Category Nutrition

Nutty for Nuts

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I rarely encounter competitors who aren’t completely enamored of nuts and who lament their absence during contest prep.  And for good reason.  The substantial texture and flavor of nuts have captured the interest of the general population and have elevated nuts to superfood status.  However, due to their significant nutrient density, “too much of a good thing” can certainly be applied to nuts of any kind.  I have encountered patients who may have previously been in the habit of mindlessly polishing off an entire bag of potato chips in one sitting and who have similarly finished an entire jar of nuts, believing that the health benefits of nuts could somehow negate the caloric assault on their weight loss plans.

That being said, I am far more likely to praise the benefits of nuts than I am to discourage their consumption.  As a self-professed nut lover I am well aware of how delectable they are, yet I usually will portion them out in an effort to prevent any overindulgence.  This is especially true when I consume nut butters.  I know that if I keep the almond butter jar open, I am likely to dip into it once more, so I make myself remove a serving size then quickly seal the jar and put it away.  When you consider that the average nut butter contains approximately 190 calories per 2 tablespoons and 16 grams of fat, the calories can stack up very quickly indeed.  However, on a positive note, researchers in Spain discovered that frequent nut consumption was associated with a decreased risk of weight gain.

Benefits of Nut Consumption:

  •         May help to lower cholesterol
  •         Rich in arginine, which enhances blood flow
  •         Rich in fiber, unsaturated fatty acids and phytochemicals
  •         Contain mono- and polyunsaturated fats which are cardioprotective
  •         Best plant source of protein
  •         Rich in vitamin E, B vitamins, selenium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and phosphorous
  •         Rich in a number of compounds which may protect against gallstone disease
  •         May reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration

Negative Aspects of Nut Consumption:

  •          High fat content
  •          Many nuts are flavored with sugar, added fat, sodium, chemicals and preservatives
  •          High in calories
  •          Some people have allergies to nuts which in some cases can serve to be fatal
  •          Contain oxalates which can crystallize and form kidney stones

“Nutty Top Five”

Though all nuts provide superior health benefits, I consider the five nuts listed below to be the best of the bunch for various reasons.  Make sure to opt for the raw or dry roasted varieties whenever possible.  When nuts are roasted in oil, there is a high probability that they have either been heated in hydrogenated oils or subjected to high temperatures which can destroy their nutrient properties.  Studies recommend a daily intake of one to two ounces of nuts as part of a healthy diet.

#5: PECANS:  This is the most caloric nut in this list at 200 calories for 18 to 20 halves, and also contains the smallest amount of protein at 3 grams while packing 20 grams of fat.  However, these slightly sweet nuts still offer health benefits when consumed.  Pecans contain a plant steroid called beta-sitosterol, which helps to relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.  They are extremely rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, and ellagic acid, which is a potent antioxidant.

Pecans are excellent when added to the vegan baked goods I make, and I especially love them in my admittedly non-contest friendly Thanksgiving stuffing!

#4: CASHEWS:  Technically, cashews are thick-shelled seeds, but confer all of the general benefits of nuts, including monosaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids.  They are quite calorie dense at 180 calories for 14 nuts but also contain a number of important minerals, including manganese, potassium, selenium, copper and zinc.  Another important substance which can be found in cashews is zea-xanthin, which is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes and confers protection against age-related macular degeneration.

The texture of these seeds is so meaty and satisfying that they easily made it onto my top five list.  In addition, cashew butter is delectable!  If you need a change from peanut butter, try this option.

#3: HAZELNUTS:  These nuts are loaded with folate, vitamin E, and B vitamins. I recently started eating these nuts after encountering them in a mixed assortment, and was surprised by their distinctive flavor and relatively hard texture.  Hazelnuts are excellent snacking nuts and good for a change.

#2: WALNUTS:  Walnuts are extremely rich in alpha linoleic acid (ALA) which can reduce inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after eating fatty meals.  A serving of 14 halves contains 180 calories but also provides about 90% of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids.   Scientists at University of Scranton, Pennsylvania recently discovered that walnuts have highest levels of polyphenolic antioxidants than any other common edible nuts.

Walnuts are incredibly versatile and can be mixed into vegan baked goods, fudge, salads, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or eaten alone. 1.

