Eat to Win, Eat to Lose diet by Rachel Beller MS RD from The Biggest Loser (2013): Food list

Eat to Win, Eat to Lose (2013) is a weight loss and healthy eating book from the nutritionist/dietitian on The Biggest Loser.

• High fiber, including vegetables, fruits, and limited whole grains.
• Vegetables/salads as a high proportion of your plate.
• Lean protein, low fat.
• No sugar (some alternative sweeteners are suggested), no processed carbs.

Below is a description of the food recommendations in the diet.  What to eat  |  Foods to avoid.  There’s a lot more in the book.

Get a copy of Eat to Win, Eat to Lose for food autopsies (supposedly healthy foods and healthier alternatives), calorie counts, snack ideas, recommended brands, the science behind the recommendations, and recipes.

The reasoning behind Eat to Win, Eat to Lose

This book claims that when you put many “light” and “healthy” foods under a nutritional magnifying glass, you see that they deliver a lot of diet-busting ingredients. It teaches you how to decide for yourself what’s really healthy.

Eat to Win, Eat to Lose diet plan – what to eat and foods to avoid

What can you eat in Eat to Win, Eat to Lose?

• What to eat
• Foods to avoid

Foods to eat in Eat to Win, Eat to Lose

• General guidelines
  • Meals: breakfast, optional morning snack under 100 calories, lunch, mandatory afternoon snack 150-175 calories (between lunch and dinner), dinner, strictly optional after-dinner treat.
  • You must count the calories for the snacks. They need to satisfy and fill you up. They should be a balance of protein, fiber, and some good fat. If you have a carbo-urge, use the afternoon snack to feed your cravings. Add as much veg as you like to any snack
  • Fiber – eat 30-35 grams of fiber every day for women, 35-40 grams for men. Start gradually. Fruits and vegetables aren’t enough to reach this goal – count how much fiber you eat. Eat real fiber, not manufactured fibers (see list below under foods to avoid). Start every day with 10-15 grams of fiber, preferably whole grain cereals and grains.
  • Try to go organic whenever possible
  • Keep your breakfast under 350 calories, not forgetting 10-15 grams of fiber
  • Use Rachel’s “Flip-It Method” so you don’t have to count calories:
    • Have a minimum of 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables or 2 cups raw vegetables per meal; except for starchy varieties (peas, corn, butternut squash, potatoes) you can have as much as you like. Think beyond just salads, and use the flip-it method when you eat out too
    • Lean proteins – vary your proteins, e.g. 4 meals a week with low-mercury omega-3 rich fish, 2-3 meals with beans, 2 meals with tofu, 2-3 meals with eggs, and 2-4 meals with lean chicken, turkey, or grass-fed beef (or other lean protein)
    • Healthy oils – pick 1 per meal, limit to 40-80 calories per meal. 1-2 teaspoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of salad dressing, ¼ avocado, 1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce, 1 or 2 teaspoons chia or flaxseed oil, 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or slivered almonds (in lieu of salad dressing), 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayo, 2 tablespoons guacamole or hummus mixed with 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
    • Have an optional serving of a whole grain carb. To fast track your weight loss, eat fiber-rich carbs at breakfast and maybe as a snack later, but skip them at lunch and/or dinner
• Vegetables and salads
  • Serving size – 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables or 2 cups raw vegetables per meal; except for starchy varieties (peas, corn, butternut squash, potatoes) you can have as much as you like
  • E.g. artichokes, arugula, asparagus, bamboo shoots, beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, crookneck squash, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, green onions/scallions, hearts of palm, jicama, kale, mushrooms (any), mustard greens, onion (red and yellow), radishes, seaweed / sea vegetables, snap peas, snow peas, spinach, sprouts, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, turnip greens, water chestnuts, watercress, yams/sweet potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini
  • Frozen veggies are a good option that can be cheaper and less work (as well as less likely to go bad) than fresh vegetables
  • Nutritional boosters: broccoli sprouts, red cabbage, sauerkraut (naturally fermented with live and active cultures), nori (dried seaweed sheets), watercress, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, cilantro, ginger, dehydrated mushrooms, beets (no sugar added), horseradish
• Herbs
  • E.g. basil, chives, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley, thyme
