Regardless of what nutrition program you are following – whether it is low carb, low fat, no-sugar or based on some other method – there are always healthier choices that can be made when you are shopping. This guide will share what foods are the healthiest choices when looking for proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vegetables.To learn more about how to read nutrition labels, check out Food Labels 101.
Lean Proteins
Lean proteins are the main source of amino acids in the diet. To learn more about amino acids and the role that protein plays, check out the nutrition section in my book, “Lose Fat, Not Faith: A Transformation Guide.”
- All fish and shellfish (cold water fish are generally preferred to double as a source of healthy fats)
- Buffalo
- Chicken breast
- Cottage cheese (use full fat unless watching calories, as there are healthy fats such as conjugated linoleic acid in dairy fat)
- Eggs (whole eggs from free range or grain-fed chickens contain healthier fats in the yolk – if you are concerned about cholesterol, then read this article)
- Lamb (leaner cuts or in moderation)
- Lean beef (10% fat or less – steam and drain excess fat for best results)
- Ostrich – tip: this meat should be seared on the outside and remain rare or medium rare on the inside or it may be too tough
- Protein powders
- Turkey breast
- Venison
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Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are not the evil they have been made out to be. There are certainly “good carbs” and “bad carbs.” The classification relates more to a combination of factors than any single criteria (such as simple or complex or the glycemic index – for more information, check out “Lose Fat, Not Faith.”) These carbohydrates are on our “good” list:
- All natural (no sugar-added) applesauce
- Apples
- Artichokes
- Avocados – these double as healthy fats
- Baked potato (red is better than white)
- Bananas
- Beets
- Black beans – doubles as an excellent source of protein and fiber
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Brown rice – wild rice is best!
- Buckwheat
- Carrots
- Cherries
- Chickpeas – another excellent source of protein and fiber as well
- Corn
- Farina
- French beans
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Green peas
- Groats
- Kidney beans
- Kiwi
- Leeks
- Lemons
- Lentils – one of nature’s “perfect” foods, known as “pulse” in the bible
- Lima beans
- Limes
- Mangos
- Navy beans
- Oats – old-fashioned, slow-cook variety
- Okra
- Oranges
- Parsnip
- Peaches
- Pearled barley
- Pears
- Pinto beans – watch the canned variety, as those are high in sodium
- Plain whole yogurt – excellent source of protein, carbs, and healthy fats – add frozen fruit and let sit overnight to create your own “fruit” style
- Plums
- Pumpkin – the seeds rate as a healthy fat
- Quinoa
- Raspberries
- Rye
- Soy yogurt
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Sweet potato
- Tangerines
- Turnips
- Wheat
- Whole bread – learn more about breads
Healthy Fats
Fats have received a bad reputation lately, when they are an important part of the diet. I typically consume at least one portion of fats for every 45 pounds of weight – a portion being around a tablespoon of liquid, or 1/8 – 1/4 cups or 1 – 2 ounces of seeds or cheese. Here is a healthy fats calculator. The fats I consider healthy include:
- Almond butter
- Almond oil
- Almonds
- Butter – yes, just plain whole fat butter. When used in moderation, I believe this is perfectly fine
- Canola oil
- Cheese
- Macadamia nuts
- Olive oil
- All natural peanut butter
- Peanut oil
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pistachio nuts
- Pumpkin and squash seeds
- Safflower kernels
- Sunflower butter
- Sunflower seed
- Walnuts
Vegetables
I consider vegetables to be one of the most underrated components of a healthy diet. Not only do these supply incredible amounts of nutrients, they are rich with water and can help with hydration and contain various chemicals that have been shown to fight cancer and other illnesses. Most importantly, they provide fiber and are tough for the body to process, so they may actually raise the metabolism and aid the body with burning fat. I place no restrictions on these vegetables in my nutrition plans, and consume as much of these as possible along with two to four servings of fruit each day.
- Amaranth leaves
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bamboo shoots
- Bean sprouts
- Beet greens
- Bell peppers
- Borage
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cardoon
- Carrots (raw)
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chicory
- Chives
- Collard greens
- Cowpeas
- Cucumber
- Dandelion greens
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Ginger root
- Gourd
- Green beans
- Jalape
