Co-Host Victoria Gasparini
Episode Summary
What should actually be on a healthy grocery list—and how can you eat well without overcomplicating nutrition, fearing individual ingredients or following every wellness trend online?
In this solo episode of Girls Gone Wellness, co-host and naturopathic medical student Victoria Gasparini walks through her personal grocery list while discussing healthy eating, whole foods, ultra-processed foods, protein, fibre, fruits and vegetables, weight management, chronic disease prevention and common nutrition myths. The goal is to make grocery shopping and meal planning feel simpler while explaining why certain foods are emphasized in a balanced diet.
Victoria's central principle is straightforward: eat more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods. She explains that “processed” and “ultra-processed” are not interchangeable. Foods such as protein powder, dairy and coffee all undergo processing, but that does not automatically make them unhealthy. The episode also challenges common grocery-shopping advice such as “only shop the perimeter of the grocery store” and “if you can't pronounce an ingredient, don't eat it.”
The produce section makes up a major part of Victoria's grocery list. She discusses broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, edamame, peas and other vegetables, with an emphasis on plant diversity, fibre, micronutrients and practical meal preparation. She also addresses fears about naturally occurring plant compounds such as oxalates, phytates and lectins, as well as claims that people should avoid cruciferous vegetables for thyroid health or nightshade vegetables for autoimmune disease and joint pain.
Fruit is discussed in the context of antioxidants, fibre and the glycemic index (GI). Victoria explains why she does not believe people generally need to fear bananas, pineapple, watermelon or other higher-GI fruits when fruit intake is varied and portions are reasonable. She also discusses berries, anthocyanins, flavonoids, organic versus conventional produce, and the idea of the “Clean Fifteen” and “Dirty Dozen.”
Protein is another major focus. Victoria shares the meat, fish, eggs and plant proteins she commonly buys, including chicken, turkey, salmon, red meat, eggs, egg whites, tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas and protein powder. She discusses using convenience foods such as precooked chicken to make adequate protein intake more realistic, particularly when busy.
The episode also covers saturated fat, dairy, calcium, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, grains, pasta, bread, quinoa, oats, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil and nut butters. Victoria discusses how she personally approaches dairy because of her skin, while emphasizing that dairy does not need to be universally eliminated for people who tolerate it.
For people focused on weight loss or weight management, Victoria discusses caloric intake, protein, fibre, satiety and food quality. For general health and chronic disease prevention, she emphasizes fruits and vegetables, plant diversity, unsaturated fats, antioxidants and balanced meals.
Rather than aiming for a “perfect” grocery cart, the episode encourages listeners to simplify nutrition, prioritize nutrient-dense whole foods most of the time and leave room for enjoyable processed foods without turning every meal into a biochemistry lesson.
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What should be on a healthy grocery list?
A healthy grocery list can focus primarily on fruits, vegetables, protein sources, fibre-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and other minimally processed foods. In this Girls Gone Wellness episode, Victoria Gasparini emphasizes building the majority of the grocery cart around whole foods while still leaving room for convenient and enjoyable processed foods.
Is shopping only the perimeter of the grocery store healthier?
No, Victoria argues that the “shop the perimeter” rule oversimplifies healthy eating. Nutritious foods such as lentils, quinoa, nuts, seeds, protein powder, tea, coffee and many whole grains are commonly found in the centre aisles, while some highly processed foods can also be located around the perimeter.
Are all processed foods unhealthy?
No. Processing alone does not automatically make a food unhealthy. Victoria uses examples such as coffee, dairy and protein powder to distinguish ordinary food processing from ultra-processed foods, which tend to contain more refined ingredients and make up foods such as packaged sweets, certain processed meats and many snack foods.
Should you avoid an ingredient if you can't pronounce it?
No. A complicated chemical name does not automatically mean an ingredient is harmful. Victoria uses ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid and lecithin as examples of ingredients that may sound unfamiliar but are not inherently dangerous.
What is the simplest nutrition rule for healthy eating?
Victoria's main principle is to eat more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods. She explains that this general approach can be adapted for weight management, chronic disease prevention and general health without requiring rigid food rules.
Should you avoid lectins, phytates and oxalates in vegetables?
Victoria argues that most people eating a varied diet do not need to avoid foods because they contain lectins, phytates or oxalates. The episode emphasizes that many foods containing these compounds also provide fibre, plant protein, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients.
Are cruciferous vegetables bad for your thyroid?
Victoria does not recommend routinely avoiding cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale for thyroid health. She argues that most people are unlikely to consume amounts that outweigh the nutritional benefits these vegetables provide.
Should people with autoimmune disease avoid nightshade vegetables?
Victoria does not recommend routinely eliminating nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, solely because someone has an autoimmune condition. The episode discusses claims around nightshade alkaloids while emphasizing that normal dietary amounts of these vegetables also provide fibre, antioxidants and vitamins.
Is fruit too high in sugar or too high on the glycemic index?
Fruit does not need to be avoided simply because some varieties have a higher glycemic index (GI). Victoria emphasizes the overall nutritional profile of whole fruit—including fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients—and suggests that variety and portion size matter more than obsessing over the GI value of individual fruits.
Do you need to buy organic fruits and vegetables?
Not necessarily. Victoria discusses organic produce, the “Clean Fifteen” and “Dirty Dozen,” but does not suggest that conventional fruits and vegetables should be avoided. She notes that washing produce can reduce some pesticide residue and emphasizes eating fruits and vegetables rather than becoming afraid of conventional produce.
What are easy high-protein foods to keep at home?
The episode discusses chicken, turkey, eggs, egg whites, salmon, edamame, tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and protein powder as convenient protein options. Victoria also recommends using practical foods such as precooked chicken when convenience makes it more likely that someone will actually eat a protein-rich meal.
Are eggs unhealthy because of cholesterol?
