The Performance Plate: Build Holiday Meals That Support Your Strength
The holidays can pull us into extremes.
On one end: white-knuckling every bite, tracking everything, and feeling like we’re “on a plan.”
On the other: saying “screw it,” feeling sluggish and bloated for days, and convincing ourselves we’ll “start over in January.”
There’s a more sustainable middle ground.
Instead of obsessing over calories or macros at every gathering, you can use one simple visual that works at Thanksgiving, at a random Tuesday dinner, and everywhere in between:
The Performance Plate = ½ veggies, a palm of protein, a cupped handful of carbs, and a thumb of fat.
This isn’t a diet. It’s a framework that helps you feel good during the meal and later—when you train, work, sleep, and move through your life.
Let’s break it down. 👇
🔁 MOVE – Match your plate to your training
Your body doesn’t know it’s a holiday—it just knows the inputs you’re giving it.
The Performance Plate is a way to quietly support your training and daily movement, without needing to micromanage every forkful.
On lift or higher-intensity days
If you’re lifting the day of (or after) a big meal, think:
½ plate veggies – Support digestion, fiber, micronutrients.
Palm of protein – Anchor blood sugar and recovery.
Cupped handful of carbs – Energy for training and replenishing glycogen.
Thumb of fat – Flavor and satisfaction without going overboard.
Example holiday plate:
Roasted Brussels sprouts + green beans (½ plate)
Slices of turkey or roast beef (palm of protein)
Scoop of mashed potatoes or stuffing (cupped carbs)
Gravy or butter on top (thumb of fat)
You still get the classics—you’re just giving your body the raw materials it needs to perform.
On rest or lighter days
On lower-intensity days (light walking, mobility, or full rest), the structure stays the same, but:
Let hunger guide your portions.
You might naturally have a slightly smaller carb portion or choose more fiber-forward carbs (like roasted sweet potatoes or beans).
Post-meal movement (your quiet superpower)
A small, sustainable practice:
Take a 5–10 minute walk after bigger meals.
Or do a gentle stretch session in your living room.
This isn’t about “earning” or “burning off” food.
It’s about supporting digestion, blood sugar, and stiffness so your body feels better later.
🍲 FUEL – The ½–Palm–Cup–Thumb Formula
The magic of the Performance Plate is that it’s visual and flexible. No scale, no tracking app—just your hand and your plate.
Here’s the structure:
½ plate veggies
Think: color + fiber + volume
Roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans
Shredded or massaged salads
Roasted squash, sautéed kale, or a mixed veg medley
Why it matters:
Helps with fullness and satisfaction
Supports digestion (especially with richer foods)
Brings micronutrients your body uses for recovery and overall health
Palm of protein
Use the size and thickness of your palm as your guide:
Turkey, chicken, roast beef, ham
Salmon or other fish
Tofu, tempeh, lentils, or other plant protein if you’re veg-forward
Why it matters:
Supports muscle repair and maintenance
Stabilizes blood sugar (less of the big spike–crash roller coaster)
Keeps you fuller, longer
Cupped handful of carbs
Form a cup with your hand—that’s your starting point:
Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
Stuffing or rice
A roll or slice of good bread
Corn, pasta, or another starchy side
Carbs are not the enemy. They’re fuel, especially if you’re lifting, walking a lot, or doing any endurance work.
You can adjust the portion based on:
Training day vs rest day
How hungry you are
What else you’re eating that day
Thumb of fat
Use your thumb to ballpark fats like:
Butter, olive oil, or other added oils
Gravy, cream-based sauces, cheese
Higher-fat dressings or dips
Fat is wonderful for flavor, hormone health, and satisfaction.
The thumb visual simply helps you avoid turning the whole plate into a slip-and-slide of butter and cream by accident.
What about dessert?
Dessert doesn’t need to be banned.
A simple reframe:
Let dessert be your “extra carb” instead of an extra full plate.
You can still follow the Performance Plate at the main meal, then enjoy the pie/cookies/etc. more mindfully.
If you’re going back for seconds, ask:
“What was missing from my first plate?”
It’s often veggies or protein, not more of everything.
🧠 MIND – Let go of all-or-nothing holiday thinking
Most of the stress around holiday eating doesn’t come from the food itself—it comes from the stories we attach to it.
Instead of:
“I was good” vs “I blew it”
“I ruined everything this week”
“I’ll fix it in January”
Try gentler, more useful questions:
Did my plate mostly resemble a Performance Plate?
(Even roughly counts.)Did I include one thing that helps my future self feel better?
(Like extra veggies or a walk.)Am I eating this because I truly want it, or because it’s just there?
The goal isn’t to have a “perfect” holiday meal.
The goal is to keep your values and your body in the conversation, even when the environment is loud, social, and tempting.
You’re allowed to enjoy food.
You’re also allowed to care about how you feel after you eat.
Bringing it together
The Performance Plate is not a rule book—it’s a lens:
½ plate veggies for volume, fiber, and nutrients
A palm of protein for strength and recovery
A cupped handful of carbs for energy and enjoyment
A thumb of fat for flavor and satisfaction
You can use it at:
Holiday dinners
Weeknight meals
Lunch at your desk
Brunch with friends
It travels with you because it’s based on your hand and your values, not a tracking app.
If you try building a Performance Plate this week—holiday or not—I want to see it.
👉 Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @steph.salzman so I can cheer you on.
👉 And if you’re not already on my email list, join The Vitality Method newsletter to get weekly Move / Fuel / Mind guides delivered straight to your inbox before they hit the blog.
You don’t need a perfect season to make progress.
You just need a few solid anchors that you return to, again and again.
Happy Thanksgiving Folks!