Dairy-free

The 574 foods in the library that do not contain milk and are not commonly made with it. This describes the ingredient, never a product: a packet can carry an allergen this list does not, from the line it was made on. It is a way to browse, not a substitute for reading the label.

What contains milk

Named first, because knowing what to avoid is more useful than a long list of what you can have.

• Blue CheeseBlue cheese's blue streaks are edible mold that give it its bite, and every bite also brings calcium for your bones — just watch the salt.
• BocconciniA soft, fresh cheese — a good calcium and protein source without too much salt.
• BrieBrie is a soft, buttery cheese that gives you calcium for bones and B12 for blood and nerves -- just make sure it's pasteurized.
• ButterA real source of vitamin A — and the fat that helps you absorb it from vegetables too.
• ButtermilkButtermilk sounds rich and buttery, but it's actually a tangy, low-fat drink made by fermenting milk with good bacteria.
• CamembertThe white fuzzy skin on Camembert is safe to eat, but if you're pregnant, check the label: only pasteurized Camembert is considered safe.
• CaramelsSugar, butter and milk cooked together. Cook it longer and hotter and a chewy caramel becomes a hard one.
• Cheddar CheeseSome aged cheeses genuinely supply vitamin K2, made by bacteria during fermentation.
• CheeseEvery cheese in this list is the same milk with a different amount of water left in it.
• Condensed MilkEvaporated milk plus 45.8 g of added sugar per hundred. That is the entire difference.
• ConfectioneryThese are all chocolate around a centre. A nut centre means more fat; a fruit or sugar centre means more sugar.
• Cottage CheeseA slow-digesting protein, genuinely useful before a long gap without food.
• CreamDairy-free, but not lighter — most of its fat is saturated and there is sugar in it that real cream does not have.
• Cream CheeseLegally a cheese, nutritionally much closer to cream.
• Crème FraîcheCrème fraîche's richness comes from fat, not magic - and that same fat is exactly why it won't curdle when you cook it.
• CustardNinety-eight calories and 115 mg of calcium — the mildest thing on this shelf.
• Custard PowderIt is cornflour with colour and vanilla in it. Everything nutritious in the finished bowl comes from the milk.
• Dairy BlendButter softened with vegetable oil — the two versions on the shelf differ only in salt.
• Dairy or Yoghurt DessertSomewhere between a yoghurt and a pudding: the calcium is real, and so is the added sugar.
• Edam CheeseA firm, aged cheese that’s a strong calcium source, though it comes with a good amount of salt.
• Evaporated MilkMilk with the water taken out and nothing added — 256 mg of calcium per hundred.
• Feta CheeseFeta is salty, tangy cheese that gives you calcium and B12, but it's also one of the saltier cheeses, so a little goes a long way.
• GheeGhee is basically pure butterfat: the milk sugar and milk protein are cooked out, but nearly all the fat, calories, and vitamins A, E, and K stay behind.
• Goat CheeseGoat cheese is real dairy — it still has lactose and milk protein, but many people find it gentler on the stomach than cow's-milk cheese.
• Goat MilkGoat milk breaks into a softer, looser curd than cow's milk, so many people find it gentler on the stomach — but it's still milk, with its own allergy and safety rules.
• GoudaGouda is a rich, buttery cheese that also happens to be one of the best food sources of vitamin K2, a nutrient your bones rely on.
• Greek YogurtA food first and a probiotic second — the two get mixed up constantly.
• HalloumiHalloumi is a salty, high-protein cheese that stays firm and squeaky on the grill instead of melting into a puddle.
• Ice Cream (Vanilla)Mostly air, sugar and cream — with more calcium than you would guess.
• KefirA fermented dairy drink with far more strain variety than most yogurt.
• Lactose-Free MilkIdentical to milk in every respect except one enzyme added at the factory.
• LasagneA balanced enough dish on its own. The frozen version is usually much saltier and has less meat.
• Macaroni CheesePasta, milk and cheese — the recipe decides everything, because the ingredients barely change.
• MilkA genuinely strong, well-absorbed calcium source — especially when fortified.
• Milk ChocolateThe cocoa research is real. Most of it does not apply to this.
• Milo (Chocolate Malt Powder)A fortified chocolate drink powder that supplies real calcium, iron and vitamin D, plus a fair amount of added sugar.
• MozzarellaA calcium and protein source people think of as pizza topping rather than food.
• PaneerPaneer is a soft, fresh cheese made by curdling hot milk with something sour, like lemon juice — no rennet, no aging, no melting in the pan.
• ParmesanA small amount goes further on calcium than most cheeses.
• Pasta in Cream Based SauceTwo entries, one product: the powder in the packet and the same thing once water has been added.
• Pizza (Cheese & Tomato)Not junk by composition — the portion and the sodium are what bite.
• Plain YogurtPlain yogurt gives you protein and calcium in a form that's often gentler on your stomach than milk, thanks to the friendly bacteria that made it.
• Processed Cheddar1,420 mg of sodium per hundred — more than double natural cheddar.
• ProvoloneProvolone is a firm Italian cheese that's easy on the stomach for most lactose-sensitive people but easy to overdo on salt.
• PuddingHomemade puddings vary enormously. What is in them depends entirely on the recipe.
• QuarkQuark is a simple strained dairy food that gives you a lot of protein and calcium without much fat or sugar.
• Reduced-Fat CheddarLess fat, less salt, and more protein and calcium than the full-fat version.
• RicottaOne of the few cheeses that literally contains whey protein — the same stuff sold in powder tubs.
• SkyrSkyr looks like yogurt but is actually a thick, strained cheese packed with protein and calcium.
• Sour CreamSour cream is real cream that friendly bacteria turned tangy -- it gives you a little calcium and vitamin A, but most store-bought tubs no longer have live bacteria in them.
• Spaghetti in Tomato Cheese SauceA cheap, filling tinned meal whose only real variable is how much salt is in it.
• Swiss CheeseSwiss cheese packs a surprising amount of calcium, protein, and B12 into a low-lactose, comparatively low-sodium slice.
• Thickened CreamThirty-six per cent fat, and the thickener is what makes it whip reliably.
• Whey Protein PowderEighty-five per cent protein, and the most-studied protein supplement there is.
• YoghurtPlain yoghurt and flavoured yoghurt are the same food apart from a few teaspoons of sugar.

Commonly made with it

Not always — this is about the product rather than the food. Treated as containing it everywhere on this site.

• Anzac BiscuitA traditional treat biscuit, high in sugar and saturated fat, best enjoyed for what it is.
• Banana ChipA fried snack made from fruit, closer to a crisp than to a banana.
• BarThe health-food end and the confectionery end of this shelf are closer together than the packaging suggests.
• Beef SausageLeaner than pork and saltier. Three micrograms of B12 is the genuine upside.
• BiscuitSweet biscuits vary by how much fat and sugar got added; savoury ones vary by fat and salt.
• BreadWhat separates one loaf from another is mostly how much of the wheat grain is still in it.
• Bread RollA roll is loaf dough in a different shape — more crust, one fixed portion, and sometimes cheese baked on top.
• Cake MixThe numbers here are for the powder in the box, not the cake that comes out of the oven.
• Chicken Luncheon MeatTwenty grams of protein on 1.2 g of fat — and still processed meat.
• ChocolateNeither of these is the chocolate the health headlines are about.
• Chocolate Hazelnut SpreadMore than half sugar, under a third fat, and the hazelnuts are the smallest part.
• Coffee MixInstant coffee, sugar and a fat-based whitener dried into one powder. The coffee is the smallest part of it by weight.
• Damper (Bush Bread)A simple, plain bread that still delivers real folate, since Australian bread flour is required to have it added.
• Dark ChocolateThe higher the cacao percentage, generally the more good compounds and the less sugar.
• DressingDressing is mostly oil and salt, and the oil is the part that helps you absorb what is in the salad.
• Drinking ChocolateThree-quarters sugar by weight. The cocoa is the minority ingredient.
• Extruded SnackLight, salty and gone in seconds — which is exactly the design, and exactly why a bag disappears so easily.
• Ezekiel BreadThis is bread made from sprouted grains and beans mixed together, which gives it more protein and fiber than regular bread.
• FrankfurterThe shape is the hazard, more than anything on the nutrition panel.
• Gluten-Free BreadBread made without wheat, rye, or barley — useful for anyone who cannot tolerate gluten, though it tends to run higher in salt.
• GravyAlmost no calories, almost no nutrients, and a great deal of salt.
• Gravy PowderMostly salt and thickened starch — the sodium figure is the whole story here.
• HamburgerA salad burger and a cheese-and-sauce burger are the same beef and the same bun with very different totals.
• High-Fibre White BreadTwice the fibre of white bread, and it is not the same fibre wholemeal gives you.
• Ice ConfectionA water ice is basically frozen sugar water. A milk stick has cream in it, which changes almost everything.