  • Blends e.g. Italian herb blend
• Fruits
  • Any kind, including apples (red and green), bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe melons, cherries, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon
• Fish and seafood, low-mercury
  • Serving size – 3-4 ounces for women, 5-6 ounces for men; eat 4 times a week
  • Canned fish – e.g. low-mercury albacore tuna (can or pouch), Sustainable Seas Tuna, wild salmon (can or pouch), sardines. Eat the soft and edible bones for a calcium boost
  • Low mercury / high omega-3 fish and seafood – black cod (Alaska/Canada), crab, flounder, wild salmon (fresh and canned or smoked), sardines, scallops, shrimp, Pacific sole, trout, canned low-mercury tuna brands
  • Moderate mercury – go easy – halibut, lobster, mahi mahi, sea bass (black), canned chunk light tuna
  • Also listed in recipes – anchovies, branzino, white fish
• Poultry
  • Serving size 3-5 ounces (cooked), eat chicken, turkey, and beef/pork 2-4 times a week
  • Get USDA-certified organic poultry
  • Chicken – skinless chicken breast
  • Turkey – skinless turkey breast, at least 93% lean ground turkey, nitrate-free turkey cold cuts
• Meat
  • Serving size 3-5 ounces (cooked), eat chicken, turkey, and beef/pork 2-4 times a week
  • Beef – lean, grass-fed – “round” cuts, “loin” cuts
  • Pork -lean – “loin” cuts
• Beans / legumes
  • Serving size ¾ to 1 cup cooked; eat 2-3 times a week
  • Beans – e.g. black beans, kidney beans, mung beans, any other variety, including sprouted beans
  • Lentils – e.g. black beluga lentils, red lentils, sprouted lentils
  • Soy – e.g. edamame
• Eggs
  • Serving size 4-6 whites or 1 whole egg plus 3-5 whites; eat 2-3 times a week (maximum 3-4 egg yolks and unlimited egg whites each week),
  • Omega-3 enhanced eggs that contain DHA
  • Egg whites in cartons
• Tofu and soy products
  • Serving size 6-8 ounces; eat 2 times a week
  • Choose organic tofu, GMO-free
  • E.g. sprouted organic tofu, organic tempeh, soybean-based shirataki noodles
  • Limit processed meat substitutes
  • Soy can be eaten in moderation (8-12 ounces a week), even for those who have a prior history of breast cancer
• Whole grain carbs
  • Whole grain carbs are optional – have a single serving (this is unclear – a serving may be the equivalent of either 1 slice or 2 slices of bread). Measure carbs in equivalents to slices of bread (70-90 calories) – e.g. ¼ bagel, 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, 1/3 cup cooked farro, ½ cup cooked whole wheat couscous, ½ cup cooked whole wheat pasta, ¼ cup cooked wheat berries, 1/3 cup brown rice, ½ cup sweet potato
  • To fast track your weight loss, eat fiber-rich carbs at breakfast and maybe as a snack later, but skip them at lunch and/or dinner
  • Cold cereals – Per cup, your cereal should contain less than 200 calories, around 10 grams of fiber, and no more than 10 grams of sugar. Most of the fiber should be the real deal (from food sources), not isolated fibers. Avoid cereals with artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Watch out for portion trickery. Base cereals (at least ½ cup for fiber) such as Kellogg’s All-Bran or Benefit Nutrition Simply Fiber Cinnamon, Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran, Kashi Good Friends High Fiber Cereal, Weetabix Organic Crispy Flakes & Fiber. You can eat the base cereal with mixer cereals such as Nature’s Path Maple Sunrise or Nature’s Path Optimum Slim Vanilla, Kashi Autumn Wheat, kamut puffs or Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs. Serving size 1 cup
  • Hot cereals – steel-cut oats, Bob’s Red Mill High Fiber Hot Cereal. Try to avoid instant oatmeal. The longer it takes to cook, the better it is for you. Serving size ½ cup rolled oats  or 1 cup cooked oats
  • Whole grain breads – should pass the “squeeze test” – a truly good bread will break or crumble when squeezed (not squish up into a marble-sized ball), since it contains whole or pieces of grain and not just whole grain flour. Look for visible whole grains or pieces of whole grain, not just sprinkled on top of the loaf. A bagged loaf should feel dense, not like a cheap hotel pillow. Each slice should have at least 3 grams of real fiber and no more than 90 calories
  • Whole grain tortillas and pitas, e.g. sprouted grain tortillas and corn tortillas, low-carb tortillas and pitas (occasional eating only). Each tortilla or pita should have at least 3 grams of real fiber and no more than 90 calories
  • Other whole grains and whole grain products, e.g. farro, wheat berries, brown rice, quinoa (regular and red), soba buckwheat noodles, whole wheat pasta (cooked al dente), popcorn (unprocessed, minimal fat)
