10 Foods I Couldn’t Live Without
If you had to subsist on ten foods for the rest of your life, which ten would you choose? That was essentially the question posed to me by a reader email. In it, Jamie made an elaborate setup: having been chosen to man a mission to Mars in the near future, I have to program my Food Machine for the trip. The Food Machine is a wondrous piece of technology that can create any Earth-based food from scratch, but the catch is that it can only store ten “recipes” and the programming has to take place before we leave. Once I’m up in the shuttle, I can’t change my mind. I’ll have to live with these foods for ten years (and maybe longer – who knows how things will go down). More than simply survive, I’ll have to thrive on these foods. I’ll have to get all the essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, so I had better get it right.
It was hard to choose. Obviously, it’s just a thought experiment, but I really tried to balance flavor/pleasure and nutritional completeness. Sticking to Primal foods, this usually takes care of itself, but, well, it’s ten years.
1. Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with Extra Thick Skin
To me, skin-on sockeye salmon gives you two foods in one. The flesh is great stuff, no doubt – flaky, delicate, delicious – but the skin is perfection. Crispy sockeye skin is like bacon of the sea, and yet people avoid it. I don’t understand why. I go crazy for the stuff. In fact, I’m never one to eat off of others’ plates, except when skin-on salmon is served. People eat around it, they scrape the meat off, they push it aside so it hangs off the plate, forgotten. But not by me. I will eat your salmon skin if you don’t appreciate it. So, yeah. Endless amounts of salmon skin bacon? Sure, I’ll brave the red planet for that.
Salmon takes care of selenium and omega-3s, and it gets me part of the way there for vitamin D. The skin is particularly fatty and nutrient-rich.
2. Bone-In Grass-Fed Cowboy Ribeye
Nothing can replace the basic human urge to eat the occasional massive slab of animal except actually eating a big massive slab of animal, and the bone handle that comes attached to the cowboy ribeye is perfect for low-gravity situations.
It’s a great source of quality animal fat (including a modest amount of omega-3s), protein, B-vitamins, and – because the “grass” the cow “fed” on “grew” in nutrient-dense soil – minerals.
3. Grass-Fed Butter
The rich golden goodness of butter is tough to beat, and I can slather it on just about anything. For the fatty acid profile (including CLA), vitamin A, vitamin K2, and omega-3s, grass-fed butter makes the cut. But let’s be honest. This is mostly about the taste: the creaminess, the richness and the mouth-feel that satisfies like nothing else.
4. Broccoli
I need my cruciferous fix, and broccoli is that fix. The absorbent tops do a decent job of soaking up meat juice, sauce, and butter.
5. Blackberries
A good blackberry is good. I mean, who doesn’t like biting into a plump one and feeling all those tiny bulbs explode, releasing their juices into your mouth. Because they’re so physically imposing compared to the other berries, I can eat blackberries one at a time and be totally satisfied, whereas with really good blueberries or raspberries I find myself shoveling them in.
Blackberries are good sources of soluble fiber (gut flora food), vitamin C, and deliciousness.
6. Pasture-Raised Eggs
It came down between grass-fed lamb liver (see Honorable Mentions below) and eggs, and eggs won out. Poached, fried, baked, scrambled, hard-boiled, and even raw at times, I love eggs just about any way they’re served. And hey, they pack a healthy dose of selenium, iodine, phosphorus, molybdenum, choline, lutein, vitamins A, B2, B5, B12, E, D and K. Add to this 5.5 grams of protein per egg and essential fatty acids, and you’ve got yourself a delicious and decadent powerhouse food.
7. Spinach
Spinach offers calcium and magnesium in spades, pairs well with meat of any kind, can be sauteed, steamed, thrown into soups, or eaten raw, and provides roughage when I’m into that sort of thing.
While there’s some concern over excessive consumption of oxalates in spinach leading to kidney stones, I won’t be eating it exclusively nor in massive quantities. I can’t say the same for the vegetarian dude who gets stuck with me as a crew member.
8. Okinawan Sweet Potatoes
I’ve really grown enamored of these purple beauties. Best of all, using the Food Machine means I won’t have to settle for those light lavender-ish “purple” yams I sometimes get at the Asian markets. Instead, I can make sure I get the deepest, purplest potatoes around.