• Instant Cup SoupAlmost no food in it — but a serious share of your day’s sodium.
• Instant NoodlesDeep-fried before they were dried, which is where 19 g of fat per hundred comes from.
• LollyAn honest treat. The differences between types are about texture and how long they linger, not nutrition.
• Margarine (Polyunsaturated)A fifth of butter’s saturated fat, and one of the better vitamin D sources in the country.
• Margarine SpreadTwo things separate one tub from another: which oil it is made from, and how much water has been whipped into it.
• Multigrain BreadMore grains doesn't automatically mean more fiber -- read the ingredient list, not the bag.
• Noodle SnackNearly a quarter of it is oil, and that oil is there to dry the noodles, not to flavour them.
• Pasta DishThe figures here are for a whole plate, not for the pasta or the sauce alone — which is why they look low.
• PastryThe difference between pastries is not the flour. It is the fat.
• Peanut ButterPeanut butter is packed with plant fat and protein that keep you full for hours — it's not empty calories.
• PieThe filling gets the name, but the pastry sets most of the numbers.
• Pita BreadPita is regular bread with a fun pocket -- the pocket is just trapped steam, and whether pita is "healthy" depends on whether it's whole wheat or white.
• Pork SausageNineteen grams of fat, 763 mg of sodium, and a Group 1 classification.
• Potato CrispsA third fat by weight — and genuinely hard to stop eating, by design.
• Potato Crisps or ChipsFrying swaps the potato's water for oil. That single swap is most of what you are eating.
• Potato StrawsA treat food where the cut, not the potato, decides how much oil ends up on your plate.
• Rye BreadIts dense fibre gives it a notably gentler blood sugar impact than wheat bread.
• Salad Dressing (French or Italian)The fat is the part doing you a favour. It’s the fat-free version that costs you.
• SauceSauces split into two kinds: a spoonful on the side, and half the meal poured from a jar.
• SausageThe meat in a sausage matters less than the fat and salt packed in with it.
• Sausage RollThe meat is the smaller part of the story. Laminated pastry is roughly a third fat by weight before anything goes inside it.
• SliceA proper treat. What changes between slices is mostly the fat and where it comes from.
• SnackThey feel light because they are mostly air, not because there is less in them.
• Snack Ball"No added sugar" is true here and slightly beside the point — the dates bring the sugar with them.
• SoupInstant soups differ mostly in thickener and salt, not in nourishment.
• Sourdough BreadSourdough's long, slow rise makes its minerals easier for your body to absorb than regular bread -- but it's still not gluten-free.
• Taco SeasoningA spice mix that is mostly salt and sugar, sold as spice.
• Taco Seasoning MixEvery number here looks extreme until you remember a sachet is 30 grams shared between four people.
• Tortilla Wrap (White)A wrap is not the lighter option — it is denser bread with more salt.
• Turkish BreadSame fortification, more salt, and a piece is rarely 100 g.
• Vegetable Crisps or ChipsThey are vegetables the way hot chips are vegetables: the frying oil is most of what you are eating.
• Vegetarian Sausage (Fortified)Same shape, no nitrite, an eighth of the saturated fat — and the B12 was put back.
• White BreadA quarter of a day’s folate and a third of your iodine, by law rather than by nature.
• Whole Wheat BreadThe fibre is what actually separates it from white bread — not the colour.

Foods without it

• AbaloneA shellfish loaded with vitamin B12 and iodine, two nutrients that are genuinely hard to get enough of.
• Acorn SquashAcorn squash looks plain, but one cooked cup gives you more potassium than a banana, plenty of fiber, and a good hit of vitamin C.
• Adzuki BeansAdzuki beans are small red beans packed with fiber, iron, and folate — good nutrition that comes from eating the whole bean, not from a special powder or "detox" trend.
• Alcoholic BeverageAlmost all the energy in a spirit comes from the alcohol itself, not from sugar.
• Almond BeverageA low-calorie drink that is mostly water. Check the label for added calcium — that is the part that matters.
• Almond ButterAlmond butter packs healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium into a small scoop — but it's easy to eat way more than one serving.
• Almond MilkA seventh of milk’s protein. Everything it does offer was added at the factory.
• AlmondsA genuinely good vitamin E source, wrapped in fibre and healthy fat.
• AmaranthAmaranth is a tiny ancient seed packed with a rare protein building block most grains lack, but its calcium doesn't count for as much as milk's does.
• AnchoviesAnchovies are small, salty fish that pack a surprising amount of protein, calcium, and heart-healthy fat into just a few bites.
• AppleMost of its fibre, and a notable antioxidant, live in the skin.
• Apple JuiceAn apple with the fibre removed and the sugar left in.
• ApricotApricots are a sweet, low-calorie fruit loaded with vitamin A that helps your eyes, skin, and immune system -- just never eat the seed inside the pit.
• ArtichokeArtichokes are a fiber-packed flower bud that feeds your gut bacteria and gives your liver a gentle nudge to make more bile for digesting fat.
• Artichoke Hearts (Canned)Four point seven grams of fibre on 25 calories — the best ratio in the library.
• ArugulaArugula's spicy taste and its vitamin K, calcium, and nitrates all come from the same peppery plant compounds.
• AsparagusA prebiotic fibre source, famous for a harmless and genetically variable side effect.
• AvocadoMore potassium per serving than a banana — not the food people expect.
• Avocado OilAvocado oil is loaded with heart-healthy fat and vitamin E, but only if the bottle you bought is actually pure avocado oil.
• BaconProcessed meat: the salt and the curing agents are the issue, not the fat.
• BagelDenser than it looks, and one bagel is usually two serves of bread.
• Baked BeansFour point eight grams of fibre a hundred, for 91 calories. The tin is better than its reputation.
• Baking PowderHalf a teaspoon in a cake is nothing. A spoonful straight is a medical emergency.
• Baking SodaNot a food, an ingredient. It has no energy at all, but gram for gram it carries more sodium than salt.
• Balsamic VinegarThe only vinegar with real sugar in it — and still 79 calories per hundred.
• Bamboo ShootsFourteen calories per hundred grams — the lightest food in the library.
• BananaA practical potassium source — tablets are capped far lower for safety.
• Banana PrawnA very lean seafood that’s mostly protein, with barely any fat.
• Barbecue SauceThirty-eight grams of sugar per hundred. More than most confectionery.
• BarleyThe same cholesterol-lowering fibre found in oats, in a chewier grain.
• BarramundiA mild-tasting fish that is not just filler — it carries a real dose of omega-3, more than most white fish manage.
• BasilA fragrant herb that is genuinely nutrient-dense by weight, though you only ever eat a small amount of it at a time.
• BassaLean, mild and inexpensive — a white fish that gives you protein rather than omega-3.
• BeanDried, fresh and canned beans look like different foods but mostly differ in how much water they hold.
• Bean SproutsBean sprouts are crunchy, low-calorie veggies with real vitamin C and vitamin K in them, but they should be cooked, not eaten raw, to stay safe.
• Beef (Lean)Its iron absorbs well on its own — no vitamin C pairing needed.
• Beef DrippingFifty-two grams of saturated fat per hundred — seven times canola oil.
• Beef LiverA small serving of beef liver packs more vitamin A, B12, iron, and copper than almost any other food -- so a little goes a long way.
• Beef Mince (Regular Fat)The fat percentage on the label is raw. What you eat depends on how you cook it.
• Beer (Full Strength)Mostly water, alcohol, and calories your body prioritises burning.
• BeetrootRaw, baked, boiled or canned — the cooking method changes this vegetable more than most.
• BeetsA natural nitrate source that genuinely improves blood flow — the same idea behind citrulline supplements.
• Bell PeppersContains more vitamin C per serving than an orange does.
• Berry JamTwo-thirds sugar, and the sugar is why it keeps.
• BeverageChocolate milk drinks are mostly milk. The powder adds flavour, sugar, and sometimes added vitamins.
• Beverage BaseMostly sugar with some cocoa — the milk you mix it into does most of the nutritional work.
• BisonBison is a lean red meat that's packed with iron and vitamin B12, but its low fat means you have to cook it gently or it turns tough and dry.
• Bitter MelonBitter melon is a super low-calorie vegetable packed with vitamin C, and some studies show it can gently help lower blood sugar, but it's not a magic diabetes cure.
• Black BeansA type of starch that reaches your colon mostly intact — which is the whole point.
• Black PepperA spice used by the shake, but with a genuinely useful trick — it helps your body absorb other nutrients better.
• Black TeaAbout a third the caffeine of coffee, with tannins that blunt iron absorption.
• Black-Eyed PeasBlack-eyed peas aren't really peas — they're beans packed with fiber and plant protein, plus a B vitamin called folate that helps your body build new blood cells.
• BlackberriesOne of the few fruits with enough vitamin K that it matters for anyone on blood thinners.
