presented by the Mindful Nutrition Method™
Are You Struggling to Eat Balanced Meals?
Discover how to easily create balanced meals so you can give your body the nourishment you need to have a sharp focus, calm digestion, lasting energy, sound sleep, and vibrant long-term health, while having the flexibility to enjoy the foods you love.
No tracking, counting, strict rules, or dieting required.
Creating Balanced Meals Gives You the Nourishment You Need and The Flexibility to Enjoy Your Favorite Foods
Have you ever tried to follow a diet or plan only to realize that it wasn’t maintainable for the long-term because it asked you to avoid certain foods or track everything you ate — things that aren't practical or realistic?
Inside of Balanced Eating Made Easy, you'll master our Foundational Five system, which is an easy, practical, and effective way to ensure to ensure each and every meal is balanced with macronutrients and micronutrients your body needs to feel and function its best, while at the same time, giving you the freedom and flexibility to enjoy the foods you love.
Creating balanced meals is one small, yet incredibly transformative, step in the journey towards embodying more balance with your eating habits which makes it possible for you to experience consistency, peace, and ease with food.
What Is The Foundational Five?
The Foundational Five is made up of five elements of nutrition containing protein, fat, non-starchy carbohydrates, starchy carbohydrates, and the Flavor Factor (which brings vibrancy, deliciousness, and enjoyment to your meals) to easily assemble on your plate.
The combination of these elements helps you feel full, energized, supports digestion, sharp focus in your daily life and provides the nourishment your body needs to sustain long-term health.
Whether you're making a fresh meal at home, meal prepping for the week, or heading out to a restaurant or gathering, you'll be able to easily apply the Foundational Five system to any situation so you can have a balanced meal.
How Balanced Meals Positively Supported Our Students
“I literally got freed from my overthinking about food and my meals because of The Foundational Five. I cannot thank you enough!”
— Bilge
“It really helps me not see food as a stress, but rather a form of energy and pleasure for my body.”
— Payton
“Knowing that food can still be enjoyable and healthy was really great and not having a plan to stick to but rather being encouraged to find what works for me was amazing.”
— Kayla
“I wanted to let you know that I’m doing so much better now that I’m following your Foundational Five. I’m not 100% at every meal, but I’m getting there!”
— Maria
“I truly feel so much better when I eat that way and it doesn’t require any more effort than I was already putting into my meals.”
— Jane
“These skills radically changed my healthy eating world!... I've been able to feed my family well because of the principles I have learned through McKel’s approach.”
— Amy
“It’s more freeing knowing that I have so many choices of what to eat now. I have food freedom now, I eat a ton of different foods and never feel restricted.”
— Abagail
"I realized my time in the kitchen was halved!"
— Olivia
Sign Up Today to Discover a Simple Way to Eat Balanced Every Day
What’s Inside the Balanced Eating Made Easy Course
By the end of this course, you’ll learn the first step in the balanced and mindful eating journey, which is knowing “what to eat” to give your body the nourishment it needs while having the flexibility to enjoy the foods you love.
You will be able to confidently and consistently make balanced meals every day so you can care for your body without feeling restricted, being on a strict diet, or following complicated rules.
It’s a self-paced online course equipped with a schedule, combination of video and written lessons, worksheets, journal prompts, and supportive resources for starting your mindful eating journey.
You’ll Learn & Experience:
- More freedom and ease with your meal choices
- How to let go of diets, trends, and get out of the start-and-stop cycle
- More simplicity with planning and building your meals so you can be consistent
- Enjoying meals even more, knowing they are both nutritious and delicious
- How to eat for more stable energy, fullness, and better digestion
- More mental energy, time, and money saved by making easy meals
- Building your confidence in knowing what to eat for your unique body
- What additional steps you need to take in order to fully embody balanced and consistent eating habits for life!
Lesson 1 • Get Out of The Start-And-Stop Cycle
Have you ever felt like you’re on a start-and-stop cycle, constantly falling off and jumping back on the bandwagon, or feeling like healthy eating is a rollercoaster? First off, you’re not alone! Secondly, this one's for you!
In this lesson, we’re going to explore why what you’ve tried in the past hasn’t lasted for you, the importance of a long-term approach to nutrition, and how using the Foundational Five can be used in everyday life.
Lesson 2 • Learn What Makes Up Balanced Meals and Why They're So Important
In this lesson, I’m going to bring you through the ins-and-outs of the Foundational Five system for creating balanced meals. You'll learn the importance of each element and the role it plays in your health.
You'll also discover the foods you can choose for each element so you have plenty of options that are always available and suit your preferences.
Lesson 3 • How to Make Every Meal a Foundational Five Nourish Meal
After this video lesson, you'll understand simple yet delicious ways to put together a Foundational Five Nourish Meal in minutes from smoothies, salads, and entrees.
