Amy typically advises clients to include a lean protein, healthy fat, whole grain, and veggies or fruit with each meal. While portion sizes are highly individual (you might try meeting with a dietitian, who can create a plan based on your age, activity level, and more), Amy did give this example. "If I was aiming to create a meal with about 400 calories, I might include 3/4 cup pulses (such as canned, no-salt-added chickpeas) as a protein, 10 kalamata olives as a healthy fat, 1/2 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta for a whole grain, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup onion, and 2 cups spinach sautéed in low-sodium broth, topped with 1/4 cup tomato sauce," she said. "You can also add seasoning as you like, such as black pepper."
When you need to eye ball it, many experts recommend following the 50/25/25 rule, in which you fill 50 percent of your plate with fruits and nonstarchy vegetables, 25 percent with lean protein, and 25 percent with whole grains and starchy vegetables, with a small amount of fat (such as nuts or avocado) mixed in.