Okinawan sweet potatoes take care of any blue-related antioxidant compounds I might be missing by skipping on blueberries.
9. Grass-Fed Greek Yogurt
I need something fermented, and I think I’d get sick of kimchi or sauerkraut after awhile, so Greek yogurt it is. But not just any regular old Greek yogurt, though Fage is a great brand. I’d program the Greek yogurt from Papa Cristos in Los Angeles, a Greek restaurant/grocer that makes their own Greek yogurt on the premises. Ironically, it’s a Bulgarian dude that actually makes the stuff, but in the Greek fashion. This is thick, rich yogurt with more tang (and therefore probiotics) than Fage.
Good Greek yogurt (not the 0% fat nonsense) is rich in healthy dairy fat. And, since this is my fantasy, this particular Greek yogurt would be made from A2 casein milk cattle raised by the Masai on fertile grassland, so I bet you’d get some vitamin K2 in there somehow.
10. Macadamia Nuts
I just ran the previous nine items through Cronometer, and I hit the RDAs with ease, so this one is pure pleasure. Macadamia nuts are perfectly nutritious – good source of monounsaturated fats, ultra low in polyunsaturated fats – but, as far as nutritional requirements go, they weren’t required. Besides, I can’t truly enjoy my Greek yogurt without macadamias and blackberries mixed in (seriously, try it; it’s insanely good).
Honorable Mentions
Grass-Fed Lamb Liver - While beef liver is often described as nature’s multivitamin, lamb liver is pretty similar nutritionally but with a milder flavor. I honestly enjoy beef liver. I just think I could eat lamb liver on a regular basis, and never feel like it was a chore. Lamb liver takes care of tons of micronutrients: folate, selenium, choline, vitamin A, copper, all B-vitamins. Really it was a toss up between liver and eggs for me, and eggs won out.
Cheese – I thought about swapping out the broccoli for really great cheese but couldn’t pull the trigger. But dang, would I miss it…
Bacon – The presence of sockeye salmon skin made this an easier choice that it would have been otherwise. Sorry, bacon.
Bone Broth - While many have tried looking into the specific nutrient composition of bone broth, there has never really been a definitive answer given. Regardless, the stuff is tasty, makes a nice warm drink for those cold Mars winters, and definitely contains something worthwhile. I’m not talking your standard variety six-hour bone broth, mind you. I’m talking three-day epic bone-disintegrating broth with Sally Fallon herself manning the stock pot while being presided over by the spirit of Weston A. Price. Broth that solidifies at room temperature. Broth that doubles as shoe-gel inserts. Broth that, though nutritious and satisfying, still didn’t break into the top ten.
Other Berries – I love all berries, usually equally, but blackberries got my vote today because I’ve been wolfing them down and they’ve been particularly good this season. Ask me in a couple weeks and I might say raspberries.
Cabernet Sauvignon – I wasn’t sure if I had to include this in the foods or if I could sneak it in with the water. If not, I might end up swapping out the nuts for the wine. Eh, since this is a thought experiment, I’ll just go ahead and think that the latter is true.
Of course, I could live without all of these foods. Oh, but how I would suffer. Fortunately, I won’t be headed to Mars anytime soon and I can enjoy the rich bounty of whole foods that are part of the Primal Blueprint eating strategy from my terrestrial station.
So, that’s me, but what about you? Which ten foods would you program into the Food Machine to be eaten exclusively for the rest of your life? How would you ensure that you both survive and thrive on a diet of only ten foods? Let us know in the comment section!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Need good sources for chicken livers! Any ideas? Also sources for some of the other goodies would be great.
1.Coconut – gonna multi purpose this for all it’s worth. I love the stuff.
2. Steak
3. Cream
4. Spinach
5. Eggs
6. Tea – not really a food but I act like a grandma and drink like 5 cups a day.
7. Almonds – also going to use these for every purpose under the sun.
8. Squash – probably Kabocha if I had to choose just one. (So much more delicious than yams imo!)
9. Berries – any.
10. Bell peppers/Mushrooms… I’m so torn.
A super interesting post would be which seasonings we can’t do without!
Texas Sweet Potatoes. Orange goodness, with lots of salted butter on them. Yum. See some of my Grok food photos here (some are admittedly not Grocky!) http://www.flickr.com/photos/larsonfamily/sets/72157624965227316/with/5826650479/
My list has to include slow-cooked beef barbacoa and pulled pork. In the slow cooker! Yum.
