32 balanced spring recipes for eating well and having fun
What is a balanced meal?
No, a vegetable broth, followed by 0% natural yoghurt and fruit is not a balanced menu. At best, it’s a light meal, which one grants oneself occasionally because one is not really hungry. On the other hand, in the long term, it is absolutely not a viable diet, not only because it does not satisfy us, does not provide all the nutrients necessary for the body, and above all, does not satisfy our taste buds at all. .
A truly balanced plate includes vegetables, starches and proteins. The three are essential and necessary to meet our energy and nutritional intake. All that remains is to respect the proportions, ideally 200 g of vegetables, 100 to 150 g of a source of protein and 50 to 100 g of starch for lunch and dinner. And if we zap the vegetables one evening, or that we made a raid on the cheese? Rest assured, you will not have to compensate on the next meal. Our body is very intelligent and knows how to regulate itself over several days, trust it.
Are sugar, fat and salt really our enemies?
Unless a health professional has specifically recommended it to you, there is no reason to ban them from your diet. The key is to consume it reasonably and to have recourse, when possible, to better alternatives. It may be a matter of favoring olive or flaxseed oil, rich in omega 3, over butter; use honey or fruit to sweeten your preparations; or, forsake salt in favor of spices or seaweed.
Also, if you want to pay attention to your diet, it is better to avoid ultra-processed products and learn to read labels in stores. These are usually high in fat, salt, sugar and additives.
Eating a balanced diet therefore involves choosing recipes and products, but also getting into the kitchen.
To read: It’s decided, I’m starting to cook: The reasons for motivation
How to eat a balanced diet in spring?
Long live the fruits and vegetables of spring…
At the end of winter, we do not hesitate to energize our plate with fresh and seasonal products. These will help us to fill up with vitamins and fiber, essential to keep in shape.
What do we mean by fresh and seasonal products? Spring fruits and vegetables of course! After having cooked all the existing varieties of squash and tested cauliflower in all its forms during the previous months, we are more than delighted to find asparagus, fennel, peas, and tomatoes.
They will be particularly highlighted in complete salads, velvety, or as an accompaniment.
Strawberries and rhubarb work wonders in fruit salads. More surprisingly, beetroot slips into cakes to replace butter, without losing its softness. An alternative that also works with zucchini.
What about proteins and starches?
With plants, we always offer meat, fish, eggs or legumes. For meat and fish, if the weather is nice, we are happy to light the barbecue. Eggs, for their part, can be eaten hard, soft, in an omelet, casserole…
If you do not consume animal protein, you can then opt for pulses such as chickpeas, broad beans (particularly in season), dried beans, etc.
To complete your plate, we of course include a portion of starchy foods. Rice, pasta, quinoa, semolina or potatoes, it doesn’t matter, as long as you vary the pleasures from one meal to another.
Right away: make way for indulgence with our balanced seasonal recipes.