#1: ALMONDS:  These nuts have the lowest calorie density, and also contain the most calcium of any nut. They are rich in dietary fiber and phytochemicals and confer excellent protection against diseases. Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E, with 60% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E packed into a 30 gram serving.

Over the past year I have replaced peanut butter with almond butter because I vastly prefer the flavor of the almond variety.  I have also heard numerous people report that almond butter was more easily digestible than peanut butter.  As for the whole nut, I consider the almond’s textural variety and its flavor to be superior to other nuts, making it my go-to when I grab a serving.

Summary:

As long as nuts are not consumed in the same volume as lean meats and vegetables are, daily consumption will confer a myriad of health benefits to one’s diet.  If you haven’t already incorporated nuts into your meal plan, consider doing so in order to optimize your health.

Want to Revamp Your Eating? Try This Meal Plan…

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I have had so many questions about how to eat in a healthy fashion that I am posting a sample meal plan which will balance your metabolism, optimize fat burning, and impart greater energy.  This meal plan incorporates dairy, fish, wheat, nuts and poultry, so keep that in mind if you have certain sensitivities or are practicing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.  Make sure to eat every two to three hours to keep your metabolism whirring throughout the day.  It’s a good idea to pack your meals the night before so they are ready to go the next day.  Keep in mind that this meal plan is not for competitors, but for the average person who either wants to eat healthier and who might want to lose weight.

For those of you who want a more customized plan, please contact me at hot.hapa@yahoo.com for rates on packages.  You may also visit my websites at http://www.1hothapa.com and http://www.staceynaito.com.

Sample Meal Plan:

MEAL 1 – 4 egg whites with 1 tablespoon tomato salsa, 1/3 cup old fashioned oats (NOT instant!) with dash cinnamon, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds or walnut pieces, 1/4 cup almond milk

MEAL 2 – 1 cup Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite brand) with 1 apple

MEAL 3 – 5 ounces tilapia or mahi mahi, 2 cups Romaine salad with cherry tomatoes, 1/2 sliced cucumber, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2/3 cup green peas

MEAL 4 – whole wheat wrap filled with 4 ounces chopped grilled chicken breast, 1 tablespoon low fat mayo, 1/4 cup chopped celery, spices of your choice

MEAL 5 – Two slices Ezekiel bread with 1 tablespoon raw almond butter or peanut butter (no sugar or salt added), 2 hard boiled egg whites

MEAL 6 – 4 ounces salmon, 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta, 10 asparagus spears, 2 cups spring greens salad with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Move Over, Potato Chips…Here Come Healthy Kale Chips!

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Kale chips are a healthy alternative to potato chips and they are absolutely DELICIOUS!   You can either purchase these ready-made from stores like Whole Foods or save a considerable amount of money and make them at home.  They are incredibly easy to make, even for people who are oven-shy.  YUM!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
You will need a large bunch of kale, about the size of a basketball.  Rinse and dry very thoroughly.  Separate the leaves from the thick stems and break up into small bite size pieces.  Spread out on cookie sheets.  Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over pieces.

This is where it gets fun.  You can sprinkle Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, or use my favorite which is lemon pepper (Trader Joe’s makes a great version).

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until edges turn sightly brown and kale is crispy.  Remove from pan and allow to cool before eating.

Maintaining a Healthy Perspective With Contest Prep Meal Plans

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Those of us who compete are well aware of the critical importance of following specific meal plans which are designed to optimize lean muscle mass and promote fat loss.  However, these meal plans, especially during cutting phases, can be extremely restrictive.  In our quest for attaining the ideal physique for whatever division we compete in, we may find ourselves in a spiral of obsessive nose-to-the-grindstone adherence to foods we may have grown to abhor, intertwined with strong temptation to deviate from the plan and indulge in forbidden foods, only to berate ourselves afterwards for doing so.  After all, we are only human, and after weeks or months of eating clean, we may be so exasperated with daily servings of asparagus, tilapia, chicken breast, and sweet potatoes that our emotional food triggers may kick in and undermine our contest prep efforts.

With orthorexia, there is an unhealthy fixation on clean foods and one’s moods are dictated by how rigidly a clean diet is maintained.  So how is this different from what competitors do in the weeks leading up to a competition?  The mentally healthy approach is to regard food simply as fuel and to dismiss any emotional association with particular items.  I have been witness to and a participant in the fantasizing of forbidden foods in a manner akin to lustful, sexual craving.  I have heard competitors talk backstage at length about all the foods they were planning to indulge in immediately following their final visit onstage for the night.

