the zone diet
The Zone diet - foods permitted
The Zone diet is less restrictive than some low carbohydrate diets as it does not ban whole food groups.
Each type of nutrient (protein, carbohydrate and fats) have two types of foods permitted - best choice and fair choice. The best choice for each nutrient is recommended as the first choice and should be eaten more often, while the fair choice should be eaten less often and should be regarded as the second choice. There are permitted food choices for vegetarians too. These are all detailed for each nutrient below.
The following are the foods permitted:
“Protein - Best Choices (lower in saturated fat) ”
- Lean red beef - grain-fed, organic or minced (ground)
- Skinless chicken breast
- Skinless turkey breast
- Lean Canadian bacon
- Lean turkey bacon
- All fish - salmon, sardines, tuna, bass, cod, trout, snapper
- All shellfish - clams, prawns, crab, lobster, scallops, squid
- Egg whites (or substitute)
- Non-fat cheese
- Low fat cottage cheese
- Low fat ricotta cheese
- Low fat mozzarella cheese
- Low fat protein powder
- Low fat soy powder
- Other low fat soy products
- Firm or extra firm tofu
“Protein - Fair Choices (moderate in saturated fat) ”
- Lean red meat - beef, veal, lamb
- Corned beef
- Duck
- Ham
- Lean pork
- Skinless turkey - dark meat
- Whole egg
- Any type of hard cheese
- Low fat soy burgers
- Silken or soft tofu
- Tempeh
- Soy milk
- Soy beans
- Low fat milk
- Plain, low fat yoghurt
“Fats - Best Choices”
- Almonds - paste, oil, milk, raw/whole
- Avocado
- Cashews
- Hommous
- Macadamia nuts
- Olives - whole, oil
- Peanuts - paste, oil, milk, raw/whole
- Pistachios
- Sesame - seeds, oil
- Sunflower - seeds, oil
- Tahini
“Fats - Fair Choices”
- Canola oil
- Mayonnaise
- Soybean oil
- Walnuts
- Pecan nuts
“Low density Carbohydrates - Best Choices”
- Leafy green vegetables - kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, bok choy
- Legumes - beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, snow peas
- Sprouts - bean, alfalfa, snow pea, etc
- Bamboo shoots
- Mushrooms
- Onions, garlic, leek, chives
- Eggplant, tomato, okra
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower
- Turnips - greens and root
- Collard greens
- Zucchini, yellow squash, spaghetti squash
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Green, red, yellow peppers (capsicum)
- Jalapeño peppers
- Salsa
- Radish
- Water chestnuts
- Watercress
- Apple and unsweetened applesauce
- Apricots
- All berries
- Grapes
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Lemon, lime
- Stone fruit - cherry, nectarine, peach
- Orange, mandarin, tangerine, blood orange
- Plum
- Pear
- Barley
- Oatmeal
For more detailed information about the amount of each food permitted and the comprehensive list on all the foods permitted, see the Zone Diet official web site, which has a 2 week example food plan for men, women and vegetarians and other useful tools.
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Disclaimer: The advice on this site should be viewed as a general guideline only and it should not replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your medical or health care provider to get the advice and care for your particular and individual health, nutrition, diet and fitness circumstances.