Victoria says she does not avoid eggs because of concerns about cholesterol and highlights their protein and choline content. She also discusses combining whole eggs with egg whites when someone wants to increase protein while keeping the total calorie content of a meal lower.
Is dairy unhealthy?
Dairy does not need to be universally avoided. Victoria discusses dairy as a source of calcium, protein and other nutrients while acknowledging that some people experience lactose intolerance, digestive symptoms or individual reactions such as changes in their skin.
Should saturated fat be limited?
Victoria recommends being mindful of saturated fat, particularly from foods such as fatty red meat, full-fat dairy and coconut oil. She emphasizes making monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat sources—including olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish—a larger part of overall fat intake.
What should you prioritize for weight loss when grocery shopping?
For weight management, Victoria emphasizes overall caloric intake while prioritizing whole foods, protein and fibrebecause these foods can support satiety. She argues that weight loss does not require eating perfectly but that relying primarily on whole foods may make a sustainable calorie intake and balanced diet easier to maintain.
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This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability while preserving the substance of the conversation.Victoria Gasparini
Welcome back to Girls Gone Wellness. I am one of your co-hosts, Victoria Gasparini, and I'm going to be doing my very first solo episode with you guys today.
I started my clinical term just over a month ago, and there's a recurring theme that I tend to see with my patients, especially patients who are looking to optimize or work on their nutrition to meet various health goals.
These goals could be weight loss, autoimmune disease management, chronic disease prevention—all sorts of different goals.
The theme that I'm seeing pretty consistently is that we have really overcomplicated food.
Nutritional biochemistry can be very complex. Absolutely. Biochemistry tends to be complicated, and there wouldn't be biochemistry PhDs if it weren't.
But when it comes to what is considered healthy and what's considered less healthy, it's actually a lot simpler than we're making it out to be.
Today, I really want to take you guys through my grocery list.
I want to do this because I want to inspire you to try some things. I want to simplify your meal planning. I want to educate you on some of the reasons why we suggest more of certain foods and less of others.
I also want to show you what balance looks like because I don't eat perfectly either.
And, of course, in true Girls Gone Wellness fashion, I want to bust some food myths along the way.
Before we even get started on the grocery list, I want to mention a statement that I think is the perfect example of what we're talking about today when it comes to overcomplicating things.
It's a myth that I want to bust right off the bat.
I have a friend who I mentioned this episode to. I told her I was doing an episode about what a naturopathic medical student has on their grocery list.
She said something that I hear all the time, and I'd never actually questioned this statement until she said it to me.
She said, "Oh, you can talk about how important it is to stay on the perimeter of the grocery store."
It's funny because I think we've all heard this and rarely questioned it.
But when you think about it, this advice really sucks.
First of all, if you're staying only on the perimeter, you're missing out on really amazing foods like lentils, protein powder, quinoa, some whole-grain foods, nuts, seeds, teas and coffee.
At least in my grocery store, all of those things are on shelves in the inside aisles.
But if we attribute everything around the perimeter of the grocery store to being "real" or healthy food, that also means we're saying things like Pillsbury cookie dough, vegan hot dogs, regular hot dogs or Kraft cheese slices are automatically healthy because they're on the perimeter.
I'm not judging you if you like those foods. Some of those foods are on my list too.
But they're definitely not what we would necessarily constitute as healthy foods.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that the myth about the perimeter of the grocery store being the only area where we should hang out doesn't make much sense.
I thought that was the perfect way to start the episode before diving into the actual list.
What I want you guys to remember is that food and nutrition, for most of us, do not need to be super complex.
We can simplify things with common sense, a general understanding of macronutrients—your protein, fat and carbohydrates—and the ability to critically think.
Trust me, I know how hard it can be to see different influencers talking about nutrition online, usually people without any nutrition background.
I'm in the algorithm right now of constantly seeing those "what I eat in a day" videos. They're everywhere, and they're driving me crazy. I need to somehow block them.
First of all, it's completely unrealistic.
Instagram is a highlight reel.
People are only showing you what they think is a good food day. They're not showing you the bag of chips they're eating while standing at the cupboard because they're starving from whatever they ate in the Instagram video you saw.
I'm hoping this episode encourages you to tune those things out a little bit.
It's impossible to get away from it, especially if you're in the online space. I work on social media, so I see these things all the time.
Being a myth-busting social media page, we see the myths constantly because that's what our algorithm gives us, and honestly, it's getting so out of hand.
That's why I wanted to do this episode.
I wanted to debunk some things and teach you how to simplify nutrition and make grocery shopping and meal prepping really easy.
You probably know way more than you think you do about healthy eating.
You're getting stuck on myths in the wellness field that are usually coming from people who are either trying to gain followers and engagement through clickbait or trying to sell you something.
I'll give you an example of that later when we talk about a particular component of food called lectins.
If you've heard of that, you probably already know what I'm going to say.
The truth is there aren't really any strict rules when it comes to nutrition, except maybe one, and we'll get into that.
There's room for pretty much every food in your diet unless you're allergic to it.
There's also one main food principle that we can turn to when in doubt, and this principle can apply to different nutrition goals.
Whether you're here because you want to make healthier choices, reduce your risk for chronic disease, manage a chronic disease you already have, lose weight or work on weight management, the same general principle applies with some modification:
Eat more whole foods and eat fewer ultra-processed foods.
I'll explain more about that.
The only strict rule I was referring to is alcohol.
Listen, I can tell you not to drink alcohol. It might not mean anything to you.
But I'm not going to add alcohol to the grocery list or pretend like it doesn't have negative health impacts.
Of course, it's up to you. You can still have alcohol and choose to eat healthily in all the other areas of your life, and I think you should absolutely still make those healthy choices.
But I'm not going to put alcohol on my grocery list and tell you that it's okay in moderation from a health standpoint.
