Complete nutrition from whole, natural foods ?

Try searching for the above subject line in Google. Guess what you find? Supplements and meal replacement shakes. Nice job, Google.

What I'm looking for is the same holy grail as so many other people - a simple diet plan of food I can buy in any grocery store that offers complete nutrition and a small calorie deficit for weight loss.

I've started with breakfast, and now have a steady habit of steel-cut oats, cinnamon and honey, followed by a couple boiled eggs.

What I need now is a lunch I can pack that gets me through the end of the workday, and a dinner that completes the nutritional requirements. I'm prepared to eat the same food every day, initially. No powders, no shakes, no artificial anything.

Has anybody every achieved this?
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Replies

  • Evachiquita
    Evachiquita Posts: 223 Member
    Follow my food diary :-)
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    I'm not dogmatic about it, bit I dont eat that much crap. Diary is open.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Try searching for the above subject line in Google. Guess what you find? Supplements and meal replacement shakes. Nice job, Google.

    What I'm looking for is the same holy grail as so many other people - a simple diet plan of food I can buy in any grocery store that offers complete nutrition and a small calorie deficit for weight loss.

    I've started with breakfast, and now have a steady habit of steel-cut oats, cinnamon and honey, followed by a couple boiled eggs.

    What I need now is a lunch I can pack that gets me through the end of the workday, and a dinner that completes the nutritional requirements. I'm prepared to eat the same food every day, initially. No powders, no shakes, no artificial anything.

    Has anybody every achieved this?

    meh - it's not really the "holy grail", it's just whatever works for you. I do eat this way, and feel free to check out my diary for tips. good luck!

    :)
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Just hit your macros bro.

    There's nothing else to it.
  • in_this_generation
    in_this_generation Posts: 75 Member
    If you mean complete vitamins and minerals, I suggest going to www.whfoods.org. You can look up the vitamin/mineral composition (as well as caloric info) of many whole foods and design a plan for you- personally I think hitting recommended daily values for anything on any given day is not as important as overall trends in vitamin intake.
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    I think the reason why there are so many supplements is that despite eating whole, natural foods some people can still be deficient in certain items, or they may have allergies or less access to certain foods with certain nutrients. I agree it shouldn't be the mainstay of that kind of eating style though. I eat 90% unprocessed foods, however, I still take a calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement because I don't eat a ton of dairy, and I also take vitamin D because I'm indoors the majority of the time and I live in a northern latitude.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    Are you asking us to convert to Bing, mr. Satanist?
  • Check out my diary anytime. Here's a guideline for what I eat regularly

    Breakfast
    2 eggs, fried or scrambled
    3 oz of protein of some sort - often it is left over from last night's meal
    Cut up tomato, 1/2 cup of blackberries or similar - basically fruit with a low glycemic index

    Snack
    20 almonds or pistachios, 1 oz of cheese, 1 oz of salami - basically 80 - 120 calories of nuts, cheese or protein

    Lunch
    Salad based on 2 cups lettuce, celery, other stuff that makes it good
    Salad dressing = 1 tbsp olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano to taste
    4-6 oz of left over protein from a dinner. Tri-tip steak or hamburger, or grilled chicken, or what have you

    Dinner
    1-2 cups of green veggies: brussels sprouts, broccoli, green beans, etc. Can be steamed, sauteed, etc.
    6-8 oz of protein
    Salad if I want it

    Snack
    Fresh berries of some sort plus whipped cream I make myself usually

    If you want some carbs in there, feel free, but use whole foods, not processed crud based on what you're trying to achieve.
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
    Try searching for the above subject line in Google. Guess what you find? Supplements and meal replacement shakes. Nice job, Google.

    What I'm looking for is the same holy grail as so many other people - a simple diet plan of food I can buy in any grocery store that offers complete nutrition and a small calorie deficit for weight loss.

    I've started with breakfast, and now have a steady habit of steel-cut oats, cinnamon and honey, followed by a couple boiled eggs.

    What I need now is a lunch I can pack that gets me through the end of the workday, and a dinner that completes the nutritional requirements. I'm prepared to eat the same food every day, initially. No powders, no shakes, no artificial anything.

    Has anybody every achieved this?

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/

    Don't overthink it though!
    did it have a face? yes, eat it
    did it grow in the ground? yes, eat it
    Does it have less than 5 ingredients? Can you pronounce them all? Has anything been "enriched" or "modified"? Are any of them sugar? yes, yes, no & no, eat it.

