Diet

I like preserved foods. It wastes less food, makes it easier to prepare for cooking, and, paridoxically, they tend to be fresher than “fresh” foods.

Use “healthy” fats, like olive or canola oil, rather than dairy fats like butter. Avoid trans fats, whatever that means.

Protein

Six per day of either

• 1 ounce of meat.
• 1 egg.
• 1 Tbsp nut butter.
• 1/4 cup cooked beans, peas, or lentils.

Replace red meats with fish, poultry, beans, or nuts. Eat lean meats. Some fish is a necessity.

Fruits.

Two per day of either 1 cup regular or 1/2 cup dried.

• Canned pears.
• Canned pineapple.
• Steamed and pealed tomatoes.
• Dried fruits (without sugar).

Vegetables

Three per day of either 1 cup regular or 2 cups leafy greens.

There are five subgroups.

Dark Greens

1 to 2 cups per week.

• Broccoli
• Dark green lettuce, Arugula, Spinish, and Kale

Red and Orange

4 to 6 cups per week.

• Tomatoes
• 100% vegetable juice (no added sugar)
• Carrots
• Pumpkin (pure canned puree)
• Sweet Potatoes

Beans, Peas, and Lentiles

1 to 2 cups per week. Most beans, peas, and lentiles, except for green beans and green peas (what we call “peas”).

Starchy Vegetables

4 to 6 cups per week.

• Potatoes
• Yams
• Corn
• Green peas

Other

3 to 5 cups per week. Most others.

Grains

Always buy whole grain everything.

7 per day of either a slice of bread, 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup rice, pasta, or cereal.

Notes

I mostly just use MyPlate for food groups and serving sizes, but I suplement my knowledge with The Healthy Eating Plate from Harvard. For vegetable subgroup recommendations I used this guide by NMSU.