Define "Healthy" Meal

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mleboid1
mleboid1 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been thinking about the word "healthy" lately. It gets used a lot. I'm curious how you define "healthy" meal.

Thanks for the feedback!

Replies

  • blurppp
    blurppp Posts: 9
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    I had to go to a dietitian for hypoglycemia and she told me a healthy meal was:
    3 oz lean meat or protein;
    120 calories of whole grains;
    as much veggies as I want;
    a serving of fruit;
    60 calories or less of fat.
    Not that I eat like that... Having to cut back on breads and such because of another health issue.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    It's a meal that brings you closer to your daily macro and micronutrient goals.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    For me a "healthy" meal is one that doesn't make it difficult to meet my macro and micro goals, so it depends on context. What might be healthy in the morning, with a whole day's of eating ahead, may not be healthy in the evening, when the parameters are much tighter.
  • darkangel45422
    darkangel45422 Posts: 234 Member
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    I think of health as being a sliding scale, with something that has absolutely no health benefits whatsoever on one end (absolutely unhealthy) to something that has amazing health benefits and no downsides on the other (absolutely healthy). Most foods obviously fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

    So for a meal, I'd call it healthy when it contained mostly foods that were on the healthy side of the spectrum. For me that'd mean mostly veggies, meats, healthy fats, maybe some fruit, nuts, etc.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I consider a "healthy" meal one that provides nutrition (vitamins, minerals, fiber), has a good mix of carbs, fat, and protein without a lot of artificial and unpronounceable ingredients.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    any meal accompanied by a beer

    err.. ummm

    id say optimal may be ~20+ grams of protein, ~10+ grams of fat, ~5 grams of fiber, a decent array of micro nutrients, and some carbs...
  • DaveneGfit
    DaveneGfit Posts: 338 Member
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    I consider a "healthy" meal one that provides nutrition (vitamins, minerals, fiber), has a good mix of carbs, fat, and protein without a lot of artificial and unpronounceable ingredients.

    yep :)
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    For me personally, a healthy meal is going to have a lot of red meat, fat, and some low-glycemic vegetables.
  • GeminiDelight
    GeminiDelight Posts: 45 Member
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    For me personally, a healthy meal is going to have a lot of red meat, fat, and some low-glycemic vegetables.

    me too!
  • thesophierose
    thesophierose Posts: 754 Member
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    Cookies.

    Healthy differs from person to person. So you're going to get 38472y2849578394758974583945 replies.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I prefer to think of it as a "balanced" meal rather than healthy - a decent serve of priotein, not too much fat, a serve of some sort of carb - though preferably not too processed, and a hefty serve of veg.

    That's just me though, and I know other have different ideas.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Healthy = balanced, i.e. giving you all the nutrition you need, without eating too much of certain things that are unhealthy in excess and omitting any foods that actually make you ill (e.g. allergies, special medical issues)

    I look in the context of the whole diet... i.e. a healthy diet. Which can include meals that are not well balanced, but if the overall diet is balanced then it doesn't matter. So you can basically eat what you want, but it's a matter of eating it all in the right proportions. And not on a meal by meal basis, or even a day by day basis, but over time you get all the nutrients you need and are not getting an excess of anything that may lead to problems. Being over on calories on one day isn't a problem, being over regularly so that on a weekly and monthly basis you're still eating too much, then you'll get fat. Going one day without vitamin C won't give you scurvy, but going for months without vitamin C will.

    IMO there's too much emphasis on individual foods and not enough on the big picture of the entire diet over time. Too much freaking out over one meal or even one specific food without considering what's being eaten the rest of the time.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    Healthy = balanced, i.e. giving you all the nutrition you need, without eating too much of certain things that are unhealthy in excess and omitting any foods that actually make you ill (e.g. allergies, special medical issues)

    I look in the context of the whole diet... i.e. a healthy diet. Which can include meals that are not well balanced, but if the overall diet is balanced then it doesn't matter. So you can basically eat what you want, but it's a matter of eating it all in the right proportions.

    I agree with this. In a typical day, I may have a really "unbalanced" lunch and dinner, but if you look at the whole day it's very balanced. I tend to consume more of my carbs & sugar on my lunch break (along with few veggies but maybe some fruit) and more protein at breakfast & dinner (also with veggies at dinner and some healthy fats). I find that I feel better, and see good trends on the scale, by eating that way so I don't have a problem with each meal being slightly "off kilter" in some ways.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    I follow Michael Pollans philosophy- "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." For me personally, that's the healthiest way to eat because I feel my best, sleep better, have more energy, maintain my weight and have excellent blood work results. But what works for me may not work for someone else.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    It's a meal that brings you closer to your daily macro and micronutrient goals.

    Bingo.

    The balance in a single meal doesn't really mean much, if anything. The balance over a day means more. The balance over several days to a week ought to be pretty close to your goals. (Yes, go ahead, look at my diary. I do not practice what I preach, especially recently.)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Healthy meal - a meal well balanced in nutrition
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
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    Balance is the best word for it. I'm vegetarian so for me a healthy meal means having combinations that make complete proteins, make good progress toward my daily amount of iron, and are colourful and natural. It's important to identify what you need to get out of your food and a healthy meal will be one that gives you just what you need.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
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    It's a meal that brings you closer to your daily macro and micronutrient goals.

    This.

    Provided that your goals are healthy. :)
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    any meal accompanied by a beer

    Amen.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Whatever gets me to hit my macos is healthy for me.

    If it's bacon, beer and ice cream then so be it!

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