Top 15 Healthy Carb, Protein, and Fat Rich Foods

Some foods are high in carbs, others high in protein, and others high in fat.

Choosing the right food is half the battle when learning to balance your macros and eat healthily and here are 75 great suggestions on what to eat when you’ve had enough of one macro but need more of another.

These healthy carbohydrate, protein, and fat dominant foods will help you to achieve your weight loss, muscle building, and healthy eating goals.

These are helpful since many of you are tracking your macros instead of just calories.

Choosing foods in each of the three groups can help you get the correct macro amounts you need.

Carbohydrate Rich Foods

15 Starchy or Complex Carb Foods

1. Oatmeal (old-fashioned or Steel Cut)
2. Yams (almost same as sweet potatoes)
3. Brown rice (I love basmati, a long grain rice)
4. Sweet potatoes
5. Multigrain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye, triticale, and a few others)
6. White potatoes with skin (glycemic index be damned!)
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans and lentils (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal
11. Quinoa
12. Couscous
13. Pumpkin
14. Butternut squash
15. Fresh Beets

15 Carb Rich Fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Cantaloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple
11. Blackberries
12. Plums
13. Pears
14. Acai berries
15. Mango

15 Vegetables Lower in Carbs but high in Nutrients

photo credit: Nancy D. Regan via photopin cc

1. Broccoli
2. Kale
3. Asparagus
4. Spinach
5. Salad greens
6. Tomatoes
7. Peppers (green and red)
8. Onions
9. Mushrooms
10. Cucumbers
11. Zucchini
12. Carrots
13. Green beans
14. Peas
15. Cauliflower

Top 15 Protein-Rich Foods

1. Eggs
2. Organic protein powder (such as Organifi Complete Protein)
3. Chicken breast
4. Salmon (wild Alaskan)
5. Turkey breast
6. Canned tuna (solid white)
7. Nuts (walnut, almonds, pecans)
8. Pumpkin Seeds
9. Tofu
10. Seitan
11. Top round steak (grass-fed beef)
12. Flank steak (grass-fed beef)
13. Codfish
14. Greek yogurt
15. Rainbow trout

15 Healthy Fat Sources

1. Flaxseed
2. Almonds
3. Olive oil
4. Avocado (see our delicious avocado ice cream recipe)
5. Walnuts
6. Virgin coconut oil
7. Salmon (wild-caught)
8. Peanuts
9. Clarified butter
10. Ripe olives
11. Peanut oil
12. Hemp seed oil
13. Pecans
14. Cashews
15. Dark chocolate

If you are confused about saturated fat, dig deeper into which fats you need, and which ones to avoid.

What About Fiber?

Luckily when you choose the foods in the healthy carb category, they also supply your body with more than enough fiber both soluble and insoluble. Just focus on eating a variety of vegetables and fruit with some complex carbs added in each day. If you’re someone who’s not a fan of vegetables, you could try cold pressed juice for extra phytonutrients and soluble fiber.

These lists certainly aren’t definitive but they can be a great guide for those trying to clean up their diets, remove processed foods, and satisfy their daily macro amounts.

Do you have any additions to the above lists?

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Ted Kallmyer BA, M.Ed., is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, Certified Trainer, the author or Healthy Eater, and a professional nutritional coach. If you need help reaching your weight loss/fitness goals see his personal coaching options.