The Ultimate Guide to Nutrition Basics: Mastering Your Meal Plan with THE BOD
Introduction: Fuel Your Body, Empower Your Life
Food isn’t just about satisfying your hunger—it’s your body’s primary fuel. It powers your workouts, sharpens your mind, and keeps you feeling vibrant and alive. But not all foods are created equal. You might notice how a greasy takeaway leaves you sluggish, while a balanced, nutritious meal fuels you to conquer your day. Understanding how food impacts your body is the first step in mastering your health, and that’s where THE BOD comes in.
At THE BOD, we believe in empowering you with the knowledge to make informed nutritional choices, whether you’re following our set meal plan, dabbling in flexible dieting, or calculating your own macros. This guide will walk you through the essential elements of nutrition, so you can fuel your body for peak performance—physically and mentally.
How a Meal Plan is Created
Creating a meal plan is like building the foundation of a strong, healthy body. It’s all about balance—ensuring you get the right amount of macronutrients (macros) like carbs, fats, and proteins, along with the necessary micronutrients (micros) like vitamins and minerals. Our meal plans at THE BOD are designed with your goals in mind, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall health improvement.
Flexible Dieting and Macros 101
Not everyone wants to be told what to eat for every meal, and that’s where flexible dieting comes in. Flexible dieting allows you to eat a variety of foods while still hitting your macro targets—so long as you’re mindful of your overall caloric intake. Macros, short for macronutrients, are the building blocks of your diet:
- Protein: Essential for muscle repair and growth. Think lean meats, eggs, dairy, and plant-based sources like tofu and legumes.
- Carbohydrates: Your body’s primary energy source. Opt for whole grains, fruits, and veggies, especially starchy ones like sweet potatoes.
- Fats: Necessary for hormone production and nutrient absorption. Avocados, nuts, seeds, and oily fish are great sources.
Each macronutrient plays a crucial role in your diet:
- 1g of protein = 4 calories
- 1g of carbohydrate = 4 calories
- 1g of fat = 9 calories
By balancing these macros according to your specific needs, you can tailor your diet to meet your goals.
Workout Your Custom Macros Here
Reverse Dieting: The Secret to Sustainable Progress
Ever heard of reverse dieting? It’s a strategy that involves gradually increasing your calorie intake after a period of dieting. This helps to boost your metabolism and prevent the rebound weight gain that often follows restrictive diets. THE BOD incorporates reverse dieting techniques to ensure your results are sustainable, setting you up for long-term success.
Beware of Marketing Ploys
When you’re navigating the grocery aisles, it’s easy to be fooled by labels like “low carb,” “gluten-free,” or “high protein.” But don’t be deceived—these terms don’t always mean healthier or lower in calories. For instance, a “low-fat” product might be packed with sugar to make up for the lost flavour. At THE BOD, we teach you how to read and interpret nutritional labels so you can make the best choices for your health.
Shopping Smarter: What to Look for at the Store
Grocery shopping can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips to help you shop smarter:
- Check the Ingredients List: Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so the first few ingredients make up the majority of the product. Look for whole foods like “chicken breast” or “oats” at the top of the list.
- Per 100g Information: Instead of looking at “per serving” info, which can be misleading, check the per 100g stats for a more accurate comparison.
- Avoid Hidden Sugars: Be on the lookout for sneaky sugars listed as sucrose, glucose, or high-fructose corn syrup.
- Watch the Sodium: Aim for products with 140mg or less sodium per serving to keep your intake in check.
Intuitive Eating vs. Set Meal Plans vs. Flexible Dieting
At THE BOD, we understand that everyone’s relationship with food is different. Whether you prefer the structure of a set meal plan, the freedom of flexible dieting, or the mindfulness of intuitive eating, we’ve got you covered. The key is finding what works best for your lifestyle and sticking with it.
Calculating Your Macros: The Key to Success
Estimating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the first step in calculating your macros. Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs at rest to maintain basic functions. Once you factor in your activity level and training intensity, you can set your daily calorie and macro targets. Use THE BOD’s Digital Calorie Macro Calculator to get personalised recommendations based on your goals.
Meal Planning Made Easy
Meal planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Start by cooking in bulk and portioning out meals for the week. Focus on nutrient-dense foods and balance your macros with each meal. Remember, it’s okay to have flexibility—life happens! Whether you’re cooking for a family or just yourself, THE BOD’s meal planning tips will help you stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.
Tailoring Your Diet to Your Needs
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, veganism, paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free—whatever your dietary preferences or requirements, tracking macros can work for you. Some diets may be more challenging to balance, but with the right guidance, you can meet your nutritional needs and achieve your goals. Reverse dieting can be particularly beneficial if you’ve been following a restrictive diet and need to reset your metabolism.
Take Control of Your Nutrition with THE BOD
Ready to take the guesswork out of nutrition? THE BOD’s Macro Calculator is your new best friend. For free, you’ll get personalised calorie and macro recommendations that are tailored to your body and your goals. Visit thebod.com.au to get started.
