Building a healthy meal plan involves choosing a wide variety of foods from many different food groups. One way to get the most vitamins and minerals while balancing your diet successfully is by following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended food pyramid. The pyramid calls for daily servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and lean proteins.
Carnivores
If you eat meat, a successful way to plan a system of healthy meals is to focus on including small servings of lean meat in your diet. The American Heart Association recommends choosing skinless poultry and fish, especially fatty fish such as herring, trout and salmon. Rather than viewing meats as a main dish and vegetables and grains as sides, try reversing the proportions and using meat as an accompaniment to vegetables and grains, which often provide more nutrients. Meals to include in your plan can be a fish stir fry, chef salad with chicken pieces or brown rice pilaf with vegetables and turkey.
Vegetarians
According to the Mayo Clinic, vegetarians tend to weigh less, eat fewer calories and less fat, and have lower cholesterol levels than meat eaters. The Clinic recommends eating several meatless meals each week even if you aren't vegetarian as a way to save money and consume more plant-based foods. Vegetarians can include enough protein in their meal plans by making it a point to eat eggs, low-fat and nonfat dairy products, tofu and other soy-based items. To round out a balanced vegetarian diet, make sure every meal includes servings from at least three different food groups, focus on unprocessed foods and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sampler Plan
One of the best ways to get a balance of vitamins and minerals is to eat at least several servings from each food group every day. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders recommends striking this balance by eating fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables every day, getting enough calcium with low-fat dairy products, eating some lean protein at every meal, focusing on whole grains instead of refined grains, and limiting the saturated fat and trans fat that you eat. Whole-grain cereals, oatmeal or vegetable omelets are good breakfast choices. For lunch, consider brown rice with lean meat and vegetables, a sandwich with low-fat ingredients on multigrain bread or a salad with lean protein and fresh fruit on the side. Healthy dinner options include a low-fat vegetarian or meat casserole, whole grain pasta with vegetables and a light sauce or steamed fish with fresh vegetables and bulgur or quinoa.
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