Food Blocks
Food Blocks
So when dealing with your daily calories and making up meals to suit your desired calorie goal it can sometimes get a bit confusing and tedious. If you are happy to look at all your labels and do the maths on how much of it you are allowed then great and I can assure you that given time you will simply learn by site how much you are supposed to eat given your goal. If you CLICK HERE there is a recent article I wrote describing exactly how to assess how many calories and the macronutrient breakdown that you are supposed to be eating. If that just looks like to much work and the thought of having to check all the labels of your food and weigh it out accordingly seems impossible then the below calculation and chart is a very easy way to deal with this. This particular method of appropriating amounts of food by a block system is very popular amongst the cross fit community, it is a proven system of feeding your body exactly the right amount and can be tailored to any dietary requirements. Firstly you need to work out how many blocks you are allowed a day, I have based this on myself so you will need to alter the amounts entered or contact me and I will do it for you. As a personal trainer and a person that has been though a weight loss journey I enjoy the process of finding new ways to help people achieve there goals, this particular diet technique has helped many of my clients, through learning the values of good and bad food and the relative amounts that your body can process.
1. Estimate your Body Fat Percentage 14%
2. (Fat %) X (Present Weight) = (Fat Weight) 14% X 250 = 35
3. (Total Weight) – (Fat Weight) = (Lean Body Mass) 250 – 35 = 215
4. Activity Level 0.7
5. (LBM) X (Activity Level) = (Daily Protein) 215 X 0.7 = 151
6. (Daily Protein) / 7 = (Blocks Per Day) 151 / 7 = 22 Blocks Per Day
Now you simply get to spread your blocks out evenly thoughout the day and that is it !
- Breakfast: 5
- Morning Snack: 2
- Lunch: 5
- Afternoon Snack: 2
- Dinner: 6
- Bedtime Snack: 2
As you can see I have spread mine out allowing for a few snacks and a larger dinner, all you need to to then is choose from the lists below and build your meals. So for example my breakfast consists of 5 blocks so I will choose 5 blocks of protein, 5 blocks of carbohydrates and 5 blocks of fat. As you can see the food blocks have all been broken down into good and bad choices, you will notice that if you try to build a meal out of poor choices it will be VERY small and the opposite works for the good choices. The dietary choices favour anti-inflammatory sources as an inflamed body is an unhappy body. If you hane any questions on this please do not hesitate to contact me and I will make sure I answer them for you.
Protein
Meat and Poultry (low in saturated fat) — Best Choices | ||
| Beef (range fed or game) | 1 oz. | |
| Chicken breast, skinless | 1 oz. | |
| Chicken breast, deli-style | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Ground beef (Less than 10% fat) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Lean Canadian Bacon | 1 oz. | |
| Turkey breast, skinless | 1 oz. | |
| Turkey breast, deli-style | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Turkey, ground (7% fat) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Turkey bacon | 3 strips | |
Meat and Poultry (moderate in saturated fat) — Fair Choices | ||
| Beef (lean cuts) | 1 oz. | |
| Beef, ground (less than 10 % fat) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Canadian Bacon, lean | 1 oz. | |
| Chicken, skinless, dark meat | 1 oz. | |
| Corned beef, lean | 1 oz. | |
| Duck | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Ham, lean | 1 oz. | |
