When looking at a nutrition label and trying to decide if a food is a protein or carbohydrate (carb) remember whatever category has the highest grams is how you will categorize the food.
Use your fists as a serving size guide and every meal should include two fists worth of food. One fist should be a source of protein and the other a carb source or healthy fat source. Remember carbs include fruits, veggies, simple and complex carbs.
I usually weigh my food and use the following measurements as guides:
| Proteins: | Carbs: |
| Either 25 grams or 4 to 5 ounces | Complex Carbs – 3 ounces
Fruits or Veggies – 1 piece or 1 cup |
PROTEINS
Anything that flies, walks or swims and the fewer the legs the better
Protein Shakes
Protein Bars (only now and then – some are better than others – usually considered a cheat)
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Venison
Buffalo
Ostrich
Egg Whites or Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% Lean Ground Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)
COMPLEX CARBS
These choices should be main source of your carb intake. Carbs are anything that comes from the ground or comes from anything that comes from the ground.
Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes
Yams
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Rye Cereal
Brown Rice / mulit gain rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta
Rice (white, jasmine, basmati, Arborio, wild)
Potatoes (red, baking, new)
FIBROUS CARBS
Stick to frozen or fresh
Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or Red Pepper
Green beans
Onions
Pumpkin
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini
FRUIT
Bananas, apples, grapefruit, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, lemons or limes
HEALTHY FATS
Natural Style Peanut Butter
Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds
Flaxseed Oil
Fish oil
DAIRY AND EGGS
Low-fat cottage cheese
Eggs
Low or Non-Fat Milk
Bottled Water
CONDIMENTS & SPICES
Diet Soda
Crystal Light
Fat Free Mayonnaise
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Salsa
Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce
Chili powder
Mrs. Dash
Steak Sauce
Sugar Free Maple Syrup
Chili Paste
Mustard
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc )
Low Sodium beef or chicken broth
Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste)
Rebecca
1 year ago
Hi there,
I find the info. on your website so helpful, thank you! One question- how do you deal with the occasional sweet tooth? I eat pretty clean and mostly only eat foods like you have listed but at night I CRAVE something sweet. Any suggestions?
Kathleen
1 year ago
I enjoy cocoa covered almonds or chocolate crunch rice cakes with natural peanut butter. Also, if I want a cake or cookies then I will bake at home. Baking at home helps with the sweet tooth plus you can monitor what goes into the recipe.
Matt
1 year ago
Don’t forget….sweets are an “appetite” by this i mean, you have to starve out an appetite to get rid of it. When you feed an appetite it just grows. When it comes to sweets, it’s best to totally cut them out. It will be tough the first couple of weeks but you will quickly see them as a hindrance to your goals and not even be tempted by them. Hope this helps! keep the faith!
God Bless,
Matt