Top 5 foods you can’t live without

By Ryan Andrews, MS, MA, RD, RYT, CSCS

There are certain foods that each of us here at Precision Nutrition can’t live without. These are our dietary staples. They’re the foods that help us stay on track. They’re the foods that keep the health quotient of our meals high and the fat on our body low. So I rounded up the Precision Nutrition team, and in this week’s newsletter we decided to share with you our top 5 foods.

Dr. John Berardi’s top food picks

Food #1
Raw, mixed nuts
Full of healthy fats, mixed nuts add great flavor and a hearty crunch to all sort of meals. Plus, because of my high calorie needs, mixed nuts are a great way to add calories.

Food #2
Frozen berries
Packed with antioxidants, with just the right amount of sweetness, berries are my favorite fruit. Keep them in the freezer and they’re handy to pull out at any time and add to a variety of meals – from oatmeal, to Supershakes, and more.

Food #3
Avocadoes
Avocadoes are the most nutrient-rich fruit on the planet. And beyond that, they’re delicious when chopped and added to salads or veggie dishes, to condiments, or just eaten alongside a lean protein source.

Food #4
Omega 3 Eggs
Among a few other foods, I have eggs for breakfast every morning. And I often have them as a pre-bed snack. Since I eat so many, and often include yolks, I make sure I’m getting an omega 3 boost with each scramble, omelet, fritatta, etc.

Food #5
Lean beef
I’m a proud carnivore. And lean beef is my favorite form of protein. I probably eat around a pound or more a day of the extra lean variety – mostly as burgers or in stir-fry dishes.

Food #6
Protein powder
Because I eat 7 times a day, and because of my travel schedule, a good protein powder is indispensable. If you’re looking for a host of ways to include protein in your meals, you’ve gotta check out Gourmet Nutrition.

Food #7
Greens
Most of you wouldn’t be surprised to see greens on my list. A good greens product definitely reaches superfood status and therefore I typically add 1/2-1 serving per day at home and perhaps more when I’m on the road.

Amanda Graydon’s top food picks

Food #1
Nut Butters
Almond butter, cashew butter and of course PB – crunchy preferred – taste great in Super Shakes & Gourmet Nutrition style bars.

Food #2
Fresh Basil & Spinach.
I make home-made healthy pesto (right out of the Gourmet Nutrition book) for everything now. Indeed, for everything the traditionalist would put ketchup on, I use pesto. I get plenty of greens this way and love the flavors that are added to my meals. To mix it up, I alternate between a variety of nuts – from pistachio to pine to cashew nuts to almond. Sometimes I add garlic for variety.

Food #3
Green tea.
I love a variety of tea. My latest favorite is pomegranate raspberry green tea (with Matcha; www.stashtea.com).

Food #4
99% Dark chocolate.
Low in sugar, high in fiber, and very healthy, once I tried it and gained a taste for it, I never went back. For a great book that will teach you all you need to know about chocolate, check out The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloe Doutre-Roussel.

Phil Caravaggio’s top food picks

Food #1
Extra-virgin olive oil.
Good olive oil tastes great, is great for you, and goes a long way.

Food #2
Garlic.
Garlic makes everything taste better.

Food #3
Sun-dried tomatoes.
I can’t stand raw, uncooked tomatoes (which my Italian family finds outrageous), but I love sun-dried tomatoes, and I use them in everything: sauces, pesto, frittatas, salads, etc.

Food #4
Pre-washed organic mixed greens.
In the summer I prefer to take the salad greens right from my own garden, but in the winter this is a great way to whip up a salad on the go.

Food #5
Eggs.
Never thought I’d say this, because I HATED eggs growing up. But I can’t really imagine a breakfast without them now: scrambled eggs, omelets, or my favorite, frittatas. I like to choose eggs from grass-fed, pasture-raised chickens when I can find them.

Kris Aiken’s top food picks

Food #1
Frozen Broccoli.
This makes for an easy and quick way to get some veggies. I throw them in a Tupperware with a precooked chicken breast also frozen and heat everything up in the microwave when I am ready.

Food #2
Soy Sauce.
I use this with natural peanut butter for an awesome cooking sauce.

Food #3
Natural Peanut Butter.
Great for healthy fats; and versatile. I use PB most often with the soy sauce for peanut satay stir frys. I just add pre-cooked ground beef and some sliced garlic and veggies.

Food #4
Egg whites.
Although, like Phil, I use a variety of egg recipes, I eat eggs for breakfast every morning.

Food #5
Spinach.
I add spinach to every breakfast. It’s my favorite vegetable.

Ryan Andrews’ top food picks

Food #1
Frozen veggies and berries.
It’s hard to always have fresh produce in the house and the frozen varieties last a long time.

Food #2
Oats.
I enjoy oats raw or cooked, I enjoy oats while reading a book, I enjoy oats after lifting heavy weights, and I enjoy oats even more with medjool dates. I’m officially a loser for coming up with that rhyme.

Food #3
Hummus.
Great compliment to raw veggies.

Food #4
Walnuts.
Omega-3’s. Need I say more?

Food #5
Tofu.
I keep it next to my granola and hacky sack collection. This stuff is loaded with protein.