    These are very basic... I'm sure you can find unclean foods that fit the above criteria... I'm not saying it is the end all and be all. But if you are standing at the grocery store and don't know what to do... this is a great, easy check list.
  • liesevanlingen
    liesevanlingen Posts: 508 Member
    Fruits and vegetables are ideal for snacks. Bags of cut-up peppers, celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes,broccoli, etc., are easy to prepare ahead of time and then you can just grab and go. Strawberries, raspberries, oranges, bananas, apples are also good and simple. A large salad with 3-4 ounces of chicken breast makes a good meal. Look for complex carbs (brown rice, whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta) rather than white bread or white rice. I make an easy brown rice casserole with chopped up peppers, green onions and a tiny bit of bacon sauteed in a pan, Mix with the rice and eat it! Very simple. You can add other veggies like tomatoes, grated carrots, etc. or use left-over cooked meats, whatever.

    Hope this helps!
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    Try searching for the above subject line in Google. Guess what you find? Supplements and meal replacement shakes. Nice job, Google.

    That's because Complete Nutrition is a brand of supplements.
  • hausisse
    hausisse Posts: 90
    Hmm, well for breakfast I usually eat fruit with yogurt and a piece of whole wheat toast with almond butter, and then for lunch I pack a salad. It always has greens- spinach, kale, what have you- and I always bring some kind of protein, such as a can of tuna or nuts. And I also toss in some kind of other veggies, just whatever looked good to me at the supermarket that week- this week it's mushrooms, carrots, and onions. I don't actually eat dinner (I just grab a spoonful of hummus if I feel really hungry) but that's how I eat my whole foods!
  • timpicks
    timpicks Posts: 151 Member
    I get pretty close though I really just eat what I like. My diary is open if you want to see. But I caution you that eating the same thing every day has its own hazards and you should try to eat a wide variety of foods and change things up a bit for nutritional reasons if not for your sanity.
  • domgirl85
    domgirl85 Posts: 295 Member
    look up clean eating. that's a good way to find what you're looking for
  • satanist
    satanist Posts: 8
    Are you asking us to convert to Bing, mr. Satanist?

    I would *never* ask *anyone* to "convert" to Bing. Not sure where you're getting that. In any case, Bing is just Google - they've been caught simply querying Google and posting the results as their own.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Open diary.. pretty clean eating.. good nutritious foods.
  • satanist
    satanist Posts: 8
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.
  • hfester
    hfester Posts: 114 Member

    What I'm looking for is the same holy grail as so many other people

    lulz

    There's a good book (Oh, I crack myself up) called Real Food Has Curves. It has a lot of good info in it that you might find helpful.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.

    seriously? you CAN'T get full proper nutrition without supplements in America. try getting enough vitamin D. Not happening. The majority of Americans are D3 deficient (like, significantly) because of the lack of sunlight they get - which is the only way to get D3 unless you supplement.

    being a no-pill-nazi is a surefire way to make sure you're not meeting all your nutritional needs. you need a multivitamin and you need omega 3s and you need D3 - at mininmum.
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/

    Don't overthink it though!
    did it have a face? yes, eat it
    did it grow in the ground? yes, eat it
    Does it have less than 5 ingredients? Can you pronounce them all? Has anything been "enriched" or "modified"? Are any of them sugar? yes, yes, no & no, eat it.

    These are very basic... I'm sure you can find unclean foods that fit the above criteria... I'm not saying it is the end all and be all. But if you are standing at the grocery store and don't know what to do... this is a great, easy check list.
    [/quote]

    Great advice! I will definitely keep this in mind when I shop. I've gotten better, but much room for improvement. Thanks!
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
    Bump
  • pennydreadful270
    pennydreadful270 Posts: 266 Member
    Funnily enough a good way to get everything you need is absolutely NOT to eat the same things. A good rough guide is to make sure you're eating different coloured foods throughout the week.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
    What I need now is a lunch I can pack that gets me through the end of the workday, and a dinner that completes the nutritional requirements. I'm prepared to eat the same food every day, initially.

    This is probably heading in the wrong direction. The thing about getting your nutrition from whole natural foods (which I think is a great goal, just one I don't share ATM) is that real food isn't that tidy. All those entries in the USDA nutrition database are averages - nutrient content is going to vary depending on where and when the food was grown, what sort of weather there was while it was growing, how long it's been since it was harvested, how it was packed/stored/shipped - all kinds of stuff. And there's no practical way to find out if you're eating a low-vitamin-c orange or a high one. So you're more likely to get what you want (complete nutrition, no supplements) by eating a wide variety of things so you're less likely to be reliant on one thing that turns out to be not as advertised.