• BlackcurrantBlackcurrants are small, tart berries loaded with vitamin C and deep purple plant compounds called anthocyanins that are good for your heart, eyes, and blood vessels.
• Blood OrangeBlood oranges look different because of a special red pigment — not because they have way more vitamin C than regular oranges.
• Blue GrenadierLean white fish, and baking or steaming it changes almost nothing except how much water is left in.
• BlueberriesA mixture of hundreds of antioxidant compounds no single pill copies.
• Bok ChoyBok choy is a crunchy, low-calorie green that quietly packs a lot of bone-friendly vitamin K and immune-supporting vitamin C.
• Borlotti BeansBorlotti beans are a fiber and folate powerhouse, but eating them raw or undercooked can make you sick, so always cook them all the way through.
• BoysenberryBoysenberries are a man-made berry mix, packed with fiber and vitamin C, that helps your gut and immune system.
• Braised Steak OnionsMost of what is in the tin is sauce and onion, so there is less meat in it than the name suggests.
• Bran Flakes (Fortified)Nineteen grams of fibre and almost a full day of iron — most of it added.
• Brazil NutsOne Brazil nut can pack more selenium than you need for the whole day, so a couple of nuts is plenty.
• BreadcrumbsBecause the water is gone, everything else in the bread is roughly three times as concentrated.
• BreadfruitBreadfruit looks like a big green potato-fruit, and just like a potato, you always cook it before eating -- raw breadfruit is hard, bitter, and unpleasant.
• Breakfast CerealTwo cereals can sit side by side on the same shelf and be almost nothing alike.
• BreamA common Australian fish that’s genuinely rich in omega-3.
• BroccoliContains something no supplement quite copies — and it depends how you cook it.
• BroccoliniBroccolini is a friendly veggie hybrid with crunchy stems and a mild taste, and it packs a big dose of vitamin C and vitamin K into every bite.
• Brown RiceThe bran layer left on is where the whole difference from white rice lives.
• Brown SugarWhite sugar with a film of molasses on it. That is the entire difference.
• Brussels SproutsOne of the most concentrated vitamin K sources in the produce aisle.
• BuckwheatDespite the name, it is not wheat at all — and it is naturally gluten-free.
• Buckwheat GroatsA gluten-free seed cooked like rice, with more magnesium and protein than most grains.
• Buffalo (Cube Roll)A red meat cousin to beef that is usually leaner, with a similar dose of iron, zinc and protein.
• Bulgur WheatBulgur is cracked wheat that's already partly cooked, so it fills you up fast without spiking your blood sugar the way white rice or bread can.
• BunA sweet bread. Most of the difference across the three is the icing on top.
• Butter BeansA soft, buttery bean that must always be cooked — never eaten raw.
• Butternut SquashButternut squash's orange color is basically a vitamin A signal, but your body only turns as much of it into usable vitamin A as it needs, and cooking plus a little fat helps that process along.
• CabbageAn underrated vitamin C source, and the raw material for sauerkraut and kimchi.
• Cacao NibsCacao nibs are crushed, unsweetened chocolate beans — full of minerals and a gentle, coffee-like lift, but they're not a sugary treat.
• CakeAll cakes are sweet. What really separates them is how much butter, oil or cream is in the crumb.
• Cake or CupcakeA treat, and one of the lighter cakes at that. Sponge gets its lift from whipped eggs rather than from butter.
• Calamari (Squid)Squid is a lean, mineral-packed seafood — just don't let deep-frying turn it into junk food.
• CamelRed meat, but leaner than beef — which changes how you have to cook it.
• Canned BeetrootThe nitrate that lowers blood pressure survives the tin. Some of it, anyway.
• Canned Tuna (in Brine)Twenty-six grams of protein, 752 mg of omega-3, and a mercury question worth answering properly.
• Cannellini BeansCannellini beans are a fiber and plant-protein powerhouse — just be sure they're fully cooked, since raw beans can make you sick.
• Canola OilThe lowest saturated fat of any common cooking oil, and it costs the least.
• CantaloupeCantaloupe is mostly water and natural sugar, but it still packs a real dose of vitamin C and vitamin A into every juicy bite.
• Capers2,348 mg of sodium per hundred grams — the saltiest food in the library.
• CapsicumGreen capsicums are just unripe red ones — and ripening is what builds the vitamin C and colour.
• Caraway SeedsThe seed behind rye bread and goulash, and one of the highest-fibre things in this database by weight.
• Cardamom SeedThe nutrition table is per 100g. Nobody eats 100g of cardamom.
• CarrotsCooking actually makes its signature nutrient easier to absorb.
• CashewsOne of the better magnesium sources among common nuts.
• CassavaCassava is a starchy root that gives you quick energy — but eating it raw or undercooked can make you seriously sick.
• CatfishCatfish is a mild, budget-friendly fish loaded with protein and B12 — and being a "bottom feeder" doesn't make it dirty.
• CauliflowerBroccoli’s milder cousin, with a gentler version of the same compounds.
• CeleriacCeleriac looks like a dirt-covered brain, but it's really celery's underground cousin — and it's loaded with vitamin K, potassium, and fiber.
• CeleryFamous for being low-calorie, but the real story is fibre and potassium.
• Chayote SquashChayote is basically water with a crunch, but it quietly delivers a solid dose of folate.
• CherryFresh, frozen and canned cherries are the same fruit with very different amounts of added sugar.
• ChestnutRoasted chestnuts taste more like a starchy vegetable than a typical nut — because that’s basically what they are, nutrition-wise.
• Chia SeedsForms a gel in liquid the same way oat fibre does, only faster.
• ChickenNearly all the fat in chicken sits in the skin, not the meat.
• Chicken BreastThe lean protein most diets are built around by default.
• Chicken LiverOne small serving of chicken liver packs more vitamin A, B12, and iron than a whole day's worth of most other foods — which is exactly why it's a once-in-a-while food, not an everyday one.
• Chicken PieceCoated fried chicken is mostly ordinary chicken plus batter, oil and salt.
• Chicken ThighChicken thigh gives you protein plus iron and zinc, all from real food you can actually taste.
• Chicken WingsThe skin doubles the fat and adds nothing else. That is the whole decision.
• ChickpeasA plant iron and protein source that also feeds your gut bacteria.
• Chicory (Witlof)A low-calorie, slightly bitter leafy vegetable — from the same plant whose root is roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
• ChilliGreen chillies are just unripe red ones, and ripening is what builds up the colour and the vitamins.
• Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)Chinese broccoli looks like a leafy stem vegetable, but it packs a serious punch of vitamins A, C, and K into very few calories.
• ChivesChives pack a vitamin K punch pound-for-pound, but since you only ever use a small sprinkle, don't expect much from a garnish-sized serving.
• ChokoA mild, watery vegetable that takes on whatever it is cooked with.
• ChorizoThe paprika is the point, and 868 mg of sodium comes with it.
• Chutney or RelishMade of fruit and vegetables, but preserved with enough sugar and salt to change what it is.
• CiderFermented apple juice, where about half the kilojoules come from the alcohol rather than the sugar.
• ClamsClams pack more vitamin B12 into a few bites than almost any other food on Earth, plus a big dose of iron.
• ClementineClementines are a quick hit of vitamin C in a fruit you can peel with your thumbs.
• Cocoa PowderThe drinking chocolate without the three-quarters sugar. Almost nothing else changes.
• CoconutCoconut has good fiber and minerals, but most of its fat is saturated fat -- the kind that can raise cholesterol if you eat a lot of it.
• Coconut BeverageFortified or not is the whole question — and either way it is not a swap for milk on protein.
• Coconut CreamCoconut milk's richer, more concentrated cousin — less water pressed through the coconut flesh means more fat per spoonful.
• Coconut MilkA rich, fatty liquid pressed from coconut flesh — most of its calories come from saturated fat.
• Coconut OilCoconut oil gives quick energy from a small part of its fat, but most of it still raises your cholesterol like butter does.
• Coconut WaterSold as nature’s sports drink. It has the wrong electrolyte for the job.
• CodA lean white fish giving a lot of protein for very little fat.
• Cod or HakeThe fish is lean and mild. The smoking is what adds the salt.
• CoffeeThe most widely used stimulant on earth, and one of the best studied.
• Cola (Regular)Liquid sugar with no fibre to slow it and no satiety to show for it.
• Collard GreensCollard greens are a leafy green loaded with vitamin K, calcium, and vitamin A — cooking them with a little fat helps your body use more of it.
• ConeA hollow biscuit that holds the ice cream. It is the ice cream that carries the calories.
• CordialDiluted to taste, which is exactly the problem.
• Cordial BaseThis is a syrup meant to be watered down, so the numbers on the table are about four to five times what ends up in the glass.
• CorianderA herb that is either a favorite or (for a real genetic reason) tastes like soap to some people — and is genuinely rich in folate and iron by weight.
• Coriander SeedThe numbers here look impressive, but a teaspoon weighs two grams — treat this as flavour, not nutrition.