You'll learn about breakfast tips, lunch and dinner options, and how to quickly assess whether or not your nourish meal contains the Foundational Five.
You'll also find our favorite recipes to get you started!
Lesson 4 • Prep Balanced Meals Easily
Knowing how to quickly prepare balanced and easy meals is key for being consistent with your eating habits.
Discover our quick meal planning method that makes it easier to cook balanced and easy meals in about 15 minutes! (Seriously! Most of my meals take 15 minutes to make!)
Lesson 5 • Make Long-Term Balanced Eating Habits
Mindful eating and maintaining healthy eating habits goes far beyond just knowing what to put on your plate.
There are many other vital factors that influence our food choices, behaviors, and habits, so in this lesson I’m going to share some of the other areas to focus on that will help you maintain your eating habits.
Overview of What's Included:
- 5 actionable lessons with lessons, downloads, and action steps
- Bonus lessons
- Self-assessment to gauge where you are now and track your progress
- Worksheet with dozens of ingredients so you can easily get all of the elements on your plate
- Food journal prompt to reflect on your progress and work through your any challenges you face
- 10 Nourish Meal ideas using Nutrition Stripped recipes
Discover a Simple Way to Eat Balanced Every Day
“The Foundational Five has become non-negotiable for me. When I was first starting to incorporate it into my life, I was learning and there were some meals that weren’t Foundational Five. I could tell a difference in my stress levels, energy levels, mood, and what I ate/craved on the days I didn’t get the Foundational Five vs. the days I did. I truly feel so much better when I eat that way and it doesn’t require much more effort than I was already putting into my meals.”
— Jane
Frequently Asked Questions
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Overview of What's Included:
- 6 actionable modules with lessons, downloads, and action steps
- Self-assessment to gauge where you are now and track your progress
- Worksheet with dozens of ingredients so you can easily get all of the elements on your plate
- Food journal prompt to reflect on your progress and work through your any challenges you face
- 10+ Nourish Meal ideas using Nutrition Stripped recipes
When you sign up, you'll be given instant access to your member area where you can find your video lessons and worksheets! You’ll also have access to our app so you can watch the lessons on-the-go!
This is the system I use to make easy, 15 minute meals every night! I know that it may seem like I cook all of these fancy recipes, but the majority of my meals are things that I put together in just a few minutes with simple ingredients.
Once you understand what makes up a nutritious meal, it’s so much easier to mix and match ingredients you have on hand to make a quick yet healthy meal.
A key part of healthy eating is finding the foods you enjoy and that work for your body! You’re going to have a deep understanding of the different nutrients to fill your plate at each meal, and then you have complete flexibility to fill your plate with the foods and flavors you enjoy most!
We focus on getting these nutrients from whole food sources, so whether you and your family eat animal proteins, plant-based or somewhere in between, this checkbox system works for all lifestyles and taste preferences.
I’ll give you a few ideas of my favorites to get you started, but then you’ll have the skill to come up with meals you enjoy!
Yes! The Foundational Five system makes it easier for people with different tastes and food preferences to eat together.
For example, my husband Jesse enjoys chicken every now and then, and I enjoy more plant-based foods. The system I teach shows you how both of us can enjoy what we want, but don’t have to make two totally separate meals!
No, the Foundational Five Mini-Course teaches you a system to use to make your eating habits simplified, easy, and convenient for you to use in daily life. It’s not another plan, trend, diet or program where you have to eat a certain recipe or food to nourish your body.
Instead, you'll gain the skills you need to build a balance meal without relying on someone telling you a specific recipe to eat. This confidence, knowledge, and skillset is what will help you make long-lasting healthy eating habits.
Great question! The Foundational Five is a great system everyone can use, even if you have a health condition that may require you to take a closer look into portions and the Foundational Five Elements on your plate.
That’s why the Nutrition Stripped team of Registered Dietitians can help you through additional 1-1 wellness coaching.
As a student of this mini-course, we'll include an option to book a free call to see if you would need additional 1-1 coaching and personalized recommendations based on your health condition.
Still have questions? No problem!
Send me a direct message on Instagram with your question and I'm happy to answer it for you.
If you're also on the fence and not sure if this is right for you, your lifestyle and goals, I’ll help you know if this is right for you. If for some reason it's not, I will point you to resources or other professionals that would be a better fit.
This mini-course does not advise or give specific portions for each element — that's where 1-1 nutrition coaching and The Method program will support you!
What you will learn, is how to create meals with ease that are full of balanced macronutrients to support your long-term health. You'll be able to identify what are proteins, fats, non-starchy carbohydrates, starchy and sugary carbohydrates, and the flavor factor.
