Food Choices
Nutrition can be complex.
Different foods affect different people in different ways. The best approach can change depending on your body, goals, lifestyle, activity level, and stage of life.
This guide offers a simple everyday system for understanding your food choices.
The Four Food Roles:
Vegetables nourish, providing vitamins, minerals, fibre, water, and volume.
Protein builds, supporting muscle, repair, recovery, growth, and fullness.
Carbohydrates fuel, providing energy for activity, training, work, and recovery.
Fats sustain, supporting hormones, cells, nutrient absorption, flavour, and satisfaction.
Understanding Food Choices
Some foods fit clearly into one role.
Chicken is mainly protein.
Rice is mainly carbohydrate.
Broccoli is mainly vegetable.
Olive oil is mainly fat.
Other foods are mixed.
Avocado is usually best understood as a fat source.
Potato is usually best understood as a carbohydrate source.
The key question is:
What am I consuming, and what role is it mainly playing?
The Priority System
Instead of starting with calories or strict rules, start by asking:
What is this food choice prioritising?
Different goals may require different priorities.
General Wellbeing
Vegetables
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
High Energy
Carbohydrates
Protein
Vegetables
Fats
Muscle Building
Protein
Carbohydrates
Vegetables
Fats
Fat Loss
Vegetables
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
The Aim
The aim is food literacy.
To understand what you are consuming.
To recognise the role different foods play.
To make better choices.
To adjust based on your body, goals, lifestyle, and results.
With love, Coach Joe