| Ham, lean deli-style | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Lamb, lean | 1 oz. | |
| Pork, lean | 1 oz. | |
| Pork Chop | 1 oz. | |
| Turkey bacon | 3 strips | |
| Turkey, skinless, dark meat | 1 oz. | |
| Veal, loin, lean | 1 oz. | |
Meat and Poultry (high in saturated fat, arachidonic acid or both) — Poor Choices | ||
| Bacon, pork | 3 ½ oz. | |
| Beef, fatty cuts* | 1 oz. | |
| Beef, ground (more than 10 percent fat) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Hot dog (beef or pork) | 1 link | |
| Hot dog (chicken or turkey) | 1 link | |
| Pepperoni | 1 oz. | |
| Salami | 1 oz. | |
| Sausage, pork | 2 links | |
| Sausage, pork | 2 patties | |
Fish and Seafood — Best Choices | ||
| Bass (freshwater) | 1 oz. | |
| Bass (sea) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Bluefish | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Calamari (squid) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Catfish | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Clams | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Cod | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Crab meat | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Haddock | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Halibut | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Lobster | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Mackerel* | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Salmon** | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Sardines** | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Scallops | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Shrimp | 1 oz. | |
| Snapper | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Swordfish | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Trout | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Tuna (steak) | 1 ½ oz. | |
| Tuna, white canned in water | 1 ½ oz. | |
*Contains arachidonic acid
**Rich in EPA
Eggs — Best Choices | ||
| Egg whites | 2 large | |
| Egg substitute | ¼ cup | |
Eggs — Fair Choices | ||
| Whole Egg | 1 | |
Protein-Rich Dairy — Best Choices | ||
| Cheese, nonfat | 1 oz. | |
| Cottage cheese, low-fat | ¼ cup | |
Protein-Rich Dairy — Fair Choices | ||
| Cheese, low-fat | 1 oz. | |
| Mozzarella cheese, skim | 1 oz. | |
| Ricotta cheese, skim | 2 oz. | |
Protein-Rich Dairy — Poor Choices | ||
| Hard Cheeses | 1 oz. | |
Protein-Rich Vegetarian (*Read labels carefully) (Huge variance in differing brands) | ||
| Soybean Canadian bacon | 3 slices | |
| Soybean frozen sausage | 1 link | |
| Soybean hot dog | 1 link | |
| Soybean hamburger crumbles | ½ cup | |
| Soy protein powder (7 grams protein) | ? oz. | |
| Soy burgers | ½ patty | |
| Soy hot dog | 1 link | |
| Soy sausage (links) | 2 links | |
| Soy sausage | 1 patty | |
| Tofu, firm or extra firm | 2 oz. | |
Mixed Protein Sources (Contain more carbohydrates, so read labels carefully) | ||
| Soybeans, boiled | ¼ block | |
| Soybean hamburger | ¾ patty | |
| Tofu, silken | 5 oz. | |
| Tofu, soft | 4 oz. | |
Protein/Carbohydrate Sources (Contain 1 block protein and 1 block carbohydrates) | ||
| OmegaZone Nutrition bar | ½ bar | |
| Milk, low-fat | 1 cup | |
| Soy milk | 8 oz. | |
| Soy flour | 10 g. | |
| Yogurt, plain | ½ cup | |
| Tempeh | 1 ½ oz. | |
Carbohydrate blocks
(Approximately 9 grams of carbohydrate per block)
Low Density Carbohydrates – Cooked Vegetables | ||
| Artichoke | 4 large | |
| Artichoke Hearts | 1 cup | |
| Asparagus (12 spears) | 1 cup | |
| Beans, green or wax | 1 ½ cups | |
| Beans, black | ¼ cup | |
| Bok choy | 3 cups | |
| Broccoli | 3 cups | |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 ½ cups | |
| Cabbage | 3 cups | |
| Cauliflower | 4 cups | |
| Chickpeas | ¼ cup | |
