Are you standing in your kitchen on a Monday evening wondering how to put together a healthy dinner without overthinking it? You've come to the right place.
At MATR, we know it can be difficult to come up with new healthy dinner ideas for yourself and your family every week.
One of the easiest ways to make healthy cooking simpler is to understand what makes up a balanced meal. Once you know the building blocks, it will become so much easier to create healthy dinners.
The key components of a healthy dinner are protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at each of these building blocks, explain how they work together, and show you how MATR can be part of a healthy, balanced meal.
What does a healthy dinner look like?
At MATR, we like to keep it simple.
A balanced dinner plate should include three essential components: protein, carbohydrates including fibre, and healthy fats.
From there, the possibilities are endless. You can choose whichever ingredients suit your preferences.
Whether your protein comes from plants or animal sources is entirely up to you. The same goes for carbohydrates. You might choose potatoes, wholegrain pasta, brown rice, or another wholesome option.
Before we show you exactly how to make a healthy dinner, let's look at why each of these nutrients matters.
Once you understand the role of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, creating satisfying, nourishing meals becomes much easier.
A balanced meal should provide energy, keep you feeling full, and supply your body with the nutrients it needs.
The building blocks of a healthy dinner
Protein. Protein plays an important role in a healthy dinner because it helps keep you feeling full after your meal. While protein is often associated with animal products such as meat, there are also many excellent plant-based protein sources, including legumes like peas, lentils, beans, and lupins.
MATR is made with split peas, which are naturally high in protein. That means MATR is an easy, protein-rich ingredient you can add to your everyday meals.
MATR contains 8.5 g of protein per 100 g.
Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. They're found in foods such as grains, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, and legumes. When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose, which fuels your muscles, brain, and other essential functions. Dietary fibre is also a type of carbohydrate that supports healthy digestion and gut balance.
MATR contains 11.6 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, including 10.2 g of dietary fibre per 100 g.
Healthy fats. Healthy fats are found in foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and oily fish. Adding these ingredients to a plant-based dinner helps create more flavour, variety, and nutritional balance.
MATR contains 2.5 g of fat per 100 g, with its healthy fats coming naturally from the fermented vegetables used in our recipe.
How to make a healthy dinner
Now that you know what protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats contribute to your body, let's see how to make a healthy dinner in practice.
Imagine your dinner plate and then divide it into three sections.
Fill half your plate with vegetables. Aim to cover half your plate with vegetables. Carrots, broccoli, leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers. Just anything you enjoy. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fibre, and carbohydrates that support your overall health. Another healthy source here is legumes. They are full of protein, and will definitely help make you feel full.
Add quality carbohydrates. Fill about a quarter of your plate with wholegrain or fibre-rich carbohydrates. Choose foods like brown rice, wholegrain pasta, quinoa, bulgur, potatoes, or rye bread. These foods provide energy while their fibre helps support digestion and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer.
Complete the plate with protein and healthy fats. The remaining quarter of your plate should contain protein along with healthy fats. This could come from fish, chicken, eggs, or plant-based options such as beans, lentils, or MATR. Whichever protein source you choose, it will help keep you feeling full long after your meal.
Following this simple formula makes it easy to make delicious, balanced healthy dinners throughout the week.
3 easy and healthy dinner ideas with MATR
To make things even easier, here are three healthy dinner ideas featuring MATR.
A sandwich can absolutely be a balanced evening meal.Fill toasted sourdough bread with a grilled MATR Burger, fresh vegetables, and a rich romesco sauce. The result is a satisfying meal packed with protein, fibre, and quality carbohydrates.
This refreshing noodle salad combines MATR with noodles, crunchy vegetables, fresh mint, and a creamy tahini dressing. It's a light yet filling meal that delivers plant-based protein alongside plenty of fresh flavour.
Make a simple Buddha bowl using MATR Mince, colourful vegetables such as carrots, chickpeas, and edamame, plus a serving of whole grains like quinoa, bulgur, or brown rice.Finish with your favourite dressing or fresh herbs for a quick, balanced dinner.
Explore more nourishing and delicious recipes with MATR, or continue reading to learn more about our products.
A healthy dinner with MATR
MATR brings together many of the key building blocks of a balanced meal.
Combined with fresh vegetables, whole grains, and other nutritious ingredients, it's an easy way to make healthy dinners any day of the week.
Our five ingredients come from organic farms across the Nordic region.
They are naturally fermented, creating a distinctive umami flavour, satisfying texture, and great bite.
We keep our ingredient list simple. This means you will only find high-quality ingredients in MATR. It is completely free from additives or artificial preservatives.
That means you can confidently use MATR in all your favourite everyday meals.
Ready to make MATR part of your healthy dinners? Find our products in selected COOP stores across Denmark, or try them at a growing number of restaurants in Copenhagen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the healthiest dinner?
A healthy dinner typically includes a quality source of protein, plenty of vegetables, fibre-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Choosing MATR as your protein source is an easy way to make a balanced meal.
What are some quick and healthy dinner ideas?
Bowls, wraps, and noodle salads packed with vegetables are quick to prepare and highly nutritious. Explore our MATR recipes for more inspiration.
What is the cheapest food to live on?
Affordable staples such as oats, potatoes, rice, dried beans, and lentils are inexpensive and nutritious. However, it's important to eat a varied diet to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.
What foods are the most filling without being high in calories?
Meals that are high in protein and dietary fibre generally provide the greatest feeling of fullness relative to their calorie content.
What are some healthy and budget-friendly dinner ideas?
Vegetable soups, lentil stews, pasta dishes, and grain bowls with legumes are all affordable, nourishing meals. You can also use MATR as a convenient protein source and pair it with seasonal vegetables.