• CornPart vegetable, part grain — and one of the best food sources of the eye pigments.
• Corn ChipsFried nixtamalised maize and salt — more fibre than a potato crisp, and roughly the same amount of salt.
• Corn TortillaSoaking corn in lime doesn't just turn it into dough — it unlocks nutrients that plain corn keeps hidden away.
• CornbreadCornbread gives you quick energy from cornmeal carbs, plus a B-vitamin boost if the cornmeal was enriched.
• Corned Beef (Canned)Genuinely good protein and B12, wrapped in 750 mg of sodium.
• Cornflakes (Fortified)Nutritionally, most of what is on the label was sprayed on afterwards.
• Cornflour (Cornstarch)Pure starch, nothing else — which is exactly what it is for.
• CornmealCooking polenta does not change what is in it much — it mostly adds water.
• CouscousCouscous looks like a grain but it's really tiny wheat pasta pellets — so your body breaks it down fast, more like noodles than like brown rice.
• CrabCrab is a lean seafood that packs a big dose of vitamin B12 and zinc into very few calories.
• CranberriesCranberries are tart, low-sugar berries packed with vitamin C and fiber, and a natural compound that keeps bad bacteria from clinging to your bladder.
• Cranberry Juice DrinkThe UTI evidence is thinner than the marketing, and this is mostly added sugar anyway.
• CrawfishCrawfish tail meat is a lean, low-fat way to get a big dose of protein, vitamin B12, and selenium in one bite.
• Cream of TartarAn acid powder for baking — the huge potassium number on the table is per 100g, and a recipe uses about a gram.
• Crocodile (Back Leg)A very lean white meat — good for protein, but do not count on it for iron the way you would beef.
• CroissantTwelve grams of saturated fat per hundred — more than any other bread product here, by a distance.
• CrumpetLow in fat, low in sugar, and 860 mg of sodium per hundred grams.
• CucumberMostly water by weight — which is exactly the point of it.
• Cumin SeedThe table says cumin is loaded with iron. A teaspoon of it is not — read the serving size first.
• CumquatA citrus small enough to eat whole, peel included — and the peel is the sweet part.
• CurrantFresh currants are a berry. Dried currants are tiny grapes. They are different plants that happen to share a name.
• Curry PowderFifty-three per cent fibre and 25 mg of vitamin E. In teaspoons.
• Custard AppleCustard apple's sweet, creamy pulp is packed with vitamin C and potassium — just don't eat the seeds or skin, which contain a toxin.
• Daikon RadishDaikon is a crunchy, watery radish that's low in calories but surprisingly high in vitamin C, and its natural enzymes may give your stomach a small hand with starchy food.
• DateVery sweet, and genuinely sweet on its own — nothing is added. The fibre and potassium are what separate it from a sweet.
• DatesDates taste like candy, but their fiber helps keep blood sugar from spiking as fast as you'd expect.
• Davidson PlumA very tart native plum, rich in vitamin C and deep purple plant pigments.
• Decaffeinated CoffeeNot caffeine-free, and not stripped of everything else either.
• Diet ColaNot the villain it is painted as. Also not the win it is sold as.
• DillA soft, feathery herb traditionally used to calm an upset stomach — eaten in small amounts, so its nutrient numbers are mostly theoretical.
• DipA high-fat food where the fat is the good part — the salt is the part worth watching.
• Doughnut (Iced)The only thing in this batch with more than a gram of trans fat per hundred.
• Dragon FruitDragon fruit is a juicy, mildly sweet fruit that gives you vitamin C and fiber, and its red color can turn your pee or poop pink for a day -- that's totally normal.
• Dried Apricots1,428 mg of potassium per hundred — the highest of any fruit in the library.
• Duck BreastDuck breast looks like chicken but acts more like steak — it's poultry that's unusually rich in iron.
• DurianDurian is a big, spiky, super creamy tropical fruit loaded with energy, potassium, and vitamin C — but it really doesn't mix well with alcohol.
• EdamameYoung soybeans — a rare plant food with complete protein, from tofu’s source crop.
• Egg WhitesEgg whites are almost pure protein with barely any fat or calories, but you should always cook them first.
• Egg YolkAlmost every nutrient in the egg is here — and so is all the cholesterol.
• EggplantEggplant isn't a dangerous nightshade -- it's a low-calorie veggie with real fiber, and its purple skin holds most of the good stuff.
• EggsA genuinely complete protein — and a choline source most people overlook.
• Einkorn WheatEinkorn is one of the oldest kinds of wheat, barely changed since ancient farmers first grew it. It has more protein than regular wheat, but don't be fooled — it still has gluten.
• ElkElk is a lean, mild-tasting red meat packed with protein and iron, with much less fat than most beef.
• Emu (Fan Fillet)A bird whose meat behaves like beef, not chicken — lean but packed with iron and B12.
• EndiveEndive is a bitter, crunchy leaf that's surprisingly loaded with vitamin K and folate for almost no calories.
• Energy DrinkA coffee’s worth of caffeine, a cola’s worth of sugar, and B vitamins for show.
• English MuffinThe lowest-calorie thing on this shelf, and quietly the highest in calcium.
• EspressoReads as the most caffeinated coffee there is. Per cup, it usually isn’t.
• FarroAn ancient wheat with a chewier texture and more fibre than modern wheat products.
• FatIt came from plants, but it is hard at room temperature, and that is what matters.
• Fava BeansFava beans are a hearty bean packed with protein, iron, and folate -- but if you carry a certain genetic trait, eating them can make you seriously sick.
• FeijoaA small, fragrant fruit that’s low in calories but a decent source of vitamin C and fibre.
• FennelCrunchy raw fennel is a low-calorie veggie that can calm an upset stomach while giving you vitamin C and potassium.
• Fenugreek SeedA spice, not a food. The impressive iron and fibre numbers shrink to almost nothing at the teaspoon you actually use.
• FigsOne of the few fruits with a real calcium contribution, especially dried.
• FishHow oily a fish is, and what is wrapped around it, matters far more than the word on the packet.
• Fish FingersProcessed, yes. Processed meat, no — and 756 mg of omega-3 per 100 g.
• Fish SauceSaltier than seawater by a wide margin, and a genuine iodine source.
• FlatheadA very lean fish — lots of protein, very little fat.
• FlaxseedA plant omega-3 source your body converts far less efficiently than fish oil.
• Flaxseed OilFlaxseed oil is a plant-based way to get omega-3 fat, but your body only turns a small part of it into the "active" omega-3s found in fish oil.
• FlourFlours differ by how much protein they hold and whether the bran is still in them.
• FrankfurtCloser to a paste set in a skin than to a piece of meat — and the salt is the number to watch.
• FreekehFreekeh is just wheat picked early and roasted over fire — and that head start gives it more fiber and gut-friendly carbs than regular ripe wheat.
• Fresh GingerGinger really can calm an upset stomach -- but the dose in most studies is stronger and more exact than what's in a cup of tea.
• Fresh Turmeric RootThe bright-yellow root is packed with a compound called curcumin, but your body barely absorbs it unless you eat it with fat and black pepper.
• Fruit DrinkA fruit drink is not a fruit juice, and neither one is fruit.
• Fruit SaladDrain it and you pour away some of the vitamin C; keep the juice and you keep the sugar too.
• Garlic (Fresh)The compound behind its reputation only forms once you crush or chop it.
• GelatineEighty-four per cent protein and one of the least useful proteins you can eat.
• GemfishA softer, oilier fish with more vitamin A than most fish give you.
• GingerA spice, not a food — read the table knowing a teaspoon weighs under two grams.
• Ginger BeerThe most sugary thing in the soft drink fridge, sold on a health-food association.
• GlucoseNot the same thing as the glucose in your blood test. This is a thick starch syrup used to stop sweets going grainy.
• GlutenThe stretchy protein in wheat, sold on its own. Harmless for most people, genuinely dangerous for those with coeliac disease.
• Goat MeatGoat meat is a lean, protein-packed red meat that gives you iron and B12 without much fat.
• Goji BerryA dried fruit that behaves like other dried fruits, whatever the packet says.
• Golden SyrupRefinery by-product, rebranded as heritage. Seventy-five grams of sugar per hundred.
• GooseberryThis tangy little berry packs a real vitamin C punch — and it's not the same fruit as the "Indian gooseberry" people sometimes confuse it with.
• GrapeThe different colours are mostly a difference in pigment, not in sugar.
• GrapefruitGrapefruit is packed with vitamin C, but it can also make certain medicines act stronger than they should.
• GrapesContains resveratrol — the same compound sold as a standalone supplement.
• Grapeseed OilSixty-four per cent polyunsaturated — the highest here — and almost no vitamin E to protect it.
• Great Northern BeansGreat Northern beans are a mild white bean packed with fiber and plant protein — filling, heart-friendly, and easy to cook once you know the soak-and-boil trick.
