8 food tips for your diet

Here’s some quick tips specifically on food to help with your diet.

1) Most veggies are less than 30kcal per 100g. Spinach is 23kcal per 100g, cabbage is 25kcal per 100g, lettuce is 15kcal per 100g, kimchi is 23kcal per 100g, cucumber is 15kcal per 100g.

2) Most fruits are less than 70kcal per 100g. Watermelon is 30kcal per 100g, mango is 60kcal per 100g, apple is 52kcal per 100g, kiwi is 61kcal per 100g, papaya is 32kcal per 100g, pineapple is 50kcal per 100g, pumpkin is 26kcal per 100g.

What do these first two points mean?

It doesn’t mean you gotta only eat these low calorie foods in your diet, no no. You can eat whatever you want in your diet as long as you’re in a calorie deficit if your goal is to lose weight. However, if you’re struggling with hunger and seek feeling full, including more veggies and fruits in your diet will help you feel fuller and make it easier to deal with the hunger.

Not to mention of course all the added nutritional benefits you’ll get from the fruits and veggies cos each and every one is densely packed with nutrients.

3) All types of rice are roughly the same amount of calories (white, brown, red etc). The only way to eat less calories of rice is to eat a smaller portion of it. Switching the type but eating the same portions does very little for losing weight.

It’s true, most other types of rice have more nutritional value than white rice. But it doesn’t mean white rice is useless nutrient wise, it has its own set of nutritional value as well. The added nutritional value from brown/red rice vs white rice isn’t as significant as you think either. It’s totally possible to just stick to white rice and get the nutritional benefits of brown/red rice from other food sources instead.

There’s no need to give up white rice if that’s what you prefer.

4) Same goes for bread. White bread vs whole wheat bread both are basically the same calories when portions are equated. Choose the bread you prefer.

5) Every meat source has its cut that’s like chicken breast, in other words a cut that’s mostly lean meat with minimal fats. Chicken breast isn’t some superior source of protein, you can get similar calories and macros from pork loins, sirloin beef, or fish.

Chicken breast is the most popular source of protein just cos it’s cheap and easily available. There’s many other sources too, they all provide you with the same quality of protein. There’s no need to eat chicken breast if you don’t like it. It’s totally fine to eat cuts of meat that have a bit more fat in them as well, just make sure to account for the calories when you do.

8) Seafood is a great source of protein too (clams, scallops, prawn, squid etc.)

7) Whey is a natural ingredient made from the cheese making process.

8) Every food can be any calorie. Meaning it all comes down to portions. A big mac is 560kcal, but you could eat 280kcal of it if you just ate half. Just cos a full big mac is 560kcal doesn’t you have to eat the whole thing. Same with ice cream, typically a scoop of ice cream is 200kcal. You don’t always have to eat a full scoop. You could eat half for 100kcal, or even a quarter for 50kcal.

Every food can be portioned, which means you can fit all your favorite foods into your diet and still be in a calorie deficit. It all just comes down to the portions that you’re consuming. There are no foods you have to fully avoid to lose weight.

I hope these 8 points have been helpful, till the next one!

—Po