Starting Simple: 333 Method Balanced Meal Planning

When we are first starting out with something new, things can feel very overwhelming pretty quickly. Of course, this is not the case for everyone. It depends on a lot of different factors but if we can simply, we can learn strategies on a small scale that will allow us to take the lessons learned and put them into practice on a broad scale.

Last week, I shared the Macronutrient Food Guide and Healthy Grocery Shopping on a Budget to help get you started with understanding what the body needs, what food you can find those needs in, and how to plan and shop for those foods too. That leaves us here. What do we do with the things that you purchased?

Maybe you have a full plan in place already which, if you do, that’s wonderful! If not, the 3-3-3 method is a simple way to get started or really for anyone. Sometimes simplifying when you have been doing something for a while, can help explore new options or reset some habits back into an area where you want them to be.

What is the 333 Method?

The 333 method is a means to create a well-balanced day of food using 3 protein sources, 3 carbohydrate options, and 3 fat choices.

By crafting all your meals using only these specified food items, you can start small and build (or rebuild) a great foundation of options that aid your nutritional goals.

While initially, this may seem very limited, there is a lot of potential for diverse combinations. And this encourages you to experiment with various cooking styles, spices, and pairings to keep your meals interesting and satisfying.

Further rationale behind this method and how it can help by reducing variables, can be found in gaining more understanding with:

• How to accurately log food within a food tracking system
• How to create a meal structure that aids in reaching a protein goal easily
• How helpful it can be as a means of resetting after having a lot more variety in the diet, including items that are hyper-palatable
• What foods may enhance satiety better than others
• How to create simple meals when obstacles come about like decision fatigue, low bandwidth and time challenges
• What may contribute to a lack of progress or setbacks (i.e. eating habits, calorie control, portions, consistency)

This approach can help minimize errors, enhance satiety, ensure micronutrient intake, and promote a habit of consuming nutrient-dense foods.

Here’s my personal practice with the 333

I could go through each of the different variations above regarding the reasoning for using the 333 method, but this is my personal practice. I use this to ensure that I can get in my protein levels when I do need a reset, I am low on personal resources, and I am working through what could possibly be causing a setback in my weight management.

For the week that I chose to use as the example, these were my choices.

• P – Chicken, Egg Whites & Ground Turkey
• F – Avocado, Cheese & Nut Butter
• C – Rice Cakes, Oats & Greek Yogurt
• Fruits and veggies are used freely
• Non-negotiable addition of 20 grams of dark chocolate chips

How to reach over 100 grams of protein using the 333 method

Note: I am already proficient in food tracking through apps. A lot of this will include that. If you are struggling with food tracking, no worries. This will help that as well.

When using this strategy, I input the various food items into my food tracker and adjust protein quantities to meet my specific requirements. When I say adjust quantities, I simply change the numbers until they reach the protein macronutrient goal that I am aiming for within this meal.

Take my breakfast, for example, which was 200 grams of egg whites and provides 22 grams of protein, serving as the foundation. I enhanced this with roasted asparagus from the air fryer. I often incorporate half an avocado for a healthy fat and fiber source which promotes a sustained feeling of fullness until the next meal. Plus, I love the added texture that it brings to my meal.

My next meal consisted of Greek yogurt which delivers 20 grams of protein as the foundation. In this photo, it is sprinkled with cinnamon, I do believe that spices need to be used freely and openly to enhance the satisfaction of the meal.

This meal is one that I tend to have often because it satisfies other things like the sweetness, tartness, and the ability to chew and crunch.

By the time I finish these two meals, I’ve already consumed around 42-50 grams of protein.

My next meal maybe something like this. This meal prep container has 100 grams of cooked chicken, adding approximately 30 grams of protein, along with broccoli providing an additional 4 grams to my day.

So, with breakfast, a snack, and lunch, my protein intake reaches about 85 grams.

Before my workout, I had the oats and berries that are in the other picture above. The oatmeal that is used is a protein oatmeal that contains 12 g of protein.

With this snack included, I am at 97 g of protein for the day.

My last meal of the day for this example was taco meat in zucchini boats, incorporating 70 grams of cooked ground turkey, yielding another 17 grams of protein.

I did not mention some of the different proteins that were added by the other foods that have small amounts of proteins. This brings my total protein intake for the day to over 115 grams.

My current protein needs are 120 g of protein daily. This gets me within 5 g of that total.

I work to ensure each meal contains about 20 to 30 grams of protein. This helps me achieve my daily target within 5 grams of the total need without thinking too much about all of the other factors involved. As I mentioned above, this is my personal use of it when I am striving to get protein levels while resetting after a lot of food variety or hyper-palatable items, find myself low on personal resources, or as I work through what could possibly be causing a setback in my weight management.

What about the calories?

Some of this does sound as though I am foregoing the thought of calories, but that is merely because this was focused on alleviating other things. When I am doing this practice, I am inputting all of these foods into my tracking. The other components, which are not mainly proteins, are adjusted with their portion sizes to stay within my calorie limitation for my body and my nutritional goals.

For a guideline regarding the calorie limitation, I simply divide my total calories by five when I have five separate meals like this. Again, this is merely my practice and my choice. I do find that five meals have worked well for me in different seasons. And in others, three meals and one snack work much better. When it was three meals and one snack, I divided my total calories by 3 1/2. This division serves as a flexible guideline, allowing room for individual preferences and adjustments.

Do I need a non-negotiable or fruit & vegetable goal?

No, for both of those answers. Again, this is simply my personal practice. I really enjoy having a little bit of chocolate each day, and it helps me with my sweet tooth. When I am inclusive, I am finding a bit more joy in my journey, and I don’t tend to deviate, because I truly do enjoy what I’m eating.

As for the fruit and vegetable goal, this is a personal goal of mine due to the previous lack of fruits and vegetables in my day. It is not necessary. Also, I do not choose specifics when it comes to my fruits and vegetables to limit variables. I highly suggest you explore this for what works for your own body and your own preferences. Some specific fruits and vegetables will work better for your overall calories.

Takeaway

In conclusion, the 333 method offers a simple and effective approach to aid in starting a weight loss journey or initiating a reset as well as other possibilities. By selecting 3 protein sources, 3 carbohydrate options, and 3 fat choices, you can create well-balanced meals that serve as a strong foundation for your nutritional goals.

My personal application of the 333 method illustrates its practicality and adaptability. It allows me to meet my protein targets while navigating challenges such as decision fatigue or time constraints for creating or tracking more complex meals. This method, with its focus on simplicity and flexibility, helps me remain consistent with my nutrition and progress toward my weight management goals even when I am challenged in other ways.

I hope this helps!

With love,

Coach Nik