Eating One Healthy Meal in a Day Transformed My Body in the Long Run

When I was younger, I never cared about what I was eating. Food was a source of pleasure. Eating my emotions away was a daily routine, and french fries and chocolates were an addiction (I could eat an entire plate of fries — I still can).

A balanced meal was a fairytale — one I learned about in school but never applied in life. Not to mention an Indian diet is a high-carb one with rice as the principal source.

Three years back, I joined the gym and started functional training. But working out did not seem enough. Even though I was lifting weights every day, the nutrition side was an uphill battle. I never enjoyed cooking, plus my busy work schedule made it impossible for me to spend time on anything else.

But I had to eat well — we all know the 80% nutrition and 20% exercise saying.

This was when I discovered a healthy meal service in the city I was living in. It was expensive, and with the meager amount I was earning, I could only afford one meal a day, either lunch or dinner. The other meal had to be a cheaper option.

I did not expect it to do much. I thought one meal wouldn't make much of a difference. But it did. And its effects continue years after I moved to a new place.

What my healthy meals looked like

Protein source — chicken, paneer (tofu), or soy cooked in different styles each day from Wok Tossed Asian BBQ to French-inspired Chicken Fricassee.

Carbohydrates — rice, noodles, or whole wheat pasta.

Fiber/ Vegetables — a mix of vegetables and grains prepared to make even the blandest of vegetables appetizing.

They also provided the option of choosing between regular, low-carb, keto, and high-protein packs. It helped to know that the team worked with a certified nutritionist to design the weekly meal plans.

What having one healthy meal changed for me

I spent a year working in India. I had these meals for lunch six days a week for 12 months. Breakfast normally comprised a protein shake or a bowl of muesli if I woke up hungry. Dinner was almost always takeouts (not healthy ones), and I had snacks, chocolates, and cakes, as usual. I wasn’t dieting in a way that was restricting myself from having what I wanted. My workouts varied from three to five days a week.

More protein and fiber for lunch meant I was fuller for longer

Among the three macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbs), protein satiates you with lesser food. This is because of its effect on the hunger hormone ghrelin. It reduces its level and improves the function of weight-regulating hormones. A high-protein diet helps to curb appetite — this meant less craving for snacks in between meals.

In one study, increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories made overweight women eat 441 fewer calories each day without intentionally restricting anything.

Fibre, or roughage, found in fruits and vegetables also helps keep the stomach full by adding bulk and taking longer to digest. This means it remains in your stomach for longer, keeping you fuller for a longer period. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent insulin spikes, which is one reason we crave unhealthy food.

The combination of protein and fiber in my meal ensured I was full throughout my busy day until dinner time.

It helped keep me on track

Working out in the morning, followed by a protein shake and a healthy meal for lunch that kept me satiated till dinner, meant I went through the day without going off track from my dietary goals. This gave me some leeway in having any food I wanted for dinner in moderation (no guilt Mac n Cheese).

Dinner also comprised some protein on most occasions, though the restaurant food was hardly healthy.

I developed a taste for vegetables

If you had told me I would enjoy eating broccoli a few years back, I would have laughed at your face. But, as I have learned, broccoli isn’t so bad. Kale, spinach, zucchini aren’t either.

Before this, my diet contained zero vegetables. Not a surprise, considering a staggering number of adults don’t eat any vegetables their entire lives.

According to a study published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, only 1 in 10 adults met the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations.

While eating vegetables wasn’t easy at first, I developed a taste for it over time (the delicious recipes made it pleasanter). Soon, I was opting for veggies on the side when eating out. Having them first helped to fill me up and not overeat the higher calorie main course later on.

It motivated me to choose healthier options at other times

Regulating my diet is probably the hardest thing I have to do. And it is for a lot of people. Not all of us have iron will power. My friend could stick to a diet for months, while I would give up in a few weeks.

Having a healthy lunch made me rethink my choices when it came to dinner and on the days when the service was unavailable. Having woken up at five in the morning for the gym and not consuming any snacks or junk throughout the day made me take a step back and examine my cravings.

While the desire to binge at night was strong, I always questioned if it would be worth losing all the effort I made through the day. Did I want to devour the delicious food and feel low later, or did I want to eat just enough to satisfy my taste buds and add some protein or vegetables to the mix?

Relying on willpower alone has always been a sure way to failure for me. I needed a system to keep myself from over-eating. Considering the progress I made throughout the day helped me choose the better path for my body consistently.

It’s been two years since I moved, but I still crave delicious healthy meals at times.

Even though I could pay for only one healthy meal, and I had no time to cook, it made a lot more difference to my health than I imagined. While I didn’t maintain my workout routine that year, I was happy with my nutrition, and I felt and looked the fittest I had been in a long time.

After I moved, since I was staying at home, I continued the protein-fiber-carb meal outline similar to what I used to buy. I still try my best to eat one healthy meal a day, but now I include vegetables with dinner as well.

When I started, I did not understand the effect one meal could have. Having tried all sorts of diets, from the military diet to keto and detox teas, the moment my body truly transformed was when I was mindful of what I had without restricting myself.

One meal led to developing habits that last for a lifetime.