My diet is based around:
steak (sirloin and ribeye being favourites but chuck, featherblade and rump will also do)
ground beef (fullfat and lean)
eggs (whole, anything between half a dozen to a dozen per day)
chicken (any and all parts, skinless or with skin)
turkey breast
tuna (in water or brine)
cheese (yes the fullfat stuff)
hummus
extra virgin olive oil
olives
about any kind of nut (except cashews)
natural peanut butter
almond butter
walnut butter
hazelnut butter
butter butter
peanut oil (to cook in, olive oil is too good for this, lol)
yogurt (more of a vice than anything, but has health benefits as well)
lemon juice (have it on anything, also improves carb sensitivity)
oats, basmati rice, wholewheat bread, pasta occasionally (carb sources)
broccoli (the only veg I'll tolerate for 1-2 lbs a day)
other veg (mushrooms, sweet peppers, onions for stir fries and the like, plus salads sometimes)
2 gallons water daily
green tea extract (I consider this a food choice)
I also use a myriad of spices to pep my food up. I avoid sugars fairly strictly (even fruit and fruit juices, I only have these only pre- and post-workout), which I believe is key to bodyfat control (fat isn't the enemy as is generally thought, but refined sugar).
I supplement with the usual vitamins and whey etc but my most important supplement is fish oil (in pill form): I'm fully aware of the fact that I eat little to no omega-rich fish and thus am lacking in quality EFAs in this sense, hence the fish oil becomes a key supplement. If I ate mackerel, kipper, salmon etc regularly I wouldn't bother, but since I don't, I do.
You'll see that my food choices contain a lot of stuff people tend to run in fear from (fullfat meats and cheeses, butter, egg yolks, dark meat) - however it includes little or no processed food. All are natural, wholesome foods which when timed and combined properly can be a staple of a healthy, muscle-building and fat-burning diet.
I follow this list fairly strictly for 10-12 weeks, then have a couple of weeks of relaxed eating (eating far less than usual, less protein, more junk). Once in a while I'll splurge and eat pizza or something but I make sure it's in the pwo window, no late night binges for me.
I find that foods like this are quite affordable (eggs, tuna, fullfat beef, oats are as cheap as chips), as long as you're not adamant about buying organic/free range and all that. Look out for sales and special offers, when you find a good bargain buy two (or ten) and freeze it, nearly everything freezes.
Invest in a blender and a george foreman grill if you've only got a microwave, that should cover your needs.
this thread's made me hungry
