diet is a four letter word

Some eating philosophy and experience I shared with a friend, who just started a diet:

I aim to choose the most efficient foods to feed my body machine, and have food be about health and energy, not desire, lack, punishment, and comfort. I do insist on enjoying my food, though! Why would I overeat? Because I learned to crave food. In response to that, I learned to make choices to reduce cravings. When I want to treat myself I choose massage over pound cake.

Tricks that work for me:
First thing that goes in stomach in the morning: glass of water with lemon, seems to decrease my appetite especially for sweets and starches

Eating less salt, sugar, bread, pasta, alcohol, and caffiene, reduces food cravings (mine were sweets and salty starches)

eating 3 small meals with protein snacks in between (eat every 3-4 hours) keeps my mood and energy stable, I don't crave larger portions or un-nutritious foods. (Protein snacks: yogurt, smoked salmon, mozzarella, milk, tuna, chicken tender - SMALL portion!)

Eating less salt, caffeine, and sugar, reduces food cravings

Trader Joe's

• Almond butter (mix with soy sauce for peanut sauce for steamed veggies)
  
• canned protein shakes to keep in car for quick snacks, makes me burger-proof
• Smoked salmon in the fridge section (or the canned stuff is good on pasta, with peas)
• cheese: fresh mozzarella in liquid (rich and satisfying)
  
• Bread: the moist european style bread that is about 1/2 the size of a regular loaf. Great fiber content - don't eat more than one slice per day! Lovely toasted, and is filling.
• sparkling water (with lemon, or a little juice, is great soda substitute)
• soy milk (doesn't need to be fridgerated till opened)
• Guilty pleasure: tuna in olive oil
• lowfat greek yogurt - heaven if you love to eat sour cream with a spoon
• long european cucumber, eat the skin - free food!
• turkey/chicken sausages
• frozen chicken tenders or breasts (bake with lemon and onion, stir fry in peanut sauce)
  
• frozen fish and big fat sea scallops
• frozen fruit: mango slices, blueberries
• Almonds and macadamia nuts: good fat (peanuts=bad fat)
  
• olive oil
  

Health Food stores

• Dr. Braggs Amino Acids (use on salads)
• Miso (a soy soup base, good with bok choy (cabbage), green onions and tofu or shrimp)
• vitamins (I can give you info about good ones, if you like, for example, centrum makes the best one-a-day multivitamin)

Regular market:

• Berries and cantaloupe over bananas, apple and oranges (less sugar, more vitamins)
• Kale, cabbage and broccoli over squash, zucchini, eggplant or potatoes (more fiber and vitamins)
• Black, pinto, garbanzo beans over sauced beans
• Steam a whole trout with ginger, green onions and garlic
• No canned food, no frozen food, no premade salad dressings or sauces (tend to have too many additives)
• No crackers, ever!
• Kashi Go Lean cereal, or no cereal is even better
• Real Ice cream or none at all (eat a smaller portion: the point is for the body to feel good, not to get to eat more - lowfat foods excuse us to eat more, which reinforces craving cycles)