Alton Brown's "Live or Let Diet" Lists

A handy reminder of Alton's food lists (with my thoughts added) from his Good Eats episode Live or Let Diet that I can pull up anywhere (home/work/grocery store)

Foods to eat Daily

• Fruits (Buff Smoothie provides a LOT - 4oz by weight each of frozen strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bananas, skim milk and grape fruit juice ~400 calories )
• Whole Grains (cereals and breads? What's a good option for lunches?)
• Leafy Greens
• Nuts (Almonds best, walnuts and macadamia nuts okay)
• Carrots
• Green Tea (ick - have to investigate a way)

Foods to eat at least 3 times a week

• Oily Fish
  • Salmon
  • Trout
  • Mackerel
  • Herring
  • Sardines
  • Pilchards
  • Kipper
  • Eel
  • Whitebait
  • Tuna (fresh only)
  • Anchovies
  • Swordfish
  • Bloater
  • Cacha
  • Carp
  • Hilsa
  • Jack fish
  • Katla
  • Orange roughy
  • Pangas
  • Smelt
  • Sprats
• Yogurt
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potato
• Avocado

Foods to Eat Once a week

• Red meat (Oh, sweet jesus!)
• Pasta
• Dessert
• Alcohol

NEVER eat these foods

• Fast Food (Fair enough)
• Soda (Club soda okay - mix with juice?)
• Processed meals/frozen dinners (sodium/fat/energy rich-nutrition poor)
• Canned soup (sodium)
• "Diet" anything (I agree)

Eat breakfast every day, no exceptions.

Remember.

• Even if you follow these lists, you still have to concern yourself with portion size. If you go out for a steak, there is really no excuse for a cut bigger than 8 ounces. 4 or 6 would be better.
• If snacking on nuts, just one or two ounces at a go.
• If you make a mistake or overeat, don't quit. You're changing a lifestyle, so a mistake is part of the process not a reason to step off of the path.
• Exercise is still very important. Shoot for an hour of moderate/vigerous exercise at least 5x a week
• It will take a long, long time to get into shape.