I really don’t believe that people should just eat three meals per day. I recommend that you eat three main meals per day with a snack between lunch and dinner and another snack before bed.
When you think about dinner, here are a few suggestions to consider. Firstly, what are your protein options? I recommend fish, chicken, turkey, seafood, or lean meat. Secondly, what about carbs? My suggestion is quite simple: incorporate mostly vegetables and smaller portions of starchy carbs. Then add healthy fats from salad dressings or condiments. The serving sizes of food can vary depending upon your individual needs, but I recommend this rule of thumb: the protein serving size should be between four and eight ounces, if you eat rice or potatoes, use a half cup to one cup of rice or one medium potato. If you eat raw vegetables in a salad, depending upon the ingredients, there is no strict limit. If you eat cooked vegetables, you can eat generous portions, but be careful of what you choose to place upon them.
Here’s my recipe for a three-part power dinner: grilled salmon, chutney rice salad, and grilled vegetables.
Serve the salmon with 1/3-1 cup rice salad and the grilled vegetables. If you would like some added volume to your dinner, include a raw green salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing at a 1:1 ratio. If you eat 2-3 cups of salad, use 1 Tbsp. each of the oil-vinegar combination. This meal is easy to make and fast as well. It is a nutritional “super-meal” because it has a great source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients. I also like this recipe because it contains a very healthy and essential source of fat that is missing in the average diet. If you are not a salmon fan, you can substitute salmon with cod, red snapper, trout, shrimp, or scallops. Chicken breast or lean red meat can also be used as a good protein source.