Pull together items that you flagged (point 1) and prepared (point 2). Make sure to get foods from each category (Protein, Carb, Veggie, Fat). Voila: you have a meal!

EATING ON THE GO

If you are too busy and won’t have the option to reheat your food, here are some options of items which are easy to travel with and don’t require refrigeration or can be kept in a cooler bag to eat when ready:

Proteins: Hard-boiled eggs, canned fish, deli meat (look for sugar-free if possible), Greek yogurt, beans

Carbs: Apples, bananas, grapes, whole grain bread

Fats: Nuts, seeds, avocado (eat it with a spoon/fork!)

Veggies: Peppers, celery, cucumber, carrots

WHAT IS A SNACK?

We typically get questions for the parameters for building a “snack.” Simply put, a snack would be roughly half the size of your normal meal, still aiming to have a protein, carb, fat, and veggie. Here is a general guideline based on a few serving size methods we offer to build your meals.

Balanced Plate - Take one of your meal servings and split it into 2 equal snacks. Example: If your protein serving at a meal is usually 1 medium-sized chicken breast, then your snack would be ½ a chicken breast. Make sure to divide all four food categories (protein, carb, fat, veggie).
Palm Method - Take one of your meal servings and split it into 2 equal snacks. Example: If your protein serving at a meal is 1 palm size then your snack would be ½ palm serving of protein. Use this method for for your carb, fat and veggies.
Template- Take one of your meal servings and split it into 2 equal snacks. Example: If you have 3 servings of protein at a meal, your snack would be 1.5 servings of protein. Use this method for your carb, fat, and veggies.

SAMPLE SNACK IDEAS

Here are some “snack” ideas collected from our community:

Greek yogurt (p), Blueberries (c), Almonds (f), Celery sticks (v)
Turkey deli slices (p), Apple (c), Nut butter (f), Cucumber slices (v)
Hard boiled eggs (p/f), Slice of whole grain bread (c), Bell peppers (v)

p = protein

c = carb

f = fat

v = veggies

Remember to keep your nutrition simple, don’t over complicate it, and make it work for you!

How to Build Simple Meals With The Street Parking Serving Methods