Plate proportions

In order to make good food choices without dedicating our lives to tracking micros and macros, we need to be able to make simple, visual decisions. That’s why we have created the Strongly – Can’t Go Wrong Plate.

What is the Can’t Go Wrong Plate?

A simple, visual guide to what to eat and in what proportions. The Plate is perfectly designed to optimise your health and strength training whilst significantly reducing the impact of diet on key sustainability metrics such as CO2 emissions, water use, deforestation and destruction of ocean environments.

The Strongly Intuitive Plate is based on the work of 37 leading scientists from 16 countries in various disciplines including human health, agriculture, political sciences and environmental sustainability.

How to use the Can’t Go Wrong Plate

Using the Plate is dead simple - whenever you are making or buying a plate of food, try to follow the simple proportions shown in the diagram on the right:

Tap image to enlarge

Animal & plant Protein

Proteins are the building blocks of muscle - it’s literally what muscle is made of and without them you cannot change the shape of size of your muscles or body. They are essential for muscle repair and growth, and their intake should be proportionate to the kind of training you are performing. Because you will be doing high intensity strength training, you need to make sure you’re giving your body enough protein to adapt and repair.

We want to be aiming for 1.7g of protein per kg of bodyweight everyday. It’s a useful practice to get into checking the packet to see what percentage protein different foods are but as long as you follow the Can’t Go Wrong Plate then you’ll get all the protein you need.

The micronutrients you get from protein sources are also important: B12 for cell energy production, calcium for muscle contraction and supporting the skeletal system, magnesium for muscle relaxation and energy production, iron for oxygen transportation via the blood. Supporting cardiovascular health is also important, and certain micronutrients such as omega3, lycopene and antioxidants

Try to keep processed protein sources to a minimum e.g. ham, hotdogs, pepperoni, highly processed veggie burgers etc.

A note for vegans and vegetarians…

B12 - this vitamin is essential for the cells to produce energy from carbs, fats and proteins. Sources are animal produce: meat, fish, egg yolks, dairy. For this reason is important that vegetarians check their levels and vegans supplement this vitamin. Micronutrients are also important: B12 for cell energy production

OMEGA3 - those essential fatty acids can't be produced by our body, so they need to be integrated via the food. Omega3 fatty acids can support the cardiovascular system helping lower cholesterol, improving cell membranes for better insulin sensitivity and lowering inflammation. The best source of omega3 fatty acids are SMASH fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring), chia seeds, walnuts.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and particularly vegetables should take up half the space on your plate. They are amazing things, packed full of a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as being the main source of fibre your gut microbiota need for healthy gut function.

Here are just some on the common micronutrients found in fruit and veg that will aid your training:

Magnesium - is essential to maintain good energy levels, as it is a co-factor in cellular energy production. Main sources of Mg are green leafy vegetables such as kale, salads, spinach but also all the brassica family (broccoli, rocket, cauliflower, watercress, bok-choi). Other sources are almonds, legumes, cashews, eggs, barley and seeds.

Iron - is needed by blood cells to transport oxygen, and low levels of iron mean that red blood cells will transport less oxygen to tissues, which can lead to a decrease of energy production. Best sources of iron are animal produce, as those contain what is called "heam iron" which is easy to absorb. Plant based iron is not as absorbable as heam iron, and  sources are green leafy vegetables such as spinach, parsley, soy beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds and apricots. Vitamin C enhances absorption of plant based iron, so make sure to combine a source vitamin C when having plat based iron - squeeze some lemon on your spinach, have strawberries as dessert, add peppers to your green salad.

LYCOPENE - an antioxidant part of the carotenoid family found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya and grapefruit. Studies show it can support the cardiovascular system helping lowering cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation and supporting all cardiovascular health.

ANTIOXIDANTS - compounds present in vegetables and fruits which help reducing free radicals and cellular oxidation. Free radical are oxidised molecules which can lead to inflammation, altered cellular functionally, premature ageing, genetic changing and can be involved in diseases including atherosclerosis. Having a diet with plenty of antioxidants can help, so include as many vegetables and fruits in as many different colours as possible, trying to "eat the rainbow" on a daily bases

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and particularly vegetables should take up half the space on your plate. They are amazing things, packed full of a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as being the main source of fibre your gut microbiota need for healthy gut function.

Here are just some on the common micronutrients found in fruit and veg that will aid your training:

Magnesium - is essential to maintain good energy levels, as it is a co-factor in cellular energy production. Main sources of Mg are green leafy vegetables such as kale, salads, spinach but also all the brassica family (broccoli, rocket, cauliflower, watercress, bok-choi). Other sources are almonds, legumes, cashews, eggs, barley and seeds.

Iron - is needed by blood cells to transport oxygen, and low levels of iron mean that red blood cells will transport less oxygen to tissues, which can lead to a decrease of energy production. Best sources of iron are animal produce, as those contain what is called "heam iron" which is easy to absorb. Plant based iron is not as absorbable as heam iron, and  sources are green leafy vegetables such as spinach, parsley, soy beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds and apricots. Vitamin C enhances absorption of plant based iron, so make sure to combine a source vitamin C when having plat based iron - squeeze some lemon on your spinach, have strawberries as dessert, add peppers to your green salad.

LYCOPENE - an antioxidant part of the carotenoid family found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya and grapefruit. Studies show it can support the cardiovascular system helping lowering cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation and supporting all cardiovascular health.

ANTIOXIDANTS - compounds present in vegetables and fruits which help reducing free radicals and cellular oxidation. Free radical are oxidised molecules which can lead to inflammation, altered cellular functionally, premature ageing, genetic changing and can be involved in diseases including atherosclerosis. Having a diet with plenty of antioxidants can help, so include as many vegetables and fruits in as many different colours as possible, trying to "eat the rainbow" on a daily basis.

Wholegrains & starchy veg

Carbs (which get broken down into glucose) are the preferred source of energy for your muscles and brain so you will need lots of them when training! Don’t fall into the trap of painting carbs as bad for you - you need them.

SLOW RELEASING CARBS. Wholegrains are also known as slow energy releasing carbs, as their fibre content will help keeping blood sugar levels more constant; some good examples are quinoa, buckwheat, millet, brown and black rice and wholegrain pasta/bread/wraps. Carbs are essential for energy as they digested into glucose, the favourite source for energy production by muscle and brain cells. Cells will use glucose (both present in the blood and stored as glycogen in the muscles) and oxygen to produce energy needed during training.

Dairy

Dairy is recommended as part of the ideal diet mainly because it is such a rich source of calcium. This mineral is not only essential to support a healthy skeletal system, but also needed for muscle contraction and nervous impulse transmission. One of the main sources is obviously dairy, but also green leafy vegetables (spinach, chards, kale, cabbage, salad leaves), egg yolk, sesame seeds, broccoli, almonds, molasses.

Unsaturated plant oils

Unsaturated plant oils come from sources such as olives, avocados, nuts and seeds. They are an important energy source and can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilise heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles including brain function.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats still have a role to play and are found in many natural food sources that human beings have consumed for thousands of years. Saturated fats aren’t inherently bad, the problem is that modern western diets have become so high in red meat and processed foods that many people are consuming far too much saturated fat which is when the problems begin. Most meat and dairy contain levels of saturated fat and eaten in the right levels this is part of a normal, healthy diet.