Food list

My focus is on nutritional value and tasty, emotionally satisfying food that helps us stay naturally slim and healthy*). We are all different and have different tolerance levels so you have to experiment a bit with what works for you but remember variation is the key to optimal nutrition and positivity and perseverance is the key to everything else!

Leafy and colourful veggies at Borough Market
photo: Rikke Wend Hartung (c)

The natural balanced diet (see a short film here explaining the basics):

• 50% Non-starchy vegetables (carbohydrates)
• 30% Seafood/Lean meat/Select dairy/Egg whites (protein)
• 15% Fruits (carbohydrates) and whole eggs (fats)
• 5% Milled flax seeds/nuts (fats)

Carbohydrates

Non-starchy vegetables 

Artichoke

Asparagus 

Aubergine
Avocado (it is actually a fruit)
Bean sprouts - try growing them yourself. 

Bell peppers
Beetroot
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash
Cabbage (red, white, green)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Chives
Collard greens
Cucumber
Dandelion greens
Eggplant (also called aubergine)
Escarole (also called endive)
Frisee lettuce (also called endive)
Garlic
Green beans/French beans (do not eat raw)
Kale
Leaf amaranth
Leeks
Lemon grass
Mangetout peas (also called snow peas)
Mixed greens
Mushrooms (do not eat raw)
Mustard greens
Onion
Parsley
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radicchio

Rocket salad (also called arugula)

Romaine lettuce
Romano peppers
Shallot
Snow peas (also called mangetout peas) - edible pod
Spinach
Spring onions
Squash
Sugar snap peas - edible pod
Tomatoes - do not store in fridge as that removes the taste completely
Turnip greens
Zucchini

Fruits and berries
Apricots
Avocado (yes, it is actually a fruit)
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe melon
Cherries
Grapefruit
Guava
Honeydew melon
Kiwifruit
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peaches
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerine
Watermelon

Protein
Dairy 
Low-fat/Non-fat cottage cheese
Egg whites
Low-fat/Non-fat plain Greek youghurt

Fish and seafood
Anchovies
Catfish
Clams
Cod
Crab
Flounder
Haddock
Halibut
Herring
Lobster
Mackerel
Mussels
Octopus
Oysters
Perch
Pollock
Salmon
Sardines
Scallops
Sea bass
Shrimp
Snapper
Sole
Squid
Swordfish
Tilapia
Trout
Tuna
Whitefish

Lean meat 
Beef (extra lean)
Bison
Chicken
Elk
Flank steak
Fillet
Ham
Kangaroo
Lamb
Pork
Poussin
Rabbit
Rump steak and roast
Sirloin steak
Sirloin tip
Tenderloin
Top loin
Turkey
Venison

Other sources of protein
Whey protein powder - watch out for protein/sugar

Fats 
Fatty meat
Whole-fat dairy
Whole Eggs
Tofu

Oils
Coconut oil - for frying
Avocado oil - for frying and dressings
Flax seed oil - for salads and dressings (do not fry)
Olive oil - for salads and dressings (do not fry)

Nuts and seeds (more details here)
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chestnuts
Chia seeds
Flax seeds (milled)
Hazelnuts
Hemp seeds
Kola nuts
Macadamia nuts
Peanuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Squash seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

Foods I use for variety

Cheese 

Foods I would eat occasionally as treats

Potatoes (too starchy)
Rutabaga/Swede (too starchy)
Sweet potatoes (too starchy)
Soy products (contains a very high level of oestrogen which I prefer to avoid getting too much of)

Foods I will be very unlikely to eat

Apples - too much sugar. 

Bananas - too much sugar (try avocado for an even better source of potassium). 

Grapes and raisins - too much sugar. 

Iceberg salad - it's very low in nutrition and it doesn't have any taste.

***

*) My food philosophy being based on evolutionary biology, I think I should mention that my ancestors went North when they came out of Africa. For those of you whose ancestors either stayed in Africa or went East or West there could be some other foods that are beneficial for you. 

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritional scientist, so you should not just take my word for it but do your own research (as you should with anything, really, but that is a another discussion for some other time). If you have any medical conditions or concerns about your health you should consult with a qualified medical practitioner.

Most of the above is based on Jonathan Bailor's brilliant book "The Smarter Science of Slim: What the Actual Experts Have Proven About Weight Loss, Health, and Fitness" (2012). Here is the link to the website www.thesmarterscienceofslim.com.