Agreed on the salmon skin! I love it..and people pull a face when I say I love salmon with the skin left on!
My top ten…
1. Really good coffee
2. Really good dark chocolate
3. Berries, pretty much any type..but strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are my favourite..having these top 3 together? Heaven!
4. Bacon!
5. Definitely salmon with the skin on..fried to a crispy perfection.
6. Plain yogurt, either over 3% fat or the full fat Greek…I have this almost every morning over berries.
7. Delicious rib eye steaks
8. Sea salt and pepper
9. Fruit wines..my favourites..a pineapple wine from Washington and a local winery that makes Strawberry wine in Fort Langley.
10. Broccoli also..my favourite veggie!
My 10:
organic eggs
grass-fed butter
butternut squash
grass-fed ground beef
pastured chicken breasts
raspberries
tomatoes
onions
shoulder of pork (for pernil)
garlic
I’ll play:
1. Wild Sockeye Salmon
2. Coconut(all forms)
3. Avocado
4. Blueberries
5. Chocolate(all forms)
6. Pastured eggs
7. Kale
8. Broccoli
9. Olives(all forms)
10. Sourkraut
** Bonus Yerba mate/chaga tea
Have to say I would go with your list but would swap lambs liver for the ribeye!
Not in any particular order….
1. All parts of coconut
2. Blueberries
3. Rib eye steak
4. Bacon
5. Eggs
6. Cocoa Camino 80% dark chocolate or Green and Blacks 85% dark chocolate
7. Greek style yogurt
8. Sweet potatoes
9. Spinach
10. Organic aged white cheddar
Honorable mentions…
Almonds
Butter
Sulfur free dried Mission Figs
Berries in all shapes and sizes
Halibut and salmon
Organic cream
Unpasteurized wildflower honey
Wow it is actually hard to pick out my favorites but that definitely sums it up
Sorry Mark but I have lived on the West Coast my whole life, my families were avid ocean fishermen, and I have never touched the skin of a salmon…. the whole idea grosses me out, lol.
grapefruit!
Living in northern Wisconsin, my local fare would include:
* free range chicken thighs/legs
* grass fed bone-in ribeye
* venison tenderloin and heart
* wild blueberries
* wild asparagus
* lightly smoked fresh brook trout
* wild raspberries
* free range eggs
* fresh watercress
* fried walleye pike
With multiple food intolerances, this blog was not only fun, but the foods you mentioned all passed my intolerant criteria!
Great Post!
I love all those foods you mentioned. Except blackberries haha. I love pretty much everyother food except blackberries. (blueberries and rasberries are my favorite)
Glad you mentioned sweet potatoes. My favorite food. Probably wouldn’t be able to be full primal without yams.
Also kale would be a good addition to that list. One of the most nutrient dense foods on this planet.
This list is FTW! Right on target! Except, I could do without the butter. Dairy, as I’ve found out, isn’t really my friend whilst being primal… then again, Dairy and I weren’t BFFs to begin with; she gets along with my sister, who’s also primal.
Great post & premise Mark, what Fun! I’m pretty much down with your list, however I gotta figure out where to slide in (&what to replace) COCONUT (nuts for all things coconut) & Avocado! Oh & lest I forget…Tequila…a Great 100 % Agave smooth, sipping tequila..to sip neat or in a Nor Cal Margarita..or even better TRY this: 1.5 oz Topo Chico Sparkling Water (Perrier on Steroids), 1.5 oz Tequila (Blanco or Reposado), lime & lemon wedge & 2 slices of fresh jalapeno (w seeds). Shaken over ice, not stirred. Salud!
No bacon? Uncured bacon is what satisfies me the most when I am absolutely craving junk food. Knowing that one of my meals during the day can be bacon is just enough to see me through.
1. most seafood
2. leafy greens
3. berries
4. nuts
5. eggs
6. plain yogurt
7. coconuts
8. avocado
9. 100% dark cacao (nothing added)
10. chicken (with the skin on. lol)
Omg, I’m so with you, Mark, on the bone-in ribeye! I just wish more butchers carried the grass-fed kind.