  • Whole grain crackers – fiber crispbreads (e.g. Wasa, Kavli, Ryvita). Stick to large flatbreads, not the small ones, because bite-sized crackers make it too easy to lose control. Keep the calories to around 70-900 per serving. For a meal like breakfast, a few servings is okay so you send up with the same number of calories you’d get with cereal. Each large cracker should have at least 2 grams of fiber. Make sure the first ingredient listed on the back of the package is “whole grain,” “whole wheat,” or “whole rye”. Look for visible grains or seeds for flavor and nutrition
• Dairy
  • Cheese – use as a snack or condiment only. Individually sliced and presliced to give you automatic portion control – e.g. Babybel Light, Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges, Rondelé Light spreadable cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, feta cheese, creamy goat cheese spread, crumbled goat cheese, parmesan cheese, sliced Swiss cheese, string cheese, other low-fat cheeses
  • Milk alternatives, unsweetened and fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and preferably organic. Rachel prefers these non-cow alternatives. E.g. almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, hemp milk
  • If you can’t do without cow’s milk, choose organic skim
  • Yogurt – choose nonfat Greek or goat yogurt (6 ounce serving), but skip the flavored varieties. Look at the end of the ingredients list to check that it says “live and active cultures,” and seek cultures that are also probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus regularis, and Lactobacillus casei. Brand suggestions include Chobani, Fage, Oikos, and Brown Cow
• Good fats
  • Pick one per meal; serving size: 1-2 teaspoons of oil, 2 tablespoons of salad dressing, ¼ avocado, 1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce, 1 or 2 teaspoons chia or flaxseed oil, 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or slivered almonds (in lieu of salad dressing), 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayo, 2 tablespoons guacamole or hummus mixed with 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
  • Oils – top pick is olive oil. Suggested oils include: extra virgin olive oil (unrefined cold pressed), extra virgin olive oil (refined) for cooking, extra light olive oil for high-heat cooking, avocado oil, walnut oil, roasted sesame oil
  • Dressings – oil and vinegar are the best choices for dressings. If you are buying a bottled variety: Keep one serving (usually 2 tablespoons) to 80 calories or less. Don’t buy fat-free. Choose one that includes high-quality oils like olive oil. Avoid dressings with a large number of ingredients. Look out for sodium – if the Daily Value is greater than 20%, it is too high
  • Nuts including almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, peanut butter (be careful with portion size), pecans, pistachios, walnuts
  • Seeds including chia seeds (preferably white chia seeds as black chia seeds can look like little bugs), flaxseed, sesame seeds
  • Avocado
  • Guacamole, hummus, pesto sauce, tzatziki
• Spices
  • Including red chile flakes, cinnamon (Ceylon preferred), garlic powder, ground ginger, ground orange peel (organic), paprika, black pepper, Himalayan salt, turmeric
  • Create a spice mix of Ceylon cinnamon, organic dried orange peel, and ground chia seeds (optional) to add to high-fiber foods such as whole grain French toast, cereal, raspberries, or oatmeal
• Beverages
  • Use milk alternatives
  • Instead of coffee, try black tea, or Rachel’s ultimate favorite, high-quality matcha tea. Add a splash of citrus such as lemon, lime, or OJ to your tea to increase antioxidants
• Condiments and pantry
  • Bragg liquid aminos, Bragg nutritional yeast, low-sugar BBQ sauce, low-sodium broth, capers, minced ginger, marinara sauce (low-sodium), mustard, salsa, reduced-sodium soy sauce, tomato paste, no-salt-added tomato sauce, reduced-fat vegenaise, vinegar, Loeb’s Onion Crunch
  • Unsweetened organic applesauce, baking powder, cocoa powder (not “Dutch processed” or “processed with alkali”), whole wheat flour, wheat bran
  • Nature’s Hollow jams, apple butter
• Sweeteners
  • Eat in moderation
  • Blackstrap molasses, stevia packs or stevia vanilla drops, honey (the darker the better), sucanat, raw agave nectar, coconut palm sugar, pure maple syrup (preferably grade B), Joseph’s Sugar-Free Syrup
• Prepackaged snacks
  • E.g. Kind bars, Gnu Flavor & Fiber bars, 100-calorie packs of natural almonds or pistachios, organic popcorn kernels and popcorn, Barney’s almond butter packs, pre-sliced bagged apple slices, Trader Joe’s Fiber Mini Cakes / Zen Bakery Fiber Cakes, baby carrots, Crunchies brand freeze-dried fruits, seaweed snacks, Real Foods Organic Corn Thins
• Sweet treats
  • Sweet Riot cacao nibs, Ghirardelli or Endangered Species chocolate squares (at least 70% dark), Fruitstix, Julie’s Organic, and Skinny Cow frozen treats

