Eating Guidelines

Team Beach Body recommends to follow Michi's Ladder as an eating guideline.  If you eat from the first two tiers only, you will have a near perfect diet.  Avoid eating lower on the ladder.  


Carb: C | Fat: F | Protein: P

Tier 1: The Pious Tier
Apples, with skin C
Artichokes (no sauce) PC
Amaranth PC
Arugula C
Asparagus C
Barley C
Beans PCF
Beets C
Blueberries C
Bok choy C
Boysenberries C
Bran C
Broccoli PC
Broccoli sprouts PC
Brussels sprouts PC
Cabbage C
Carrots C
Cauliflower C
Celery C
Chard PC
Chickpeas PC
Cherries C
Citrus fruits C
Collard greens PC
Cottage cheese (nonfat) P
Cucumbers C
Egg whites P
Endive C
Fish (broiled, steamed, grilled) PF
Flaxseed F
Garlic (fresh) C
Grapefruit C
Grapes C
Hempseed F
Herbs
Kale PFC
Ketchup (homemade, no sugar) C
Kiwifruit C
Lentils PFC
Lettuce (romaine, green or red leaf) C
Melon honeydew C
Milk (nonfat) PC
Mushrooms C
Mustard C
Natto PFC
Nectarines C
Onions C
Papayas C
Peaches C
Pears C
Peas PC
Peppers C
Pineapple C
Plums C
Prunes C
Quinoa PC
Radishes C
Raspberries C
Refried beans (nonfat) PC
Rice (whole-grain) C
Salsa (natural, no sugar or oil) C
Spelt PC
Shakeology CP
Spinach PC
Squash C
Strawberries C
String beans PC
Sweet potatoes C
Tea (green or black, no sugar)
Tomato sauce (no sugar) C
Tomatoes C
Vinegar
Water
Yams C
Yogurt (nonfat, no sugar) PC
Zucchini C


Tier 2: The Happy Tier
Apples, skinless C
Applesauce (raw) C
Avocados F
Bagels (whole-grain) C
Bananas C
Bread (whole-grain) FC
Broths (veggie, chicken, etc., low sodium) FC
Buffalo, super lean (under 10% fat) PF
Cereal (whole-grain) PFC
Cheese (nonfat) P
Coffee (black or cappuccino w/ nonfat milk) C
Coconut F
Corn FC
Couscous PFC
Cottage cheese (low-fat) PF
Cream cheese (nonfat) P
Dates C
Eggs, whole PF
Eggplant C
Feta cheese (low-fat) PF
Fowl (skinless, white meat only) PF
Figs C
Granola (raw, no sugar) PFC
Hummus PFC
Juice (fresh-squeezed w/ pulp, no sugar) C
Mangoes C
Meat, wild game PF
Milk (1%) PFC
Muesli (raw, no sugar) PFC
Nuts (raw) PF
Nut butters (raw, no additives) PF
Oatmeal PC
Olive oil F
Olives F
Pork tenderloin PF
Plantains C
Raisins C
Ricotta cheese (nonfat) P
Rye Crisp C
Seitan PFC
Squid PF
Stevia
Sunflower seeds PF
Tahini PF
Tempeh PFC
Tofu PFC
Vegetable juice C
Veggie burger PFC
Yacon syrup C
Yogurt (low-fat, no sugar) PFC


Tier 3: The Swiss Tier
Applesauce (big brand) C
Agave nectar C
Almond milk PFC
Beef, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF
Beef (lean cuts) PF
Broths (veggie, chicken, etc.) C
Butter (unsalted) F
Canola oil F
Cheese (hard)
Cheese (low-fat) PF
Chicken taco (baked) PFC
Chili (no lard or sugar added) PF
Crackers (whole-grain) FC
Cream cheese (low-fat) PF
Fowl (skinless, dark meat only) PF
Fowl, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF
French fries (baked) FC
Fruit (dried) C
Granola (no sugar added) C
Honey C
Jam or marmalade (no sugar added) C
Ketchup (store bought, no sugar added) C
Lamb (lean) PF
Lettuce (iceberg) C
Maple syrup (natural, no sugar added) C
Milk (2%) PFC
Muesli (big brand) PC
Molasses C
Oatmeal (flavored) PC
Pancakes (buckwheat) C
Pasta (whole-grain) C
Pickles C
Popcorn (plain) FC
Potatoes (baked or boiled) C
Refried beans (low-fat) PFC
Rice cakes C
Rice milk C
Rice (white) C
Sauerkraut C
Shellfish P
Shrimp P
Soy milk PFC
Soy nuts PFC
Sugar alcohols (Truvia, & anything ending in –tol) C
Sushi PFC
Tortillas (whole wheat) FC
Veal PF
Wine (red) C
Wine (white) C


