This list will help you organize what falls into a food group and tips to make healthier choices. Eating a variety of foods will insure you get a variety of nutrients. Use a website or app that allows you to track your food for the day to give you an idea if you are hitting your ideal nutrition requirements.
Use the Hunger to Satiety Scale to know when to eat and when to stop. You should stay within a 5 to 7 on this scale getting most of your calories in by 4pm and stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Zero (0) starving and beyond.
1-2 Can eat everything on the menu.
3-4 You are hungry and the urge to eat is strong.
5-6 Not hungry not full.
7 Hunger is gone if you stop eating now you could go 3-4 hours without food.
8 Not uncomfortable but full.
9 Starting to feel uncomfortably full.
10 Full, uncomfortable to painful.
Healthy Options from The Food Groups
When preparing foods keep in mind breading adds calories and causes the food to soak up more fat during cooking, so skip it, or use homemade breadcrumbs made from toasted sprout grain or brown rice bread. Prepare foods with homemade sauces, dressing, and marinade. Store bought products tend to be high fat and high sugar. Prepare foods with healthy oils and dried or fresh spices to add flavor without extra calories.
Protein:
Skinless chicken
Skinless turkey
lean cuts of pork
fish
beans
nuts
seeds
eggs and egg whites (limit egg yoks to 1-2 whole eggs in one day)
protein powders (Look for all natural, non-genetically modified, and organic)
Food for Thought:
Choose leaner cuts of meats and poultry. When possible use organic, free range chickens and grass-fed beef. Leaner cuts of beef include round steaks and roasts, top loin, top sirloin, and tenderloin. Choose extra lean ground beef that is at least 93% lean or use bison or buffalo meat as a substitute. The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, and center loin. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets as well as ground chicken and turkey are the leanest poultry choices. Trim all visible fat or get pre-trimmed meats.
Limit processed meats like deli meats and sausage and choose organic and uncured when possible. As an alternative to deli meats, cook a chicken or turkey breast and carve it yourself for the week.
Plants contain protein and are a healthy alternative to meat. Most plants do not contain all or enough of 9 of the essential amino acids the body needs in one food source. Amino acids combine to form a protein molecule. Lacking an essential amino acid can hinder the formation of proteins. If going strictly plant based having a combination of different amino acids is important to keep in mind. Combine foods containing the amino acid lysine like grains, nuts and seeds with foods containing the amino acid methionine like vegetables and legumes (most nuts and beans). Choose nuts with healthy fat like walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. Avoid nuts higher in saturated fats like peanuts. Do not forget to check the ingredients in canned proteins such as nuts and beans and go for organic and non-GMO products in BPA free packaging.
Whole Grain Options:
brown rice
buckwheat
wild rice
oatmeal
popcorn
rolled oats
quinoa
whole grain barley
whole rye
whole wheat
muesli
bulgur (cracked wheat)
amaranth
millet
sorghum
triticale
Food for Thought:
Whole grains are an essential component of a healthy diet, contain necessary dietary fiber. The soluble fiber in grains helps pull cholesterol out of the body. Carbohydrates in whole grains keep blood sugar levels balanced throughout the day and are also essential to proper muscle and brain function. Measure serving sizes to make sure you are not having too much of a good thing. Read labels to avoid processed foods and refined grains as well as exact serving sizes. Choose unprocessed options like old fashion oats rather than cereal and sprouted grain bread or brown rice bread instead of more processed bread types. Try different options to see what you like. There is a lot of healthy options out there like whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta and brown rice crackers. Avoid refined grains like cornbread, white rice, and products made with refined ingredients. If you are not sure look up an ingredient to decide if it is something you want to eat.
