Weekly Fat Loss #2 - Food Quality

While we track our macros, It’s important to take a look at the food quality and its composition before going further. Let’s dig in…

Food Composition & Food Quality

Protein Quality
Closely associated with essential amino acid profile & digestibility

• Sources of protein can be ranked based on the types and ratios of amino acids they provide. Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are considered "complete" proteins, while those that lack one or more essential amino acids are incomplete. Plant sources of protein are often incomplete, while animal sources are typically complete. In vegan diets, it may be necessary to consume multiple complementary protein sources to obtain all essential amino acids.

• The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating protein quality based on both the amino acid profile and digestibility of the protein. The PDCAAS scale ranges from 0 to 1, with 1 being the highest possible score.

• Here are some common protein sources listed according to their PDCAAS scores:

  1. Whey protein isolate (1.0)

  2. Casein protein (1.0)

  3. Egg Protein (1.00)

  4. Soy Protein Isolate (0.99)

  5. Mycoprotein (fungus-based vegan protein) (0.99)

  6. Chicken (0.91)

  7. Pea protein isolate (0.89)

  8. Egg white protein (0.88)

  9. Chickpeas (0.78)

  10. Fish (0.76-1.00 depending on the type)

  11. Chicken (0.91)

  12. Milk (0.91)

  13. Peanuts (0.52)

  14. Rice (0.50)

  15. Whole Wheat (0.42)

  16. Wheat Gluten (0.25)

For a more complete look at protein click here.

Carb Quality
Closely associated with digestion and absorption rate. Also micronutrient content and fiber.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly and how much a particular carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar levels. Foods with a high GI value are quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels, while foods with a low GI value are digested and absorbed more slowly, causing a more gradual and sustained rise in blood sugar levels.

Here are some common carbohydrate-containing foods listed according to their GI values:

• High glycemic index foods (GI 70 and above):

  • Pure Dextrose (Glucose) Powder (100)

  • Gatorade (90)

  • Plain White Potato (Average of all cooking methods) (85)

  • Cocoa Puffs Cereal (75)

  • White Bagel (70)

  • White Rice (65)

• Moderate glycemic index foods (GI 56-69):

  • Sweet Potato (60)

  • Quinoa (55)

  • Oatmeal (55)

  • Whole Grain Bread (50)

  • Brown Rice (50)

• Low glycemic index foods (GI 0-55):

  • All Bran Cereal (45)

  • Pasta (higher glycemic index the longer you boil it) (30-50)

  • Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Apples, Carrots (40)

  • Kidney Beans (35)

  • Skim Milk and Low-Fat Yogurt (30)

  • Grapefruit (25)

  • Soybeans, Chickpeas (15)

  • Hummus Dip (5)

  • Pure Insoluble Fiber (0)

Fat Quality

The quality of a fat source depends on its class, and each class has different effects on body composition, performance, and general health. Monounsaturated fats, found in plant sources like olive oil, canola oil, avocados, and nuts, are the best choice for overall health and supporting leaner, more muscular physiques. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain vegetable oils, fatty seeds, and animal products like fish and grass-fed meat, are essential for nutrition, especially Omega-3 fats, which may need to be supplemented for those training for high levels of fitness. Saturated fats, found in animal sources like dairy, eggs, meats, and coconut oils, have both potential benefits for anabolic hormone levels and health detriments, and thus their intake should be limited. Trans unsaturated fats are produced during the chemical manipulation of naturally occurring fats and are associated with negative health effects, so they should be avoided as much as possible.

Priority of fat from best (monounsaturated) to worst (trans fat):

• monounsaturated

  • Olive oil

  • Avocado

  • Peanut butter

  • Almond butter

  • Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans)

• polyunsaturated

  • Sunflower oil

  • Soybean oil

  • Fatty fish (salmon, trout, mackerel)

  • Walnuts

  • Chia seeds

• saturated

  • Butter

  • Cheese

  • Meat (beef, pork, lamb)

  • Coconut oil

  • Cream

• trans fat (keep to a minimum)

  • Margarine

  • Fried foods (such as French fries and fried chicken)

  • Packaged snacks (such as cookies and crackers)

  • Processed foods
    

Calorie Density vs. Food Volume

Palatability Index Examples

There are certain types of foods that are very enjoyable to eat (highly palatable), but they tend to have a lot of calories per unit of volume (high calorie density) and do not make you feel full after eating a small portion (low volume). This can make it easy to eat too many calories without realizing it. On the other hand, there are other foods, such as vegetables, that are less enjoyable to eat (less palatable), but they have a lot of volume and very few calories per unit of volume (low calorie density), which means you can eat a lot of them without consuming too many calories. This can make them a good choice for people who are trying to lose weight, as they can help you feel full while still consuming fewer calories overall.

• Low Palatability Index
  Vegetables, Plain Oatmeal, Plain Potatoes

• Moderate Palatability Index
  Whole Grain Breads, Pasta, Rice, Beans

• High Palatability Index
  French Fries, Ice Cream

• Very High Palatability Index
  Chips, Cookies, Cakes, Candy Bars