1. Fresh fruits and veggies
- No processed or canned vegetables, or casseroles.
- Unlimited quantities, don’t worry about calories.
- Nuts and seeds are not considered fresh fruits or veggies.
2. No fried, greasy, or oily foods
- Chips, fries, fried chicken and fish, fried burgers, donuts, etc., are off limits.
- Watch the oily and high fat salad dressings.
3. No processed foods
- No snack foods.
- No TV dinners, microwave meals, etc.
4. Whole grains and complex carbs are good
- Avoid simple sugars and simple carbs, like anything with potatoes, corn meal/sugar, and added sugar. That includes sweets and desserts.
- Choose whole-grain pasta.
- Carefully select stone ground, whole wheat breads.
- Choose grains such as buckwheat, barley, quinoa, etc.
5. Dairy, cheese and eggs are good for you
- Yes, you can eat an egg.
- Watch the fat content in cheese and milk.
- Full fat yogurt is good for you.
- There’s no such thing as diet ice cream.
6. Fats are ok
- Make sure it’s not the foundation of your diet, however.
- Lean meats are generally better, but you can have beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.
- Certain oils, like olive oil, are healthier than others.
7. Occasional “naughty” treats are ok
- Avoid sugary beverages, as they can contribute quite a bit of calories to your diet.
- Occasional desserts are ok, but it should be a treat, not a part of every meal.
- Alcohol in moderation, including beer and wine, are ok…in moderation.
- You can have bread with a meal. Just don’t make it the whole meal.