Eating a balanced diet can be achieved through consuming regular balanced meals from different foods. So, what exactly is a balanced meal? A balanced meal is made up of foods which all together provide us with the three macronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients which contribute to our energy intake from food and include carbohydrates, fats and protein. Different types of foods in the different food groups provide us with one or more of these macronutrients which give our bodies the energy it needs for us to survive.

So, lets talk about carbohydrates! Carbohydrates are mostly found in plant food sources and are important to provide us with different types of nutrients but most importantly fibre to help with our digestion and feeling full. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grain/cereal foods. They are also commonly found in processed foods such as cakes and biscuits, so it is important when selecting your carbohydrate sources, less processed forms such as wholegrain oats or bread are selected. Carbohydrates are recommended to make up around 45-55% of daily energy intake which is the total amount of energy we eat from food each day[1] At BOKA we select quality carbohydrate sources in our meals to provide you with fibre and many other nutrients.  In our vegetarian lasagna, you will be gaining quality carbohydrate source form the pasta as well as many micronutrients and fibre from the vegetables!

Fats are the second macronutrient which are found in plant and animal sources of foods which provide us with something called essential fatty acids and vitamins such bas A, D,E and K. Fats can be divided up into four groups including mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated,  saturated fatty acids and trans fats[2]. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are found in food such as olive oil, avocados, nuts seeds etc. You will find our meals are made with quality olive oil to make sure you are including these healthy fats into your diet which can be beneficial in reducing our risk of heart disease and stroke if regularly consumed[3]. Poly-unsaturated fatty acids are found in foods such as fish, sunflower oil, soybean oil etc. and provide us with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which our body require but cannot make on its own[4]. You will find various different options we provide which include omega-6 fatty acids such as our delicious ginger salmon. This meal provides us with a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein from the salmon.

Saturated fats are found in animal food sources such as pork, beef, full fat dairy products, eggs. This type of fat should be consumed in small amounts with it increasing cholesterol levels which can long term increase the risk of heart disease[5]. Trans fats are found naturally in small amounts within animal food sources although there is a large use of artificially made trans fatty acids which are used in many processed foods such as doughnuts, pizza, cakes, and biscuit to name a few. These types of fats are recommended to be consumed in very small amounts as they can increase our risk of heart attacks and stroke if consumed in large amounts long term[6]. You will find here at Boka we try to reduce the saturated fats and trans fats in our food to make sure we are providing you delicious and healthy meals which support good health!

Protein is the last of the macronutrients and provides our body with something called amino acids which our bodies need to make up our muscles, hormones etc. Proteins mostly found animal products such as meat, eggs, fish, milk etc. Although protein mainly is seen in animal products, some plant based foods can be good sources of protein including legumes, beans, tofu etc. these can be great alternatives to those following a vegan or vegetarian diet[7]  Our Cantonese rice with hard boiled eggs is a great vegetarian option providing you with high quality protein with eggs. Our Greek lamb meatballs are also a great source of protein providing you from 44g of protein per serve!

Now we know what each of the macronutrients are, let’s break down one of our meals and see how it is considered balanced. Looking at the ginger salmon mentioned above, here the salmon is providing us with healthy fats and protein. As the meal is paired with quinoa and mint zucchini it provides more protein and carbohydrates from the quinoa! This meal is perfect to fit into your week making eating a balanced diet delicious and convenient.