Fruit and Vegetables:
Dark Green Vegetables:
bok choy
broccoli
collard greens
dark green leafy lettuce
kale
mescaline
mustard greens
romaine lettuce
spinach
turnip greens
watercress
red & orange vegetables
acorn squash
butternut squash
carrots
hubbard squash
pumpkin
red peppers
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
beans and peas
black beans
black-eyed peas
garbanzo beans
chickpeas
kidney beans
lentils
navy beans
pinto beans
soy
beans
split peas
white beans
Other Vegetables:
artichokes
asparagus
avocado
bean sprouts
beets
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
cucumbers
eggplant
green beans
green peppers
iceberg (head) lettuce
mushrooms
okra
onions
turnips
wax beans
zucchini
Commonly Eaten Fruits:
apples
apricots
bananas
cherries
grapefruit
grapes
kiwi fruit
lemons
limes
mangoes
nectarines
oranges
peaches
pears
papaya
pineapple
plums
prunes
raisins
tangerines
berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
100% fruit vegetable juice (limit juice and eat the fruit instead if possible)
Food for Thought:
Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables choosing fruits and vegetables of multiple colors. Have 2 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veggies every day. Avoid starchy veggies like white potatoes and yellow corn.
Dairy Products and Substitutes:
yogurt
fat-free or low-fat milk like skim or 1%
lactose-free milk
calcium-fortified soymilk /soy beverage (non-GMO)
cheese (eat sparingly)
canned fish with the bones such as sardines and anchovies
some beans like soy, and some leafy greens like kale
high quality calcium and vitamin D supplement
Food for Thought:
The body can only absorb so much calcium at once so space dairy or dairy substitutes to 3 servings throughout the day. Avoid processed products. Be wary of flavored products. They tend to have added sugars and artificial ingredients. Look for 100% natural ingredients, grass-fed and free-range dairy products and dairy alternatives higher in vitamin D and calcium that are organic and non-gmo
Commonly Eaten Healthy Oils:
canola oil
corn oil
cottonseed oil
olive oil
safflower oil
soybean oil
sunflower oil
grape seed oil
walnut oil
sesame oil
Some foods that are naturally high in healthy oils:
nuts
olives
fish
avocados
Food for Thought:
Plant foods do not contain cholesterol. Most natural oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (good fat), and low in saturated fats (bad fat). Mix up the type of mono and polyunsaturated fats you eat by having a verity of oils over the week. Do not have too much of a good thing. Stick to the serving size. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats like butter, milk fat, fat from meat, lard, stick margarine, and shortening. A few plant oils, including palm oil and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats. Check the ingredients for saturated fat sources as well as hydrogenated oil and partially hydrogenated oil. If there is less than .5g of trans fat it is not required that the manufacturer list it in nutrition facts. Be careful not to overheat oil because it affects the quality and flavor of the oil.
Use the Hunger to Satiety Scale to know when to eat and when to stop. You should stay within a 5 to 7 on this scale getting most of your calories in by 4pm and stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Zero (0) starving and beyond.
1-2 Can eat everything on the menu.
3-4 You are hungry and the urge to eat is strong.
5-6 Not hungry not full.
7 Hunger is gone if you stop eating now you could go 3-4 hours without food.
8 Not uncomfortable but full.
9 Starting to feel uncomfortably full.
10 Full, uncomfortable to painful.
Healthy Options from The Food Groups
When preparing foods keep in mind breading adds calories and causes the food to soak up more fat during cooking, so skip it, or use homemade breadcrumbs made from toasted sprout grain or brown rice bread. Prepare foods with homemade sauces, dressing, and marinade. Store bought products tend to be high fat and high sugar. Prepare foods with healthy oils and dried or fresh spices to add flavor without extra calories.
Protein:
Skinless chicken
Skinless turkey
lean cuts of pork
fish
beans
nuts
seeds
eggs and egg whites (limit egg yoks to 1-2 whole eggs in one day)
protein powders (Look for all natural, non-genetically modified, and organic)
Food for Thought:
Choose leaner cuts of meats and poultry. When possible use organic, free range chickens and grass-fed beef. Leaner cuts of beef include round steaks and roasts, top loin, top sirloin, and tenderloin. Choose extra lean ground beef that is at least 93% lean or use bison or buffalo meat as a substitute. The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, and center loin. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets as well as ground chicken and turkey are the leanest poultry choices. Trim all visible fat or get pre-trimmed meats.
Limit processed meats like deli meats and sausage and choose organic and uncured when possible. As an alternative to deli meats, cook a chicken or turkey breast and carve it yourself for the week.