What I find interesting about such food fixations is how they are distinguishable from anorexic behavior.  When I was 19, I battled anorexia, dropping to 85 pounds on a 5’5’’ at my lightest.  With anorexics, they have a clear and complete aversion to calorie-rich foods and have successfully turned off any interest or cravings for such items, whereas with bulimics, orthorexics and many healthy competitors in contest prep mode, coveting indulgent foods is rather commonplace.  Among all these groups, there is a propensity for obsessive and compulsive behaviors.  One may argue that such obsessions and compulsions are a vital component of contest prep and that without such tendencies a competitor will lack the focus necessary to succeed.

It seems apparent that competitors as a general rule are dangerously close to that fine line which separates a healthy relationship with food from orthorexia.  I remember quite  well how rigid I was about the food I ate when I was anorexic and even kept a daily food journal in which I wrote down the calories and fat grams of every food substance ingested.  I also recall how horrified and ashamed I was of myself when I would reluctantly consume a food I regarded as fattening.

Over 20 years later, I have a healthy relationship with food and for the most part regard it as fuel.  Yet I am immersed in the world of contest prep and like many other competitors will balk and grumble about the clean foods I must eat.  There are times when the mere thought of eating another spear of asparagus seems like the most disgusting activity in the world.  On the rare occasion that I find myself in a restaurant, I find it an alien concept to peruse a menu and actually be able to order whatever I want from any part of the menu.  There are also times during which my metabolism is in hyperdrive and I could eat almost nonstop for the duration of the day.

Here’s the thing: if I indulge in something that is not part of a contest prep meal plan, I don’t flog myself. Rather, I allow myself to enjoy the rare treat and move on.  If you find yourself wallowing in extreme anxiety and prolonged guilt over ingesting a food item which is on the banned list, beware.  This could signify the beginning of a food-related psychopathology.

“But I Don’t Have Time To Work Out!”

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It always amazes me when people insist that they have no time to exercise and list one reason after another to substantiate such a claim.  I completely understand that work schedules can be extremely demanding and exhausting.  Some individuals may have the best of intentions in planning to go to the gym after work, but this can be a major feat after working long hours.  So does one give up on such a pursuit?  Absolutely not!  There are numerous ways in which one can fit exercise into a hectic daily schedule.

I work at three different office locations and am constantly battling traffic which eats up a lot of my time.  Because of this, I make sure to PLAN AHEAD and schedule my training and cardio sessions around my work schedule.  A little extra planning, along with the determination to make exercise a daily priority, can ensure that regular workouts become an integral part of one’s schedule.

 

Keep Your Car Trunk Stocked!

From personal experience, I have found that keeping my car trunk stocked with all my gym equipment and an “emergency” gym outfit is an excellent way of ensuring that I will be well-prepared for a gym visit whenever it presents itself.  Another thing that I do is if I have a workout planned after work, I make sure to drive to the gym regardless of how tired I am.  I have counseled patients and clients who make the mistake of going home after work, convincing themselves that they will go to the gym after having a meal, settling in, but what usually happens is “…oh wait, there’s that great show on television…and I have laundry to do, etc…” thus killing any chance of them gathering the motivation to trek to the gym.

 

Set Your Alarm Early.

For people who consider themselves early birds, it may be more effective to set the alarm to go off earlier in the morning to allow sufficient time to get a workout in before the workday begins.  One of the benefits of going to the gym before work is the energizing effect which exercise confers.  Another benefit is that your workout will be complete, leaving your evenings after work open for other tasks.

Some people may balk at the idea of having to trek to the gym in the morning, stating that it takes extra time to travel to and from the facility.  If this is the case, there are two options:  either wake up earlier, or exercise at home.  You can even start your day with a brisk walk or jog before eating breakfast, then get ready for work.

 

Exercise During Lunch.

A third option which one might consider is to work out during a lunch break.  Although this usually poses more time constraints than the other options, exercise during the lunch hour may be a very effective means of staying in shape, provided the workouts are intense.  If you decide to grab a quick workout at the gym, be sure to bring a bag with toiletries so that you can shower before heading back to work.  You can also try to grab a decent workout while at work with resistance bands and plyometric movements.

