ZONE Food Blocks
Here is a guide on Zone Food Blocks to help you choose the right amount of foods to keep you In the Zone. This list contains portioned amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that will keep you In the Zone. From this list, most women should choose 3 blocks of protein, 3 blocks of carbohydrate, and 3 blocks of fat for each meal. Each selection in the Food Block list is one block. For example, one ounce of chicken equals one block, a woman should have 3 ounces of chicken. Most men should choose 4 blocks of protein, 4 blocks of carbohydrate, and 4 blocks of fat for each meal. Then choose 1 block of each for mid-afternoon and pre-bedtime snacks. See examples below. To find out how many blocks you need per day click here - protein calculator - this will tell you how many protein blocks you need per day, this number is also how many carbohydrate and fat blocks you need. If your calculated protein number is 15 blocks per day, then you will also need 15 carbohydrate and 15 fat blocks per day.
Sample Lunch for Women:
3 protein blocks = 3oz. chicken 3 carbohydrate blocks = 3 cups asparagus 3 fat blocks = 1 tsp. olive oil
Sample Snack:
1 protein block = 1oz. canned tuna in water 1 carbohydrate block = 2 cups celery 1 fat block = 1/3 tsp. olive oil
Use this list as a reference, but realize that these numbers are not set in concrete. There is more information on Food Blocks in the books A Week in the Zone and Zone Meals in Seconds by Dr. Barry Sears.
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
Most women should choose 3 blocks and men 4 blocks from the carbohydrate list per meal. (Each carbohydrate block below contains
9 grams of carbohydrate.)
Most women should choose
3 blocks and men 4 blocks
from the protein list per meal. (Each protein block below contains 7 grams of protein.)
.................
Low Density Carbohydrates
(Best Choices)
Meat and Poultry
Best Choices (low in saturated fat)
Cooked Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Beef (range fed or game)
Chicken breast, skinless Chicken breast, deli-style,
- 1 oz.
- 4 large
- 1 cup
- 1 oz.
- Artichoke Hearts
1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz.
Asparagus (12 spears) Beans, green or wax
1 cup
Ground beef (Less than 10% fat)
1 ½ cups
Lean Canadian Bacon Turkey breast, skinless Turkey breast, deli-style. Turkey, ground
1 ½ oz. 1 oz.
Beans, black Bok choy
1/4 cup
3 cups 3 cups 1 ½ cups
1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz.
Broccoli Brussel sprouts
- Turkey bacon
- 3 strips
- Cabbage
- 3 cups
4 cups
Fair Choices (moderate in saturated fat)
Cauliflower
- Beef (lean cuts)
- 1 oz.
1 oz.
Chickpeas
1/4 cup
- 2 cups
- Chicken, skinless, dark
meat
Collard greens
Corned beef, lean Duck
- 1 oz.
- Eggplant
- 1 ½ cups
1/4 cup
2 cups
1/4 cup
1 cup
1 ½ oz. 1 oz.
Hummus
- Ham, Iean
- Kale
Ham, deli-style Lamb, lean Pork, lean
1 ½ oz. 1 oz.
Kidney beans Leeks
- 1 oz.
- Lentils
1/4 cup
2 cups ½ cup 1 cup
- Pork Chop
- 1 oz.
- Mushrooms (boiled)
Onions, chopped (boiled) Okra, sliced Sauerkraut
- Turkey bacon
- 3 slices
Turkey, skinless, dark meat 1 oz.
- Veal
- 1 oz.
- 1 cup
Poor Choices (high in saturated fat, Arachidonic Acid, or both)
- Spaghetti squash
- 2 cups
- Bacon, pork
- 3 ½ slices
1 oz.
- Spinach
- 3 ½ cups
2 ½ cups 1 ½ cups 4 cups
- Beef, fatty cuts*
- Swiss chard
Turnip, mashed Turnip greens Yellow squash Zucchini
Beef, ground (>10% fat) Hot dog, beef or pork
1 ½ oz. 1 link
- Hot dog, chicken or turkey 1 link
- 2 cups
Pepperoni Salami
1 oz. 1 oz.
2 cups
Raw Vegetables
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Sausage, pork
Sausage, pork *Arachidonic Acid
- 2 links
- 10 cups
4 cups 3 cups 4 cups 4 cups 4 cups 2 cups ¼ cup 4 cups 10 cups 10 cups 2
- 2 patties
- Bamboo shoots
Bean sprouts Broccoli
Fish and Seafood
Cabbage. shredded Cauliflower pieces Celery, sliced
Bass (freshwater) Bass (sea) Bluefish
1 oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz.
