I think the top five healthy foods are eggs (any style that you like), meat and poultry (any style that you like), fish and seafood (any way you like it – without carbs, of course), cauliflower or other non-starchy vegetables (the ones you like), and spinach or other greens (eat the ones you like). I’m not going down the rabbit hole of micronutrients and looking at antioxidants and other sorts of things that you’re going to see videos about. I’m going to be talking about foods that are really nutritious and that are also very low in carbohydrates so that you don’t get the blood glucose, insulin, and inflammatory responses that come from eating sugary foods.
Eggs
Eggs, I do think, are the perfect food. I learned from a friend who taught the saying that it’s so healthy, you can make a whole chicken out of an egg! There’s everything in an egg to make an entire organism: a chicken. You need the yolks, you need the cholesterol in the yolk – yes, cholesterol is actually good for you. Eggs are so nutritious that you can actually have all of the nutrition to make a chicken. The good news is the nutrition a human or a mammal needs is very similar to what a chicken needs. The main thing is: don’t fear eggs. We came through a generation of doctors and dietitians who were wrongly taught that eggs are bad for you. I know what’s going through your mind: “What about the cholesterol?” Actually, the good cholesterol goes up when you eat eggs and saturated fat – the things that you were taught not to eat actually raise the “good” HDL cholesterol, so if you’re worried about that, there are papers about this. I don’t worry about that anymore. I’ve been thinking about this for over 20 years at a university where people are looking at what I do, my colleagues who are our academics and scientists are aware of what I do; this is solid science that I’m talking about.
Meat and poultry
If you prefer ribeye or chicken wings or top sirloin or bacon or pork, I don’t really care which, they’re super low in carbs and packed with nutrients that are very similar to the nutrients that a mammal like a human needs. Optimally, you would add in some of the internal organs in terms of sausages. I think sausages are actually a fine thing to eat. Deli meats are fine as long as they’re not adding sugar to it. There is regulation on the nitrites and nitrates so that you’re not getting a harmful amount of those.
Fish and seafood
Some argue that the nutrition in fish and seafood is enough in terms of omega-6 and omega-3 fats. I’m not convinced that the studies are there at a human level to say that you should eat fish over meat or have crab or lobster instead of chicken. I know a lot of people are going in that direction. I just don’t think, putting all of the things together in the whole dietary pattern, that there’s a benefit from doing that. The studies aren’t there at the human level to support that yet. That’s what I wait for. I have to tell you that I’m not an early adopter; with these new things that people talk about, I insist or ask them to provide research to support what they’re talking about.
Non-starchy vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables (like cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts) are a good source of nutrition. You get the vegetable nutrition without the sugary elements. No potatoes, no french fries. You want to stick to non-starchy vegetables because the sugar/carbohydrate content is low. You don’t get the blood sugar and insulin rise when you eat these.
Leafy greens
Choose the greens that you like. I might be able to say something is a healthy green but if you can’t eat it or you don’t like it, it’s not going to be very helpful, is it? People say kale is so nutritious, but I don’t personally like kale. As a leafy green, I’m going to choose spinach or lettuce or something else. Collards are popular in the Southern United States. Choose the greens that you like. Greens have a different effect in most people – not everyone – but it will help with regularity. If someone comes to me and they say they’re not going to the bathroom for a bowel movement as often, I first tell them it doesn’t matter how often you go to the bathroom for a bowel movement if your stool isn’t hard or difficult to pass. Then, I’ll ask, “Are you having your leafy greens?” At first we start people on about two cupfuls of leafy greens (two fistfuls), and one cup of non-starchy vegetables. Often, people who don’t eat the greens have a little more trouble with their stools.
Conclusion on Keto foods?
From my perspective, the top five healthy foods are the greens, non-starchy vegetables, fish, seafood, meat and poultry that you like and then eggs any style that you like. I’ve been studying people and working in a world where people haven’t eaten carbs for a long time and these are very healthy foods to have. Don’t worry about what you’ve been taught in the past. Watch the full video here.