From a weight-loss standpoint, alcohol is also very calorically dense.
If you're drinking multiple times a week, you're adding a lot of calories that you might not even notice.
It's also important from a chronic disease prevention and management standpoint.
Alcohol is a known carcinogen.
Before we get into the list, though, I want to pause on what constitutes "ultra-processed."
Truthfully, most foods are processed to some degree, and that does not automatically mean they're bad for you.
For example, protein powder is processed. Coffee is processed. Dairy is processed.
That does not mean these foods are automatically bad for you.
I want to differentiate between food processing and ultra-processed foods.
When I talk about eating fewer ultra-processed foods, I'm talking about things like boxed foods that are high in refined sugars, foods using artificial colours and dyes such as Red 40 or tartrazine, trans fats, partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats, high amounts of saturated fat and various stabilizers.
Think about things like many cold cuts, hot dogs, packaged baked goods and some vegan meat alternatives.
When I say baked goods, I mean things that typically aren't homemade—packaged cookies like Chips Ahoy!, Pop-Tarts, many cereals like Froot Loops and Cocoa Puffs.
Of course, there are exceptions when it comes to boxed foods. Some are going to be more heavily processed than others.
All boxed foods have undergone some processing, but there are certainly better options available.
I find there are so many more options nowadays, although the ones we would generally consider healthier also tend to be more expensive.
That's okay because these foods, in general, shouldn't make up the majority of your diet.
We want to follow that same principle: eat more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed or heavily packaged foods.
There's still room for them in your diet because they're fun foods. They're good. People love them. They're tasty.
Balance is key.
That same principle really applies when we're trying to simplify nutrition: eat more whole foods.
The second myth I want to debunk before I promise I get right into the grocery list is: "If you can't pronounce an ingredient, you shouldn't eat it."
I'm sure nutritional biochemists laugh at this one because most things that make up foods have very complicated chemical names, including healthy foods.
Foods that don't even have ingredient lists, such as fruits and vegetables—if you looked at all of the compounds that make them up, you might think you were looking at an insanely processed food because the names can be so complicated.
Yet they're not. They're really good for us.
Something doesn't necessarily become bad for you simply because you can't pronounce it.
Think about ascorbic acid. That's vitamin C.
Citric acid is another example.
Even some food additives, such as lecithin, are commonly used emulsifiers.
This myth oversimplifies chemistry, and I find it annoying because it's just not true.
Of course, there can be hard-to-pronounce ingredients that you might want to limit. But just because you can't pronounce something does not mean it's necessarily harming your health.
Before I get started, I also want to acknowledge the financial aspect of grocery shopping these days and be sensitive to that.
I'll try my best to add some budget-friendly tips to the conversation.
But in general, this conversation is geared toward what constitutes a balanced and "healthy" grocery list. The financial aspect is a separate conversation.
Another point I'll make is that, because weight management is a common goal, I do mention caloric intake and alternatives for weight-management purposes.
If that is a triggering topic, this might not be the best episode for you at this time.
I'm going to start by walking through the grocery store together.
I'm picturing my grocery store in my head.
For ease, I'm going to start with the perimeter of the grocery store—not for health purposes or any other reason.
Let's start with produce because that's the first thing I see when I walk into my store.
The very first thing on my list is always produce.
When I make a grocery list, the first thing I think about is the fruits and vegetables that I need for the week.
It's really hard to go wrong when you're in the produce section.
That makes it fun because you can experiment and try new things without worrying about stopping and reading every ingredient list.
I really like this area.
There aren't fruits or vegetables that I routinely tell people not to eat, unless you're allergic.
We have some really interesting evidence around the importance of plant diversity for a healthy microbiome.
I'm all about trying new plants rather than sticking with typical broccoli or spinach day in and day out.
Broccoli and spinach are always my go-tos. They're always in my house.
But it's nice to try new things.
That's part of having fun with it too—looking up new recipes and diversifying the vegetables we eat.
When it comes to health goals, the produce section can help us meet so many of them.
Of course, produce can't stand alone. We need our other macronutrients.
But from a general health, weight-management and chronic disease prevention perspective, produce is hard to go wrong with.
Fruits and vegetables are generally very high in fibre and micronutrients. They're nutrient-dense while often being relatively low in calories.
It's difficult to get all of our micronutrients and fibre if produce isn't a priority.
Let's start with vegetables.
My grocery list always has broccoli.
This will probably apply to all areas of the grocery store, but this is where a Costco membership can be really helpful from a budget standpoint.
Yes, you pay for the Costco membership. I understand that.
But if you're the grocery shopper in your family, financially it can be helpful because you can buy a lot more food for less.
For example, with broccoli, you can get so much more than you can at Metro, Longo's or another grocery store near you for a much better price.
That's typically where we get a lot of our vegetables.
I like to get broccoli that's already pre-cut because it makes things really simple.
I also find that a bag of pre-cut broccoli goes a long way, whereas a head of broccoli isn't necessarily that big once you break it up.
Yes, pre-cut broccoli is often more expensive, but I find you get a lot.
We usually buy the pre-cut kind from Costco.
It's easy. I throw it in a steamer with some water, steam it, and add it to almost anything.
You can add it to bowls. I add it to eggs. I'll eat it as a side dish.
I don't usually just eat my vegetables plain. I'll grill them afterward, put them in a pan with other foods or use the air fryer.
Cauliflower is another one. I like cauliflower pre-cut, although a whole head is fine.
I also love riced cauliflower.
I know not everybody agrees with me there, but Costco has a big bag of frozen riced cauliflower and I add it to everything.
It's an easy way to get vegetables in without really realizing it and without putting in much effort.
You throw it in a pan and it cooks quickly.
You can add other vegetables, chicken, turkey or whatever you want.
Then I add fun dips like tzatziki or hummus.
