I run a Facebook group called the Orange County Wellness Group. One of our group members, Mary Anne Polson, asked “what are some relevant and usable nutrition advise for picky eaters…i.e. No kale smoothies.” Today I will attempt to give you some relevant guidelines that you can follow in order to eat clean but good tasting food. The key here is that you don't have to eat plastic food in order to eat well.
The first thing to note is that if you are not planning to step on stage you can season your food with anything you want. Hot sauce, salsa, garlic, seasoned salt are all good things to make your food taste better. I prefer hot sauce, but you can use anything you'd like. Later I will present you with a list of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and condiments that are good when trying to lose weight.
The first thing to remember is that when working to take off weight, protein is your best friend. Higher protein diets have been shown to be the most effective. When I advise people on losing weight I tend to point them towards a 5 or 6 meal a day plan that is pretty much a formula.
Meal 1 would include a protein, starchy carbohydrate, vegetables and a healthy fat.
Meal 2 and Meal 3 would be a repeat of Meal 1.
Meal 4 would include a protein, vegetables and a healthy fat.
Meal 5 would include a protein and vegetables.
Meal 6 would be a protein source only that is slow digesting.
This table summarizes the meal plan:
| Meal | Protein? | Starchy Carb? | Vegetable? | Healthy Fat? |
| 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 6 | Yes | No | No | No |
Applying this template is easy and effective. I personally eat the same thing over and over again, but you can add variety as you'd like. So what kind of food can you eat when eating this way?
Proteins:
Lean beef
Lean chicken
Seafood
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt (especially Greek)
Eggs
Beans
Whey Protein
Casein Protein (slow digesting)
Cottage Cheese (slow digesting)
Carbohydrates:
Before we address this, please note that carbs can be split into sugars, starches and fibers. You should pick from this list:
Vegetables
Fruits
Legumes
Nuts
Seeds
Grains
Tubers
Healthy Fats:
Avocados
Olives
Nuts
Natural Peanut Butter
Walnuts
Flax Seeds
MCT Oil
Coconut Oil
Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna, etc.)
To address Mary Anne's question about picky eaters, I want to point out that the best way to deal with being a picky eater is to use the lists above and pick out some healthy meals. Once you have those listed out for yourself go ahead and stick to those same meals over and over again. You can change up the taste by seasoning things differently, but this will lead to clean eating with good tasting food. There truly is nothing wrong with eating the same healthy meals over and over again.
Now stay focused and get some work done!
Want to see all the messages in this May 2016 Challenge Series? I have them organized for you right here.
