The most common questions I get when people begin their new flexible diet are usually related to finding foods that contain their specific macro need.
“I need something that’s fatty/carby/proteiny…”
If you’re following a flexible diet, I’m sure you can heavily relate to this. Usually, this happens at the end of our day when, although we’ve carefully planned out our entire day’s worth of food, we are left with a few grams of this or a few grams of that. And if you’re new to the flexible dieting game, finding these foods can be hard!
Well fear not! The next few blog entries will be about my “go-to” foods with a little explanation why I think they’re so good. Sometimes, foods are good because they’re convenient, other times, they’re good because they’ve got awesome nutritional properties, and sometimes, they’re in between!
Check out the list below and if you have any “go-to” foods of your own, leave a comment so other people can give it a go!
FATS
If you are brand new not only to Flexible Dieting, but also to structured and healthy eating, you’ve probably been taught that fat is bad; that it leads to weight gain and a slew of other ailments like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, etc. While there is some truth to that, there is also truth in what has been deemed “good fats” that are actually good FOR you! Good fats help regulate our moods, they help fight fatigue, and can even help with weight loss! The key to fats in our diet isn’t to eliminate it, but to choose the right kind.
- GHEE – If you have no clue what this is, that’s okay! I was recently introduced to it and as I read more and more about this stuff, I started realizing how amazing it is for you!! Ghee is clarified butter- basically, all of the water and milk is cooked out of the butter, leaving only the purest form of it! Good ghee is made from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed cows.
- HEALTH BENEFITS: improved digestion, decreased inflammation, rich in Vitamins A, D, E, K, weight LOSS, decreased risk of heart disease…
- WHERE TO GET IT: I bought my current jar of ghee at Whole Foods made by Purity Farms. Ghee won’t be sold in your standard grocery store unfortunately, but any whole foods or farmer’s market type place should have it. You can also order it online as well!
- HOW TO EAT IT: You can use ghee in anything you’d use butter for! It has a high smoking point making it awesome to cook with, you can melt it on top of bread, you can can even eat it by itself (although I wouldn’t recommend it- I’ve tried). I usually put 2-3 teaspoons of it in my bulletproof coffee in the morning- DELISH.
- GRASS FED BUTTER – Similar to ghee, this is regular butter made from grass-fed cows as well. It’s got many of the same health benefits as ghee, but it a little bit easier to spread (since it still contains the water and milk contents vs the clarified butter). This is a bit more affordable than ghee.
- HEALTH BENEFITS: Similar to ghee!
- WHERE TO GET IT: Again, grass-fed butter won’t usually be found at your standard grocery store. You are sure to find it at stores described above such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and any farmer’s market. Some brands to look for (that I’ve tried): Kerrygold Irish Butter and Organic Valley.
- HOW TO EAT IT: Just like ghee! Again, it’s easier to spread, so this may be a good one for bread, waffles, etc. Again, I wouldn’t recommend eating it on its own- but I’ve tried it…
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – You know what this is and I’m sure you’ve cooked with it in the past at LEAST.
- HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM – Yep, you read right… whipping cream. The stuff they put into the bottle with the little N2O charger attached to the handle to make whipped cream that goes on top of your Frappuccino. This stuff is SO good in coffee, so good on its own, and just….well… tasty.
- HEALTH BENEFITS: Unfortunately, this isn’t really the best form of fat, so take it in small quantities. I put it on this list because it’s often time convenient, cheap, and easy to add to so many things.
- WHERE TO GET IT: You can get a half gallon at Costco. I don’t because I can’t possibly drink that much heavy whipping cream and stay within my macros before it spoils. You can easily find this at any grocery store in almost any size up to a quart. It’s cheap and easy to find making it a convenient fat.
- HOW TO EAT IT: I’m sure you’ve got ideas…
- AVOCADO – Unlike the other fats listed above that are ONLY fat, avocado has other macro properties, so you have to remember to add them in.
- HEALTH BENEFITS: SO high in fiber and filled with good fats!
- WHERE TO GET IT: I hate that avos are so damn expensive. One time, I found them at the Ghetto Grocery Store (as my old roommate called it) for $0.50 each- AND THEY WERE GOOD STILL. Since then, my price standard for avos increased to a level where every time I see them at the grocery store for $1.99+, I rarely allow myself to buy them anymore. I’ve bought them at Costco, 6 for $6.99 a few times.
- HOW TO EAT IT: By itself, with salted sunflower seeds, guacamole, with mayo (more fat!), with an egg cooked in it, on a salad… the list goes on.
This list is short, but just a few of my “go-to” fats. It’s important to remember that FATS CAN BE FRIENDS! Through flexible dieting, we learn to eat in moderation and through good choices, we can maintain a healthy lifestyle!!
What are your “go-to” fats? What works for you??
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