• Green BeansGreen beans are a crunchy veggie that gives you fiber, vitamin C, and a bone-friendly vitamin called K — just make sure they're cooked, not raw.
• Green LentilsGreen lentils are a small, cheap plant food loaded with iron and folate that digests slowly, so it keeps you full without spiking your blood sugar.
• Green PeasA legume eaten fresh like a vegetable, with surprisingly solid protein.
• Green TeaThe calm-alert combination is real. The fat burning is a rounding error.
• Ground CardamomA fragrant seed spice traditionally chewed or brewed to settle the stomach after a meal.
• Ground ChilliThe most nutrient-dense thing in this batch, in the smallest serves.
• Ground CinnamonA warming spice with modest, inconsistent evidence for blood sugar, and a caution most people have never heard of.
• Ground ClovesA tiny dried flower bud that packs enough eugenol to be used in dental clinics, not just spice racks.
• Ground CuminA spice whose iron content looks spectacular on paper and arrives a teaspoon at a time.
• Ground NutmegA cozy baking spice that’s completely safe in normal amounts, but genuinely not something to eat by the spoonful.
• Ground TurkeyGround turkey is a budget-friendly, protein-packed meat — but only a truly lean option if you check the label, since "ground turkey" can be nearly as fatty as ground beef.
• Ground TurmericThe spice behind curry’s color, best known for a compound your body has a hard time absorbing on its own.
• GuavaA single guava can give you more vitamin C than several oranges — seeds, skin, and all.
• Habanero PepperHabaneros are super spicy peppers packed with vitamin C — the burn you feel isn't your body being damaged, it's a nerve alarm going off.
• HaddockHaddock is a mild, flaky white fish that's low in fat but packed with protein and important vitamins.
• HalibutHalibut is a lean, mild white fish loaded with protein, selenium, and B12 — just don't expect salmon's omega-3 punch.
• Ham (Lean Leg)Genuinely lean — and still processed meat, with the salt to match.
• HazelnutsHazelnuts pack heart-healthy fat and a big mineral boost, but they're calorie-dense, so a small handful goes a long way.
• Hemp SeedsHemp seeds are tiny, nutty seeds packed with healthy fats and protein — and no, they can't get you high.
• HerringHerring is a small, oily fish packed with vitamin D and healthy fats — it's one of the easiest ways to get vitamin D from food instead of sunlight or pills.
• Hoki (Blue Grenadier)A very low-calorie white fish that quietly delivers one of the better selenium doses around.
• HoneySugar with trace extras — and one genuine, well-evidenced use.
• Honeydew MelonHoneydew is basically nature's flavored water — light, hydrating, and still packed with real vitamin C and potassium.
• Hot DogA processed sausage in a white roll. The salt is the number worth knowing.
• HummusBeans and sesame paste team up in hummus to give your body a fuller set of protein building blocks than either one gives alone.
• Iceberg LettuceIceberg lettuce isn't "just crunchy water" - it's mostly water, but that water comes packaged with real vitamin K.
• Instant CoffeeA genuine niacin source, and the coffee with the most acrylamide.
• JackfruitJackfruit tastes sweet and fruity and shreds like pulled meat, but it's really a fiber-and-potassium fruit, not a protein powerhouse.
• JalapeñoA jalapeño's fire is a trick your nerves fall for, not an injury — and it definitely won't give you an ulcer.
• JamThe sugar in jam is not just for sweetness — it is doing the setting and the preserving.
• JellyEvery calorie in a bowl of jelly is sugar, and there is nothing else in it.
• Jelly CrystalsSugar and gelatine in a sachet. Once made up with water, a serving is mostly water.
• JicamaJicama is a crunchy, juicy root that's low in calories but high in fiber and vitamin C — just make sure you peel off the skin, since only the inside root is safe to eat.
• JuiceA glass of fruit juice and a squeeze of lime are not the same kind of food, even though both are juice.
• KaleA calcium source your body genuinely absorbs, unlike spinach’s.
• Kamut (Khorasan Wheat)Kamut is just a big, protein-rich ancient wheat — not a magical grain from a pharaoh's tomb.
• Kangaroo (Loin Fillet)A very lean red meat — high in protein and iron, with far less fat than most beef.
• Kidney BeansThe bean where cooking it properly genuinely matters for safety, not just texture.
• King George WhitingA delicate white fish that’s nearly all lean protein.
• KiwiMore vitamin C than an orange, plus a genuine digestive enzyme.
• KiwifruitGold kiwifruit is sweeter with more vitamin C; green is sharper with more fibre and more of the enzyme that helps digest protein.
• KohlrabiKohlrabi is a crunchy stem (not a root) loaded with vitamin C, and it's one cabbage-family veggie that isn't a vitamin-K bomb.
• KombuchaLive cultures, yes. A probiotic in the sense the word actually means, no.
• KumquatKumquats are eaten whole — sweet peel and tart middle together — so you get fiber and vitamin C in one bite-sized package.
• LambLamb is packed with protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 — nutrients your body absorbs unusually well from meat.
• LamingtonA classic Australian sponge cake — enjoyable as an occasional treat, not as a source of much nutrition.
• LecithinIt is the ingredient that stops oil and water separating — sold in a tub as though it were a breakfast cereal.
• LeeksA milder relative of onion and garlic, with its own prebiotic fibre.
• Legume PastaNearly three times the protein of white pasta and three times the fibre.
• LemonA real vitamin C source — though the lemon water detox claims go well past the evidence.
• Lemon JuiceToo small a serve to feed you. Big enough to change what your gut absorbs.
• Lemon PeelMost of a lemon's fibre and aroma is in the skin, not the juice.
• LemonadeThe soft drink people order when they’re avoiding soft drink.
• LentilsA plant iron source without the oxalates that block spinach’s iron.
• LettuceNearly all water — but the darker the leaf, the more it actually gives you.
• Lima BeansLima beans are a filling, fiber-rich bean that helps keep blood sugar steady — just make sure they're fully cooked, not raw.
• LimeA lime won't make your body "alkaline" or flush out toxins — but it is a real, small source of vitamin C.
• LiquoriceBlack liquorice contains a compound that can genuinely raise blood pressure. The coloured allsorts mostly do not.
• LobsterLobster is a lean, low-fat way to get a whole day's worth of selenium and vitamin B12 in one meal.
• Lobster or CrayfishVery lean, very high in protein — until the melted butter arrives.
• LonganLongan is a sweet, juicy little fruit that packs a big dose of vitamin C into very few calories.
• LoquatA small orange fruit that ripens in early spring, when almost nothing else does.
• Lotus RootThis crunchy root looks like plain starch but it's actually packed with vitamin C and potassium -- just make sure it's always cooked, never raw.
• LupinA bean that is mostly fibre and protein, with hardly any starch in it.
• Lupin BeansLupin beans are a super high-protein bean, but you can't eat them straight from the pod — they need a long soak to wash out bitter, unsafe compounds first.
• LycheeLychee is a sweet, juicy fruit packed with vitamin C — but eating a big bowl of them with an empty stomach is a real risk for young, malnourished kids.
• Macadamia NutsMacadamia nuts are rich in heart-friendly fat, but they're so dense your body takes its time breaking them down.
• Macadamia OilMacadamia oil is mostly heart-friendly fat, but it's not the vitamin E superstar the beauty ads make it out to be.
• MackerelA smaller, cheaper fish that often beats salmon on omega-3 per serving.
• Mahi MahiMahi-mahi is a lean, protein-packed fish that's easy on fat but needs careful handling to stay safe to eat.
• MaizeCoarsely ground maize with the oily part taken out, so it stores well but has lost some of its nutrition.
• Mandarin OrangeMandarins are a sweet, easy-peel way to get most of a day's vitamin C, without needing a pill.
• MangoOne of the few fruits genuinely rich in both vitamin C and vitamin A.
• Maple SyrupSixty grams of sugar per hundred. The tree does not change that.
• MarjoramA teaspoon is about a gram, so divide everything in the table by a hundred.
• MarmaladeJam with peel in it, which changes the taste and almost nothing else.
• Marmite (New Zealand)A thin scrape packs in more iron and B12 than most condiments ever will.
• MayonnaiseTwo-thirds fat — but mostly the unsaturated kind, which changes the story.
• Meat AlternativeWhat these are made from matters more than the fact they replace meat.
• Meatball or RissoleTwo entries, raw and cooked, but the useful fact is what sits alongside the beef: breadcrumb, fat and a great deal of salt.
• MelonAll melons are mostly water. The colour of the flesh tells you what else is in there.
• MeringueAlmost pure sugar, whipped with egg white and dried out.
• MilkfishA moderately oily fish, and the raw, grilled and steamed versions differ mainly by water lost in cooking.
• MilletA naturally gluten-free ancient grain with a gentler blood sugar impact than white rice.
• Mineral WaterPlain mineral water is water with dissolved rock in it. The flavoured version is usually water with sugar in it.