| Collard greens, chopped | 2 cups | |
| Eggplant | 1 ½ cups | |
| Kale | 2 cups | |
| Kidney beans | ¼ cup | |
| Leeks | 1 cup | |
| Lentils | ¼ cup | |
| Mushrooms (boiled) | 2 cups | |
| Okra, sliced | 1 cup | |
| Onions, chopped (boiled) | ½ cup | |
| Sauerkraut (canned) | 1 cup | |
| Spaghetti squash | 1 cup | |
| Spinach, chopped | 3 ½ cups | |
| Swiss chard, chopped | 2 ½ cups | |
| Turnip, mashed | 1 ½ cups | |
| Turnip greens, chopped | 4 cups | |
| Yellow squash (summer), sliced | 2 cups | |
| Zucchini, sliced | 2 cups | |
Low Density Carbohydrates – Raw Vegetables | ||
| Alfalfa sprouts | 10 cups | |
| Bamboo shoots | 4 cups | |
| Bean sprouts | 3 cups | |
| Broccoli | 4 cups | |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 ½ cups | |
| Cabbage, shredded | 4 cups | |
| Carrot | 1 | |
| Carrot, sliced | 1 cup | |
| Carrot, shredded | 1 cup | |
| Cauliflower pieces | 4 cups | |
| Celery, sliced | 2 cups | |
| Chickpeas | ¼ cup | |
| Cucumber (medium) | 1 ½ cups | |
| Cucumber, sliced | 4 cups | |
| Endive, chopped | 10 cups | |
| Escarole, chopped | 10 cups | |
| Green or Red peppers | 2 | |
| Green pepper, chopped | 2 cups | |
| Hummus | ¼ cup | |
| Jalapeño Peppers | 2 cups | |
| Lettuce, iceburg (6-inch diameter) | 2 heads | |
| Lettuce, Romaine, chopped | 10 cups | |
| Mushrooms, chopped | 4 cups | |
| Onions, choppped | 1 ½ cups | |
| Radishes, sliced | 4 cups | |
| Salsa | ½ each | |
| Snow peas | 1 ½ cups | |
| Spinach, chopped | 20 cups | |
| Spinach salad (3 cups raw spinach, ¾ cup raw onion and 1 raw tomato) | 1 | |
| Tomato | 2 | |
| Tomato, cherry | 2 cups | |
| Tomato, chopped | 1 ½ cups | |
| Tossed salad (3 cups shredded lettuce, 1 raw green pepper and 1 raw tomato) | 1 | |
| Water chestnuts | ? cup | |
| Watercress | 10 cups | |
Low Density Carbohydrates – Fruits – raw unless specified (if frozen, use unsweetened) | ||
| Apple | ½ | |
| Applesauce (unsweetened) | ? cup | |
| Apricots | 3 each | |
| Blackberries | ¾ cup | |
| Blueberries | ½ cup | |
| Boysenberries | ½ cup | |
| Cherries | 8 each | |
| Fruit cocktail (light) | ? cup | |
| Grapes | ½ cup | |
| Grapefruit | ½ | |
| Kiwi | 1 | |
| Lemon | 1 | |
| Lime | 1 | |
| Nectarine (medium) | ½ | |
| Orange | ½ | |
| Orange, Mandarin (canned in water) | ? cup | |
| Peach | 1 | |
| Peaches (canned in water) | ½ | |
| Pear | ½ | |
| Plum | 1 | |
| Raspberries | 1 cup | |
| Strawberries, sliced | 1 cup | |
| Tangerine | 1 | |
| Grains | ||
| Barley (dry) | ½ tbsp. | |
| Oatmeal (slow cooking)*** | ? cup | |
| Oatmeal (slow cooking), dry*** | ½ oz. | |
***Contains GLA
High Density Carbohydrates – Cooked Vegetables (use in moderation) | ||
| Acorn Squash | ½ cup | |
| Beans, baked | ¼ cup | |
| Beans, refried | ¼ cup | |
| Beans, sliced | ½ cup | |
| Butternut squash | ½ cup | |
| Corn | ¼ cup | |
| French fries | 5 | |
| Lima beans | ¼ cup | |
| Parsnips | ? cup | |
| Peas | ½ cup | |
| Pinto beans | ¼ cup | |
| Potato, baked | ¼ cup | |
| Potato, boiled | ? cup | |
| Potato, mashed | ¼ cup | |
| Sweet potato, baked | ? cup | |
| Sweet potato, mashed | ¼ cup | |
High Density Carbohydrates – Fruits | ||
| Banana | ? | |
| Cantaloupe | ¼ melon | |
| Cantaloupe, cubed | ¾ cup | |
| Cranberries | ¾ cup | |
| Cranberry Sauce | 3 teaspoons | |
| Dates | 2 | |
| Fig | 1 | |
| Guava | ½ cup | |
| Honeydew Melon, cubed | ? cup | |
| Kumquat | 3 | |
| Mango, sliced | ? cup | |
| Papaya, cubed | ¾ cup | |
| Pineapple, diced | ½ cup | |
| Prunes, dried | 2 | |
| Raisins | 1 tablespoon | |
| Watermelon, cubed | ¾ cup | |
High Density Carbohydrates – Fruit Juices | ||
| Apple | ? cup | |
| Apple cider | ? cup | |
| Cranberry | ¼ cup | |
| Fruit punch | ¼ cup | |
| Grape | ¼ cup | |
