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
Ketogenic Diet
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). Look for options in season. Here’s the list (not exhaustive):

Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Ginger root
Green beans
Herbs
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Radishes
Rutabagas
Scallions
Spinach
Sprouts
Squashes
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips

BEANS/LEGUMES

Beans of any variety (eg Black, Pinto, Kidney, Fava)
Lentils

FRUIT

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

Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cherries
Dates
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guavas
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Mandarins
Melons
Mulberries
Nectarines
Olives
Oranges
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Pomegranates
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Watermelon

STARCHES

Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc…)

GRAINS

Sourdough Break
Steel Cut Oatmeal
Quinoa
Whole-grain Brown Rice
Wild Rice

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
Walnuts
Pecans

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

FERMENTED FOODS

Coffee
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Cabbage
Kefir
Chocolate (the darker the better, sparingly)

MEAT

Lean meat sparingly, 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)
Shrimp
Lobster
Scallops
Turkey
Pork
Lamb
Beef
Organ Meats

SUGAR/SPICES

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

AVOID

These are chemicals or altered food that are hard to make a case for in any intelligent way. 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!