Learn a Simple Way to Make Balanced Meals to Support Your Health
Still Thinking?
Wondering if this is right for you? No problem!
Send us a direct message on Instagram with your question and we're happy to answer it for you.
If you're also on the fence and not sure if this is right for you, your lifestyle and goals, we'll help you know if this is right for you.
Send us A DM!
Meet McKel Kooienga MS, RDN, LDN
Founder of Nutrition Stripped and Creator of the Mindful Nutrition Method.
McKel is a leading voice in nutrition and mindful health, awarded "Top 20 Role Models" named by Arianna Huffington. Her work has been featured in Oprah.com, The Good Life by Dr. Oz, Real Simple, Shape, SELF, Women's Health, Food Network, Today's Dietitian, Healthline, Well + Good, and more major outlets.
Knowing What To Eat For Balance Is Supportive And Works For Everyday Life
“The Foundational Five was especially helpful as I don't typically overeat when I have something nutritious in front of me. Knowing that food can still be enjoyable and healthy was really great and not having a plan to stick to but rather being encouraged to find what works for me was amazing. I am now setup with tools that I feel I can use throughout this journey and for that I am so grateful.”
— Kayla
“It’s really possible to lead a life where I don’t stress about food choices for every meal and really make it a lifestyle change! I’ve tried some of those fads and diets and they are just unrealistic long term and I end up feeling worse afterward because I’m unable to stay “on track.”
— Katie
“I’m working on changing my mindset around cooking (I’ve never felt that good at it and cooking intimidated me out of fear of not doing it “perfectly”). Using the Foundational Five has really helped me. If I can manage to get all 5 (or even 4 out of 5) components into my meals, I consider that a win!”
— Kelsey
“I’ve been focusing on the Foundational Five for every meal along with being more mindful when I eat. It has helped a lot! I love it! It really helps me not see food as a stress, but rather a form of energy and pleasure for my body. I’ve really been struggling with my relationship with food, I love food and am passionate about nutrition...I have just been super anxious and stressed by what to eat/not eat and the information I don’t have. I feel much happier and at ease by feeling in more control!”
— Payton
“This week I *honestly* tried out batch cooking and focusing on constructing meals that are grounded in the Foundational Five. I've always done well with meal planning and cooking at home. However, I was nervous that batch cooking and having a guide for meal structure was going to make our meal time boring. I was also concerned that my partner would be upset with a sudden change in the meals that I was preparing and create a sort of road block for me. We both consider ourselves "foodies". Last week when I sat down to make my meal plan, I said to myself "you have to honestly try" and see what happens. On Saturday, I made some meal components to be ready. By Tuesday, I realized my time in the kitchen was halved. Wednesday, I asked my partner what they thought of the meals so far this week to see if anything was different. They responded with no real change. They said "you're cooking meals and they taste good, what's different?" I responded with "Well, sometimes I'm just heating and assembling not really *cooking*." They followed up with "but we never had the exact same meal twice..." I can say, I was a bit surprised. From this experience, I realized that I don't need to start every meal from scratch to have a delicious meal. Something I always thought before. AND if you make a nutritious delicious meal, it is still a delicious meal and your audience will like it. I'm beginning a new week of meal planning. Here's to curiosity, honesty and a new practice.”
— Olivia O.
“The Foundational Five has been such a game-changer. All I need to do is look at the plate I’m building and make sure I have those five things and I’m good to go. I think the best part for me is both knowing I’m eating healthy while also having a great guideline for practicing balance. Before, pizza night would look like a slice or two of pizza and that’s it. Now I understand that I can still have pizza night, but I’ll feel so much better if I also have a big salad with it. It’s more of a “this and also this” rather than “this instead of this” mindset and I’ve noticed a shift in how much easier it is for me to make healthy choices.”
— Jocelyn
“The Foundational Five has become non-negotiable for me. When I was first starting to incorporate it into my life, I was learning and there were some meals that weren’t Foundational Five. I could tell a difference in my stress levels, energy levels, mood, and what I ate/craved on the days I didn’t get the Foundational Five vs. the days I did. I truly feel so much better when I eat that way and it doesn’t require much more effort than I was already putting into my meals.”
— Jane
“I really love the approach of being educated, knowing what to put on my plate and what to look for when building a meal has had a really positive impact on me...I think it’s more freeing knowing that I have so many choices of what to eat now. Portions are a little different and I’m definitely eating more regularly so I think I have a lot more energy. This weekend I had pizza and like knew that it was ok and for the first time in a while I didn’t feel guilty, and I had a side salad with it, drank extra water and the next morning I went back to my normal routine. I have food freedom now, I eat a ton of different foods and never feel restricted.”
— Abagail
Learn How to Make Your Next Meal a Balanced Meal
presented by the Mindful Nutrition Method™