Here’s one challenge for you this week, try 1 new healthy recipe.  Something that you’ve never had.  There are many places to find inspiration.  Friends, various websites & blogs or even the recipe section of the site here!

Whatever you do, remember to make food FUN and not boring.  If you do, you are way more likely to stay on track with your healthy eating!

A while back I had mentioned something about providing a food list for you all of some things that I eat.  So for here is BIG list for you that I pretty much use as my shopping list.  In my opinion, everything on this list is a good option. But, even so, doesn’t mean you should eat 1-2 of those foods all day long.  Eg.  Breads/Pastas.  I wouldn’t have bread 5 times a day.  Hence why I put moderation beside some items.  If your wanting to get leaner, take advantage of all the other carbs and starches, not just breads and pasta.  Example: Squash!

It comes down to portion control, so if your wanting to get more bang for your calorie buck, fill up a lot of your plate with the fiberous veggies, which are very low in calories and fill you up.

Last but not least, make sure you’re eating enough! I’ve posted it before, but I’ll post it again.  Determine how many calories you need here.  It can also calculate your macronutrient ratios.  While it is still a ‘guess’, it will give you a better idea of where you should be.  Your healthy eating will de-rail very fast if your not eating enough, then you’ll reach for junk food, or overeat.  Track your calories for a while so you get to know portions better.  Remember, we are all different, so someone at 130lbs and active 5-6 times a week has very different needs than someone 200lbs that’s active 2-3 days a week.

You’ll see I also separated fruits into higher sugar and lower sugar.  This is for people watching their carb intake. I eat fruit it both categories, but I tend to choose the lower sugar fruits more often. Sometimes I also have starchy veggies like squash as a carb instead of a complex carb like brown rice.

Here’s the List!

PROTEINS

Skinless Chicken Breasts
Skinless Chicken Thighs
Canned Tuna (packed in water)
Fresh/Frozen Fish (salmon, sea bass, halibut, tilapia, sole, cod, mahi mahi)
Shrimp or Prawns
Extra Lean Ground Beef 96%
Moose or Buffalo
Steak (flank, top sirloin, eye of round, prime rib, strip steak – all fat removed)
Eggs, Egg Whites
Ground Turkey, Turkey Breast or Cutlets (fresh meat, not deli meat)
Protein Powder (whey, rice, soy)
Greek Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Textured Soy Protein
Boca Burgers or other Veggie Burgers

COMPLEX CARBS

Oatmeal (old fashioned or quick)
Yams or Sweet Potatoes
Oat Bran
Quinoa
Spelt, Kamut, Wheatberries, Buckwheat (cook the grain)
Brown Rice (Uncle Bens Bistro Quick Rice or GoGo Organic Brown Rice)
Wild Rice
Whole Grain Whole Wheat Bread (moderation)
Wasa Rye Crackers
Brown Rice Cakes
Beans (pinto, navy, garbanzo, black, kidney etc.  Rinse if canned)
Whole Wheat, Brown Rice or Corn Pasta (moderation)
Potatoes – red, new, white (moderation)

STARCHY/ HIGHER SUGAR VEGGIES

Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Kabocha)
Pumpkin, canned
Carrots
Peas (frozen, snap peas)
Beets
Parsnips
Plantains
Tomatoes

FIBEROUS VEGGIES

Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
Green Beans
Okra
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Zucchini
Bean Sprouts
Bok Choy
Mushrooms

FRUITS (LOWER SUGAR)

Apples
Grapefruit
Blueberries
Raspberries
Lemons/Limes
Rhubarb
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Blackberries
Nectarines/Peaches
Watermelon

FRUITS (HIGHER SUGAR)

Bananas
Nectarines/Peaches
Pineapple
Plums
Oranges
Pears
Mango
Cherries
Kiwi
Grapes
Any Dried Fruit (raisins, prunes, dates, apricots etc. Small portions)

HEALTHY FATS

Natural Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Raw Nuts (any)
Flaxseed Oil
Avocado
Coconut Oil or Coconut Butter
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

CONDIMENTS/ SWEETENERS/ OTHER

Unsweetened Vanilla or Plain Almond Milk
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Double Fruit Jam or No Sugar Added Jam
Low Carb Ketchup
Low Fat Mayo (not fat free)
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar, Rice Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar
Salsa (check label for no sugar)
Franks Red Hot Sauce
Fresh or Dried Herbs (basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg etc0
Mrs. Dash – any kind
Sugar Free Maple or Pancake Syrup
Chili Paste (red, yellow curry paste)
Chili Sauce (Sriracha)
Mustard (yellow, grainy, dijon)
Extracts (vanilla, almond, coconut, etc )
Low Sodium or No-Salt Added Beef & chicken Broth
Krisda stevia packets
Krisda Cafe stevia in Caramel, Vanilla, Almond (for coffee, protein shakes)
Krisda stevia Baking Formula
Natural Salad Dressings (OrganicVille, Renee’s Gourmet)
Organicville BBQ Sauce
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
Unsweetened Applesauce (snack packs)
Miracle Noodles (calorie free yam noodles)
Goat Cheese or Cheese (moderation)

Hope this list helps you when you’re at the grocery store next!

It will also have you well equipped to make any of the recipes on the site here!