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BASE FOOD CHOICES ON YOUR GOALS
KNOW YOUR FOODS
1
Green foods I like
or want to try:
Green foods I like
or want to try:
Green foods I like
or want to try:
Red, orange and
yellow veggies:
PROTEIN CARBS FATS VEGGIES
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Yellow foods
I want to incorporate:
Yellow foods
I want to incorporate:
Yellow foods
I want to incorporate:
Green, blue and
purple veggies:
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
Red foods
I want to indulge in:
Red foods
I want to indulge in:
Red foods
I want to indulge in:
White veggies:
1
2
1
2
1
2
CREATE YOUR OWN SPECTRUM
Honey, molasses,
syrups, & jellies
Sugar
Cereal bars Fruit juices Flavored milk
Cakes
Cookies
Donuts
Pastries
FriesFoods with 10+g
added sugar
Chips
Candy bars
Muffins
Crackers
Canned, dried,
and pureed fruit
with added sugar
Soda
Pretzels
VEGETABLES
CARBS FATSPROTEIN
CARBS
This easy-to-use chart shows you how to make healthier nutrition choices
for achieving your goals, while still enjoying the foods you love.
Nutritional value varies, but don't think of food as "good" or "bad". Seeing it on a spectrum from
"eat more" to "eat less" helps you make better choices without branding anything off-limits.
WHAT SHOULD I EAT?!
OUR 3-STEP GUIDE FOR CHOOSING
THE BEST FOODS FOR YOUR BODY
Veggies of varying colors provide different nutrients and health benefits.
So make it a point to "eat the rainbow"!
Eating a variety of colorful fruit and starchy vegetables (like potatoes) also helps
you “eat the rainbow”, though these foods live in the carbohydrate category.
Not a veggie lover? Add herbs, spices, and aromatics, which enhance flavor and provide additional health benefits.
To learn how, check out www.precisionnutrition.com/create-the-perfect-meal-infographic
and www.precisionnutrition.com/dont-like-vegetables-infographic
The proportions of your food intake that come from the "eat more", "eat some", and
"eat less" categories will depend on how you eat now, and what your goals are.
ADJUST FOR YOUR
PREFERENCES AND LIFESTYLE
Your "eat more", "eat some", and "eat less" list is unique to you and may evolve as your
goals, likes, and dislikes shift over time. Use the table below to note your preferred foods.
• you want to generally
improve your health.
• you're new to exercise or
exercise moderately.
• you want to look, feel, and
perform better.
• you want to significantly
improve your health.
• you exercise moderately,
or are training for an event
like a half-marathon or
obstacle course.
• you want to look, feel, and
perform a little better than
average.
• you want to significantly
improve your health, or
maintain a high degree of
health.
• you are training for a major
athletic event like a
marathon or ultramarathon.
• you want above-average
body composition, athletic
performance, and/or
recovery.
• you love eating this way.
(This routine won’t make
you much healthier.)
• you're preparing for a
bodybuilding, physique, or
elite athletic competition.
• you are paid for your
body's looks or
performance.
THESE PROPORTIONS MAY WORK FOR YOU IF...
Lean beef Bison Lamb
Pork Wild game
goat, camel,
kangaroo,
crocodile, horse
Chicken
Turkey
Duck breast
and thighs
Eggs and
egg whites
Fish Shellfish
Lentils and beans
These are protein for plant-based eaters
and meatless meals, otherwise, they’re
considered sources of carbohydrates.
Plain Greek
yogurt
Cultured cottage
cheese
Prioritize fresh, lean, minimally
processed sources of protein, and
consider limiting red meat to
~
18oz
(or 4 palms) per week or less.
Other meats
Tempeh
Farro
Millet Potatoes
Plain kefirAmaranth Plain non-Greek
yogurt
Whole-grain, black,
and wild rice
Sorghum
Quinoa
Taro
Beans
and lentils
BuckwheatSteel-cut, rolled,
and old-fashioned
oats
Sweet
potatoes
Yuca
Corn Barley
Fresh and
frozen fruit
Whole or sprouted grain
bagels, breads, English
muffins, pastas, and wraps
Focus on whole, minimally
processed sources of
carbohydrates that pack lots of
nutrition and fiber, and include a
mix of starches and colorful fruits.
Extra virgin
olive oil
Walnut oil Marinades and
dressings with oils
in this category
Avocado and
avocado oil
Cheese,
aged > 6 months
Egg yolks
Almonds PecansBrazil nuts
Peanuts & natural
peanut butter
Olives Pesto made with
extra virgin olive oil
Cashews PistachiosSeeds: chia, flax,
hemp, pumpkin
and sesame
Nut butters
from other nuts
in this category
Aim for a mix of whole-food fats
(like nuts and seeds), blended whole
foods (like nut butters), and pressed
oils (like olive and avocado).
