Post by Tim Wescott on Jul 10, 2004 4:53:57 GMT -5
John Berardi's Kitchen - Part I
In my fridge
By John M Berardi
The Law of the Land
Long ago, when I first began to pay serious attention to my training and nutrition, I learned of a general principle that has served me well and has since become the cornerstone of my body composition success.
Berardi’s First Law:
If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you will eventually eat it.
Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:
If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices.
Second Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:
If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.
The bottom line is that you must stock your house with all the ammo you need to fight the battle of the bulge. My body fat ranges from about 5% to about 8% throughout the year (without the use of thermogenics) and the only way I’m able to maintain that level of leanness is by removing all temptation from my home, where I spend most of my time.
For years I’ve advised my clients and athletes to do the same. Now I bring the message to you. Your willpower and discipline will be tested enough at social events, at lunch meetings, and as you pass the six Krispy Kreme locations on the commute home from work. If you’re to have any chance of success, you need a safe home base.
With that in mind, I’m going to give you a peak into my armory . . . er, kitchen. In this week’s installment, I’ll open my stainless steel fridge to show you what and what not to stock. In doing so I hope to demonstrate that there are plenty of options available to the trainee interested in optimal health and body composition. Of course, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list in any way; rather, it’s a snapshot of the actual contents of my favorite appliance, and as such should serve as a practical example of the nutrition theory I expound elsewhere on this site.
Let’s begin, shall we?
Meat, Poultry and Fish
I must get at least a dozen emails a day by readers who complain that they’re tired of eating beef. I don’t dignify those emails with a response. Word to the wise: if you want free nutrition advice from me, don’t disparage Mr. Beef.
In all seriousness, you don’t have to rely solely on beef for your protein intake — I certainly don’t. I get a wide variety of meat, poultry and fish, some examples of which are listed below.
I’m lucky enough to have two excellent markets near my home and I realize that the more exotic selections listed below may be difficult for you to find. However, don’t just assume because it’s not at your local Piggly Wiggly, you can’t get it. Look around for nearby farmer’s markets, or make a trip out to a more distant one and freeze your purchases.
Alternatively, you might want to try one of the various online distributors. I can’t recommend these as I’ve never tried them myself, but if you’ve had some success with them, drop me a line at jb@johnberardi.com and let me know so I can spread the word.
So let’s see what types and quantities of goodies are stashed in my fridge:
Extra Lean Ground Sirloin
Quantity: 3 x 1lb packages
Notes: I buy the leanest ground beef I can find, and I keep a couple pounds on hand. Most of the time this is purchased from the meat section in my favorite grocery store, but I’ll sometimes go down to a local farmer’s market to have grass-fed beef freshly ground for me.
Boneless Chicken Breasts
Quantity: 2 x 1lb packages
Notes: This too fluctuates. I buy the best chicken I can find, which most of the time is the grain-fed, store-bought type. I do buy free-range chicken whenever possible, but I won’t skimp on the protein if I can’t find the really good stuff (nor would I if I couldn’t really afford to buy it).
Mild Turkey Sausage
Quantity: 2 x 500g packages
Notes: Turkey sausage is a great change of pace. I don’t buy it all the time, but it goes quickly when I do. Who said you couldn’t have street meat?
Ostrich
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Fortunately, I’m able to get free-range ostrich meat at a nearby market and it’s excellent. I either grill it as a filet or have it ground for me.
Bison (Buffalo)
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Another great tasting meat. Bison steaks are truly amazing, and the macronutrient profile is excellent.
Elk
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Elk meat tastes good, has a good macronutrient profile and always gets a great reaction when you surprise your dinner guest by revealing the identity of the food they’re eating.
Salmon
Quantity: 2 large filets
Notes: Wild Atlantic salmon is perfect in pasta, in salads, or by itself. The genuine wild stuff has a great omega-3 profile, and cooked properly can go a long way toward impressing a date.
Eggs
I usually make one to two omelets a day so I keep a ton of eggs on hand. Note that my omelets don’t have nearly the amount of cheese or butter one normally finds in them.
Here’s what I use:
Omega-3 Eggs
Quantity: 2 dozen
Notes: Omega-3 eggs are laid by chickens that have been fed an omega-3 rich diet (10-20% ground flaxseed). I use one whole omega-3 egg in my morning omelet.
Egg Whites
Quantity: 12 x 250mL cartons
Notes: In addition to the whole omega-3 egg, I add 1 cup of egg whites to my morning omelet. (If you’re interested, the other components are chopped veggies, spinach and — depending on my goals — a small amount of cheese.)
Cheese
I’m lactose intolerant, yet I can still indulge in a little bit of cheese from time to time. During mass phases and maintenance phases, I use it judiciously. Of course, less is added during diet phases (unless I decide to rip out a couple of low carb weeks). However, dairy is often one of the first things I’ll remove from a client’s diet at the first sign of maldigestion, so you should pay close attention to your response to it. Most of the time I cut the cheese into small cubes and put it in salads, or into slices for my omelets, ground beef patties, and snacks.
Aged White Cheddar
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Aged cheddar has a nice sharp taste to it, and a mouthfeel that’s perfect for salads.
Baby Swiss
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Mild nutty cheese that I occasionally add to my salads.
Havarti
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: One of my favorites for omelets.
Parmiggiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: I usually grate some of this finely for pasta, the rest left whole or more coarsely grated for salads.
Feta Cheese
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Once made from sheep or goat’s milk, now commonly made with cow’s milk. Perfect for salads with nuts and fruit, as the softer, crumbly mouthfeel complements the crispier ingredients.
