Guide To Eating A Whole Real Foods Diet

Photo credit: Caroline Attwood

Photo credit: Caroline Attwood

Food is medicine and is the first line of defense against illness and disease.

Food is fuel for the body to do everything it needs to (grow, develop, repair, function and thrive).

Below are food sources of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates), vitamins and minerals. This is not an exhaustive list!

Always take into account your individual food allergies, sensitivities, tolerances, and health needs. Everyone is different, there is no one size fits all approach!

 

 Macronutrients

Protein: meat (beef, pork), eggs, soy (edamame, tempeh, tofu), quinoa, lentils, legumes, low mercury fish (anchovies, catfish, flounder, herring, mackerel (North Atlantic, chub), perch (ocean), pollock, salmon (fresh, wild), sardines, sole (Pacific), tilapia, trout (freshwater), whitefish), poultry (turkey, chicken, duck), nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, cheese

Fats: Avocado, nuts, seeds, oils (coconut, avocado, olive), olives, coconut, butter, ghee, fatty fish (salmon, halibut and mackerel), whole eggs, cheese

Carbohydrates: Sweet potatoes, squash, and other root vegetables like carrots, quinoa, brown rice, steel cut oats, buckwheat, legumes, lentils, whole grains

 

Vitamins 

Biotin: Eggs, legumes, meats, fatty fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel), chicken, liver, almonds, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, sweet potatoes, onions, cauliflower

Folate: Liver, egg yolk, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, beet root, Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, bok choy, asparagus, oranges, peaches

Niacin (B3): TTuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, beef, sardines, nutritional yeast, peanuts, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, corn on the cob, acorn squash

Pantothenic acid (B5): Chicken liver, sunflower seeds, salmon, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, plantain, sweet potato, oranges

Riboflavin (B2): Spinach, tempeh, crimini mushrooms, eggs, asparagus, turkey 

Thiamin (B1): Peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, herring, crimini mushrooms, ground flaxseed, spinach

B6: Tuna, turkey, beef, chicken, salmon, sweet potato, potato, sunflower seeds, spinach, avocado, acorn squash, banana, oranges, Brussels sprouts  

B12: Sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, beef, liver, chicken, fish, eggs, rainbow trout, supplements, nutritional yeast, fortified soy, almond, coconut, and rice milks, tempeh, algae/seaweed, mushrooms

Vitamin A: Beef liver, cod liver oil, egg, butter, milk, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, cantaloupe, mango, spinach, broccoli, kale, collard greens, butternut squash

Vitamin C: Bell peppers, papaya, citrus, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, kiwi 

Vitamin D: Salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, canned light tuna (lower in mercury), oysters, egg yolk, mushrooms

Vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, spinach, avocados, turnip greens, asparagus, mustard greens  

Vitamin K: Grass fed butter, egg yolk, liver, sauerkraut, leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage

Choline: Beef liver, wheat germ, egg, beef, scallops, salmon, chicken breast, shrimp, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, milk, peanuts

 

Minerals 

Calcium: Seeds, canned salmon, sardines, beans (white, red, pinto), lentils, almonds, collard greens, spinach, kale, broccoli, dried figs, orange, yogurt, cheese, milk

Chromium: Broccoli, green beans, potatoes, beef, turkey, apples, bananas

Copper: Shiitake mushrooms, cashews, sunflower seeds, lentils, raw kale, oysters, avocado

Fluoride: Canned crab, rice, fish, chicken, coffee, raisins

Iodine: Cod, shrimp, cow’s milk, boiled egg, baked potato with skin, turkey breast, seaweed, whole grains, green beans, kale, strawberries

Iron (heme iron is found in animal products and nonheme iron is found in some plant foods): Beef, chicken liver, oysters, clams, tuna, mussels, raisins, prunes, potato with skin, quinoa, spinach, lentils, tofu, hazelnuts, cashews

