What Should I Eat?

When I talk to people about when to eat protein and carbohydrate, do people actually know what foods I'm talking about?  And how much is a real serve?

Do you eat a really healthy diet but still gain weight?  Perhaps your serving sizes are not realistic - the information below from CoachCalorie gives you a good system for estimating serving sizes - you may be surprised.

Eating small servings but still gaining/not losing weight?  Perhaps the quality of your food is not ideal.  See the list below of what you should be eating.  

When I talk about what to eat when, I refer to macronutrients - its a way of classifying food into three main areas:  Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat.  Most people can identify protein and fat but are unsure about carbohydrates - these are basically fruit, vegetables and grains.  Within these groupings are good choices and not so good choices nutritionally. (eg chocolate is a carbohydrate with limited nutritional value).  The lists below give you an idea of good choices

Notice the lack of things like white flour, pastry, breadcrumbs, cream/creamy sauces, salt, processed meats (eg things like salami, sausages, processed deli meats), packaged foods like cornflakes, biscuits, instant meal packets etc.  Your plate, or your food for the day - should be packed full of just these things below - maybe the occasional additional item.  eg fresh salmon and vegies for tea not schnitzel and chips, no matter how you cook it.

Many of these foods may be unfamiliar to you.  Why do we limit our foods so much?  I have had a great journey in enjoying and experimenting with new foods and you can too.  I'm going to try and post one recipe per week that I've tried and enjoyed and you can give it a go too and see what you think

CoachCalorie also gives you an idea as to how many serves per day, and at the end how often.  

from: www.coachcalorie.com

Protein

Most people get too little protein in their diets. Increasing protein intake can stimulate your metabolism, improve exercise recovery and muscle mass, and reduce body fat 

One serving of protein = the size and thickness of one palm of your hand for a woman, and 2 palms for a man. This equals about 20-30g for women and 40-60g for men, 3-5x per day. Here are some examples of protein sources:

• chicken, beef, turkey, bison, or other lean meats
• tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab or other wild-caught fish/shellfish
• Eggs (have only 6-7g of protein each, so best to add to a smaller portion of meat or other protein source)
• greek yogurt
• legumes/beans
• supplements such as whey or soy protein powder 

Vegetables

Vegetables can be eaten pretty much without restriction. Load them on your plate and fill up on them before you move onto the other foods. Full of phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, they are essential to your overall health, fight illnesses like cancer, and keep your bones strong and your muscles from deteriorating over time 

One serving of veggies = enough to fill your two hands cupped together. Eat 1-2 servings of veggies with each meal, 3-6x a day. Basically every single time you eat, add a veggie. Here are some examples of vegetables:

• spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, cabbage
• broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
• carrots
• bell peppers
• asparagus
• summer and winter squash
• celery, cucumber
• sweet potato, yams (starchy, so keep these to one serving per day if trying to drop fat)

Fruits

Like vegetables, fruits also contain micronutrients and fiber. Unlike vegetables, it is best to limit fruit if trying to drop weight, because it does have a high sugar content, even though it is natural sugar.

One serving of fruit = a medium sized piece. Eat fruit 2-3x per day. Here are some examples:

• apples
• bananas
• strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
• mango
• peaches, plums, apricots
• oranges, grapefruit, tangerines

Healthy Fats

Fat got such a bad rap in the last few decades. The truth is that a balance of saturated (yes! saturated!) and unsaturated fats is essential for good health. The right balance of fats keeps your body inflammation in check, gives you energy for your brain and the rest of your body, and transports the vitamins and minerals you eat throughout your system 

One serving of fat = 2 thumbs put together, or 2 tablespoons. Have 1 serving 2-3x per day. Eat a mix of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats for optimum nutrition. Here are examples of each:

Saturated

• animal fat such as eggs, dairy, meat, butter, cheese
• coconut and palm oil

Monounsaturated

• nuts such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamias, pecans
• pumpkin seeds
• olives, olive oil
• avocado

Polyunsaturated

• fish oil, canola oil, flax oil
• sunflower seeds, flax seed
• peanuts, walnuts

Whole Grains

Whole grains are healthy because they are high in fiber and nutrients. Try to always ingest whole grains with a protein or fat to slow down the digestion and keep insulin levels steady. If your goal is fat loss, eat these in the morning or after your workout when insulin sensitivity is prime.

One serving = size of fist. Eat one or two servings per day. Here are samples of whole grains: (watch out for processed foods like cereals and cookies that claim to be “whole grain”!)

• oats
• rice, preferably brown or wild
• barley
• quinoa
• whole grain bread or pasta
• cracked wheat
• millet

Put It All Together to Create Healthy Meals

So now that you know proper portion sizes and how often you should be eating them, you can plan your meals accordingly.  Each meal will have a serving of protein and a veggie or two. Add in fruit and fat 2-3x a day, and the optional whole grain – choosing from the foods listed above or others you find. You now have the blueprint for a healthy meal plan! Enjoy.

For this week: sit down and plan out your meals according to the above recommendations with foods that you know you will enjoy, and won’t be too difficult to prepare.