...Here is what I would recommend to eat MORE of and LESS of in order to have energy to exercise and build lean muscle, help with health issues such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, and assist with weight loss of fat.
Protein Rich Foods
Choose More of Limit or omit these foods
Fish and Shellfish Fried Chicken / poultry
No skin Fatty ground meat
No fat meats (all trimmed) Liver / Organ meats
Smaller servings of meat, seafood, poultry Bacon
Beans, peanut butter, tofu, whole wheat pasta, nuts Sausage and other high fat meats
Egg whites Eggs with yolks
Protein Bars (if needed) 2% or whole milk / ice cream/ whipped cream
Skim or 1% milk Whole milk cheeses / sour cream
Yogurt, low fat cheese
Vitamin / Carbohydrate Rich Foods
Choose More of Limit or omit these foods
Raw, steamed, boiled, colorful vegetables Fat - Fried vegetables
Green leafy / romaine lettuce Iceberg lettuce (little value)
Whole grain / multi grain bread / pasta White bread / regular pasta
Fruit juice seasoning (lime / lemon etc) Cream sauce, cheese sauce, butter
Fruits with skin - apples, pears, peaches... Canned fruits in syrup
Other fruits - banana, oranges, grapes Coconut - high in saturated fat
Foods with Fat / Healthful Nutrients
Choose More of Limit or omit these foods
Non trans fat bread spreads Avoid partially hydrogenated oils
Some heart healthy margarines Cooking with lard, meat fat, grease
Cooking with olive oils, sunflower oil ... Salad dressings with cheese / creams
Salad dressing without saturated fat Some chocolates - high in saturated fat
Nuts in moderation - high calorie content Cakes, cookies, pies, chips, crackers
Fried rice / beans,
Donuts, pastries, croissants
The list of foods above are general foods we tend to eat regularly and many are omitted due to space of the article, but these should help you take control of your food intake yourself. Nothing above is news to anyone, but sometimes we need a good / bad comparison with healthful alternatives. Eating well does not mean your food has to taste like cardboard or that you will starve yourself trying to eat healthy.
So keep it up during the Holidays and see if you can actually lose weight during the end of the year time where parties and family / friend visits can tend to cause our healthful eating habits to stray.
More Diet & Nutrition Tips: [these are all links in the actual article]
- Beer and Fitness? Can It Be?
- The "Get Lean" Diet
- The "Three-Hour" Diet
- The Food Pyramid and Other Options
- All Diet & Nutrition Tips
Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle - check out the Military.com Fitness eBook store and the Stew Smith article archive at Military.com. To contact Stew with your comments and questions, e-mail him at [email protected].