Must-have kitchen accessories: Misto sprayer, baking sheet / cookie sheet, parchment paper and bags, immersion blender, food scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons, julienne peeler, Measure-Up bowl, empty shakers for spice mixes, to-go dressing containers

Exercise – if you break a serious sweat most days of the week and find your stomach grumbling with these guidelines, you might need a morning or evening snack, or you could add a serving of carbs to your meal or go to the higher end of the suggested protein range. Watch out, as some people use exercise as an excuse to eat more.

Foods to avoid or limit with Eat to Win, Eat to Lose

The book has a lot less detail on foods to avoid than it does on what to eat. No guidance on alcohol, soda, caffeine, or artificial sweeteners.

• Manufactured fibers – do not rely on these as your main source of fiber
  • Inulin (chicory root extract), gum arabic, acacia gum, guar gum, corn starch fiber, tapioca starch powder, maltodextrin, polydextrose, soy fiber, cellulose fiber, cottonseed fiber
• High-mercury fish and seafood
  • Chilean sea bass, golden bass, golden snapper, grouper, king mackerel, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish, ahi tuna, canned white albacore tuna
  • Tilapia contains more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s, so don’t make it your main go-to fish
• Processed meats and meat substitutes
  • Fatty meats
  • Go super-easy on wannabe meats, and be selective. Avoid overly processed vegetarian meats such as “sausage” patties, tofu hot dogs, etc. Watch out for soy concentrates, soy isolates
• Full-fat dairy
  • Full-fat or 2% milk
  • Full fat or 2% yogurt
  • Not stated in the book but implied: butter, cream, other fatty dairy products (portion controlled cheese is okay)
  • Minimize egg yolks
• Fatty foods
  • Other fatty foods such as full-fat mayonnaise
• Processed carbohydrates
  • Cereals containing artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives
  • Low-fiber cereals
  • Low-fiber breads, which don’t have “whole grain” or “whole wheat” as the very first thing on the ingredient list, or which squidge rather than crumble when you squeeze them
  • Breads that contain high fructose corn syrup HFCS or artificial sweeteners
  • Low-fiber crackers, and/or crackers that contain high fructose corn syrup HFCS or artificial ingredients
  • White rice
  • Snack bars, which are usually just a bunch of grains heavily processed with some kind of sugar and a lab full of mystery ingredients
  • Presumably any other processed carbohydrates
• Sugary foods
  • Not clearly stated in the book – suggested sweeteners are listed above under Foods to Eat, and regular sugar isn’t listed

Health benefits claimed in Eat to Win, Eat to Lose

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: arthritis, cancer, Crohn’s disease, dementia, depression, diabetes, eczema, heart disease, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, inflammation, overweight/obesity, stroke

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.

Get a copy of Eat to Win, Eat to Lose for food autopsies (supposedly healthy foods and healthier alternatives), calorie counts, snack ideas, recommended brands, the science behind the recommendations, and recipes

Rachel Beller’s website is http://www.bellernutritionalinstitute.com/. She’s on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RachelBeller and Twitter at https://twitter.com/RachelBellerRD.

How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment or question below.