How to Build a Balanced Plate
Mealtimes at your hall of residence is likely to be a lot different than what you are used to at home. With a large variety of options, big quantities and a smorgasbord style of serving, it’s all too easy to overload your plate at the start of the servery and leave little room for the salad bar.
If that sounds familiar, don't worry! This blog is here to guide you through two key concepts - the Plate Model and serving sizes. These tools will help ensure that you can enjoy your meals while remaining nutritionally balanced.
The plate model
The plate model is an effortless way to get the right proportions of each food group in our meals. To support a healthy life, it is important to have lots of vegetables alongside a balanced amount of carbohydrates and protein. Following the Plate Model helps us boost vitamin and mineral intake while ensuring we are having the right macronutrients (macros) for sustained energy and growth.
As shown below, the Plate Model recommends dividing your plate into three sections: one-half for vegetables, one-quarter for carbohydrates, and another quarter for protein. This can be thought about for many different meals and not only on one plate – everything might be mixed together in a wrap, a soup, your salad might be on a separate plate all together. When thinking about the plate model, think of your whole meal.
Take for example when you are serving a meal at the dining hall, ask yourself: Does my plate have enough vegetables? Can I add more from the salad bar to align with the Plate Model?
