Now you know the three sections of the plate, so it's time to learn how to plan meals using the plate method!

Let's focus on different options and considerations of the three sections of your plate to help make meal planning as low-stress as possible!

Start With the Vegetable

First, start with the vegetable you want. Yes, that's right! Veggies should be picked first!

While this is probably backward from the way you normally plan meals, choosing the vegetable first will make sure that you're choosing something that actually sounds good rather than picking something last minute that you just eat because you "have" to!

Here are 48 non-starchy veggies you could try so you don't get stuck in a rut of eating the same ones over and over:

And don't forget to make it fun!

Instead of "green beans" try "roasted chili garlic green beans"!

Or try "grilled lemon parmesan asparagus" instead of just plain ol' asparagus!

Don't forget it's okay to mix and match! Eating a variety of colors can really help your body get the different nutrients you need!

Try shredded cabbage, onions, and carrots together to serve with your pierogi.

Or add a tomato and spinach sauté to your eggs. Top that with feta cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper and YUM!

Adding together different colors makes your plate look prettier (which can actually impact how satisfied you are!) and also increase your intake of helpful nutrients!

These little flavor boosters will help get you excited about the part of your plate that you may have originally been less than enthusiastic about!

Pick The Protein

After you select your vegetable (or vegetables!), choose your protein. Here are a few foods that count as protein sources, but there are many not included on this list!

Choosing your protein mindfully is important because protein can be the most expensive part of your plate!

Consider what's on sale, what items you already have available, and, of course, your taste buds when making this choice!

Some other key things to consider:

• Lean meats: If you eat meat, lean meats will contain fewer calories and less saturated fat than other cuts.
• Don't limit yourself to meat and poultry! There are so many protein options out there! Including more plant-based proteins in your diet may provide additional benefits, such as more fiber!
• Skip the fried options. This doesn't mean that you have to avoid all fried foods forever and ever but try to limit them to very rare occasions. Eating deep-fried foods can increase your risk of weight gain, cardiovascular concerns, and type 2 diabetes, among other conditions! Isn't this what we are trying to avoid?
• The less processed, the better. Things like sausage, frozen chicken nuggets, and even vegan plant-based burgers can contain many ingredients and high amounts of sodium. Limiting these options and opting for less processed choices whenever possible can help make sure you know what you're eating and better manage your blood glucose.

Choosing Your Carbohydrates Wisely

There are so many choices in each group, but this is the one that most people have feelings about because these are the ones that will impact your blood glucose.

Here are a few things that count as carbohydrates, but there are so many more!

Carbohydrates are very beneficial for our bodies. We use carbohydrates as our main source of energy and they are a major source of dietary fiber. Adequate fiber leads to many health benefits.

When it comes to choosing which carbohydrate to pair with your meals, consider these tips:

• Try to make half of your grains whole grains
• Choose whole fruit or unsweetened dried fruit over juice
• Limit refined or "enriched" grains
• Select a variety of different carbohydrates to provide your body with different nutrients
• Think outside the box: Try a new grain or add fruit to meals in unexpected ways (like putting diced mango on those black bean tacos with fresh cilantro!)
• Just like with protein, the less processed, the better. While fancy low-carbohydrate bread or pasta can be appealing, they can also be expensive or contain added ingredients that you may not expect. Make sure to read and analyze the Nutrition Facts Labels before spending the extra money!

A Little Inspiration

Just like in previous lessons, I'm providing some help with meal planning and meal ideas for inspiration! I know that lifestyle change is hard. And it's SO much easier just to eat salmon, broccoli, and a side salad and call it a day.

But that's not sustainable, and you know it.

So to help you make meal planning super easy up front, use my quick guide to help you pick foods in each category.

I've also included full meal ideas at the end!

PLUS there's still a meal plan sample for the week.

Ideas are never limited here, and your own choices are limitless. Really. So try out my quick guide while working on next week's meal plan and see how easy it is!