Chick peas
Calamari Catfish
Cucumber, sliced Endive, chopped Escarole, chopped Green or red peppers Green or red peppers, chopped Jalapeño peppers Lettuce, iceberg Lettuce, romaine, chopped Mushrooms, chopped Onions, chopped Radishes, sliced Salsa
Cod
- Clams
- 1 ½ oz.
1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 oz.
2 cups 2 cups 2 heads 10 cups 4 cups 1 ½ cup 4 cups ½ cup
Crabmeat Haddock Halibut Lobster Salmon* Sardines*
- Scallops
- 1 ½ oz.
Snapper Swordfish Shrimp
1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz. 1 ½ oz.
Snow peas Spinach
1 ½ cups 20 cups
- 1
- Spinach Salad (3 cups raw
spinach, ½ raw onion, and 1 raw tomato)
- Trout
- 1 ½ oz.
1 oz.
- Tomato
- 2
Tuna (steak) Tuna, canned in water *Rich in EPA
Tomato, cherry Tomato, chopped
2 cups 1 ½ cups 1
1 oz.
Tossed salad (3 cups shredded lettuce, ½ raw green pepper, and 1 raw tomato)
Eggs
Best Choices
Water chestnuts Water cress
1/3 cup
10 cups
- Egg whites
- 2
Fruits
- Apple
- Egg substitute
- ¼ cup
- ½
Fair Choices
Applesauce (unsweetened) Apricots
1/3 cup
- 3
- Whole egg*
- 1
- *Arachidonic Acid
- Blackberries
- 3/4 cup
- ½ cup
- Blueberries
Protein-Rich Dairy
Best Choices
Boysenberries Cherries Fruit cocktail (light) Grapes
½ cup
- Cheese, nonfat
- 1 oz.
- 8
- Cottage cheese, low-fat
- ¼ cup
1/3 cup
Fair Choices
½ cup
- Cheese, low-fat
- 1 oz.
1 oz. 2 oz.
Grapefruit Kiwi
½
- 1
- Mozzarella cheese, skim
- Ricotta cheese, skim
- Lemon
- 1
Poor Choices
- Lime
- 1
- Hard cheeses
- 1 oz.
- Nectarine
Orange
½½
Vegetarian (always check package labels)
- Protein powder
- 7 grams, 1/3 oz.
½ patty 3 slices 1 link
Orange, Mandarin, canned in water 1/3 cup
- Soy burger
- Peach
- 1
Soy Canadian bacon Soy hotdog
Peaches, canned in water Pear
½ cup ½
Soy hamburger crumbles Soy sausage links Soy sausage
- ½ cup
- Plum
- 1
2 links 1 patty
Raspberries Strawberries Tangerine
1 cup 1 cup
- 1
- Tofu, firm or extra firm
- 2 oz.
Mixed Protein Sources
(Contain more carbohydrate, so read labels carefully)
Grains (read labels)
- Soybeans, boiled
- ¼ block
¾ patty
- Barley (dry)
- ½ tbs.
- Soybean hamburger
- Oatmeal (slow-cooking) (cooked)** 1/3 cup
Tofu, silken Tofu, soft
5 oz. 4 oz.
Oatmeal (slow-cooking) (dry)**
**Contains GLA
½ oz.
Mixed Protein /
Carbohydrate (Contain 1
block protein and 1 block carbohydrate)
High Density Carbohydrates
(use in moderation)
Cooked Vegetables
Acorn squash Beans, baked Beans, refried Beets, sliced
Milk, low-fat (1%) Soy milk
- 1 cup
- ½ cup
¼ cup ¼ cup ½ cup ½ cup 1
8 oz.
- Soy Flour
- 10 grams
½ cup 1 ½ oz.
Yogurt, plain
- Tempeh
- Butternut squash
Carrot
- Carrots, sliced
- 1 cup
Fat
Most women should choose 3 blocks and men should choose 4 blocks from the fat
- Carrots, shredded
- 1 cup
- list per meal.
- (Each fat
block below contains 1.5 grams of fat.)
- Corn
- ¼ cup
5
Best Choices (rich in monounsaturated fat)
French fries
Almond butter Almond oil
½ tsp. 1/3 tsp.
1 tsp. 3
Lima beans Parsnips Peas
¼ cup
1/3 cup
½ cup ¼ cup
Almonds (slivered) Almonds (whole)
Pinto beans
- Avocado
- 1 tbsp.
