Understanding: Food Categories
Jan 2020
This list of basic food group categories is something that I have given to all my clients for years and years. I believe it is very helpful to remind ourselves of what is a protein, what is a healthy fat, what is a carbohydrate etc. (especially if you haven’t read Chapter 3 of Nourish & Glow: The 10-day Plan, which covers this in lots of detail).
I know it all might seem rather simple, but I like to start from the beginning with my clients, as I often find that the sheer amount of noise and confusion ‘out there’ around nutrition and healthy eating means it is a good idea to build sensible, balanced knowledge of nutrition up from scratch.
You’ll note that some foods will span categories (there are carbohydrates in pulses, for example), but I try to keep things as simple as possible whenever I can, so this is the classification that I use. Of course, it is not a comprehensive list – there are thousands of different ingredients, so feel free to tweak things around, add extra items or take away those you don’t personally like. I hope it is a helpful place for some of you to start from.
So, in case it might be helpful to any of you lovely readers, here is my super-simple reminder of various different food categories and what comes within them:
Proteins
MEAT
FISH
EGGS
ALL DAIRY goats, sheep’s, cows – yoghurt, cheese, milk, butter
NUTS raw and unsalted
SEEDS pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia, hemp
PULSES lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, butter beans, peas
Carbohydrates
FRUITS
VEGETABLES especially root vegetables
GRAINS quinoa, whole oats, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, amaranth
BREAD rye, sourdough – only if ok with gluten
PASTA brown rice, or whole-wheat if ok with gluten
POTATOES regular or sweet
(Pastries, Cakes, Biscuits, Sweets)
Healthy Fats
OILY FISH wild salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines & herring
NUTS, SEEDS oils, nut or seed “butters”
AVOCADO
OLIVE OIL
Colours
GREEN Leafy vegetables, broccoli, courgettes, salad, cucumber etc.
RED Peppers, tomatoes, beetroot, plums, onions, radishes etc.
PURPLE Berries, aubergine, cherries, figs, purple cabbage etc.
YELLOW Corn, lemon, banana, peppers, pineapple etc.
ORANGE Carrots, mango, pumpkin, tangerines, oranges etc.
WIHITE / BROWN Mushrooms, onions, garlic, cauliflower etc.
Natural Flavours
ACV Apple cider vinegar
LEMON juice or zest
LIME juice or zest
PEPPER Fresh black pepper
FRSH HERBS just tear them up and throw them on – everything tastes better with a few leaves of basil or some torn chives
DRIED HERBS a little sprinkle here and there
FRESH CHILLI remove the seeds and finely chop
FRESH GINGER scrape the skin off with a teaspoon and chop or grate
GARLIC, ONIONS, LEEK
MORE TO EXPLORE
Please note that the information on this website is provided for general information only, it should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional providing personalised nutrition or lifestyle advice. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.
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