Easy as 1… 2… 3…! How to create healthy dinners

Preparing meals for yourself can seem daunting at first, but with some basic knowledge and advice, cooking can become fun and easy! One of my favourite tips to creating healthy dinners is to follow the ‘1… 2… 3…’ plan:

-Firstly, choose 1 serve of protein

-Then add 2 serves of complex carbohydrates from the breads and cereals or vegetables food group

-Finally, remember to add at least 3 serves of vegetables and you’re done!

Don’t worry if you’re not sure what all that means or how much a serve is. I’ve explained everything below.

Protein – aim for 1 serve at dinner

When we’re talking about a serve of protein at dinner we mean one serve from the meat or meat alternatives food group of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

1 serve of protein is:

-65g cook (~100g raw) meat – This is about the size of the palm of your hand

-80g cooked (~120g raw) chicken

-100g cooked (~150g raw) fish – This is about the size of your whole hand

-2 eggs

-1 cup of beans, lentils, chickpeas

Carbohydrates – aim for 2 serves at dinner

Carbohydrates are found in both the breads and cereals, fruit and some items in the vegetable food group. At dinner-time they most often come from the breads and cereals or vegetable group (think potato, sweet potato and corn).

A serve from the breads and cereals group is probably smaller than you think! Although they are healthy, carbohydrates are the part of a dinner meal where it’s really easy to overeat so if you’re struggling with unintended weight gain, start by look at the size of your carbohydrate portions at dinner.

1 serve of breads and cereals is:

-1 slice of bread

-½ cup of COOKED rice or pasta – this is the measure AFTER it has been cooked. Rice generally triples in size and pasta generally doubles in size once it is cooked.

-Because of their carbohydrate content, ½ medium potato or ½ small sweet potato (about fist size) and ½ cup of corn count towards this part of the meal even though they’re actually vegetables.

Vegetables – aim for 3 or more serves at dinner

Everyone knows they’re healthy, but this is the food group that most people struggle to eat enough of. Vegetables are great because they’re packed full of vitamins and minerals, they fill you up and are generally low in energy so they’re great for munching on if you’re looking for something extra to eat without wanting to gain weight.

1 serve of vegetables is:

-½ cup cooked veggies – about a handful

-1 cup of salad – about 2 large handfuls

-½ cup of beans, lentils, chickpeas

-Although potato, sweet potato and corn are vegetables, they are considered part of the carbohydrate section of the meal (see above).

Once you put 1 serve of protein, 2 serves of carbohydrate and 3 (or more) serves of vegetables together you’ll find you’ve got a pretty decent-sized, healthy dinner meal that should help you feel full all night long!

Remember: A healthy dinner plate is as easy as 1… 2… 3…

-1 serve of protein

-2 serves of carbohydrate

-3 serves of vegetables

Tip: Don’t forget the veggies in meals like spaghetti bolognaise! You can make this work by having a small serve of pasta with a decent serve of sauce and a good serve of salad on the side (skip the garlic bread). Or you can put some of the veggies in the sauce and have a smaller salad.