Take All The Confusion Out with a CUSTOM MEAL PLAN
Once off plans are now available, in both nutrition only options for those who just want the exact macros, recipes and meals all planned out for you. Alternatively, remove the self sabotaging habits with our NLP Mindset courses in the full exclusive option.
Please note, once off plans are as available: Check Availability Now.
Empower Yourself Through Nutrition
Ingredients List The higher up an ingredient is on the list, the more the product contains of it. For example, if a product is made up of 70% cashews, 20% dates, and 10% honey, the ingredients list would read: cashews, dates, honey, in descending order.
Calories Per Serve I always opt to look at the measurements per 100g, as it provides a generic figure regardless of the product. Many companies try to trick consumers by listing a large number of servings per item, making the calories per serving seem lower. However, this can be misleading as the serving size they list may be much smaller than what you would typically consume.
Carbohydrate Content You may notice that under the total carbohydrate content, there are subcategories like fibre and sugars. Dietary fibre is the indigestible part of plants and does not spike your blood sugar levels.
Sugar Content I avoid anything that contains artificial sweeteners. However, if you’re not a 100% clean eater, I recommend trying to stick to less than 10-15 grams of sugar per day. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams. There are a few Australian guidelines that suggest no more than 6-8 teaspoons of added sugars per day, which is 16-32 grams per day of sweeteners. However, this doesn’t account for sugars naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables. Be wary of words in nutritional panels like sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, fructose, cane sugar, and even fruit juice concentrate—these are all forms of sugar.
Sugar Alcohols Typically found in diet bars or low-calorie products, sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate. Commonly used sugar alcohols include erythritol, glycerol, maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol, but many more are out there. These should be listed under carbohydrates, although many companies try to avoid this to claim their product as a "low-carb" alternative. Typically, sugar alcohols do not spike insulin like sugar does, so companies argue they should not be listed under carbohydrates. The calorie content of sugar alcohols ranges from 0 to 3 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram for sucrose or other sugars.
Stevia Phrases like "sweetened with stevia" can give us a false sense of security, making us believe that only stevia is used as a sweetener. However, stevia is often used alongside sugar alcohols to achieve the desired sweetness.
Fat Content Saturated fat and trans fat are listed under the general category of fats. Saturated fats come from sources like eggs, meat, and dairy. While these are common in everyday foods, too much-saturated fat can lead to health issues. To keep your intake of saturated fats to a minimum, consume small amounts of dairy and stick to lean cuts of meat. Trans fats, found in foods like cakes and pastries, should be avoided as they increase the risk of heart-related diseases. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to lower your blood cholesterol and have a better impact on your body. These healthier fats can be found in foods like olive oil and avocado.
Sodium Content I aim for no more than 1500-2400mg of sodium per day. Typical table salt can cause water retention, bloating, and increased blood pressure. In contrast, Himalayan crystal salt and sea salt are comparatively better for your body, nerves, and muscles.
Calories Per Macronutrient The total calories in a product are calculated based on the following:
- 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories.
- 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories.
- 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
The FDA also regulates packaging to make it easier for consumers to understand the nutritional content. Here’s what it means if a food claims to be:
- Calorie-free: Less than 5 calories per serving
- Sugar-free: Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
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Fat:
- Fat-free: Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving
- Low fat: 3 grams of fat or less per serving
- Reduced fat or less fat: At least 25% less fat than the regular product
- Low in saturated fat: 1 gram of saturated fat or less, with not more than 15% of calories coming from saturated fat
- Lean: Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
- Extra lean: Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
- Light (lite): At least one-third fewer calories, no more than half the fat, or no more than half the sodium of the regular product
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Cholesterol:
- Cholesterol-free: Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat per serving
- Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or fewer of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving
- Reduced cholesterol: At least 25% less cholesterol than the regular product and 2 grams or less of saturated fat
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Sodium:
- Sodium-free or no sodium: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving and no sodium chloride in the ingredients
- Very low sodium: 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
- Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
- Reduced or less sodium: At least 25% less sodium than the regular product
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Fibre:
- High fibre: 5 grams or more of fibre per serving
- Good source of fibre: 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fibre per serving
As you start reading labels and taking a more active role in your health and diet, you’ll become more familiar with what to look for. You’ll also be able to quickly gauge what is considered a high or low content of certain ingredients. For example, when choosing canned tomatoes, some cans contain as much as 13.6 grams of sugar per serving, versus a can with no added sugars or salts. It really is all about choice, education, and making the right steps for your health and the health of your family. Know your foods and learn what you’re eating!
Understanding nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. By learning the basics and applying them to your daily life, you’ll fuel your body for success. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your diet, THE BOD is here to support you every step of the way. Remember, food is your fuel—choose wisely, and your body will thank you.
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