Life is busy. Making time for healthy eating is tough! Outside of fully prepared meals like those delivered by Thistle, healthy and balanced meals that meet all your nutrient requirements can feel overwhelming to plan. Here we’ll share six of our favorite simple swaps and additions to meals to upgrade your daily nutrient intake and help you feel your best. 

Recommended Nutrient Intake Simplified

With so much nutrition information out there, it can be hard to determine how best to create daily meals that meet nutrient requirements and support stable energy. To help make nutrient intake a little easier, we love the balanced plate method of eating. Visualizing our plates to include a generous helping of colorful produce alongside moderate servings of proteins, starches, and plant-based fats helps us easily consume the macronutrients and micronutrients we need without having to weigh, calculate, or track nutrition. 

Every day presents opportunities to upgrade your nutrient intake and eat according to the balanced plate method. From your morning coffee to something sweet after dinner, healthy eating and nutrient intake is within reach. Let’s start with most people’s morning essential: coffee.

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #1: Morning Coffee

According to the National Coffee Association’s most recent study, 62% of Americans drink coffee each and every day. The study also found that the average American consumes just over three cups of coffee each day. 

While plain coffee is a low calorie beverage (around 5 calories per cup), it can easily become a nutrient intake downgrade thanks to added sugar and processed ingredients. If plain coffee isn’t your “cup of tea,” try building your cup using a combination of these healthy spices and ingredients:

Milk Options - to taste‍

Unsweetened almond milk

Unsweetened rice milk

Homemade Oat Mylk

Unsweetened flax milk

Unsweetened cashew milk

Spices (¼-½ tsp/cup)

Cinnamon

Allspice

Nutmeg

Ginger

Cloves

Sweeteners - to taste

Liquid monk fruit

Liquid stevia

Powdered stevia

Maple syrup

Yacon syrup

Once your caffeine fix is taken care of and you’ve jump started your nutrient intake thanks to the healthy fats found in plant-based milks and antioxidants from spices, turn your attention to breakfast. 

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #2: Breakfast

For many, breakfast is a tasty and convenient bowl of cereal. As a grain, cereal makes up the starch quarter of a balanced plate and acts as a source of energy. To upgrade your nutrient intake, add protein and produce to your breakfast. For protein, try soy milk. When eaten with cereal, one 8 oz serving of soymilk provides 8 grams of complete plant-based protein. Note: most other plant based milks don’t contain protein. When in doubt, check the nutrition label. 

To cover the fruits and vegetable section of the balanced plate, add your favorite berries or diced fruit to your cereal. We love strawberries and blueberries in our cereal! By adding these sources of protein and fiber to your bowl, you upgrade your nutrient intake and keep energy stable until lunch time rolls around.

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #3: Lunch

A few hours after breakfast, lunch is another opportunity to upgrade your nutrient intake and feel your best. Let’s consider a lunchbox classic: the sandwich. With the right combo of produce, protein, and fiber, you can build a sandwich that meets your nutrient requirements. 

Starting with the base, opt for a high fiber option to hold the sandwich together. Try whole grain bread (Young Kobras gluten-free sourdough is a Thistle favorite!) or a veggie swap like a lettuce, cabbage, or collard green wrap. 

Next up, condiments. Mustard, and spices like salt, pepper, oregano and basil all provide flavor while keeping the calorie content more modest. Mayonnaise is another popular spread, and lends a creamy, satisfying texture. But since mayo is often made with less healthful oils, try a simple swap such as Greek yogurt, avocado, or mayo made with heart-healthy avocado or olive oil. 

For the centerpiece of a sandwich that will meet your nutrient requirements, include a solid source of protein and as many vegetables as you can fit. Raw veggies like lettuce, tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, carrots, onions, and spinach will certainly upgrade your nutrient intake. Prepared veggies – think jarred artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes – and roasted veggies like eggplant, mushrooms, peppers and onions provide tastebud-tickling umami flavor. 

Plant-based protein options for a nutrient-rich sandwich include egg salad, mashed chickpeas and tofu, tempeh, or a veggie burger. If you eat animal protein, try tuna salad, chicken, turkey, or salmon. Together, these ingredients are a nutrient intake upgrade and delicious sandwich all in one!

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #4: Snacktime

To get through the dreaded 3pm energy slump, eat a snack that will up your nutrient intake. One that combines protein, fiber, and healthy fats fits the bill. To upgrade typical grab-and-go salty snacks like pretzels and crackers, add your favorite cut up fruits and veggies and a protein-rich component like Greek yogurt dip, Smoky Pub Cheese, Herbed Tofu “Goat Cheese,” or a handful of roasted nuts or edamame to the plate. 

If a sweet tooth strikes in the afternoon, swap cookies and candy for a nutrient intake upgrade like sliced apples with nut butter. The fiber, protein, and healthy fats in this snack will keep you full and focused until your next meal.

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #5: Dinner

Dinnertime meals are often starch heavy, and don’t always lend themselves to a balanced plate layout. For example, consider pasta. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your nutrient intake while eating pasta! First, consider a pasta alternative like Banza. It’s made of chickpea flour, which adds fiber and protein to an otherwise starch-based meal. Zucchini noodles (or noodles made with any vegetable) are other high fiber additions to pasta. 

Top your pasta with a protein-rich tomato sauce containing crumbled tofu or Longève crumbles. Finally, maximize a pasta dinner’s nutrient intake upgrade with a large rainbow-hued salad and olive oil vinaigrette. The raw fruits and veggies provide tons of antioxidants and micronutrients while the dressing incorporates heart healthy fats into the meal.

Nutrient Intake Upgrade Opportunity #6: Dessert

A tasty way to finish off the day, many of us love a bowl of ice cream for dessert. In moderation, ice cream is a sensible choice for a sweet treat. It contains some important nutrients like calcium and riboflavin and provides a relatively modest amount of calories per scoop. 

For an ice cream swap, consider a protein-enhanced option like the brands Halo Top and Enlightened, both of which offer dairy and non-dairy varieties. A DIY dairy-free option is banana-based nice cream. Different flavor combinations such as raspberry or pistachio make for super tasty nutrient intake upgrades.

Even if you want to stick with traditional ice cream, a nutrient intake upgrade is still possible! Just add some fiber-rich and protein-rich ingredients. For protein and some healthy fat, try crushed nuts or nut butter. Up the fiber content with diced fresh fruit or try making a banana split. One medium banana provides 3 grams of fiber, which is around 12% of the recommended nutrient intake! Who knew dessert could be so nourishing and helpful in fulfilling nutrient requirements?

Where to Start on Your Nutrient Intake Upgrade Journey

When creating new nutrition habits, it’s best to start small! We recommend easing into the change by choosing one new thing at a time. Here are a few suggestions:

• For one meal a few times per week, fill half your plate with produce before adding other items. 
• Tweak dessert slightly by swapping in a piece of fruit for a little less ice cream. 
• Start your Sunday morning with a “healthified” cup of coffee. 

One meal at a time, you give yourself time to experiment and create a new habit before adding other nutrient intake upgrades to your plate. 

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