I love having riced cauliflower in the house because it's so easy.
Spinach is another one.
Spinach contains iron, and it's also easy to hide in things.
Throwing a couple of handfuls into a smoothie in the morning is an easy way to get more vegetables.
You can add four handfuls of spinach to a bowl or pan and it practically disappears.
I add spinach to an omelette every single time.
I always have it in the house, and we go through it really quickly.
That's another reason why I like buying it at Costco. It's a big container.
If it starts to go bad, throw it in the freezer and use it in smoothies. That's what we do.
The next thing I get is usually either arugula, kale or a bagged salad mix.
Arugula is hard because it tends to go bad in my house before we eat it all.
It's good for topping pizza or adding an extra vegetable source.
Sometimes I'll have an arugula salad, but it's not usually my first choice.
I like kale.
I like making kale chips. I like kale in smoothies, although not everybody does.
I also like kale salads with apples and a poppy-seed dressing.
Lately, I'm obsessed with bagged mixes—a kale mix with cabbage and maybe some carrots.
There's also a broccoli salad mix from the Superstore near my house that's incredible.
I have this weird fixation right now with putting broccoli salad or kale salad on a slice of turkey with this kale-edamame dip from Farm Boy.
I wrap them up and make little sushi-style wraps. I eat them as a snack or a protein add-on, and they're incredible.
That's one of my things right now.
Asparagus is great too.
I like grilling asparagus with a little Parmesan.
It's really yummy.
Sometimes it does go bad in our fridge. It lasts quite a while, but I find it takes a little more effort to cook, so it's not always my first-choice vegetable.
But it tastes good and is obviously a great vegetable option.
Brussels sprouts.
People are so anti-Brussels sprouts, and I feel like they're not giving them the credit they deserve.
What we like to do in our house is smash the Brussels sprouts with one of those meat hammers—I don't know the actual term for the device.
You steam them, smash them, put a little olive oil spray and Parmesan cheese on them, and throw them in the oven.
Sometimes we'll use the air fryer, but I find they burn really easily in there, so the oven is great.
If you add a little arrowroot starch or cornstarch, it would probably make them even crispier, but you don't even need to.
The Parmesan is so good. I really recommend it.
Carrots.
I like to shave carrots onto salads—not as an "estrogen detox," guys. I'm not on the raw carrot salad train.
But I do like carrots.
You can cook them or add them to things.
They're starchy, but they're a good vegetable.
Celery.
I like celery in salads.
I love celery with vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is really good.
It's good to have in the house.
It's not something I personally snack on raw by itself, but there's nothing wrong with that if you like it.
Celery juice is not a cure-all for anything.
But if you like celery juice, you can always juice it too.
Romaine and iceberg lettuce.
Here's a fun little myth to bust while we're on it: iceberg lettuce absolutely contains nutrients.
It's a myth when people say iceberg lettuce has no nutrients and is basically empty calories.
For some reason, we've demonized it.
It contains micronutrients, including folate.
Is romaine higher in certain nutrients? Maybe.
But sometimes I really like an iceberg lettuce salad, or I'll blend it with romaine, and it's great.
There's nothing wrong with iceberg lettuce.
Cabbage.
I like cabbage sometimes—not all the time.
You can also eat fermented cabbage as sauerkraut, which can be part of supporting microbial diversity.
Not everybody loves cabbage, and I get it if you don't.
We also really like bitter vegetables.
Not everybody agrees with us here, but we like foods such as radicchio, Swiss chard and dandelion greens.
Those are bitter greens.
I also like the taste of bitters, but not everybody does.
Radicchio is a big one for us. We add it to salads all the time.
Cucumber is such a great snack.
Cut up half a cucumber, add some dill, sea salt and tzatziki, and it's incredible.
It's a fun little snack, and it honestly fills you up.
Lately, I've been having that while watching Real Housewives with my mom.
I know it sounds crazy, but it is yummy.
Tomatoes.
We usually have cherry tomatoes in salads, or you can use tomatoes for tomato sauce.
We haven't actually made homemade tomato sauce in a really long time, truthfully, but tomatoes are great.
Avocado—I put it in the vegetable section, but it's actually a fruit.
It's very high in healthy fats.
It's also calorically dense.
Because it's a great fat source, I'll use one to two tablespoons or up to half an avocado.
It's satiating and a nice addition to meals.
I like mixing it with ground turkey, putting it in a wrap or eating it with eggs.
For frozen vegetables, I usually get edamame, sweet potatoes and green peas.
Edamame is amazing.
I add it to everything.
It's such an easy way to get more protein.
It's a soy-based food, and it's also a great option from a hormonal-health standpoint.
That's another myth-busting moment: soy can absolutely be part of a healthy diet.
Edamame is also very high in protein.
I usually buy organic frozen edamame from my grocery store.
Sweet potatoes—I just don't like cutting up sweet potatoes, if I'm being honest.
It's nice when you can get them pre-cut in the freezer.
Sweet potatoes last a long time anyway, but if they're frozen, you can leave them there until you're ready.
Then green peas.
I add them to rice, cauliflower rice, different bowls or soups.
They're an easy green vegetable to have on hand and add to almost anything.
Before we leave vegetables, I definitely left some out, like peppers and eggplant, which I really like too.
Just because I didn't mention something does not mean it's not good for you.
This is simply what's usually on my grocery list based on what I like to eat.
There are a couple of myths I want to bust around vegetable intake.
There's a lot of discussion online about compounds such as phytates, lectins and oxalates.
Let's talk about why those generally aren't things you need to be afraid of.
Oxalates can bind with minerals.
However, their effect on overall mineral absorption in the context of a varied diet is generally not something I'm concerned about.
Somebody who doesn't eat vegetables and is then afraid to eat vegetables because of their oxalate content—that's a problem.
That's why I really don't like these myths.