- Potato, baked
- ¼ cup
1/3 cup
¼ cup
1/3 cup
¼ cup
Cashews Guacamole Macadamia nut Olives
- 2
- Potato, boiled
- 1 tbsp
- Potato, mashed
Sweet potato, baked Sweet potato, mashed
13
- Olive oil
- 1/3 tsp.
Fruits
1/3
Olive oil and vinegar dressing
1/3 tsp olive oil plus vinegar to taste
Banana
- Peanuts
- 6
- Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe, cubed Cranberries Cranberry sauce Dates
¼ melon ¾ cup ¾ cup 3 tsp 2
Peanut butter, natural Peanut oil
½ tsp. 1/3 tsp.
- 3
- Pistachios
Almond butter Sesame oil Tahini
Fair Choices (low in saturated fat)
½ tsp. 1/3 tsp. ½ tsp.
- Fig
- 1
- Guava
- ½ cup
2/3 cup
Honeydew melon, cubed
- Canola oil
- 1/3 tsp.
- Kumquat
- 3
Mayonnaise, regular Mayonnaise, light Sesame oil
1/3 tsp. 1 tsp.
Mango, sliced Papaya, cubed Pineapple, diced Prunes, dried Raisins
1/3 cup
¾ cup ½ cup 2
½ tsp. 1/3 tsp. ½ tsp.
Soybean oil Walnuts, shelled and chopped
1 tbsp
Poor Choices (high in saturated fat)
- Watermelon, cubed
- ¾ cup
Bacon bits, imitation Butter
2 tsp.
Fruit Juices
1/3 tsp. ½ tbsp. 1 tsp.
Cream (half and half) Cream cheese Cream cheese, light Lard
Apple
1/3 cup 1/3 cup
¼ cup ¼ cup ¼ cup
1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup
¼ cup 1 cup
Apple cider Cranberry Fruit punch Grape
2 tsp. 1/3 tsp. ½ tbsp. 1 tbsp. 1/3 tsp.
Sour cream Sour cream, light Vegetable shortening
Grapefruit Lemonade, unsweetened Lime Orange Pineapple Tomato
- V-8
- ¾ cup
Grains, Cereals, and Breads
- Bagel, small
- ¼
- Biscuit
- ½
Bread crumbs Bread, whole grain or white Breadstick, hard Breadstick, soft Buckwheat, dry Bulgur wheat, dry Cereal, dry
1 oz. ½ slice 1½½ oz. ½ oz. ½ oz.
- Cornbread
- 1-inch square
- Cornstarch
- 4 tsp.
Couscous, dry Cracker, graham Cracker, saltine Cracker, Triscuit Croissant, plain Crouton
1 oz. 1 ½ squares 43¼½ oz.
1/3
Doughnut, plain English muffin Granola
¼½ oz.
1/3 cup
Grits, cooked
- Melba toast
- ½ oz.
- Millet, dry
- ½ oz.
Muffin, blueberry, mini Noodles, egg, cooked Pancake, four-inch Pasta, cooked Pita bread
½¼ oz. 1¼ cup ½ pocket
Popcorn, popped Rice, brown, cooked Rice, white, cooked Rice cake
2 cups
1/5 cup 1/5 cup
1
- Roll, bulkie
- ¼
½½1
Roll, small dinner Roll, hamburger Taco shell Tortilla, six-inch corn Tortilla, eight-inch flour Waffle
1½½
Alcohol
- Beer, light
- 6 oz. or ½
bottle
- Beer, regular
- 4 oz. or 1/3
bottle
Distilled spirits Wine
1 oz. 4 oz.
Others
Barbecue sauce Cake
2 tbsp 1/3 slice
- ¼
- Candy bar
- Catsup
- 2 tbsp
2 tbsp 1
Cocktail sauce Cookie, small
- Honey
- ½ tbsp
¼ cup
1/6 cup
2 tbsp ½ tsp 1 ½ tbsp ½ oz. ½ oz. 4 tsp
Ice cream, regular Ice cream, premium Jam or jelly Molasses, light Plum sauce Potato chips Pretzels Relish, pickle Sugar, brown Sugar, granulated
2 tsp 2 tsp
Sugar, confectionary Syrup, maple
1 tbsp 2 tsp
Syrup, pancake Teriyaki sauce Tortilla chips
2 tsp 1 tbsp ½ oz.