• MintMore than a garnish — mint (specifically its oil) has real evidence behind it for calming an upset stomach.
• MirinA sweet rice seasoning that is about a quarter sugar, used a tablespoon at a time for shine and flavour.
• MisoMiso is fermented soybean paste that adds deep, salty-savory flavor along with gut-friendly bacteria and plant nutrients.
• Mixed BerryFrozen at harvest, which usually means more vitamin C left than in fresh berries a week off the plant.
• Mixed Dried FruitFruit with the water taken out, so everything in it — sugar included — is about four times as concentrated.
• Mixed Leafy GreensA mix of different leaves, and they are not the same leaf nutritionally.
• Mixed VegetablesFrozen mixed vegetables are picked and frozen fast, which is why they hold up better than they sound like they should.
• MorwongAn everyday Australian fish that’s a genuine source of iodine, a nutrient most foods barely contain.
• MuesliMuesli's chewy oats aren't just filling — regular whole-oat muesli can quietly help your cholesterol.
• MuffinAn English muffin is bread. A cafe muffin is cake. They share a name and almost nothing else.
• MulberryMulberries are a sweet-tart berry packed with vitamin C and a natural compound that can help slow sugar spikes after a meal.
• MulletRaw, baked and steamed are the same fish. Cooking mainly removes water, which makes every number look bigger.
• MullowayWhite fish, but not the omega-3-free kind people assume white fish to be.
• Mung BeansMung beans are small green beans that cook fast, are gentle on digestion once cooked, and are loaded with fiber, protein, and folate.
• MushroomsOne of the only foods that can still make vitamin D after being picked.
• MusselsMussels are small, but they pack in vitamin B12, iron, and selenium -- nutrients many people don't get enough of.
• MustardThe rare condiment where the flavour costs almost nothing.
• Mustard GreensMustard greens are peppery leafy greens that pack an outsized dose of vitamin K along with vitamin A, vitamin C, and plant compounds you won't get from lettuce.
• Mustard PowderGround mustard seed. It only turns hot when mixed with cold water, and only for a while.
• MuttonAlmost everything that separates one mutton cut from another is fat, not meat.
• NaanThe enriched bread of the batch — fat, sugar and 630 mg of sodium.
• Napa CabbageNapa cabbage is a light, crunchy vegetable that gives you vitamin C for your immune system and vitamin K for strong bones — for almost no calories.
• Nashi Pear (Asian Pear)A crisp, juicy fruit that’s mostly water and a little fibre and natural sugar.
• NattoNatto is sticky fermented soybeans loaded with vitamin K2, a nutrient that helps your body put calcium into bones instead of blood vessels.
• Navy BeansNavy beans are a small white bean that packs in more fiber than almost any other food - but they have to be cooked the right way to be safe and easy on your stomach.
• NectarineThe peach-plum-cross story about nectarines isn't true — it's just a peach without the fuzz.
• NoodleRice, wheat, buckwheat or egg — which one it is matters more than the shape.
• Nori (Dried Seaweed)2,200 mcg of iodine per hundred grams, against a daily upper limit of 1,100.
• NutAlmost all of them are high in fat — but chestnuts are starchy, and peanuts are not really nuts at all.
• Nutritional YeastA savoury powder that happens to be one of the densest B-vitamin foods there is.
• Oat BeverageWhether an oat milk is worth choosing comes down to whether calcium has been added to it.
• Oat BranOat bran's sticky fiber grabs onto cholesterol-related stuff in your gut and carries it out, so your liver has to pull more cholesterol out of your blood to keep up.
• Oat MilkThe step that makes it taste sweet is the step that removes the point of oats.
• OatsOne of the few foods with strong evidence for lowering cholesterol.
• OctopusOctopus is a lean, protein-packed seafood loaded with vitamin B12 and minerals — despite its odd reputation, it's easy on saturated fat.
• OilAll cooking oils have nearly the same calories. What separates them is the type of fat and whether they survive a hot pan.
• OkraOkra is a slippery pod full of fiber and vitamins that can gently help steady blood sugar over time, but no vegetable "detoxes" your body overnight.
• OliveGreen or black is mostly about ripeness — the thing they all share is the salt from curing.
• Olive OilThe fat that helps you absorb the nutrients in everything else on the plate.
• OlivesOlives aren't a low-effort veggie snack — they're a fruit that's salt-cured, so a handful can carry as much sodium as a small bag of chips.
• OnionsA prebiotic fibre source that feeds gut bacteria much like an inulin supplement.
• OrangeA genuinely good vitamin C source, with fibre a pill does not give you.
• Orange JuiceReal vitamin C and folate, arriving with none of the fruit’s fibre.
• OreganoOne of the most concentrated antioxidant foods there is, per gram — but you use it a pinch at a time.
• OstrichOstrich is technically a bird, but it eats, cooks, and nourishes you like a lean cut of beef.
• OystersOysters pack more zinc than almost any other food, making them a real immune and wound-healing powerhouse — not just a myth about romance.
• Palm OilPalm oil is the world's most-used cooking oil, and whether it's "healthy" depends almost entirely on whether it's been refined.
• PancakeThe batter is mostly flour, egg and milk. The sugar comes from what you put on top.
• PapayaContains a digestive enzyme, plus one of the highest vitamin C counts of any fruit.
• PaprikaGround dried peppers, carrying a lot more color-giving antioxidant per gram than the fresh pepper it came from.
• ParsleyThe herb pushed to the side of your plate is quietly loaded with vitamin C and vitamin A.
• ParsnipParsnips look like pale carrots but pack more fiber and folate per bite than most root vegetables, and cooking them is completely safe.
• Passion FruitPassion fruit's tangy pulp packs a lot of vitamin C and fiber into a tiny fruit -- but the "it helps you sleep" idea actually comes from a different plant.
• Pasta (White, Boiled)Cooked and cooled, some of its starch stops behaving like starch.
• PasteThese are flavour bases, not foods. The numbers are per 100g, and a recipe uses a teaspoon.
• PawpawA soft, mild tropical fruit with a lot of vitamin C for very few calories.
• PeaLeft on the plant to mature and dry, a pea turns into something closer to a lentil than to the green peas in the freezer.
• Pea ProteinPea protein gives your muscles almost everything they need to rebuild, straight from a humble split pea.
• PeachA solid source of vitamins A and C together, both tied to skin health.
• Peanut OilThe stir-fry oil, and usually safe in peanut allergy — with one exception that matters.
• PeanutsTechnically a legume rather than a tree nut — which matters for allergies.
• PearOne of the higher-fibre fruits, most of it in a form that slows digestion.
• PecansPecans are crunchy little bundles of healthy fat and minerals that your body slowly breaks down for steady energy, not a quick sugar rush.
• PersimmonPersimmons are a sweet, vitamin-rich fall fruit -- but eating a lot of unripe ones on an empty stomach can actually cause a real stomach problem.
• PestoThirty-seven per cent fat, and most of it the kind worth eating.
• Pickled GherkinsTwenty-three grams of added sugar per hundred. In a pickle.
• PigeonDark poultry meat wrapped in a lot of fat — take the skin off and the numbers change completely.
• Pigeon PeasPigeon peas are small but mighty: full of fiber, protein, and iron, and you don't have to eat them with rice at the exact same moment for the protein to "count."
• PikeletA mini pancake made from flour, egg, and milk — quick energy, not much else.
• Pikelet or PancakeThe sugar and the salt both arrive in the batter, before anything goes on top.
• Pine NutsPine nuts are tiny, buttery seeds packed with minerals — but don't count on them to melt away fat.
• PineappleContains bromelain — the same enzyme sold as a digestive supplement.
• Pinto BeansPinto beans are a cheap, filling food that's secretly packed with fiber, protein, and folate.
• PistachiosOne of the lower-calorie nuts, and unusually good for the eye pigments.
• Plain FlourThe refined default — and in many countries, quietly fortified.
• PlantainPlantains are a starchy cooking fruit — more like a potato than a sweet banana — that's rich in potassium and gut-friendly starch.
• PlumPrunes aren't just an old home remedy -- real science backs them up for keeping you regular and for helping keep bones strong.
• PluotPluots are a plum-apricot mix — but mostly plum — that pack vitamin C, potassium, and fiber into one juicy, low-calorie snack.
• Poblano PepperPoblano peppers are a mild, meaty green chile that bring real vitamin C and just a hint of heat without overwhelming a dish.
• Polenta (Cornmeal)Corn is filling and easy to grow, but eating it as your main food for too long, without other proteins, can leave your body short on a B vitamin called niacin.
• PomegranateOne of the most compound-dense fruits — much of it from the peel and pith.
• Popcorn (Air-Popped)A genuine whole grain snack, once you skip the butter and heavy oil.
• Poppy SeedsA tiny seed that’s surprisingly rich in calcium and fat, but the serving size keeps its real-world impact modest.
• PorkWhich cut you buy changes the fat far more than how you cook it.
