Four steps for a balanced meal

• Step 1. In Table 1 below, find your weight category and suggested number of calories/day.
• Step 2. Click on the suggested calories/day for your weight. You will see the daily recommended amounts for each food group based on your weight.  

Table 1. Suggested calories/day and daily recommended amounts for each food group by weight

Note: Suggested meal plans above provided by https://choosemyplate.gov, based on daily caloric requirements. For this table, the daily caloric requirement was calculated based on recommendations by pressure ulcers/injuries guidelines (30-35 kcal/kg/day) [2][3][4]

• Step 3. Based on your daily recommended amount for each food group, choose and bookmark recipes on the MyPlate kitchen free online tool.
• Step 4. Alternatively, you can follow this sample plan “A Week With the DASH Eating Plan” (DASH is a heart healthy approach created by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and have other health benefits).

Practical Nutrition Tips

Table 2. Nutrition tips [5]

Food groups	Tips	Suggested food quantity
Protein	At the start of your meal, consume proteins first, the most important macronutrient for wound healing. If you eat carbohydrates first, you may get full faster, resulting in skipping or eating less of the protein.	About 5-8 servings daily (such as 1 oz. meat, fish, or poultry, 1/4 cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 oz nuts, 2 oz. firm tofu). A hand palm = 3 oz. of meat
Grains	Eat more healthy whole grains instead of refined-grains (e.g. white rice, white bread, white	About five servings daily (such as 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1/2 cup cooked whole-grain cereal, 1/2 cup brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, 3/4 cup dry whole-grain cereal). A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup
Vegetables	Add vegetables to fruit smoothies for an additional boost without a bitter taste	About two servings daily (such as 1 cup of raw vegetables, 2 cups raw leafy green vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked). 1 tennis ball = ½ cup = 1 serving of vegetables
Fruits	Use as toppings for cooked cereals, yogurt, and ice cream. Choose fruits over sweets	About three servings daily (such as 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1 piece whole fresh fruit, 1 cup melon, berries, grapes, 1/2 cup canned fruit or 100% fruit juice). 1 tennis ball = ½ cup = 1 serving of fruits
Dairy	Substitute milk for water in recipes; supplement powdered milk or yogurt to shakes, smoothies, and cooked cereals; top soups with cheese or Greek yogurt	About three servings daily (such as 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1.5-2.0 oz. of cheese (dairy or soy). A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup

How do I put what I have learned into action? 

Glad you asked! Click on the topics below to jump-start good eating habits that will help you heal your wounds faster 

• Patient Education - Nutrition for Wound Healing: Understanding the Basics
• Patient Education - Nutrition for wound healing : What if I have other health conditions?
• Patient Education - Nutrition for wound healing in action - Step 1: Map out your meals (this topic)
• Patient Education - Nutrition for wound healing in action - Step 2: Leverage supplements
• Patient Education - Nutrition for wound healing in action - Step 3: Shop smartly
• Patient Education - Nutrition for wound healing in action - Step 4: What if I don’t cook

When to contact your healthcare provider

In general, if there is little to no improvement in the condition of your wound/pressure ulcer, it is a good time to reach out to your healthcare provider. Proper nutrition can pave the way to a clean and healthy wound, as well as improve your overall health and well-being.