Eating healthy doesn’t have to be all that complicated. There’s a certain stigma that a healthy meal is either a salad or chicken and vegetables. Talk about boring. You can eat a completely healthy meal that’s delicious, filling, and way more exciting than a boring salad. The key to a healthy meal is making sure you get the right nutrients in. Yes, eating mac and cheese every day for lunch would be awesome, but it’s not realistic. So, how do you go about eating a healthy meal?

It’s quite simple. A healthy meal should consist of 1/2 a plate of vegetables, 1/4 plate of starches, and a 1/4 plate of protein. Now, what you choose for those categories is entirely up to you! It’s essential to have at least half of your plate be vegetables as they are an easy source of many nutrients, starches provide you with energy, and protein is an integral part for every cell in your body.

A meal that is 1/2 plate vegetables, 1/4 plate starches, and 1/4 plate protein could be a myriad of things. If you eat meat, it could be grilled chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots, and sweet potatoes. You could even throw in a lovely tahini dressing to get in those healthy fats. If you’re plant-based, that meal could be a Thai chickpea curry with tons of vegetables all over a bed of coconut rice. If you are craving a salad, make sure you pile on the greens and make it exciting with a yummy source of protein, roasted potatoes, chopped almonds, and a healthy homemade dressing.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be easy, delicious, and even fun. Just make sure you do it right.