• Pork BellyThirty-one grams of fat, and more thiamin than almost anything else you will eat.
• Pork TenderloinPork tenderloin is a lean, high-protein meat that's also packed with a B-vitamin most other meats barely have.
• PorridgeMade with water it is plain and modest. Made with milk it becomes a proper source of protein and calcium.
• PotatoMore potassium than a banana, and the cooking method decides everything else.
• PrawnNearly all protein and water, with barely any fat — whichever prawn you buy.
• Prickly PearA cactus fruit that’s mostly water and fiber, with a solid dose of vitamin C.
• ProsciuttoThe leanest thing on this counter and the saltiest — 1,700 mg per 100 g.
• Protein PowderWhey is protein taken out of milk; hemp powder is ground seed with most of the oil removed. The label word to read is the source.
• PruneA dried plum with a real, well-tested effect on constipation — and a good reason not to eat the whole packet.
• PrunesOne of the few foods with trial evidence for constipation — and it beat the fibre supplement.
• PsylliumA fibre that turns to gel in water — which is why it needs plenty of it.
• PumpkinPumpkin's bright orange color is basically edible sunshine for your eyes and immune system.
• Pumpkin SeedsOne of the richest everyday food sources of zinc.
• Purple Yam (Ube)This vibrant purple tuber gets its color from real antioxidant plant pigments, not food dye, but it's not the same food as purple sweet potato.
• QuailA small bird that is basically all dark meat — richer and fattier than chicken breast, gram for gram.
• Quail EggsQuail eggs are basically tiny, extra-rich chicken eggs — good protein and choline, but not a magic health food.
• QuandongA tart wild peach-like fruit, high in vitamin C and folate.
• QuinceQuince looks like a bumpy pear, but you almost always have to cook it before eating — raw, it's rock-hard and mouth-puckering.
• QuinoaA rare plant food that is genuinely a complete protein.
• RabbitRabbit meat gives you a lot of protein for very few calories, but eating only rabbit without any fat can actually make you sick.
• Rabbit (Farmed, Whole)A very lean white meat — high in protein, but famously too lean to eat as your only food.
• RadicchioRadicchio is a bitter, ruby-red salad leaf that's surprisingly packed with vitamin K -- more per bite than almost any other lettuce-like green.
• RadishRadishes are mostly water and crunch, but that spicy bite is doing real work in your body.
• RaisinsSeventy-four grams of sugar per hundred, and it is all intrinsic to the grape.
• RambutanRambutan is a juicy, low-calorie fruit with a good hit of vitamin C -- just peel it, eat the white flesh, and skip the hairy skin and the seed.
• RaspberriesUnusually high in fibre for a fruit, and worth separating from the “raspberry ketone” pill sold under its name.
• Red CabbageRed cabbage is green cabbage with a superpower: the purple pigment that gives it color is also a strong antioxidant, and that same pigment changes color when it touches something acidic or basic.
• Red LentilsRed lentils are a cheap, fast-cooking way to get iron, fiber, and protein — pair them with vitamin C to help your body absorb more of the iron.
• Red SnapperRed snapper is a lean, mild white fish that gives your body high-quality protein plus a big boost of selenium and vitamin B12.
• Red WineThe heart-health story was real research. It did not survive better methods.
• RedcurrantRedcurrants are a sour, ruby-red berry packed with vitamin C — and they're not the same as the dried "currants" you find in trail mix or muffins.
• RhubarbA very low-calorie, high-fiber stalk vegetable with a distinctly tart bite.
• Rice BeverageCloser to thin rice water than to milk — there is almost no protein in it.
• Rice Bran OilThe highest vitamin E of the plain oils, and more saturated fat than most people expect.
• Rice CakesRice cakes look like a light diet snack, but because they're basically pure puffed starch with almost no fiber, they can spike your blood sugar faster than candy does.
• Rice MilkThe thinnest of the plant milks, and the one with an age restriction.
• Rice NoodlesAlmost nothing but starch — and almost nothing else either, which is the point.
• Rice Paper WrapperA thin sheet of rice and tapioca starch. It adds almost nothing to a roll except the ability to hold it together.
• Roasted Soy NutsA crunchy handful of soy nuts packs more protein than most nuts, for a fraction of the fat.
• RocketRocket is in the mustard family, not the lettuce family, and that is where the peppery taste comes from.
• Romaine LettuceRomaine is mostly water and crunch, but it packs a real dose of vitamin K and vitamin A into very few calories.
• RosemaryThe herb behind "rosemary for remembrance" — genuinely rich in antioxidants, though the memory claim is weaker than the folklore suggests.
• RyeRye holds far more fibre than wheat, and holds onto water in a way that keeps you full.
• Safflower OilSafflower oil comes in two very different types, so "is it healthy" depends on which bottle you actually bought.
• SaffronThe most expensive spice in the world, used a pinch at a time, so its nutrition table is a curiosity rather than a plan.
• SageA herb, not a food. The impressive numbers on the table belong to 100g of dried leaf, and a generous pinch is about one gram.
• SagoAlmost pure starch. Dry sago is dense; cooked sago is mostly the water it swallowed.
• SalamiThirty-seven per cent fat and 1,495 mg of sodium — but nobody eats 100 g of it.
• SalmonOne of the few foods that really is packed with omega-3.
• Salt Substitute (Potassium Chloride)One of the few dietary swaps with a hard trial outcome behind it — and a real contraindication.
• SardineThe calcium is in the bones, so whether you eat them whole is the whole story.
• SardinesOne of the few foods where you eat the bones — and that is where the calcium is.
• Sausages VegetablesRead the name in the other order: this is a vegetable stew with some sausage in it.
• Scallions (Green Onions)A few tablespoons of chopped scallions can give you more vitamin K than you'd expect from a simple garnish.
• ScallopsScallops are a lean, quick-cooking seafood that packs a lot of protein and vitamin B12 into very few calories.
• SconeThe saltiest thing in the bakery — 968 mg per hundred, in something served with jam.
• Sea BassSea bass is a lean, mild fish packed with protein, selenium, and vitamin B12 — just don't eat it every single day.
• Seaweed (Boiled)Fifty-four calories, and still twice a day’s iodine in a hundred grams.
• SeedGrind them, or you get very little. The whole seed's shell survives digestion more or less intact.
• SeitanSeitan is basically wheat's protein, isolated and cooked into a chewy, meat-like food - high in protein, but it's missing enough of one building block to be a "complete" protein on its own.
• SemolinaSemolina is coarse durum wheat flour -- the gritty stuff pasta is made from -- and its tough, dense texture means your body breaks it down more slowly than regular flour, so it doesn't spike blood sugar as fast.
• Sesame OilSesame oil isn't magic, but it's a genuinely different kind of fat thanks to plant compounds most cooking oils don't have.
• Sesame SeedsTiny seeds, big mineral punch — just don't count on all that calcium actually getting into your bones.
• ShallotsShallots taste like a cross between onion and garlic, and that sharp flavor comes with a real dose of antioxidants.
• SharkPlain shark fillet is about as lean as protein gets. The batter is where the calories come from.
• ShrimpHigh in cholesterol on paper, with far less effect on your blood than once believed.
• Silver PerchA mild, easy fish that gives you vitamin D and omega-3 in one go.
• Silverbeet (Swiss Chard)A leafy green packed with vitamin A, plus iron and folate.
• Smoked SalmonThe omega-3 and vitamin D of salmon, plus 1,015 mg of sodium.
• Snap PeasA handful of snap peas can cover your whole day's vitamin C, pod and all.
• SnapperA lean, popular Australian fish with a bit more calcium and potassium than most fish give you.
• Snow PeasSnow peas are the crunchy whole pod you eat, pea and all -- low calorie, high in vitamin C, and good for digestion.
• Soba NoodlesSoba noodles give you steady energy from buckwheat carbs and a plant-protein boost -- but check the label, because most soba also has wheat mixed in.
• Soft DrinkThe whole range splits in two: sweetened with sugar, or sweetened with something that carries no kilojoules.
• SorghumA gluten-free whole grain that keeps its bran, because there is no easy way to take it off.
• Southern Rock LobsterA very lean seafood — almost all protein, with barely any fat of its own.
• Soy BeverageThe thing worth checking on the carton is whether calcium has been added. Unfortified soy milk has almost none.
• Soy MilkSoy milk is a plant milk with real protein, close to what you'd get from cow's milk, plus calcium and vitamin D when it's fortified.
• Soy SauceThe saltiest thing in most kitchens — and a tablespoon is half a day’s sodium.
• Soybeans (Dry)Soybeans pack complete protein like meat, plus special plant compounds — and no, eating them won't mess with your hormones.
• Spaghetti SquashSpaghetti squash turns into noodle-like strands when you cook it, and it's mostly water -- so you get a big, filling plate for very few calories.
• SpamCured, canned pork. It keeps for years because of the salt and the nitrite, and both of those are the nutritional story.