    I know there's software that can help you sort this out, because there was 10 years ago when I tried to figure out the same thing, but I have no clue what's out there and is good/easy to use/cheap.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Funnily enough a good way to get everything you need is absolutely NOT to eat the same things. A good rough guide is to make sure you're eating different coloured foods throughout the week.

    truth. I also eat a big *kitten* salad every day - you can switch that up and change it up daily with pretty much unlimited combinations.

    eating the same thing is 1) boring and 2) actually not as nutritionally beneficial. You can't always have chicken and broccoli and cover all your bases. :)
  • satanist
    satanist Posts: 8
    I get pretty close though I really just eat what I like. My diary is open if you want to see. But I caution you that eating the same thing every day has its own hazards and you should try to eat a wide variety of foods and change things up a bit for nutritional reasons if not for your sanity.

    Over the course of an entire day, it's not possible to eat a wide enough variety of food to get complete nutrition? Hmmm. OK, the systems analyst in me says I can just make it a two or three day plan instead.

    The point here ( for me ) is getting into a habit. That means *avoiding* change. Fortunately for me, I can eat the same food every day and never get bored - I just want to build a simple plan that I can follow mechanically. Looks like I'll have to supplement with a multivitamin, but I guess that's not too bad.
  • satanist
    satanist Posts: 8
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.

    seriously? you CAN'T get full proper nutrition without supplements in America. try getting enough vitamin D. Not happening. The majority of Americans are D3 deficient (like, significantly) because of the lack of sunlight they get - which is the only way to get D3 unless you supplement.

    being a no-pill-nazi is a surefire way to make sure you're not meeting all your nutritional needs. you need a multivitamin and you need omega 3s and you need D3 - at mininmum.

    Ah, and now Godwin's Law rears it's inevitable head. Millions of years of evolution says you're wrong, and calling me a Nazi is somewhat insulting. Have a nice day.
  • dovetail22uk
    dovetail22uk Posts: 339 Member
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.

    seriously? you CAN'T get full proper nutrition without supplements in America. try getting enough vitamin D. Not happening. The majority of Americans are D3 deficient (like, significantly) because of the lack of sunlight they get - which is the only way to get D3 unless you supplement.

    being a no-pill-nazi is a surefire way to make sure you're not meeting all your nutritional needs. you need a multivitamin and you need omega 3s and you need D3 - at mininmum.

    Isn't it interesting that you seem like you are shouting even though you are not writing in capitals?

    Don't agree with what you say re vitamin D. The sunlight exposure needed is only about 15 minutes a day.

    If you take an interest in what you eat I think you'll find it pretty simple to meet all your nutritional needs. Unless you're a bodybuilder or something. Why would you need a multivitamin if you eat a wide range of foods with all the essentials in them? And oily fish/ flaxseed for omega 3 and 6?
  • dovetail22uk
    dovetail22uk Posts: 339 Member
    godwins-law1.png
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.

    seriously? you CAN'T get full proper nutrition without supplements in America. try getting enough vitamin D. Not happening. The majority of Americans are D3 deficient (like, significantly) because of the lack of sunlight they get - which is the only way to get D3 unless you supplement.

    being a no-pill-nazi is a surefire way to make sure you're not meeting all your nutritional needs. you need a multivitamin and you need omega 3s and you need D3 - at mininmum.

    Very miuch agreed.

    The fruits and vegetables we eat don't have the nutrients that we "think" they have unless you are fortunate enough to get very locally grown produce.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    Follow my food diary :-)

    Nope. Powders and pills in that diary. Thanks anyway.

    seriously? you CAN'T get full proper nutrition without supplements in America. try getting enough vitamin D. Not happening. The majority of Americans are D3 deficient (like, significantly) because of the lack of sunlight they get - which is the only way to get D3 unless you supplement.

    being a no-pill-nazi is a surefire way to make sure you're not meeting all your nutritional needs. you need a multivitamin and you need omega 3s and you need D3 - at mininmum.

    Ah, and now Godwin's Law rears it's inevitable head. Millions of years of evolution says you're wrong, and calling me a Nazi is somewhat insulting. Have a nice day.

    Apologize that you took offense. I could have phrased that better you're right. Unfortunately millions of years of evolution have nothing to do with the low quality of the food we eat today. In fact it's that very evolution that supports my position, as humans haven't adapted to the new strains and varieties of foods that have been genetically manipulated in the last 50 years. Foods are less nutritious today than they were 50, 100, 1,000 years ago, so we have to supplement.