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
Fiber: Legumes, 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.