| Grapefruit | ? cup | |
| Lemonade (unsweetened) | ? cup | |
| Lime | ? cup | |
| Orange | ? cup | |
| Pineapple | ¼ cup | |
| Tomato | 1 cup | |
| V-8 | ¾ cup | |
High Density Carbohydrates – Grains, Cereals & Breads | ||
| Bagel (small) | ¼ cup | |
| Biscuit | ½ | |
| Bread crumbs | ½ cup | |
| Bread, whole grain or white | ½ slice | |
| Breadstick, hard | 1 | |
| Breadstick, soft | ½ | |
| Buckwheat, dry | ½ oz. | |
| Bulgur wheat, dry | ½ oz. | |
| Cereal, dry | ½ oz. | |
| Cornbread | 1-inch square | |
| Cornstarch | 4 teaspoons | |
| Couscous, dry | ½ oz. | |
| Cracker, graham | 1 ½ | |
| Cracker, saltine | 4 | |
| Cracker, Triscuit | 3 | |
| Croissant, plain | ¼ | |
| Crouton | ½ oz. | |
| Doughnut, plain | ? | |
| English muffin | ¼ | |
| Granola | ½ oz. | |
| Grits, cooked | ? cup | |
| Melba toast | ½ oz. | |
| Millet, dry | ½ oz. | |
| Muffin, blueberry (mini) | ½ | |
| Noodles, egg (cooked) | ¼ cup | |
| Pancake (four-inch) | 1 | |
| Pasta, cooked | ¼ cup | |
| Pita bread | ||
| Pita bread, mini | ||
| Popcorn, popped | 2 cups | |
| Rice, brown (cooked) | 1/5 cup | |
| Rice, white (cooked) | 1/5 cup | |
| Rice cake | 1 | |
| Roll, bulkie | ¼ | |
| Roll, dinner (small) | ½ | |
| Roll, hamburger | ½ | |
| Taco shell | 1 | |
| Tortilla, corn (six-inch) | 1 | |
| Tortilla, flour (eight inch) | ½ | |
| Waffle | ½ | |
High Density Carbohydrates – Alcohol | ||
| Beer (light) | 6 ounce or ½ bottle | |
| Beer (regular) | 4 ounces or ? bottle | |
| Bread, whole grain or white | 1 ounce | |
| Wine | 4 ounces | |
High Density Carbohydrates – Others | ||
| Barbecue Sauce | 2 tablespoons | |
| Cake | ? slice | |
| Candy bar | ¼ | |
| Ketchup | 2 tablespoons | |
| Cocktail sauce | 2 tablespoons | |
| Cookie (small) | 1 | |
| Honey | ½ tablespoon | |
| Ice cream, regular | ¼ cup | |
| Ice cream, premium | 1/6 cup | |
| Ice cream, premium | 2 tablespoons | |
| Molasses, light | ½ teaspoon | |
| Plum sauce | 1 ½ tablespoons | |
| Potato chips | ½ oz. | |
| Pretzels | ½ oz. | |
| Relish, pickle | 4 teaspoons | |
| Sugar, brown | 2 teaspoons | |
| Sugar, granulated | 2 teaspoons | |
| Sugar, confectionary | 1 tablespoon | |
| Syrup, maple | 2 teaspoons | |
| Syrup, pancake | 2 teaspoons | |
| Teriyaki sauce | 1 tablespoon | |
| Tortilla chips | ½ oz. | |
Fat
Best Choices (rich in mono-saturated fat) (If choosing a fat-free protein source, just use 2 fat blocks instead of one for a total of 3 grams) | ||
| Almond butter | ½ tsp. | |
| Almond oil | ? tsp. | |
| Almonds (slivered) | 1 tsp. | |
| Almonds (whole) | 3 | |
| Avocado | 1 tbsp. | |
| Cashews | 2 | |
| Guacamole | 1 tbsp. | |
| Macadamia nut | 1 | |
| Olives, large (14g) (slivered) | 3 | |
| Olive oil | ? tsp. | |
| Olive oil and vinegar dressing | ? tsp olive oil plus vinegar to taste | |
| Peanuts | 6 | |
| Peanut oil | ? tsp. | |
| Peanut butter, natural | ½ tsp. | |
| Tahini | ½ tbsp. | |
Fair Choices (low in saturated fat) | ||
| Canola oil | ? tsp. | |
| Mayonnaise, regular | ? tsp. | |
| Mayonnaise, light | 1 tsp. | |
| Sesame oil | ½ tsp. | |
| Soybean oil | ? tsp. | |
| Walnuts, shelled and chopped | ½ tsp. | |
Poor Choices (rich in saturated fat) | ||
| Bacon bits (imitation) | 2 tsp. | |
| Butter | ? tsp. | |
| Cream (half and half) | ½ tsp. | |
| Cream cheese | 1 tsp. | |
| Cream cheese, light | 2 tsp. | |
| Lard | ? tsp. | |
| Sour cream | ½ tsp. | |
| Sour cream, light | 1 tbsp. | |
| Vegetable shortening | ? tsp. | |
We like to find ways of making the process of weight control, improving health, gaining strength and fitness as easy as possible and manageable even with the most hectic of lifestyles. We motivate, teach and amuse so that your fitness levels rise to heights you would never have dreamed of.