Magnesium: Fatty fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel), spinach and other leafy greens, oatmeal, potatoes, black-eyed peas, brown rice, lentils, avocados, pinto beans, dark chocolate (70% and higher), nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, buckwheat, quinoa, bananas

Manganese: Cloves, brown rice, garbanzo beans, pumpkin seeds, spinach and other leafy greens, clams, oysters, mussels

Molybdenum: Legumes, lentils, grains, nuts, eggs, bananas, leafy vegetables

Phosphorus: Salmon, yogurt, milk, halibut, turkey, chicken, beef, lentils, almonds, mozzarella cheese, peanuts, egg, whole-wheat bread, asparagus, cauliflower, apples, clementines

Potassium: Bananas, potatoes, prunes, oranges, tomatoes, raisins, artichoke, black beans, edamame, spinach, butternut squash, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocados, sweet potatoes, watermelon, coconut water, dried apricots, beets, pomegranate

Selenium: Brazil nuts, tuna (yellowfin), oysters, clams, halibut, shrimp, salmon, crab, pork, beef, chicken, brown rice, sunflower seeds, milk

Zinc: Beef, lamb, pumpkin seeds, lentils, quinoa, turkey, mushrooms, kale, broccoli, spinach, garlic

 

 Essential Amino Acids

Lysine: Meat, eggs, soy, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, black beans

Histidine: Meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, whole grains

Threonine: Wheat germ, cottage cheese

Methionine: Eggs, grains nuts, seeds

Valine: Cheese, peanuts, soy, mushrooms, vegetables, whole grains

Isoleucine: Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, lentils, nuts, seeds

Leucine: Dairy, soy, legumes, beans

Phenylalanine: Meat, poultry, fish, soy, dairy, beans, nuts

Tryptophan: Cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, wheat germ

 

Other Nutrients

Essential fatty acids (Omega 3s/DHA and EPA): Flaxseed, eggs, fish and fish oils, marine sources (sea vegetables/seaweeds), avocado, coconut oil

FiberLegumes, whole grains, starchy and non starchy vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds

Polyphenols/antioxidants: Selenium and vitamin A, C and E rich foods, spices and dried herbs, cacao, dark colored berries, flaxseed, olive, globe artichoke, rainbow assortment of fresh vegetables (brighter colors contain more polyphenols), for example lycopene (pink grapefruit, watermelon, apricots, tomatoes), beta-carotene (peaches, apricots, papayas, mangoes, cantaloupe, carrots, broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, beet greens, spinach, kale), lutein (spinach, collard greens, kale, broccoli, papayas, oranges), flavonoids (apples, onions, dark chocolate, red cabbage, blueberries, broccoli, kale), phenolic acids (berries, cherries, apples, citrus, coffee, tea, kiwi, mango, seeds, whole grains), resveratrol (red wine, grapes, peanuts, pistachios, blueberries, cranberries, cacao/dark chocolate), curcumin (turmeric) 

 

Gut Support

Probiotics: Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Babies and kids can even have a teaspoon or so of the liquid from sauerkraut, kimchi, or other fermented vegetables.

Prebiotics: Think starchy and nonstarchy vegetables and complex carbs like chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, shallots and spring onion, leeks, chickpeas, lentils, beans, bananas, grapefruit, almonds, flaxseed, bran, and oats.

 

Avoid high mercury fish

High mercury fish: Bluefish, grouper, mackerel (Spanish, Gulf, King), marlin, orange roughy, sea bass (Chilean), shark, swordfish, tilefish, and tuna (canned albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, ahi)

Low mercury fish: anchovies, butterfish, catfish, croaker (Atlantic),  flounder, haddock (Atlantic), hake, herring, mackerel (North Atlantic, chub), mullet, perch (ocean), pollock, salmon (fresh, wild), sardines, sole (Pacific), squid, tilapia, trout (freshwater), whitefish, and whiting

 

General recommendations 

Go organic when possible for fruits and vegetables.

Go organic, pastured, free range, grass fed, wild caught, etc. for animal products.

Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. For little ones, drink one 8 oz glass per year of age, per day.