JUMP START

A Quick Look at the Principles of the New American Diet

Five meals a day:
breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks

 

Rough calorie estimates:
breakfast: 400-500
snack: 150-200
lunch: 350-400
snack: 150-200
dinner: 400-500
beverages/dessert: 150-200

 

Portion sizes: Be aware of recommended portion sizes, but don’t focus on this too much. Instead, pack your plate with nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods; pay attention to your body’s signals; and only eat until you’re full. General guidelines for one serving: 

   

* Pasta or breakfast cereal: 1 cup (a baseball)

* Cheese: 1.5 ounces (three dominoes)

* Vegetables or fruit: ½ cup (a lightbulb)

* Salmon, chicken, or steak: 3 ounces (a deck of cards)

* Dry oatmeal: ½ cup (a tennis ball)

    

Nutritional components to focus on: mood-boosting folate, good fats (monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids), fiber-rich carbs, quality proteins

 

Limit these nutritional components: trans fats, refined carbs, salt, high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, pesticide-ridden produce, grain-fed meats

 

Base meals on the New American Diet Superfoods (For a complete list, see chart on right.)

Nutrition of the New American Diet:

Fiber-rich carbohydrates: whole-grain oats, cereals, quinoa, brown rice, vegetables (with an emphasis on folate-rich leafy greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard), and fruits and berries

 

Healthy fats: monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids —olive oil, avocado, flaxseed, açai, walnuts, almonds, butter, chocolate, and sustainable varieties of fish (trout, wild salmon, sardines)

 

Quality protein: plant sources of protein (beans mixed with whole grains for complete protein); sustainable fish; and pasture-raised, organic meats, eggs, and dairy

  New American Diet

SAMPLE 5-DAY MEAL PLAN

	DAY ONE	DAY TWO
BREAKFAST	Breakfast Burrito Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and cook a beaten egg, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped bell peppers, and spinach. Place on a whole-wheat flour tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and roll up.	Walnut Flax Oatmeal Cook instant oatmeal and top with chopped walnuts, ground flax, bananas, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
SNACK	Yogurt with blueberries	Orange and toasted almonds
LUNCH	Black-Bean Sandwic Spread black-bean dip on whole-wheat bread, and top with olives, green onions, sprouts, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce.	Ultimate Tuna Salad Mix red-leaf lettuce, spinach, chunk light tuna, grape tomatoes, navy beans, shredded cheddar cheese, carrots, broccoli, red bell peppers, flaxseed and sesame seeds. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
SNACK	Apple and cheese slices	Guacamole and chips
DINNER	Almond Beef Stir-fry, served over brown rice, with steamed kale Cook a frozen vegetable mix and thinly sliced grass-fed beef, while stirring. Add a dash of reduced- odium soy sauce and top with slivered almonds.	Red Lentil Burritos and a spinach salad (see recipe from page 161) Serve with a side salad of baby spinach dressed with olive oil and grated Romano cheese.

           

	DAY THREE	DAY FOUR	DAY FIVE
	Whole-grain cereal with milk, topped with fresh berries	Spinach Omelet with toast Cook chopped spinach in a little olive oil while stirring. Pour a beaten egg over the spinach and cook, stirring, until the egg is set. Toast whole-grain bread and spread with a plant sterol–based spread.
	Banana and peanut butter	Greek yogurt with blueberries and ground flaxseed	Cup of whole-grain cereal with raisins and milk
	Indonesian Chicken Salad Sandwich Mix peanut butter, a splash of water, white-wine vinegar, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, strips of organic chicken, and chopped kale and onion. Spread on whole-wheat bread.	Split-Pea Soup (see recipe on page 150) with spelt crackers and a baby spinach side salad	Chicken Salad Combine chunks of organic chicken, spinach, apples, celery, and almonds, and dress with a bit of yogurt and Dijon mustard.
	Almonds and raspberries	String cheese, sesame and sunflower seeds	Walnuts and cherries
	Seared Wild Salmon with Mango Chutney Marinate salmon in lemon juice, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper, then sear it in a little olive oil. Top with mango, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, mint, and jalapeño. Serve with grilled eggplant and Swiss chard.	Piled-High Buffalo Burger and a steamed-spinach side salad Place the burger on a whole-wheat bun and top with baked and mashed garnet yams, cooked onions, and roasted red peppers.	Almond Rainbow Trout with watercress and collard greens In almond oil, cook trout with sliced raw almonds. Top fish with almonds, some cider vinegar, and watercress. In olive oil, cook collard greens and chopped garlic while  stirring.

*THE DIRTY DOZEN (WORST FIRST):

PEACHES

APPLES

SWEET BELL PEPPERS

CELERY

NECTARINES

STRAWBERRIES

CHERRIES

KALE

LETTUCE

IMPORTED GRAPES

CARROTS

PEARS

Focus on organically grown versions of these items.

*Based on research by the Environmental Working Group

*THE CLEAN FIFTEEN:

ONIONS

AVOCADOS

SWEET CORN

PINEAPPLES

MANGOES

ASPARAGUS

SWEET PEAS

KIWIS

CABBAGES

EGGPLANTS

PAPAYAS

WATERMELONS

BROCCOLI

TOMATOES

SWEET POTATOES

Conventionally grown versions of these items are totally fine.

General Guidelines:

* Add organic foods to your diet when appropriate, focusing on meat, dairy, and the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables.

* Eat folate-rich greens with lunch and dinner.

* Don’t drink your calories: stick to water, coffee, green tea, and the occasional 100 percent fruit-juice spritzer.

* Stay away from unwanted sugars. Don’t fall for “healthy” snacks that pack lots of sugar calories. If sugar is in the first four ingredients, stay away.

* Eat food that looks like food. The fewer ingredients in a processed food, the better. Oats? Good. Toffee-flavored soy-blend vanilla-wafer dinosaur-shaped cookie treat with oats in it? Bad.

* Eat a protein-rich breakfast every day.

* Slow down when you eat so yu can feel when you’re full.

* To maximize your weight loss, boost your resting metabolism with the USA! Workout, and burn more fat even while you sleep.

A Few Helpful Tips:

* If you’ve just eaten and still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before eating more.

* Always serve snacks in a bowl or dish; never eat from the bag or container. If you want more, put more in the bowl and eat until you’re satisfied. You might eat more calories than you wanted to every now and then, but you won’t ever eat an entire bag of something in one sitting.

* Have a craving even though you ate just an hour ago? Before you indulge your mystery hunger, here’s how to test whether your appetite is real or not. Imagine sitting down to a large, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will sound good, and you should eat. If the steak isn’t appetizing, it means your body isn’t actually hungry. You might be bored, or thirsty, or just tempted by something you don’t need. Try a change of scenery: Researchers at Flinders University in Australia found that visual distractions can help curb cravings.