Last year, I lost 20 pounds during my postpartum body recomposition journey.
Throughout that time, I made sure to prioritize meals that were rich in protein, fat and fiber to help support my body burning fat while keeping muscle mass.
And although I ate a lot of different foods, there were a few items that seemed to pop up every single week and that I found I relied most heavily on.
These foods helped to reduce my sugar cravings and hunger levels while also keeping my meals delicious and exciting.
And If I had to only eat 10 foods, I would prioritize these ingredients to maximize my results.
So today, I'm sharing what I would eat if I was only able to eat 10 different foods. Let's dive into it.
(Side note: I've chosen not to include pantry staples that most people have, such as cooking oils, butter, onions, garlic and seasonings. Although, these are incredibly important as well to help create diversity with meals and prevent food fatigue.)
1: Eggs
Eggs are high in protein, high quality fat and important micronutrients.
When compared to other food items, like oatmeal or bagels, eggs have been found to reduce hunger for longer.(1)
And even with the rising price of eggs, it's still one of the least expensive protein-rich foods you can buy.
I would combine 3 eggs with 1/2 cup cottage cheese to hit at least 30 grams of complete protein at my meal.
2: Greek Yogurt or Skyr
Both greek yogurt and skyr are high protein yogurts with 30 grams of complete protein per 1.25-1.5 cups.
With a body recomposition goal (losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass), getting enough high quality protein is critical.
Protein helps to prevent hunger and muscle loss. By preventing muscle loss, it helps to prioritize burning fat as fuel while keeping the metabolism high.
But it's important to opt for the full fat (whole milk) options, which have been found to be protective against obesity and are much more nutrient dense. (2)
I would make greek yogurt parfaits or use skyr to top my protein pancakes and waffles for an additional boost of protein.
3: Lemons
Lemons have similar blood sugar stabilizing benefits as apple cider vinegar.
It also adds a ton of flavor to most meals.
I add lemon juice and/or zest to my salad dressing, protein smoothies, sparkling water and kale salad marinade.
4: Cottage Cheese
Whole milk cottage cheese has similar benefits to skyr and greek yogurt.
I would often make a cottage cheese bowl for lunch throughout my postpartum weight loss journey.
It's a high protein, no-cook meal that takes about 3 minutes to prepare.
5: Tomatoes
Raw or canned, I used tomatoes in some form nearly everyday throughout my weight loss journey.
Tomatoes are not high in protein, fat or fiber.
But tomatoes do contribute to flavor.
Adding flavor to meals is crucial for preventing food fatigue (boredom of your meals).
When you're excited about your meals, you're more likely to stick to what you're eating.
And boy, is it easy to add variety with tomatoes!
I would make caprese salads, bolognese, pot roast, chili and marinara sauce, all with tomatoes used in some form.
6: Ground Beef
Ground beef is high in protein, very satiating and rich in important micronutrients.
It's also generally less expensive than other cuts of beef and very versatile.
There are so many ways to take the humble ground beef and transform it into delicious meals.
Some of my favorites were Guinness meatballs, Spanish meatballs, bolognese, mini meatloaf, beef and veggie sautées and smash burgers.
7: Autumn's Protein Powder
If you followed my postpartum weight loss journey, then you probably noticed that I ate a lot of protein waffles.
I ate so many protein waffles, that my husband and I would prepare dozens of them every sunday to pop into the toaster and eat throughout the week.
But what makes these waffles so delicious is my zero sugar vanilla protein powder.
In 2022, I developed Autumn's Protein Powder to taste great in recipes.
Most protein powders are designed to be thrown in a shaker bottle with some water, so their flavors are way too overpowering or artificial to taste good in a recipe.
My protein powder is zero sugar, 100% whey protein isolate and tastes incredible in recipes (like my protein waffles!).
Plus, each bag comes with a free download of 10 protein-packed, delish recipes.
Checkout Autumn's Protein Powder and start making yummy protein packed meals HERE.
8: Kale
I was off the kale bandwagon for a while, but found myself craving it during my weight loss journey.
Kale is a low glycemic load and nutrient dense leafy green.
I found that focusing on low glycemic load foods helped to more easily prevent hunger while also making sure that I nourished my body with important micronutrients.
Kale is also a hearty green that can stand up to being left in the fridge for a few days if you made a few extra servings of kale salad.
9: Zucchini
Zucchini is a low glycemic load alternative to pasta.
It's very versatile and can take on nearly any flavor you add to it.
Think you don't love zucchini? Just try my zucchini lasagna recipe and you might find yourself to be a convert.
10: Broccoli and Cauliflower
Broccoli and cauliflower are in the same veggie family.
Both are low glycemic load and very versatile.
I found myself using either of these daily with recipes like cauliflower nachos, detox broccoli salad, roasted veggies with meatballs and cauliflower rice.
Checkout my pasture-raised, zero sugar protein powder!
My protein powder was specifically designed to taste amazing in recipes such as smoothies, chia pudding, protein waffles and more.
In fact, every bag of my protein powder comes with a free download of 10 high protein recipes using my protein powder!
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