Most people eating a variety of foods are still going to get calcium and other minerals despite the presence of oxalates.
Foods such as spinach and beet greens are rich in important nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and fibre.
I'm really not worried about the oxalate content in those foods.
The other thing is phytates.
It's funny that phytates are so demonized because so many phytate-rich foods are incredibly nutritious.
Foods rich in phytates can also contain antioxidants, fibre and other nutrients and are often foods associated with healthy dietary patterns.
I'm not worried about phytates either.
Lectins. Lectins, lectins, lectins.
The fear surrounding lectins is, in my opinion, largely based on misunderstandings and exaggerations of the research.
When consumed as part of a varied and balanced diet, lectin-containing foods can absolutely be part of a healthy diet.
They also tend to be high in fibre and plant proteins.
I would never want somebody to become afraid of nutritious foods because of their lectin content.
This was a myth that became very pervasive after cardiologist Dr. Steven Gundry popularized the conversation.
He also sells a product claiming to block lectins, which I find pretty funny.
If you see people demonizing vegetables on the internet, literally just keep scrolling.
As someone who works in the thyroid space, I constantly see people demonizing cruciferous vegetables—broccoli, cauliflower, kale.
There's just no reason for most people to be afraid of them.
Trust me when I tell you that you are getting far more nutritional benefit from eating these foods than from avoiding them because of internet fear.
Please do not be scared of vegetables.
The last myth I want to debunk from a vegetable standpoint is the nightshade conversation.
Nightshades are a big topic in the autoimmune space because people claim they cause autoimmune disease or worsen joint or rheumatic pain in autoimmune conditions.
Nightshades include peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.
They contain compounds called alkaloids, which have been discussed as irritants.
People making these claims will also often tell you that the reason you should avoid them is because you have "leaky gut."
If you think you have leaky gut, I need you to listen to our episode with Dr. Kim Bretz on gut health. That's all I'm going to say about that because she does a much better job discussing it than I can.
It is true that alkaloids can be toxic in extremely high doses—much higher than what you're going to consume from vegetables.
The levels found in normal servings of nightshade vegetables are not something I'm worried about.
I don't think you need to routinely avoid nightshade vegetables because you have an autoimmune disease or rheumatic condition or because you're trying to prevent those conditions.
These vegetables also contain antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, fibre and other micronutrients.
So I absolutely still want vegetables on the plate.
Okay, let's move to fruit.
Fruit is my favourite.
I never understand when people say they don't like fruit. It makes no sense to me.
My only note about fruit is that when people say you should eat six to eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day, they don't mean eight servings of fruit and no vegetables.
Just be aware of that.
Whole fruits are generally going to give you fibre that you don't get in the same way from juice, and I would tend to prioritize whole fruit over juice or dried fruit.
My absolute favourite thing to grab when I walk into the grocery store is berries.
Blackberries—a small container of blackberries contains an impressive amount of fibre.
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—you can't go wrong with berries.
Berries are rich in antioxidants and contain compounds such as anthocyanins and flavonoids.
I'll give you a brief overview of antioxidants and why they get so much attention from a health standpoint.
Antioxidants can donate an electron to free radicals, helping stabilize them and reducing their ability to cause cellular damage.
This process helps reduce oxidative stress, which refers to an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant defences in the body.
Oxidative stress is discussed in relation to chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune conditions and neurodegenerative disorders.
Antioxidants are part of how the body protects itself from oxidative damage.
Fruits and vegetables—berries especially—also contain compounds such as anthocyanins and flavonoids.
Anthocyanins are pigments that help give foods those deep blue, red and purple colours.
They're found in antioxidant-rich foods and have been studied in relation to cardiovascular and cognitive health.
Flavonoids are another diverse group of plant compounds found in many fruits and vegetables, especially berries.
They're also studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
That's one reason why I focus on deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables.
Things like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and cherries contain these colourful plant compounds.
A big conversation when it comes to fruit is the glycemic index.
Even if you don't know a ton about nutrition, you've probably heard about "high-glycemic fruits."
The glycemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose.
A lower-GI fruit tends to create a slower blood sugar response than a higher-GI fruit.
So should we be concerned about this?
This is where we go back to overcomplicating nutrition.
Of course, from a blood-sugar standpoint, some fruit options may produce a different response than others.
But restricting fruits simply because they're higher on the glycemic index is not my priority, especially when we're working on getting somebody to increase produce in general.
We're probably putting the emphasis in the wrong place.
Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.
The overall nutritional profile of fruit matters more to me than obsessing over the glycemic index value alone.
We talked earlier about the importance of diversity for the microbiome. That applies to fruit intake too.
When we prioritize diversity and reasonable portions rather than eating an entire watermelon in one sitting, the GI value becomes much less of a fixation.
If you're only eating pineapple and bananas all day and those are your only fruit sources, maybe we should diversify.
But if you're eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, I'm probably not going to worry about it very much.
Back to the fruit list.
Lemons and limes.
Super fun for mocktails. Super fun to throw in drinks.
They don't "balance your pH," as some people might suggest, but we don't need to do that anyway.
Apples.
I love an apple.
Lately, my family has been obsessed with Cosmic Crisp apples.
Apples are so satiating. They're filling, contain fibre and are a really great snack.
I like dipping apples in nut butter or chocolate pudding. Sometimes I add cinnamon.
I probably have an apple almost every day.
Watermelon.
In the summer, there's really nothing better than watermelon.
I'm going out for dinner tonight, and I already know I'm getting a watermelon salad.
That might sound gross if you've never had it, but it's delicious.
Watermelon is higher on the GI scale, but in normal portions I'm not particularly worried about that.
It's delicious, and it's also full of water, so it's very hydrating.
Cherries.
Cherries have those deep pigments we've been talking about and contain antioxidants.
They're pretty fresh right now in Ontario, although they're also very expensive.
