by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS
Long ago, when I first began to pay serious attention to my training and nutrition, I learned of a general principle that has served me well and has since become the cornerstone of my body composition success.
If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you will eventually eat it.
Simply put, if you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices.
If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.
The bottom line is that you must stock your house with all the ammo you need to fight the battle of the bulge. My body fat ranges from about 5% to about 8% throughout the year (without the use of thermogenics/fat burners) and the only way I’m able to maintain that level of leanness is by removing all temptation from my home, where I spend most of my time.
For years I’ve advised my clients and athletes to do the same. Now I bring the message to you. Your willpower and discipline will be tested enough at social events, at lunch meetings, and as you pass the six Krispy Kreme locations on the commute home from work. If you’re to have any chance of success, you need a safe home base. With that in mind, I’m going to give you a peak into my armory . . . er, kitchen.
In this week’s installment, I’ll open my stainless steel fridge to show you what and what not to stock. In doing so I hope to demonstrate that there are plenty of options available to the trainee interested in optimal health and body composition. Of course, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list in any way; rather, it’s a snapshot of the actual contents of my favorite appliance, and as such should serve as a practical example of the nutrition theory I expound elsewhere on my site.
Meat, Poultry and Fish
Extra Lean Ground Sirloin
Quantity: 3 x 1lb packages
Boneless Chicken Breasts
Quantity: 2 x 1lb packages
Mild Turkey Sausage
Quantity: 2 x 500g packages
Ostrich
Quantity: 2 lbs
Bison (Buffalo)
Quantity: 2 lbs
Elk
Quantity: 2 lbs
Salmon
Quantity: 2 large filets
Eggs
Omega-3 Eggs
Quantity: 2 dozen
Egg Whites
Quantity: 12 x 250mL cartons
Cheese
Aged White Cheddar
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Baby Swiss
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Havarti
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Parmiggiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Feta Cheese
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Fruit
Apples
Quantity: 12
Tangerines
Quantity: 6
Red Grapes
Quantity: Large bunch
Pineapple
Quantity: 2 cut and cored fresh pineapples
Strawberries
Quantity: 2 cartons
Blueberries
Quantity: 2 cartons
Vegetables
Spinach
Quantity: 4 bags, 6oz. each
Red, Yellow, and Green Peppers
Quantity: 8
Cucumbers
Quantity: 2
Tomatoes
Quantity: 2
Baby Carrots
Quantity: 2 large bags, 2lbs each
Sauces and Condiments
Pesto
Quantity: 3 jars, one of each flavor
Peanut Satay Sauce
Quantity: 1 bottle
Curry Sauce
Quantity: 1 bottle
Tomato Pasta Sauce
Quantity: 2 large jars
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Quantity: 1 bottle
Raspberry Vinegar
Quantity: 1 bottle
Red Wine Vinegar
Quantity: 1 bottle
Balsamic Vinegar
Quantity: 1 bottle
Flax Oil
Quantity: 1 bottle
Garlic-Chili Flax Oil
Quantity: 1 bottle
Beverages
Water
Quantity: 1 large Brita filtered jug
So, what isn’t in my fridge?
Soft drinks, fruit juices and milk
High fat and sugar salad dressings and other condiments
Processed breads
Highly processed, pre-packaged foods
Rotting leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner
Of course, there are other things that don't make it into my fridge. But rather than enumerate what not to eat, it's better to discuss what we should be eating.
In the end, this short article isn’t designed to share the whys – just the whats – as in what it takes to build a great body. I can say with confidence that if your fridge doesn’t contain many or most of the things I have in mine, or if it contains many things that mine doesn’t, you’ll have a difficult time maintaining a lean and healthy body. If it contains none of what I have in mine, tip your fridge over, dump the contents and begin anew.
SEE ALSO:
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