Ingredients for a Healthy Diet
We’ve listed some ingredients for a healthy diet – these staple foods come up often in our recipes, but note that you don’t have to eat everything on this list! What works for one person may not work for another. This list is also not exhaustive, there are thousands of different foods you can incorporate in your diet. These are just common examples to give you a little bit of guidance when grocery shopping.
We don’t recommend that any food group is eliminated unless specified by a qualified healthcare practitioner. Some people feel good eating more of one thing, and less (or none) of another and that’s okay. Everybody is different and there is no such thing as a perfect diet. In clinic (at Laura Lam Nutrition), we recommend certain foods or avoidances based on the individual’s health concerns at the time, and we always recommend that individuals seek appropriate advice to get to the bottom of digestive discomfort.
We always recommend buying organic fruit, vegetables, fish and grass-fed meat if possible, because the quality matters. Organic fruit and vegetables are more nutrient dense and you do not have the risk of ingesting pesticides and herbicides. Organic farming also helps to regenerate soil, which is better for the environment. We emphasise quality over quantity because your health is worth investing in.
Note that not all of these foods will be suitable for you, as a person. For personalised nutrition advice and shopping lists, please visit www.lauralamnutrition.com to book an appointment.
Vegetables Examples
- Carrots
- Celery
- Peppers
- Beans – fine beans, mangetout, sugar snaps, runner beans
- Corn – on the cob or baby corn
- Leeks
- Asparagus
- Aubergines
- Beetroot
Good Quality Plant Based Protein Examples
- Tofu (choose tofu that is made from organic or non-GMO soybeans)
- Tempeh (fermented soybeans)
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Black beans
- Quinoa
Good Quality Meat Protein Examples
- Chicken (organic or pasture raised is best)
- Grass-fed/pasture raised red meat, i.e. beef, lamb and pork
- Wild & sustainably sourced fish – salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, herring, sea bass
- Wild game meat – venison, pheasant, duck, wood pigeon, partridge
Fibre-Rich Complex Carbohydrate Examples
- Starchy root vegetables – sweet potato, parsnips, carrots, pumpkins, squashes, swede
- Grains – whole oats, brown rice, black/purple rice (Laura personally likes to steam a mix of black rice, white rice, buckwheat and quinoa)
- Grain alternatives – quinoa, buckwheat
- Noodles – buckwheat soba noodles, brown rice noodles
- Pasta – brown rice pasta, maize pasta, red lentil pasta, buckwheat pasta