Tier 4: The Dodgy Tier
Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharine, etc.)
Bagels (refined flour) C
Beef, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF
Beer C
Bread (refined flour) C
Butter (salted) F
Caesar salad (w/ chicken) PFC
Canadian bacon PF
Cheese, soft (including blue and goat) F
Chips (low-fat, baked) C
Cobb salad PFC
Coffee (iced mocha latte w/ nonfat milk) PC
Coffee (latte w/ whole milk) PFC
Coffee cake FC
Crackers FC
Cream cheese F
Fish (fried) PF
Fowl (with skin) PF
Fowl, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF
Graham crackers C
Ham PF
Hot dogs (turkey) PF
Ice cream (sugar-free or fat-free) FC
Jell-O C
Jerky (turkey) P
Juice (from concentrate) C
Lamb chops PF
Lasagna PFC
Macaroni and cheese FC
Mayonnaise F
Meat loaf PF
Milk (whole) PFC
Muffins FC
Nuts (salted or roasted) F
Nut butters (processed) FC
Pancakes FC
Peanut butter (not raw) FC
Pizza (thin crust veggie) PFC
Popcorn (w/ salt and butter) FC
Pork chop PF
Potato salad or macaroni salad FC
Pretzels C
Pudding (w/ low-fat milk) FC
Reuben sandwich PFC
Sauce (steak, etc.) C
Sherbet C
Sloppy Joe (lean beef or turkey) PFC
Soup (canned creamy) PFC
Soy sauce
Spaghetti (w/ meatballs) PFC
Sub sandwich PFC
Sweet-and-sour sauce FC
Tortilla (refined flour or corn) FC
Tuna salad or chicken salad PF
Yogurt (frozen) C


Tier 5: The Newburg Tier
Alcohol (hard liquor)
Bacon PF
Baked beans PFC
Beef, ground, regular, (over 20% fat) PF
Beef taco (fried) PFC
"Breaded" foods FC
Breakfast sandwich (fast-food) PFC
Cake FC
Candy PFC
Cereal (sugared) PFC
Chicken à la King PFC
Chicken (buffalo wings, nuggets, tenders) PFC
Chicken or fish sandwich, fried PFC
Chips (potato or corn) FC
Chocolate PFC
Chicken fried steak PFC
Cinnamon bun FC
Coffee (mocha, macchiato, ice blended, frappé, triple caramel vanilla buzz bomb, etc.) FC
Cookies (Oreo®, etc.) FC
Creamed veggies FC
Creamer (nondairy) FC
Doughnuts FC
Energy drinks C
Fowl, ground, regular (over 20% fat) PF
French fries FC
Gravy PF
Grilled cheese sandwich PFC
Hamburger (fast-food) PFC
High fructose corn syrup C
Hot dogs PFC
"Hydrogenated" foods F
Ice cream FC
Jerky (beef, pork, venison) PFC
Juice (sugar added) C
Lobster Newburg PFC
Margarine F
Milk (cream or half-and-half) PFC
Nachos FC
Onion rings FC
Pastries FC
Pies FC
Pizza (delivered) PFC
Potato skins (fried) FC
Refried beans (w/ lard) PFC
Salad dressing (creamy) FC
Sausage PF
Soft drinks, diet (read the studies)
Soft drinks, sugared C
Sports drinks & foods (unless you're playing sports)
Syrup C
Sugar (refined) C
Tater tots FC
Toaster pastries FC
Vegetable oil (cheap big brand) F