While you don’t talk about it in your books I find it interesting that everything in your list of top 10 is Kosher. Just a thought that stuck out at me while reading your post. ~Jon
halibut, blueberries,walnuts,grass fed beef london broil,spanish,organic eggs,organic sweet potatoes, Broccoli,onions and red peppers
Filet mignon
Bacon
Ahi Tuna
Broccoli
Eggs
Blue cheese
Asparagus
Heavy cream
Red wine
Cashews
I’m with Adrian on the diet-wild-cherry-pepsi thing. I didn’t even drink soda til someone turned me onto it recently. No, not remotely healthy and I don’t drink it often but that stuff is gooood.
I’m probably being dense–hey, I’m a relative newbie–but these lists seem to involve an awful lot of dairy. I thought the idea was to generally avoid dairy, and definitely ixnay on potatoes and other super-carb veggies? Enlighten me.
Generally, there are a couple things that separate Paleo and Primal (Mark’s coined term for his bluebrint). Mark encourages the educated use of dairy (just as long as you can tolerate it), super dark chocolate and wine. The idea is though some of these calories aren’t pure ‘paleo’ they have good fatty acid profiles and nutrition and are ok in small doses. And more importantly it can make the diet more doable. As far as potatoes go, white potatoes (because of their glycemic rating of nearly 100) are discouraged if you’re going to lose weight, but sweet potatoes and other starchy vegetables are healthy and encouraged in a balanced primal diet.
I like to make my own Greek yogurt from fresh, raw, non-homogenized, grass fed locally grown Jersey cows. I culture the milk then strain it through cheese cloth for a few hours. I keep the whey and use that for smoothies, or just drink it, it’s delicious.
Lately my yogurt has been turning out really grainy, I don’t know why. It’s not as creamy as store bought but surely better for me. I use the Brown Cow cream on top yogurt as a starter.
I tried blending it in a blender to smooth it out, and it was still a bit “textured”. My Greek yogurt is coming out more like a ricotta cheese than yogurt but I prefer it like lebneh.
If anyone out there is a yogurt lover with experience with that, let me know if you have any tips.
I love that Sockeye is #1. It is an amazing food in several ways. Mark didn’t mention that it is also a rich source of astaxanthin, a very powerful antioxidant. The Copper River run are especially fatty and almost melt in the mouth when cooked in the microwave. If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life this would be it.
Cannot go 10 years without a salad, and no salad is complete without bell peppers and cucumber. Oil, garlic and vinegar are for the salad dressing.
1) Copper River sockeye
2) Okinawan sweet potatoes
3) Broccoli
4) Red peppers
5) English cucumber
6) Red leaf lettuce
7) Macadamia nut oil
8) Onions
9) Garlic
10)Apple cider vinegar
This one post has given me hope! Thanks so much.
This is a great topic and a great list! Here’s mine with a few changes:
1) Steak grilled with real wood/charcoal.
2) Greens cooked in Garlic and EVOO (Collards, Arugula, Escarole, or any other veggies picked fresh from my garden).
3) Eggs
4) Raw Milk (esp Jersey)
5) Tuna
6) Pecans (also almonds and walnuts)
7) Blueberries (also strawberries and blackberries)
8) Chicken
9)Ground Turkey, lean
10) Peppers and Onions
Just did my own list and I can’t believe I left off avo and asparagus! Mine are: bacon, eggs, spinach, walnuts, cream, berries, leaves, lamb chops, chicken and spinach.
Here’s my top 10…is it too obvious how much I love fatty foods?
1. Pastured eggs
2. Macadamia nuts
3. Avocados
4. Spinach
5. Dark chocolate, 70% minimum
6. Wild Alaskan salmon
7. Broccoli
8. Brussels Sprouts
9. Coconuts
10. Bok choy
I just moments ago finished making grass-fed jersey butter, given me by my very generous grass fed jersey cow, Daisy. Daisy’s a doll. And I have 1/2 a gallon of yogurt from her milk cooking in the yogurt maker as we speak. I strain it overnight through sack cloth, and no greek yogurt anywhere can touch it for flavor and texture!
I love this life
Yes! That’s the way. But tell me does your yogurt turn out smooth and creamy because mine is coming out grainy….see my comment above. I have no idea why it’s turning out so cheesy.
Thanks!
Bone in ribeye gets you bones for bone broth anyway… You could also use salmon bones for broth too.