In my fridge
By John M Berardi
The Law of the Land
Long ago, when I first began to pay serious attention to my training and nutrition, I learned of a general principle that has served me well and has since become the cornerstone of my body composition success.
Berardi’s First Law:
If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you will eventually eat it.
Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:
If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices.
Second Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:
If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.
The bottom line is that you must stock your house with all the ammo you need to fight the battle of the bulge. My body fat ranges from about 5% to about 8% throughout the year (without the use of thermogenics) and the only way I’m able to maintain that level of leanness is by removing all temptation from my home, where I spend most of my time.
For years I’ve advised my clients and athletes to do the same. Now I bring the message to you. Your willpower and discipline will be tested enough at social events, at lunch meetings, and as you pass the six Krispy Kreme locations on the commute home from work. If you’re to have any chance of success, you need a safe home base.
With that in mind, I’m going to give you a peak into my armory . . . er, kitchen. In this week’s installment, I’ll open my stainless steel fridge to show you what and what not to stock. In doing so I hope to demonstrate that there are plenty of options available to the trainee interested in optimal health and body composition. Of course, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list in any way; rather, it’s a snapshot of the actual contents of my favorite appliance, and as such should serve as a practical example of the nutrition theory I expound elsewhere on this site.
Let’s begin, shall we?
Meat, Poultry and Fish
I must get at least a dozen emails a day by readers who complain that they’re tired of eating beef. I don’t dignify those emails with a response. Word to the wise: if you want free nutrition advice from me, don’t disparage Mr. Beef.
In all seriousness, you don’t have to rely solely on beef for your protein intake — I certainly don’t. I get a wide variety of meat, poultry and fish, some examples of which are listed below.
I’m lucky enough to have two excellent markets near my home and I realize that the more exotic selections listed below may be difficult for you to find. However, don’t just assume because it’s not at your local Piggly Wiggly, you can’t get it. Look around for nearby farmer’s markets, or make a trip out to a more distant one and freeze your purchases.
Alternatively, you might want to try one of the various online distributors. I can’t recommend these as I’ve never tried them myself, but if you’ve had some success with them, drop me a line at jb@johnberardi.com and let me know so I can spread the word.
So let’s see what types and quantities of goodies are stashed in my fridge:
Extra Lean Ground Sirloin
Quantity: 3 x 1lb packages
Notes: I buy the leanest ground beef I can find, and I keep a couple pounds on hand. Most of the time this is purchased from the meat section in my favorite grocery store, but I’ll sometimes go down to a local farmer’s market to have grass-fed beef freshly ground for me.
Boneless Chicken Breasts
Quantity: 2 x 1lb packages
Notes: This too fluctuates. I buy the best chicken I can find, which most of the time is the grain-fed, store-bought type. I do buy free-range chicken whenever possible, but I won’t skimp on the protein if I can’t find the really good stuff (nor would I if I couldn’t really afford to buy it).
Mild Turkey Sausage
Quantity: 2 x 500g packages
Notes: Turkey sausage is a great change of pace. I don’t buy it all the time, but it goes quickly when I do. Who said you couldn’t have street meat?
Ostrich
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Fortunately, I’m able to get free-range ostrich meat at a nearby market and it’s excellent. I either grill it as a filet or have it ground for me.
Bison (Buffalo)
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Another great tasting meat. Bison steaks are truly amazing, and the macronutrient profile is excellent.
Elk
Quantity: 2 lbs
Notes: Elk meat tastes good, has a good macronutrient profile and always gets a great reaction when you surprise your dinner guest by revealing the identity of the food they’re eating.
Salmon
Quantity: 2 large filets
Notes: Wild Atlantic salmon is perfect in pasta, in salads, or by itself. The genuine wild stuff has a great omega-3 profile, and cooked properly can go a long way toward impressing a date.
Eggs
I usually make one to two omelets a day so I keep a ton of eggs on hand. Note that my omelets don’t have nearly the amount of cheese or butter one normally finds in them.
Here’s what I use:
Omega-3 Eggs
Quantity: 2 dozen
Notes: Omega-3 eggs are laid by chickens that have been fed an omega-3 rich diet (10-20% ground flaxseed). I use one whole omega-3 egg in my morning omelet.
Egg Whites
Quantity: 12 x 250mL cartons
Notes: In addition to the whole omega-3 egg, I add 1 cup of egg whites to my morning omelet. (If you’re interested, the other components are chopped veggies, spinach and — depending on my goals — a small amount of cheese.)
Cheese
I’m lactose intolerant, yet I can still indulge in a little bit of cheese from time to time. During mass phases and maintenance phases, I use it judiciously. Of course, less is added during diet phases (unless I decide to rip out a couple of low carb weeks). However, dairy is often one of the first things I’ll remove from a client’s diet at the first sign of maldigestion, so you should pay close attention to your response to it. Most of the time I cut the cheese into small cubes and put it in salads, or into slices for my omelets, ground beef patties, and snacks.
Aged White Cheddar
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Aged cheddar has a nice sharp taste to it, and a mouthfeel that’s perfect for salads.
Baby Swiss
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Mild nutty cheese that I occasionally add to my salads.
Havarti
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: One of my favorites for omelets.
Parmiggiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: I usually grate some of this finely for pasta, the rest left whole or more coarsely grated for salads.
Feta Cheese
Quantity: 4-8 oz.
Notes: Once made from sheep or goat’s milk, now commonly made with cow’s milk. Perfect for salads with nuts and fruit, as the softer, crumbly mouthfeel complements the crispier ingredients.