Pineapple and mango—tropical fruits.
Again, they tend to be somewhat higher on the glycemic index, but balance and diversity are key.
Bananas.
Poor bananas. They really get demonized.
If bananas are your only fruit source, I'd encourage you to try other things too.
But bananas themselves are not a problem.
There's a big myth going around that putting a banana in a smoothie somehow destroys its health benefits compared with eating the banana whole.
I'm not even going to go deeply into that.
You can eat bananas. You can blend bananas. You're going to be okay.
Another myth in the fruit space is that you have to buy organic.
This applies to fruits and vegetables.
A lot of us know about the "Clean Fifteen" and "Dirty Dozen."
Sure, if you want to follow that, you can. You're going to pay more money, but you can.
You can also wash your fruit, which can remove some pesticide residue.
We talk about this on Instagram, so I'm not going to get deeply into it here.
Jeanette did a huge amount of research for our Instagram post on the topic, so go check that out if you want more information.
Let's move to meat and fish.
This is another place where having a Costco membership is helpful.
If you're a meat eater, I love buying meat at Costco. That's where we get almost all of ours.
My two favourite types of meat to buy are turkey and chicken.
They're both relatively lean sources of meat, contain protein and nutrients, and make easy additions to meals.
I have turkey in various forms.
I am very pro turkey slices.
Yes, it's lunch meat. I understand that.
You can buy a lower-sodium option because they tend to have a lot of sodium.
But turkey slices are an easy way for me to get protein in, and I like the taste.
From a health perspective, sure, it's higher in sodium, but I'm personally not too stressed about it in the context of my overall diet.
Like I said earlier, I love putting kale salad on a turkey slice with the kale-edamame dip from Farm Boy and wrapping it up.
Depending on the product and amount, you can get a significant amount of protein from a few slices.
I eat it pretty much every day.
You can also get turkey sausages.
I would be a little more cautious about the ingredients in sausages, turkey bacon and things like that.
Turkey burgers are another option.
If you're in Ontario and have a Longo's near you, they have turkey burgers that I love, including cranberry-spinach ones.
Ground turkey is great.
Regular turkey is great.
We have all different forms of turkey in our house.
Chicken.
Chicken breast, chicken thighs.
I am a big proponent of precooked chicken.
I'll be honest with you: I do not like cooking raw chicken. I can't stand it.
Sometimes, having precooked chicken available is literally the difference between me getting enough protein and not.
If there's a piece of raw chicken in the fridge and I'm not in the mood, I'm probably just going to have a grilled cheese sandwich.
It's helpful to have precooked chicken in the fridge so I can say, "You know what? It's there. It's easy. It's convenient. It's high in protein."
I'll throw it in a pan with broccoli and whatever else I want and call it a day.
Costco has some great precooked chicken strips and Mediterranean-style chicken that I like.
You can also buy rotisserie chicken.
Pretty much every grocery store has one.
That's a great convenience hack if you're on your way home from work, the kids are asking what's for dinner, and you realize nobody took the chicken out of the freezer.
Stop at the grocery store, grab a rotisserie chicken, steam some vegetables and put together a meal.
Salmon is great.
It's pricey.
I can't speak confidently to the farmed versus wild-caught salmon conversation because I haven't actually done the research on that.
I typically buy wild-caught salmon, but I don't know whether that's because I've fallen for a myth or because there is evidence behind that preference.
So I'm not going to pretend to know the answer.
Red meat.
Here's the thing about red meat: it contains vitamin B12 and iron.
We want our B12 and iron to be adequate.
I'm not anti-red meat at all.
I just don't think it should necessarily be your only source of meat.
That goes back to the whole balance conversation.
I'm Italian, so Bolognese sauce and meatballs, which are generally red-meat based, are part of my diet.
Nowadays, I usually blend ground turkey into those as well, and it tastes incredible.
That's also an idea for my Italian listeners.
Be mindful of the amount of red meat you're eating.
From a weight-loss standpoint, certain cuts of red meat are more calorically dense.
Red meat can also be higher in saturated fat, which is something I would be mindful of from a cardiovascular-health standpoint.
It's not often on my grocery list, if I'm being honest.
When it comes to bacon—hey, bacon tastes delicious.
There's not a lot I'm going to claim for bacon from a health-benefit standpoint.
But if you love bacon, it can sometimes be part of your diet.
It's high in saturated fat and calories, so that's something to consider.
From a vegan meat standpoint, if you're vegan, foods like tofu and tempeh are great protein sources.
I'd probably lean more toward those than making vegan bacon or other highly processed meat alternatives your primary protein source.
It's hard for me to speak to every alternative meat because I don't personally eat them and I don't know what's in every product.
Those are just my thoughts.
Eggs.
I don't worry about eggs.
I think eggs are great. They're full of choline and protein.
One thing I see is people thinking that two eggs in the morning are giving them a huge amount of protein.
Two eggs alone aren't necessarily enough protein for everybody's breakfast goals.
If you're focused on calories and increasing protein, you can have one or two whole eggs and add a third to half a cup of egg whites.
I still like having the whole egg in there from a nutrition standpoint, but egg whites are relatively low in calories and high in protein.
You can have two regular eggs and egg whites in a scramble and increase the total protein significantly.
If you're just having egg whites, a larger serving can give you a lot of protein for relatively few calories.
Again, I like the idea of including the whole egg too because you're getting more of the nutrients from the yolk.
I like adding egg whites to omelettes to make the omelette bigger without making it feel too heavy.
If I eat a three- or four-egg omelette, I get full really quickly and sometimes can't finish it.
If I combine whole eggs and egg whites, I can usually eat the whole meal while still getting the protein.
From a saturated-fat standpoint, I want to touch on that too.
A high intake of saturated fat has been linked with cardiovascular disease.
