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Become a Patient                         Dr Hedaya’s Recent Publication

Formula for a nutritious meal

By Kat Osorio

It can be overwhelming deciding what to eat. We receive countless messages from all different directions on a daily basis- messages telling us which foods are “super,” what diet you should follow if you want to live forever, and exactly how many grams of protein you should eat for a trim physique, among other things. I tend to listen to these messages with a grain of salt, because everyone is different so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. Instead, I recommend putting a meal together using components from different categories, almost like a salad bar. Choose from the following categories to create your next breakfast, lunch, or dinner:

Powerful Protein (choose 1 serving):

  • Meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey, bison, boar, venison)
  • Fish* and shellfish
  • Organic Greek yogurt and Skyr
  • Beans and lentils
  • Tofu and tempeh
  • Hemp seeds

Fundamental Fat (choose 1-2 servings):

  • Oils (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, sesame, flaxseed)
  • Coconut oil, milk, and flesh
  • Avocados
  • Nuts (cashews, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds, pistachios) and nut butters 
  • Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp, flax)
  • Olives
  • Fish* and shellfish

Verdant Veggies and Fresh Fruits (aim to include at least 2 different colors):

  • Red: cabbage, bell peppers, radishes, onions, strawberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, tomatoes, pomegranates
  • Orange: bell peppers, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, apricots, cantaloupe, mango, nectarines
  • Yellow: bell peppers, spaghetti squash, yellow squash, lemons
  • Green: kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, chard, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, celery, cucumbers, sprouts, green beans and peas, avocado
  • Blue and Purple: cabbage, eggplant, purple potatoes, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, plums

Complex Carb (choose 1 serving):

  • Sweet potatoes and yams
  • Whole grains (brown rice, oats, farro, barley, buckwheat) and whole grain or sourdough bread
  • Quinoa

Fabulous Flavor (choose a variety to suit your taste):

  • Salt (sea or Himalayan pink)
  • Garlic
  • Fresh and dried herbs (parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, cilantro, dill, thyme, sage, etc.)
  • Spices (turmeric, black/white pepper, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, curry powders, etc.)
  • Tamari or coconut aminos
  • Coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey (just a dash!)

*Avoid high-mercury fish like swordfish, marlin, shark, orange roughy, king mackerel, ahi and bigeye tuna, and tilefish

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash