Health coaching clients often ask me what should be on their plate. Such as:

“When I’m putting together dinner, what would the perfect plate look like? How much protein and carbs should be on it? And what kinds are best?”

The answer, unfortunately, isn’t that simple. There is no universal way for everyone to eat. Sure, the USDA gives you a Food Plate to guide you. But that’s very vague, and I’m pretty sure your breakfasts, lunches and dinners don’t always resemble this. Who actually has a pile of fruit on every dinner plate? Usually not this girl.

The school I got my nutrition training from also has their own food pyramid guide, found on my website. I like this more, because it’s a general idea of much to eat from each food group on any given day. Healthy oils are important too, and water is at the base, which is the most important!

Even so, then we get into much more complicated territory. Like food grouping, and the fact that some foods are harder to digest when partnered together. Or that many people have food allergies and don’t even know it. Each person’s metabolic rate is different, so one person might need a lot more protein than another. Your blood type could shed light on what foods you should eat. If you have a health condition, that could change what you should eat, too.

That’s what health coaching is all about. Every single person is different, and what might be one person’s optimal food choice could be another person’s poison! That’s why, in my six-month program, we work together to find out exactly what kind of foods you should eat for your body.

Want to learn more? Contact me!

If you do like the “balanced meal” approach, here’s a great recipe for you. It includes fresh vegetables (that I bought from a local farmers market, of course), quinoa as the healthy grain, ground turkey as the protein and some extra-virgin olive oil as the healthy fat. It’s a perfect blend of foods, all rolled into cute bell peppers!

It’s a perfect, light version of a favorite dish: stuffed peppers.

Quinoa and Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers based on a recipe from Food.com.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed (I used tri-colored quinoa)

6 bell peppers (green, red or yellow)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 red onion, chopped

2-4 garlic cloves, chopped (determine by size)

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook quinoa by mixing rinsed quinoa and two cups water in a pot. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers, remove seeds and set aside in baking dish. Chop the tops of the peppers and set aside separately.

Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic. Then add onions and chopped pepper tops.

After 2-3 minutes, add ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to sautéed veggies. Cook until meat is browned.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine and then cook until liquid is absorbed (about five minutes).

Add the cooked quinoa to the meat mixture. Stir thoroughly.

Fill each pepper with the mixture. Cook in over for 30 minutes. Enjoy!