I’ll be continuously updating this page regularly as a list to pull from for daily meal plans! This list reflects my opinion and what I consider to be delicious, nutritious, balanced sources of foods. I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian, just a guy who loves food and knows what has worked historically for optimal weight loss and management. Here are the diets I have implemented over the past ten years searching for success:

Paleo
Vegan
Raw Food
Carb Cycling
Ketotonic
The No-Diet Diet
Zone
Whole 30

After seriously attempting all of these diets with mixed results, I have developed in my mind a balanced list of foods and ideas that help me make decisions day-to-day! Use as you will, enjoy it for what it is. I have listed the foods in descending order from what I like to choose to eat most to what we eat less of. The general practice is to mix and match from each category to develop our weekly meal plans. Please enjoy, and remember, this list is not exhaustive:

VEGETABLES –

The foundation of human diet. Eat as much as you want. Organic is preferred for most veggies, but not necessary based on specific cases (i.e. thickness of rinds, how the crop is grown regarding use of pesticides).

Spinach
Kale
Mixed Greens
Celery
Cucumber
Tomato (I think of as a veggie, you can call it a fruit, don’t care)
Carrots
Peppers
Onion

FRUITS –

2x/day – 1 unit or 1 cup of berries/grapes. Organic is preferred for most fruits. Seasonal considerations are also important.

Avocado (1/2)
Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
Oranges
Grapes (including raisins)
Apples
Pears
Bananas

MEATS –

Lean meat 1x/day, portion size the palm of your hand. Locally sourced is optimal for assurance of humanely raised, sustainable rearing.

Chicken (breast, thights, wings, eggs)
Fish (salmon, cod, trout, halibut)
Tukey
Pork
Lamb
Beef

BREADS –

Sourdough, 1-2 servings  day, if it’s not sourdough don’t eat it. If it is (Water, salt, flour), Enjoy.

NUTS/SEEDS/OILS-

1x/day, portion is one handful or 2 TBSP:

Almonds (almond butter)
Cashews (cashew butter)
Peanuts (peanut butter)
Pistachios
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Raw on salads)
Balsamic Vinegar
Coconut Oil (to cook and bake with)

DAIRY–

Butter or Ghee from sustainable source (grass fed cows)
Aged farmhouse cheddar
Goat cheese

FERMENTED FOODS-

Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Cabbage
Kombucha
Chocolate (the darker the better, sparingly)
Local Craft Beer/Wine (0-3 servings/week)

SUGAR/SPICES–

Honey (sparingly)
Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, onion/garlic powder, etc…) – Use as needed to increase taste!

BLACKLIST–

These are chemicals or altered food that are hard to make a case for in any sense. The most common are:

• Soda

• High fructose corn syrup, Corn Syrup
• Tartrazine and other food dyes
• Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
• Propyl gallate
• Sodium nitrite
• TBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone)
• Silicon dioxide, silica and calcium silicate
• Triacetin (glycerol triacetate)
• MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

As stated earlier, this list is continuously updated, so if you have suggestions let me know in the comments! Please remember, I am not a doctor or dietitian. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from eating certain foods, certainly consult a professional. I do not claim to know what is best for modern-day omnivores. I only know what works best for our family!