The foods you're consuming on a diet can ultimately decide how successful your diet is. You need to design your diet around food that will provide you with at least an energy balance, and a deficit if you want to lose weight. Moreover, you need to choose foods that will enable you to remain adherent to your diet plan for an extended period of time. A diet won't work if you continue to go on and off your diet plan, confusing your body systems.
Three Food Groups
No matter the diet, you need to consume proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These are easy to find in many varieties of food, but more importantly are essential for you to maintain good health. The Mayo Clinic states that you should consume at least 20 to 35 percent fat in your diet, 10 to 35 percent proteins and 45 to 65 percent carbohydrates in your diet.
Four and Nine
Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are all equally important parts of your diet. However, their consumption should not be done in equal proportions. The Mayo Clinic states that a single gram of fat equals nine calories of energy, whereas a gram of protein or carbohydrate is equal to four calories of energy. Thus, energy dense foods such as bake goods and pastries that contain a high amount of fat are often convenient to eat but not nutritionally optimal. Whereas easy-to-eat food that contains no fat or low amounts of fat, such as fruits and vegetables, are more ideal sources of energy.
Fruit
Your diet should be comprised of as many natural food sources as possible. This means to eliminate convenience foods that are typically processed and alternatively consume foods that are just as easy to eat, but all natural as well. For example, you should choose to eat fruits as opposed to candy when you seek something sweet tasting. Picking up an apple can be just as easy as picking up a candy bar.
Proteins
To get protein in your diet you don't need to eat a grilled steak. There are many alternative forms of proteins that can be consumed raw, "as is", or with minimal preparation. For example, you can eat many different types of nuts and seeds as is; whereas beans such as soybeans can be consumed at any temperature with minimal preparation. These are high in protein and needs only a few minutes of steaming or boiling in water prior to consumption. Nonetheless, all of these alternative forms of protein are easy to carry with you and are from natural food sources.
Carbohydrates
Fruits and vegetables contain a high amount of natural carbohydrates that can also be taken on the go. A large proportion of your diet should come from carbohydrates, but not the kind from artificial sugars and sweets. Consequently, the natural food encasing of fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, oranges, apples, carrots, cucumbers and celery make transporting them with you for an on-the-go snack, convenient.
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