If you feel sleepy after lunch or ravenous by four o’clock, your plate may be the culprit. The plate method is a simple way to balance meals without weighing or counting anything.

Build your plate

• Half: vegetables. Salad, roasted vegetables, soup — the more color, the better.
• A quarter: protein. Fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, beans or lentils.
• A quarter: smart carbs. Whole grains, potatoes with their skin, brown rice or fruit.
• A thumb of healthy fat. Olive oil, nuts, seeds or avocado.

Why it works

Fiber and protein slow the release of sugar into your blood, so energy stays steady and hunger stays quiet. It is the same advice we give patients living with diabetes — and it works for everyone.

Swap, don’t cut. Small changes you enjoy beat big changes you abandon.