Fresh
unprocessed
coconut
Poultry
sausage
Minimally
processed
lean deli meat
Uncultured
cottage cheese
Medium-lean
meats
Protein
powders
Edamame
Canadian
bacon
Meat jerky
Tofu
High fat ground
meat
High-mercury
fish
Fried
meats
Chicken fingers,
nuggets, and wings
Processed
soy
Processed
deli meats
High-fat
sausages
Protein bars Pepperoni
sticks
Granola
Couscous
White rice
Canned, dried,
and pureed
unsweetened
fruit
Whole-grain
crackers
Oat-based
granola
bars
Vegetable
juices
Instant or
flavored oats
Milk
Pancakes
and waffles
Flavored
yogurt
Flavored
kefir
White bagels, breads,
English muffins, pastas,
and wraps
Coconut
oil / milk
Flavored nuts
and nut butters
Expeller pressed
canola oil
Cream Cheese aged
<6 months
Fish and
algae oil
Flaxseed oil
Dark
chocolate
Virgin and
light olive oil
Peanut oil and
regular
peanut butter
Marinades and
dressings with oils
in this category
Sesame oil
These naturally-bred oils
are high in heart-healthy
monounsaturated fats
and contain little
saturated fats and no
trans fats.
Trail mix
Often rich in carbohydrates as well,
with sources of varying quality.
High oleic
sunflower oil
High oleic
safflower oil
FATS
Processed
cheese
Margarine
Corn oil
Sunflower oilCottonseed oil
Butter
Canola oil Safflower oilSoybean oil
ShorteningHydrogenated oils
and trans fats
Marinades and
dressings with oils
in this category
Fat-rich foods
with 10+ g
added sugar
Vegetable
oil
Also sources
of protein,
though usually
higher in less
desirable fats.
Bacon
Sausage
EAT MORE
Beets
Radicchio
Purple
cabbage
Red
peppers
Tomatoes
Red onions
Rhubarb
Radish
Red leaf
lettuce
Red
cabbage
Eggplant
Purple
asparagus
Purple
carrots
Purple
cauliflower
Purple
peppers
Acorn
squash
Butternut
squash
Carrots
Orange
peppers
Pumpkin
Yellow
carrots
Yellow
peppers
Summer
squash
Yellow
beets
Spinach
Asparagus
Broccoli
Brussels
sprouts
Collards
Chinese
cabbage
Cucumbers
Kale
Arugula
Green
beans
Green peppers
Snap peas
Romaine
lettuce
Rutabaga
Cabbage
Garlic
Onions
White carrot
Iceberg
lettuce
Jerusalem
artichoke
Celery
Mushrooms
Shallots
Cauliflower
RAINBOW
EAT THE
NOW, DETERMINE ITS PLACE ON THE SPECTRUM:
FIRST, FIGURE OUT THE MACRO CATEGORY:
HOW TO ADD FOODS TO THE SPECTRUM
• Which eating style do you follow?
For example, with most approaches, butternut squash would count as a veggie.
For someone eating low-carb or keto, it might be a source of carbohydrates.
• Which macronutrient delivers the majority of the calories?
Classifying a food as the macronutrient that delivers the most calories is
generally a safe bet.
• How is this food commonly eaten?
Perhaps as a protein, starchy side, or fat-rich topping?
How close is it to a whole food?
Generally, the more processed a food, the further it moves toward "eat less".
PROTEIN
CARBS FATSPROTEIN
EAT SOME
EAT LESS
Alcohol
Alcohol is a distinct macronutrient with unique risks and benefits. But if you're being mindful of energy balance,
we recommend including it in the "eat less" carb category, and tracking your intake (e.g. '6 carb portions today;
4 from food, 2 from beer'). This helps you align alcohol consumption with your health and fitness goals.
For the full article explaining this infographic, visit:
www.precisionnutrition.com/what-should-i-eat-infographic
These foods are also rich sources of fats,
so be mindful of both their carbohydrate
and fat content.
At some point, you’re going to want to eat foods that aren’t on our spectrums.
Here's how to categorize them.
We’ve given you some ideas to get started. But YOU know best
what works for you. Sustainable nutrition always prioritizes:
Insects
Wondering about portions? Check out www.precisionnutrition.com/calorie-control-guide-infographic
"eat more" "eat less""eat some"
REMEMBER, YOU'RE THE BOSS
the foods and flavors you truly enjoy,
the things you know how to cook or prep,
and the portions that make sense for YOU.
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Apple Applesauce Apple juice
