nutrition

Question
I have a lot of sensitivities and intolerances.  I can not have milk products, nuts or grains with gluten and I cannot eat fruits.  My diet consist of lean meats, and lots of veggies and the grains I eat are white rice and corn.  Can I maintain good health with just these foods?  I also am on a magnesium supplement.

Answer
Hi Georginia,

Believe it or not your diet is actually pretty sound. There can be a few adjustments and you just need to learn how to create your meals around the foods you can safely eat.

The lean meats are perfect sources of protein. Chicken and turkey are great sources of lean protein that give you about 20 grams per serving. A general serving size is about 4 ounces.
Beef is also great. Many people disregard to the benefits of red meat and buy into media hype that its bad for you. There is no reason you can't enjoy a piece of lean red meat 2 or 3 times a day. It contains anywhere from 25-30 grams per serving and important nutrients like iron. Stick with lean cuts like flank or sirloin. When it comes to ground beef look for a 90-10 or better yet 97-3 fat ratio.

The vegetables you eat are a obvious good thing. You can feel free to load up on them. The best are dark leafy greens like spinach or the king of vegetables broccoli.

As far as grains you'd be in your best interest to forgo the white rice for brown. White rice actually has no nutritional value and is pretty much just empty calories. Corn is fine in moderation. That said I'm glad you are aware that corn is a grain and not a vegetable (a common misconception)
If you can tolerate rice and corn you'd probably be ok eating oats as well. Another grain you might try is quinoa. Its been around for thousands of years but just recently become popular. Its one of the few grains that is a complete protein. It is gluten free and also provides magnesium, calcium, and iron.

So you are basically on a good path here. The only thing you need to add in is some fat. Good sources of fat are monounsatured oils like extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. (Cook in canola and use olive as a dressing or marinade) Other good sources of fat are avocados. Keep in mind though that avocado is in fact a fruit.

When you create your meals be sure they include all three macronutrients.
-Protein (poultry, beef, or fish)
-Fat (monounsaturated oils, avocado)
-Carbohydrate (whole grain or vegetable)

Finally I'd suggest you take a multivitamin to account for any nutritional deficiency in your diet. Actually I recommend everyone take a multivitamin regardless of food allergies.  

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