Getting Health Benefits From Food - Making the Right Choices

There are so many recources out there regarding what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. Tons of social media influencers out there are constantly pushing different foods, meals, and supplements to you on a regular basis just trying to get a sale and neglecting the fact that everyone has different needs. Nutrition is not a "because it works for me it works for everyone" type of topic.

In this blog I'm going to keep it simple. Below I have listed some of my go to protein, carb, and fat sources - as well as what vitamins and minerals those sources contain in higher quantities. Similar to what I discussed in my blog about heart rate zones and fueling... nutrition is a very individualized topic. Take some ideas from this blog for yourself if you'd like, but always do what works best for you. Some food options that I am a big fan of may not agree with you, and thats okay!

Let's get into it.

MY GO-TO PROTEIN SOURCES

1. Lean Ground Beef

- Iron, Potassium, and Vitamin B-12

2. Skinless Chicken Thighs

- Phosphorus, Selenium, Zinc, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, Niacin, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, and Choline

3. Chicken Breast

- Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, and Choline

4. Whole Eggs

- Vitamin A, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Selenium, Iodine, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline

5. Greek Yogurt

- Calcium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Riboflavin, and Vitamin B-12

6. Black Beans

- Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Thiamine, Folate, Vitamin B-6, Pantothenic Acid, and Choline

7. Almonds

- Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin E, and Riboflavin

MY GO-TO CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES

1. Wild Rice

- Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, and Folate

2. Russet Potatoes

- Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, and Pantothenic Acid

3. Sweet Potatoes

- Vitamin A, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, and Pantothenic Acid

4. Old-Fashioned Oats

- Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Thiamin

5. Blueberries

- Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin K, and Vitamin E

6. Bananas

- Vitamin C, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin B-6, Folate, and Pantothenic Acid

7. Carrots

- Vitamin A and Vitamin K

8. Broccoli

- Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, and Pantothenic Acid,

9. Gala Apples

- Potassium, Copper, Riboflavin, and Vitamin B-6

10. Oranges

- Vitamin C, Potassium, Copper, Thiamin, Folate, and Pantothenic Acid,

MY GO-TO FAT SOURCES

1. Avocados

- Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, and Pantothenic Acid

2. Almonds

- Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin E, and Riboflavin

3. Olive Oil

- Vitamin E and Vitamin K

4. Whole Eggs

- Vitamin A, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Selenium, Iodine, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Vitamin B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline

Please note... these are just the foods that I enjoy more than the rest and play a heavier role in my diet. My diet is not just limited to these and includes other foods as well. Do I eat processed foods? Yes. Do they play a heavy role in my diet? Not really. I do my best to abide by the 80/20 rule when it comes to food. 80% of the food I eat is what I should be eating and 20% of the food that I eat is outside of healthy eating (eating out, doritos, cinnamon rolls, etc.). I think I am closer to 95/15, but I will rarely if every go beyond that 20%. Thats the eating routine that works for me and what makes me feel good throughout the week. Most of my training during the week is harsh and sometimes I just need to reward myself - which if you know me, usually comes in the form of cinnamon rolls on Sunday.

All in all, make sure the food you are eating is nutrient dense and provides value for you outside of the number of calories it contains. Many processed foods have little to zero nutrients or have had to be fortified due to the volume at which they are eaten in society. Similar to my list above, it's important to have a loose understanding of what minerals and vitamins are included in your food so that you have a well balanced diet and can fill in any gaps if needed. Again, only you (and maybe your doctor) know what you need and what is best for you. There's no "do it all" pill for nutrition. Take a step in the right direction so your future self can thank you for making the right food choices!

Feel free to shoot me a note if you have any questions or comments.

See you next post!

Andrew