 

Regardless of which options you select, you should definitely be able to fit regular exercise into your busy schedule.  You can even break up your workouts into segments in which lifting is done in the morning, with cardio performed either during the lunch hour or after work.

What about incorporating exercise into your daily routine while at work? You can take the stairs instead of the elevator, stretch whenever you rise from your chair, even throw in a couple of wall sits in the office while you are waiting for something to print. It’s those little activities which can really add up during the course of a day and give you a boost of energy.

Tips on Healthy Grocery Shopping

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Grocery stores are designed to tempt shoppers to make impulse purchases.  Such impulse buys can be especially tempting if you are ravenous with hunger when you shop.  Here are some guidelines which will help you to make healthy food choices when perusing a traditional grocery store.

1.    Shop around the perimeter of the store – Most processed foods are found in the aisles of a regular grocery store, while whole foods like fresh produce and meats are found around the perimeter.

2.    Read food labels – Be aware of hidden sugar, sodium, artificial flavors and colors, and preservatives.

3.    Keep purchases of packaged foods to a minimum – Beware of foods which are packaged in boxes, bags, or cans, as these foods tend to be filled with preservatives.

4.    Prepare a shopping list and stick to it – Making a list will ensure that you do not forget any necessary items and will also help prevent impulse purchases if you adhere strictly to the items which are on your list.

5.    Eat a meal before you shop – If you shop for groceries when you are satiated, you will be less likely to make impulsive purchases or buy more than what you need.

6.    Fill your cart with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish, poultry, nuts and beans. 

7.    Try a new fruit or vegetable each week – This will add variety to your meal plan.

8.    Spend the most time during your shopping trip in the produce section.

9.    When choosing whole grain cereals, aim for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving – Make sure the sugar content is minimal.

10.  Choose lean cuts of meat – Good beef cuts are round, top sirloin and tenderloin.  When buying poultry, purchase the skinless variety.

11.  Choose frozen fruits and vegetables over the canned variety.

12.  Avoid food items that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce. 

13.  Be careful when choosing bread – Many refined breads are dark from added molasses, caramel or other coloring.   Look for breads which contain 100% whole wheat or other grain as their first ingredient.  Try to avoid enriched wheat flour as it is actually made with processed white flour.  Make sure the bread you select has at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.

14.  Select fish which is high in omega-3 fatty acids – Best selections are salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout, and tuna.

LOWEST MERCURY:

  • Anchovies
  • Catfish
  • Clam
  • Crab
  • Crawfish
  • Flounder
  • Haddock
  • Herring
  • Mackerel
  • Mullet
  • Oyster
  • Perch
  • Pollock
  • Salmon
  • Sardine
  • Scallop
  • Shrimp
  • Sole
  • Squid
  • Tilapia
  • Trout
  • Whitefish

15.  Choose strong-flavor chesses – Sharp cheddar, feta and Parmesan have strong flavors which means you will need to use less to flavor your foods.

16.  Purchase Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than other varieties, and the protein content is much higher.  My favorite is Fage Total 0-Percent Greek Yogurt.

17.  If you must buy frozen entrees, make sure they contain less than 400 calories, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 600 milligrams of sodium, with at least 14 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbohydrate.

18.  Add vegetables and/or cooked brown rice or quinoa to your frozen entrée to increase the size and nutrition level of the meal.

19.  Add frozen fruit to cooked oatmeal to provide sweetness without added sugar.

20.  Eat oatmeal – Make sure to buy regular oatmeal, not the instant variety.

‘Tis The Season – How To Stay Lean During The Holidays

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Last year I posted a little blurb about off-season maintenance which I think deserves a re-post.  This is especially appropriate since I recently made homemade (unclean) fudge and plan to make it again.  Keep in mind that you can still indulge in these little cheats as long as you keep the rest of your meals clean.  If you do this, you can absolutely maintain a good degree of leanness throughout the holiday season.

There are a few tricks to minimize the amount of bad foods which you may be tempted to devour.  You can consume a small amount of lean protein right before you have a carb cheat.  This will slow down digestion so that the carbs aren’t stored as readily.  Another trick is to drink a glass of water before you indulge in a decadent treat.  This will help to fill you up so you consume less food afterward.  When you are aware that you will be at a function in which tempting foods will be around, make sure your meals beforehand are kept clean and that you you eat every 2-1/2 to 3 hours to ensure that you won’t be ravenous come party time.  One of the worst things you can do is skip meals beforehand in hopes that the caloric deficit will balance out the overindulgence later.  All this does is squash your metabolism and increase your chance of overeating.