I know there was a whole era where people said, "Fat is bad for you," and we've moved past that oversimplification.
But that doesn't mean the saturated-fat conversation has disappeared.
The same goes for trans fats.
Saturated fats are commonly found in red meat, full-fat dairy and coconut oil.
In the context of your overall diet, I would balance those with more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds and omega-3-rich fish.
Make those more of a priority from a fat standpoint.
The coconut-oil craze years ago got really out of hand.
People were brushing their teeth with coconut oil, putting it in coffee, cooking everything with it, using it as a lubricant.
It was everywhere.
I'd simply say: maybe eat a little less saturated fat overall.
From a dairy standpoint, dairy is also heavily demonized in the health and wellness space.
I don't know if part of that is because there are people with genuine dairy sensitivities.
Lactose intolerance is very real, and some people also notice individual reactions involving their digestion or skin.
But I want to talk about dairy products that are on my grocery list because there can be a lot of nutritional benefits to dairy.
If you tolerate dairy, I don't think you automatically need to remove it from your diet.
Full disclosure: I limit dairy because my skin reacts.
It's the worst thing ever because I love cheese.
But I personally notice breakouts if I eat too much dairy, so I keep my intake lower.
Dairy can provide calcium, protein and other nutrients.
It can also be a good protein addition to foods.
For people who tolerate it, it may be particularly useful during life stages where calcium intake is important, including around menopause.
Cottage cheese.
Yes, it's trendy, but I'm here for it.
I think it tastes good.
You can make almost anything out of cottage cheese, which is fun.
I use it as a dip with cucumber sometimes.
I'll add everything-bagel seasoning, dill and salt, and dip things into it.
You can use it as a spread, savoury or sweet.
Lower-fat cottage cheese is relatively low in calories and high in protein.
For people who want something more filling, 2% cottage cheese can still fit easily into a healthy nutritional plan, including a weight-management plan.
Ricotta cheese.
I'm kind of lying by putting this on my grocery list because I don't think I've ever actually purchased ricotta cheese, but it was recommended to me.
People like using ricotta to make little desserts.
It's higher in protein than some other dessert-type foods and apparently very good mixed with berries and honey.
Greek yogurt.
I like plain Greek yogurt with cut-up peaches or other fruit and honey.
Sometimes instead of honey, I'll mix in monk-fruit sweetener.
Sometimes at school I'll bring Greek yogurt and crush a protein bar on top instead of granola so I get more protein too.
Cheese.
A couple of things about cheese.
Cheese can be higher in calories, but it's delicious, and life without cheese is fairly depressing in my opinion.
I wasn't going to touch on this, but maybe I will quickly.
If you're familiar with the conversation around advanced glycation end products (AGEs), these are compounds formed through reactions involving proteins or fats and sugars.
Aged and processed cheeses can contain higher levels of AGEs because of the way they're produced and aged.
If that sounded like a different language, skip it and move on.
I don't want to make nutrition super complicated.
Cheese shouldn't make up the bulk of your diet anyway.
Even with an aged cheese like Parmesan, you're probably shaving some onto your food. You shouldn't necessarily be sitting there eating an entire brick of Parmesan.
With dairy and intolerances, reactions can also be dose-dependent for some people.
Play around with your intake and see how you personally react.
Some dairy products I often have on my grocery list include feta cheese and sometimes a soft goat cheese.
I also eat a dairy-free processed cheese sometimes.
Yes, it's processed. Yes, I'm aware.
But it tastes delicious, so it is part of my grocery list.
Is goat cheese better than cow's dairy?
A lot of that conversation is anecdotal.
There are some potential mechanisms that might explain why certain people find goat dairy easier to digest.
Goat milk contains a different casein profile from many cow's milk products, and there's discussion around A1 versus A2 beta-casein.
Some studies suggest A2 beta-casein may be easier for certain people to digest, but I'm not going to pretend I know the quality of all that evidence off the top of my head.
Goat cheese is good too.
I really don't discriminate when it comes to cheese.
Let's move to grains.
A lot of the options on my list happen to be grain-free, but I'm putting this in the category of breads, pastas and cereals.
I don't have anything against grains.
I actually think I should probably be eating more grains than I currently do.
I'm gluten-free, and sometimes that makes things harder.
I don't always choose rice-based gluten-free options because I tend to prefer options that are higher in protein and fibre.
Those sometimes happen to be marketed as "keto" breads.
I'm not eating them because they're keto. Let me be very clear.
I'm choosing them because they're higher in protein and fibre.
From a pasta perspective, I like quinoa pasta.
If you're not gluten-free, durum or semolina wheat pasta can also be a great option.
I really like lentil or chickpea pasta because it can provide potassium, fibre, iron and protein.
You're covering multiple nutritional areas at once.
I also like edamame spaghetti, but I'm not going to tell you it's an alternative to regular spaghetti in terms of taste.
It's not.
It tastes completely different.
But I like it with tomato sauce.
For breads, if you eat gluten, sourdough or Ezekiel bread can be great options.
I like to suggest that patients look for breads that provide around three or more grams of fibre per slice.
If there's protein in the bread too, that's great.
I also like Carbonaut bread, which can be extremely high in fibre—arguably too much fibre for some people in one sitting.
Be aware that suddenly eating a huge amount of fibre can be a lot on the digestive system.
Unbun is another brand.
They have a bread that's very high in protein. I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard good things and it's on my grocery list.
Rice—brown rice, white rice, long-grain rice, jasmine rice—I don't really care.
Quinoa.
I love quinoa.
You can add quinoa to almost anything, and it also provides some protein.
Oats.
I like oats.
A large oat-based breakfast can sometimes become very high in calories depending on portions and what you're adding, but oats also provide fibre and other nutrients.
I would simply be aware of portions and toppings.
Have your oats, maybe add a scoop of protein powder, fruit, a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.
