A diet plan formulated around items commonly found on grocery store shelves may seem like a novel idea, but Bob Greene's Best Life Diet does just that. A quick trip to the grocery store is all you need to do to stock up on the staples Greene recommends.
Products Approved for Best Life
Some brands have partnered with Greene in an effort to help dieters identify products that meet the dietary guidelines as set out by The Best Life Diet. These items, like Wish-bone Spritzers, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate, Nonni's Biscotti and Lean Cuisine may have the BestLife logo on the front label.
Produce
This diet stresses healthy, flavorful eating. Salad greens, like romaine and arugula, and cooking greens, like spinach and kale, top the list of fresh foods. Keep your dishes flavorful by adding garlic and onions. Fresh fruits like grapes, oranges and bananas are also listed.
Dry Goods
Cereals with at least 3g of fiber and 100 calories, or fewer, per serving are included in the Best Life Diet. Nuts are also included, but be mindful of portion sizes. Fiber-fortified pastas, brown rice, whole-wheat couscous and tea make the list.
The Best Life Diet allows snack items. Cookies should have no more than 3g of saturated fat per 150 calories. Look for crackers with at least 3g of fiber in each 1 oz.
Dressings and Sauces
The Best Life Diet addresses excess sodium in the diet, you should limit sodium intake from prepackaged foods. Salad dressings on the list should include no more than 250mg of sodium per 2 tbsp. serving. Pasta sauces should contain no more than 500mg of sodium or 2g of saturated fat per 1/2-cup serving. Oils, like olive oil and canola oil, top the list, and you can buy any vinegar you like.
Canned Goods
As with sauces, check the sodium content of canned goods. Canned tomatoes should have less than 350mg of sodium per 1/2 cup. Canned soups are fine, but the Best Life Diet advises you to avoid cream-based soups and any soup with more than 600mg of sodium in a 1-cup serving.
Dairy and Eggs
Skim and 1 percent milk are on the Best Life Diet grocery list. Soy milk with less than 100 calories per serving also is also fine. When you are shopping for margarine spreads, look for those made without partially hydrogenated oils. Make sure you include eggs on your shopping list. Regular eggs are fine, but eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids are a good choice, too.
Meats
When shopping for meats, poultry or fish, keep with the leaner cuts. Ground beef should be at least 90 percent lean. Fish like trout, salmon and Atlantic mackerel are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, recommended on the Best Life Diet. Chicken and turkey are a lean source of protein, as long as you remove the skin before eating.
Frozen Foods
Sodium is also hidden in frozen foods, so look for frozen meals with no more than 700mg of sodium per meal. Acceptable frozen vegetables will have less than 350mg of sodium per serving.
If you are looking for a sweet treat, ice cream with no more than 3g of saturated fat per 150 calories make the list. For a sweet way to start your day, frozen waffles with no more than 180 calories and at least 4g of fiber make the list.
Member Comments