As long as you eat clean the remainder of the time, you should be able to stay within a few pounds of your maintenance weight if you do not compete, or within a few pounds of competition weight if you do compete.  Case in point:  I have been eating clean the vast majority of the time, with rare cheats here and there.  Though I was not in contest prep mode for NPC Nationals on November 9th and 10th, I weighed in that week at 117 pounds which is one pound over my competition weight, and had a waist measurement of 22.75 inches.  Last week, I had pizza twice but kept all other meals clean, and was able to maintain my weight at 117 lbs. with a 23 inch waist measurement.  The last thing I want to do is to unravel the results of all the hard work I have invested and continue to invest into my physique.  I did not skip any meals when I had these fun foods but just continued on my usual clean food path.

Some of you may be wondering what the cleanest choices are when you are at the holiday banquet.  Though this reflects the common holiday foods which are rather calorie dense, here are some of the better choices out of the bunch:

  • Roast turkey breast
  • Green beans without butter
  • Mashed potatoes made with whipped butter and Greek yogurt instead of milk and regular butter
  • Pumpkin Pie

Some of you may also be wondering what I am planning on cooking and eating, so here is my Thanksgiving menu:

  •  16 pound turkey
  • my secret stuffing recipe which has lots of goodies in it but is relatively low in fat and calories compared to other exotic stuffing recipes
  • mashed potatoes made with light butter and Greek yogurt
  • creamed spinach
  • my homemade fudge
  • whole cranberry-mandarin orange relish
  • turkey gravy
  • rolls
  • wine
  • store-bought chocolate pecan pie (which I probably won’t eat)

Obviously there are some items on my menu that fall outside of my “clean food guidelines”, but since the holidays only come once a year, and since I am only cooking one holiday feast which will be served on one day, I have no qualms about it.   This is the time during which we should count our blessings and spend quality time with the people we love without getting anxious about what we are eating.  However, this does not mean you have free license to go nuts on bad foods for the next month!  If you end up indulging in other foods, don’t beat yourself up.  Instead, enjoy the feast and resume healthy eating the next day.  Happy holidays!

Supplements I Won’t Live Without

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If you saw the piles of supplements I take each day, you would probably gag.  But I am very consistent about taking each supplement and have felt the difference when I have had to go without something for a day.  When I integrated each supplement into my regimen, I made sure to add only one supplement at a time in order to determine my tolerance for each one.  It was by doing this that I was able to determine that I could not tolerate chondroitin, so I switched my glucosamine formula to one that had MSM instead.

Here is a list of supplements which I take on a daily basis, along with some of their associated benefits:

  • multivitamin/multimineral – numerous benefits
  • fish oil – healthy fat source, protective to cell membranes
  • flaxseed oil – healthy fat source, protective to cell membranes
  • biotin 5000 mcg – healthy hair and nails, regulation of blood glucose
  • B-complex – supports memory, combats effects of stress
  • DIM-Plus – supports healthy estrogen metabolism
  • collagen – some benefit in joints
  • cranberry extract – urinary tract health
  • zinc 50 mg – general cell health

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  • ALA 300 mg (twice daily) – regulation of blood glucose, optimizes carbohydrate consumption
  • phosphatidylserine complex 200 mg – adrenal support
  • glutamine 12 grams in divided doses per day – muscle building support
  • digestive enzymes (three times daily) – digestive support

By no means am I suggesting that you take what I take.  I just get lots of questions about what supplements are part of my regular regimen.  If you decide to take any supplement, make sure it does not interfere with any medical conditions you have or interact with any medications you may currently be taking.  Also be aware that some products have ingredients which may cause allergic reactions.

If you decide to start taking certain supplements, add each one in ONE AT A TIME and give it a couple of weeks to determine your level of tolerance.