That can make a really satisfying breakfast, especially with enough protein added, and should help keep you full until lunch.
Legumes are also on this part of the list.
Chickpeas and lentils can be added to so many meals.
Now, boxed foods.
I have some favourites, and yes, they're processed.
I'm going to be completely honest with you guys.
SimplyProtein is a brand I really like.
They use a lot of soy protein.
I love their bars and little snacks.
They also have protein shakes now. I haven't tried them, but I've seen them recently.
Dark chocolate.
I love Lindt dark chocolate.
Popcorn.
I'm such a popcorn girl.
I love Farm Boy popcorn. It uses coconut oil and sea salt, and it's delicious.
There are also brands like SkinnyPop.
I like popcorn. I'm a big popcorn fan.
There's also chocolate pudding from the brand Simply Delish.
It is absolutely processed, guys.
It uses a low- or no-sugar sweetener, depending on the product, and has a longer ingredient list.
But it's really good when you dip fruit in it.
Spices and herbs.
Dill on everything.
I put dill on everything.
It's unbelievable.
I'm known for putting dill on everything.
Basil is a staple in our house.
Rosemary, garlic powder, everything-bagel seasoning—I love all of those.
Ceylon cinnamon.
I put Ceylon cinnamon on breakfast foods, fruit, oats, chia pudding, smoothies, shakes and pretty much anything sweet.
And, of course, always on top of a latte.
Some other things I always add to the list:
I love a teaspoon of black olives on an omelette because I'm a Mediterranean-omelette fan.
Olives may be an unpopular opinion, though. I feel like a lot of people don't like olives.
For cooking oils, Jeanette debunked the seed-oil conversation in our very first episode, so listen to that if you're wondering about oils.
I've personally never really bought vegetable or canola oil to cook with.
My family has always used olive oil and avocado oil, so that's what I have on my list.
But I'm not worried about seed oils simply because they're seed oils.
I don't use coconut oil very often unless it's on my popcorn.
I opt for an olive-oil cooking spray for vegetables and cooking.
Olive oil is nutrient-dense and a source of monounsaturated fat, but it is also calorie-dense.
From a weight-management perspective, you probably don't want to mindlessly pour four tablespoons into a pan if your goal is to manage total calorie intake.
I also love almond butter.
PB2 is powdered peanut butter.
Yes, it's processed, but it provides some protein and works well in yogurt, overnight oats and smoothies.
Protein powder.
I think protein powder is incredibly convenient to have in the house, whether it's whey or plant-based.
Whey protein breaks me out, unfortunately, but I think it often tastes better.
If you tolerate it, it's a convenient protein source.
Coffee and tea.
I'm not much of a tea person, but coffee is a staple.
I love Costco Kirkland coffee.
Swiss Water Process decaf is great.
Nespresso half-caf pods are also awesome.
For creamers, I like Nutpods, although it's pricey.
A splash of 10% cream or milk is also fine.
When you're putting huge amounts of cream and sugar in your coffee, obviously you're changing the nutrition profile.
But coffee is so good. I don't judge.
Nuts and seeds.
Flaxseeds have a lot of benefits and are something I like particularly from a hormonal-health standpoint.
I use them in conversations around menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Chia seeds are a great fibre source.
Hemp seeds provide protein.
From a budget standpoint, Bulk Barn can be great for all of those.
That's really the gist of my grocery list.
I did not think it was going to take me a full hour to go over a grocery list, so I apologize for that.
We're going to have some resources on Instagram that break it down and hopefully help with your next grocery trip.
Of course, things change.
My grocery list looks different week to week.
But I wanted to give you some modifications based on different health goals.
The whole point of this episode is that regardless of your health goal, more whole foods and fewer ultra-processed foods should generally be top of mind when you're grocery shopping.
For example, from a weight-loss perspective, calories matter.
But it's also difficult to eat an enormous amount of calories when the majority of your diet is made up of foods that are high in fibre, protein and water.
You can eat processed food and lose weight. Absolutely.
But I also want us to think about sustainability, overall diet quality, longevity and chronic disease prevention.
You can be aware of calories in a weight-loss plan, but I would still put a lot of emphasis on eating more whole foods.
When it comes to vegetables and produce, I don't want people obsessing over the calories.
From a weight-loss standpoint, focus on protein and fibre.
And that's not only about weight loss. Protein and fibre are also important for satiety and feeling good long term.
From a chronic disease prevention and management standpoint, modifications might include lower-sodium options, depending on the person and the dietary pattern being used.
We may emphasize more monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, more phytonutrients and more antioxidants.
Again, these are the same basic principles of a healthy dietary pattern.
We have an episode coming up with Dr. Claire Lockridge that's going to be all about healthy weight management and building a healthy plate, which applies to a lot of different populations.
I'll leave that to her.
You'll have to tune into that episode.
But truly, if you follow the strategy of eating more whole foods and building balanced meals, I think you're going to feel a big difference.
I hope that was helpful.
That's it for me today.
If you liked the solo episode, please let me know.
If you want more episodes of Jeanette and me chit-chatting, we love to yap, so let us know if that's something you're interested in.
In the meantime, give us a follow on Instagram and keep up with us there.
We are so thankful to have you guys listening and tuning in every week.
Thanks for being here.
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I’m a naturopathic doctor in Oakville, Ontario, focused on metabolic health, thyroid health and sustainable weight management. My approach looks at the bigger picture so we can build an individualized plan that supports long-term health, lowers risk where possible, and improves quality of life.
Your health is made up of more than one moving piece. Weight, body composition, cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin resistance and thyroid function can all influence the bigger picture. My role is to help connect those dots, explain what may be contributing, and build a plan that makes sense for you.
Metabolic health is rarely about one factor. We look at your bloodwork, health history, medications, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and goals to understand what may be influencing your health and build a plan that fits your life.