No Really… What Should I Eat?
Written by Erica Coulter
“What should I eat?” is one of the biggest questions we receive as a coaching staff. In society today, we have access to thousands upon thousands of articles, books, blogs, etc that are full of material (with some of it being very confusing/conflicting). Oftentimes, we can end up with analysis paralysis. We have too many resources and too many messages telling us what we need to be eating (or not eating) and we just end up paralyzed unsure of where to go from here. With the start of 2019 approaching quickly, a lot of you guys are cleaning up your diet and focusing on your nutrition. Feel free to use this blog to help you decipher what you should be eating so you can get past all the nutrition “noise” and set things straight once and for all!
It can be easy to overcomplicate food and make it an overwhelming process, when really it can be incredibly simple if we allow it. The truth is, there is no magical diet or food to eat that will make you completely healthy right off the bat. We need to make nutrition a lifelong endeavor, because that’s exactly what it is.
When it comes to the food we eat, we should be choosing whole, real, nutrient dense food.
Filling our plates with these foods is key.
Now that we know we need to be eating real foods, we need to find a balance of macronutrients in our meals. Macronutrients are simply the 3 main nutrient providers to the diet. These are proteins, carbs, and fats.
Proteins: Our body’s main building block.. This macronutrient helps build muscle and provides us with some energy.
Good sources of protein include things like meat, fish, and eggs.
Carbohydrates: These are the primary source of immediate energy for all of your body’s cells.
Good sources of carbohydrates include starchy vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.
Fats: Also provides us with some energy, helps make and balance out our hormones, and it forms our brains and nervous system.
Good sources of fats include things like nuts, seeds, olives, coconut, and avocado.
Although we need to fill our plates with a solid balance of macronutrients, we can’t forget the micronutrients! Micronutrients are the smaller nutrient providers to our diet. These are the vitamins and minerals that make up a lot of the food we eat. (Another reason why getting in those quality food sources are so important!) We get ample amounts of these micronutrients in foods such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and several other fruits and veggies.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you go to the grocery. Keep things simple and shoot to fill your plates with real, whole, and nutritious food that fuels your body well! A good rule of thumb: Plan out your grocery list in advance and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store for most of your grocery goods. Here’s to a nutritious 2019 filled with all the real, whole foods!
About the Author
Erica Coulter is a CrossFit Level 2, Precision Nutrition, & USAW-L1 coach. She heads-up our LeanX program at 4BFit, holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and is passionate about leading others to achieve their ultimate fitness goals!