  • vitamin C 1000 mg – immunity, antioxidant, lowers blood pressure, diuretic effect
  • calcium 500 mg (three times daily) – bone health
  • DHEA 10 mg – adrenal support
  • folic acid 800 mcg – lowers blood pressure
  • CoQ10 100 mg – cardiovascular support
  • curcumin 300 mg – anti-inflammatory
  • glucosamine/MSM – joint support
  • branched chain amino acids – muscle building support
  • 7-keto 50 mg – thermogenesis
  • GABA 750 mg – memory support
  • CLA 1250 mg (three times daily) – optimization of fat metabolism</

    • My Favorite Clean Snacks

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    I will start out by saying that I rarely allow myself to snack on foods that are not on my meal plan.  However, every once in a while I will get a hankering for something different, and will allow myself to indulge in small yet healthy food items.

    Here are some of my favorite snacks:

    • 1 cup of Fage nonfat Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon agave nectar, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries or dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup high protein granola
    • Lundberg Sesame Tamari rice cake with 1 tablespoon of spicy hummus
    • low carb wrap (if I use the P28 wrap I will use 1/2 wrap) with 1 tablespoon of spicy hummus, 3 ounces of shredded chicken, dash of hot sauce and 1/2 cup mixed greens
    • low carb wrap with 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw almond butter and 1/2 sliced banana
    • 1/2 apple and 1/4 cup raw almonds or raw walnuts
    • 1 slice of toasted P28 Bread with 1 tablespoon of raw almond butter
    • 1 slice of toasted P28 bread with 1/2 sliced avocado, hot sauce, garlic powder and fresh black pepper
    • 1 sliced tomato with several slices of buffalo mozarella and a drizzle of olive oil with fresh black pepper
    • Quest Bar
    • Protein shake made with unsweetened almond milk and 3-4 ice cubes (EvoPro Chocolate is my favorite)
    • pancake made with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup dry rolled oats, dash unsweetened almond milk and 3 egg whites
    • 4 ounces Hinoichi Firm Tofu scrambled with 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup brown rice, dash of low sodium soy sauce
    • 1 inch slice of vegan banana bread (one of these days I will share my secret recipe which I developed and which is moist and DELICIOUS!

     

     

    The general guideline I use, besides selecting foods I truly love, is to make sure I get a decent amount of protein in each snack.  I also make sure that the fat in my meal comes from a healthy source.

    I hope this dispels the rumor that snacks cannot be healthy, nutritious or filling.

    What’s In My Kitchen?

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    When I first began competing in 2009, I decided to rid my pantry of food items which contained unhealthy ingredients.  Things like bleached flour, granulated sugar, canned soups, dry soups, crackers and breads were cleared off the shelves.  Frozen dinners were tossed out, as were cheeses, cold cuts, cow’s milk, and juices.  I replaced those items with whole foods which I continue to stock on a regular basis.

     

    Here is a list of items which I have on hand at least 95% of the time, if not constantly.  I also eat these items on a daily basis:

    • eggs
    • boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • ground turkey
    • ground beef
    • orange roughy or tilapia
    • old fashioned oats
    • brown rice
    • rice cakes
    • whole wheat pasta
    • marinara sauce
    • whey protein isolate
    • P28 Bread Products
    • spinach leaves
    • asparagus
    • romaine lettuce
    • cucumber
    • green peas
    • green beans
    • yams
    • apples
    • prunes
    • bananas
    • almond butter
    • raw almonds
    • raw walnuts
    • olive oil
    • balsamic vinegar
    • almond milk

     

    With respect to pantry items, I always have:

    • green tea bags
    • ground coffee
    • tomato salsa
    • hot sauce
    • oat flour
    • couscous
    • cream of wheat
    • a LARGE variety of all types of spices

     

    Occasionally, I will purchase:

    • firm Japanese tofu
    • fresh salmon filet
    • flank steak
    • Fage Nonfat Unflavored Greek Yogurt
    • Nonfat feta cheese
    • Spicy Hummus

     

    I make sure to avoid stocking forbidden foods for the most part, though I do admit that there are a couple of gluten free cracker brands which I will purchase from time to time, as well as chocolate peanut butter, 70% cacao bars and a high protein granola.  Keep in mind that these items are RARE treats and for whatever reason I have enough willpower to let these items sit on the shelf for the vast majority of the time.

    The key to shopping in a healthy fashion is to purchase whole foods and also be prepared to purchase these items at least once weekly for maximum freshness.

     

     

    Stay tuned for segments on how to cook for a whole week so that you have all your food ready to go for a busy work schedule!