Plants contain protein and are a healthy alternative to meat. Most plants do not contain all or enough of 9 of the essential amino acids the body needs in one food source. Amino acids combine to form a protein molecule. Lacking an essential amino acid can hinder the formation of proteins. If going strictly plant based having a combination of different amino acids is important to keep in mind. Combine foods containing the amino acid lysine like grains, nuts and seeds with foods containing the amino acid methionine like vegetables and legumes (most nuts and beans). Choose nuts with healthy fat like walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. Avoid nuts higher in saturated fats like peanuts. Do not forget to check the ingredients in canned proteins such as nuts and beans and go for organic and non-GMO products in BPA free packaging.
Whole Grain Options:
brown rice
buckwheat
wild rice
oatmeal
popcorn
rolled oats
quinoa
whole grain barley
whole rye
whole wheat
muesli
bulgur (cracked wheat)
amaranth
millet
sorghum
triticale
Food for Thought:
Whole grains are an essential component of a healthy diet, contain necessary dietary fiber. The soluble fiber in grains helps pull cholesterol out of the body. Carbohydrates in whole grains keep blood sugar levels balanced throughout the day and are also essential to proper muscle and brain function. Measure serving sizes to make sure you are not having too much of a good thing. Read labels to avoid processed foods and refined grains as well as exact serving sizes. Choose unprocessed options like old fashion oats rather than cereal and sprouted grain bread or brown rice bread instead of more processed bread types. Try different options to see what you like. There is a lot of healthy options out there like whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta and brown rice crackers. Avoid refined grains like cornbread, white rice, and products made with refined ingredients. If you are not sure look up an ingredient to decide if it is something you want to eat.
Fruit and Vegetables:
Dark Green Vegetables:
bok choy
broccoli
collard greens
dark green leafy lettuce
kale
mescaline
mustard greens
romaine lettuce
spinach
turnip greens
watercress
red & orange vegetables
acorn squash
butternut squash
carrots
hubbard squash
pumpkin
red peppers
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
beans and peas
black beans
black-eyed peas
garbanzo beans
chickpeas
kidney beans
lentils
navy beans
pinto beans
soy
beans
split peas
white beans
Other Vegetables:
artichokes
asparagus
avocado
bean sprouts
beets
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
cucumbers
eggplant
green beans
green peppers
iceberg (head) lettuce
mushrooms
okra
onions
turnips
wax beans
zucchini
Commonly Eaten Fruits:
apples
apricots
bananas
cherries
grapefruit
grapes
kiwi fruit
lemons
limes
mangoes
nectarines
oranges
peaches
pears
papaya
pineapple
plums
prunes
raisins
tangerines
berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
100% fruit vegetable juice (limit juice and eat the fruit instead if possible)
Food for Thought:
Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables choosing fruits and vegetables of multiple colors. Have 2 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veggies every day. Avoid starchy veggies like white potatoes and yellow corn.
Dairy Products and Substitutes:
yogurt
fat-free or low-fat milk like skim or 1%
lactose-free milk
calcium-fortified soymilk /soy beverage (non-GMO)
cheese (eat sparingly)
canned fish with the bones such as sardines and anchovies
some beans like soy, and some leafy greens like kale
high quality calcium and vitamin D supplement
Food for Thought:
The body can only absorb so much calcium at once so space dairy or dairy substitutes to 3 servings throughout the day. Avoid processed products. Be wary of flavored products. They tend to have added sugars and artificial ingredients. Look for 100% natural ingredients, grass-fed and free-range dairy products and dairy alternatives higher in vitamin D and calcium that are organic and non-gmo
Commonly Eaten Healthy Oils:
canola oil
corn oil
cottonseed oil
olive oil
safflower oil
soybean oil
sunflower oil
grape seed oil
walnut oil
sesame oil
Some foods that are naturally high in healthy oils:
nuts
olives
fish
avocados
Food for Thought:
Plant foods do not contain cholesterol. Most natural oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (good fat), and low in saturated fats (bad fat). Mix up the type of mono and polyunsaturated fats you eat by having a verity of oils over the week. Do not have too much of a good thing. Stick to the serving size. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats like butter, milk fat, fat from meat, lard, stick margarine, and shortening. A few plant oils, including palm oil and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats. Check the ingredients for saturated fat sources as well as hydrogenated oil and partially hydrogenated oil. If there is less than .5g of trans fat it is not required that the manufacturer list it in nutrition facts. Be careful not to overheat oil because it affects the quality and flavor of the oil.