• SpeltAn ancient grain often marketed as gluten-free — it is not, and treating it that way can be genuinely risky.
• SpinachThe Popeye story about spinach and iron is not quite true.
• Spirits (40% ABV)The purest form of the thing itself: alcohol, water, and essentially nothing else.
• Split PeasOne of the highest fibre-to-calorie foods around, and it skips the overnight soak most dried beans need.
• SpratA small fish you eat whole. The bones are the point.
• SpreadYeast spreads and chocolate spreads sit side by side and have almost nothing in common.
• Spring RollA fried pastry wrapper around a mostly vegetable filling — the frying is what changes the numbers.
• SproutSprouting turns a dry seed into a small fresh vegetable, and the conditions that do it also suit bacteria.
• Squab (Pigeon)A whole small bird, skin included — richer and fattier than most poultry, but still a decent source of iron and zinc.
• SquashA summer squash, picked young — which is why it is watery and mild rather than sweet and starchy like a pumpkin.
• Squid or CalamariVery lean protein. Cook it for under two minutes or for over half an hour — the middle is where it turns to rubber.
• Star FruitStar fruit is a juicy, star-shaped snack packed with vitamin C, but people with kidney problems should never eat it.
• StarchNot a flour. Starch is the one part of the plant left after everything else is washed away.
• Steak VegetablesConvenient and safe for years on a shelf, but diluted with sauce and salted to make up for it.
• StockA stock cube is mostly salt, and the numbers only make sense once you dilute it.
• Stock CubeEighteen grams of sodium per hundred. One cube is a quarter of a day’s worth.
• StrawberriesA genuinely strong vitamin C source people do not associate with berries.
• SugarRaw, brown and white sugar are the same thing with different amounts of molasses on the outside.
• SultanaA sultana is a grape with the water taken out, which concentrates everything else about fourfold.
• Sunflower OilSunflower oil is one of the richest food sources of vitamin E, but not all bottles labeled "sunflower oil" are the same fat.
• Sunflower SeedsSunflower seeds are a crunchy snack loaded with vitamin E, healthy fat, and minerals — just skip the shells and keep portions modest.
• SwedeA mild, low-calorie root vegetable that's a genuine vitamin C source, related to cabbage more than to potatoes.
• Sweet CherriesThe sleep research used tart cherry juice, not these. Worth knowing before you buy a punnet.
• Sweet PotatoCooking it, and adding a little fat, both genuinely improve what you absorb.
• SweetcornA vegetable that is really a grain, and one of the few good sources of the pigment that concentrates in the back of the eye.
• Swiss ChardOne cup of cooked Swiss chard packs a huge dose of vitamin K — great for most people, but something to watch closely if you take blood thinners like warfarin.
• SwordfishSwordfish gives you a lot of protein and vitamin D in one meal -- but it's also on the short list of fish doctors say to skip if you're pregnant or feeding young kids.
• SyrupSugar made from grain starch instead of cane. It sounds gentler than it is.
• Table Salt (Iodised)The single biggest sodium source in most diets — and, iodised, a public-health success.
• Taco ShellCorn tortilla plus deep frying — the frying is most of what shows up on the label.
• TahiniTahini is sesame seeds ground into a creamy paste — a good source of calcium, copper, and healthy fats, but your body only absorbs part of that calcium, and sesame itself can trigger allergies.
• TamarilloAn egg-shaped fruit related to the tomato, rich in vitamin A and fibre.
• TamarindTamarind is a sour-sweet fruit pulp that's surprisingly rich in fiber and minerals — but it can make some pain relievers hit harder than usual.
• TangeloPeels like a mandarin, tastes like a tart orange, and carries a bit of grapefruit in its family tree.
• TangerineTangerines are a sweet, easy-peel way to get a big dose of vitamin C plus a special orange pigment your body can turn into vitamin A.
• Tangerine or TangorThe easy-peeling citrus. What changes across the group is sweetness, seeds, and how easily the skin comes away.
• TapiocaAlmost pure starch from a root vegetable. It is there for texture and energy, not nutrition.
• TaroTaro is a starchy root that's totally safe and nutritious once cooked, but eating it raw can burn your mouth and throat.
• TartThe custard is basically baked milk and egg; the pastry around it is where the fat and salt are.
• Tart CherriesOne of the few foods that naturally contains measurable melatonin.
• TeffTeff is a tiny, gluten-free grain that's genuinely rich in iron and calcium -- but eating it alone isn't as good at raising iron levels as meat or a supplement would be.
• TempehTempeh is fermented soybeans pressed into a firm, nutty cake -- fermentation makes its protein and minerals easier for your body to use than plain soybeans.
• Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)TVP is dried soy chunks that turn hearty and meaty once you soak them — cheap, high in protein, and not the "hormone bomb" people worry about.
• Textured Vegetable Protein Soy GranulesThe packet says over half protein. That is the dry granule; soaking roughly triples its weight and thirds the number.
• ThymeA herb used a pinch at a time, so its impressive-looking nutrient numbers barely apply to how you actually eat it.
• TilapiaTilapia is basically pure lean protein, great for muscles, but don't expect the omega-3 boost you get from salmon.
• Tim TamA genuine treat — worth enjoying as one, not mistaking for something more.
• Toasted Muesli (Granola)The word toasted means fried in oil and sugar. That is what the toasting is.
• TofuA plant protein whose calcium content depends entirely on how it was made.
• TomatilloTomatillos are a tangy, low-calorie veggie that gives you a solid dose of vitamin C without much sugar or fat.
• Tomato PasteThe one thing on this shelf that is concentrated nutrition rather than concentrated salt.
• Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)A quarter sugar by weight, and one of the better lycopene sources you will eat.
• TomatoesOne of the few foods where cooking increases what you get from it.
• Tonic WaterAs sugary as lemonade, and the only mixer containing an actual drug.
• Treacle (Molasses)The one sweetener whose mineral content is genuinely worth mentioning. It is still 69% sugar.
• Treacle or MolassesWhat is left over when sugar is refined out of cane, minerals included.
• TriticaleTriticale is a man-made grain that's part wheat, part rye, giving it a bit more protein, fiber, and a key amino acid than regular wheat.
• TroutTrout is a mild, easy-to-cook fish loaded with protein, vitamin D, and heart-friendly fats.
• TunaOne of the most concentrated omega-3 sources, with a real mercury caveat.
• TurkeyThe sleepiness reputation is really about how much you ate, not the turkey.
• TurnipTurnips are a low-calorie root packed with vitamin C, and their leafy tops are even more nutritious than the root itself.
• Urad Dal (Black Gram)Urad dal is a small black bean packed with plant protein, iron, and folate — but you have to cook it well to unlock the good stuff.
• UV-Exposed MushroomsMore vitamin D than salmon, from a fungus that made it out of sunlight.
• Vanilla Bean ExtractReal extract and imitation essence taste different, but neither adds anything nutritionally at the amounts used.
• Vanilla EssenceNutritionally nothing, and it makes food taste sweeter without any sugar.
• VealVery lean meat from a young animal. It cooks fast and dries out fast.
• Vegan Hard CheeseNought point nine grams of protein per hundred. It is coconut oil and starch shaped like cheese.
• VegemiteA little goes a long way, both for the B vitamins and the salt.
• Vegetable JuiceThe one juice that isn’t a sugar problem. It’s a salt one instead.
• Vegetable Oil (Blended)The label tells you nothing about what is in the bottle.
• VenisonVenison is a super-lean red meat — big on protein and iron, low on fat — but hunters really do need to get wild deer tested for a brain disease that cooking can't destroy.
• Vine LeafA dark leafy green, packed in enough salt to change the answer entirely.
• Vinegar (White & Cider)Sixteen calories per hundred grams, and a small real effect on blood sugar.
• Walnut ButterWalnut butter's fat is mostly the good, unsaturated kind, and it's the only nut butter with a real dose of plant omega-3s.
• Walnut OilWalnut oil is a plant-based source of omega-3 fat, but your body only turns a little of it into the same omega-3s found in fish.
• WalnutsThe best plant omega-3 source — though a different type from fish.
• WaterTap, bottled and sparkling hydrate identically. What differs is fluoride, sodium and price.
• Water ChestnutA water chestnut is a crunchy underwater plant stem, not a nut, and it stays crunchy even after you cook it.
• WatercressWatercress is a peppery little green that punches way above its weight -- basically a multivitamin with crunch.
• WatermelonThe original natural source of citrulline — the same compound in the supplements.
• Wattleseed (Ground)A roasted, ground native seed used a spoonful at a time as a nutty, coffee-like flavouring.
• Wax JambuBell-shaped, waxy-skinned and about ninety per cent water — crisp and refreshing rather than sweet.
• Weet-BixA high-fibre, low-sugar way to start the day, especially compared with most boxed cereals.
• WheatWhite flour is wheat with the outer layer and the seed's embryo taken out. That is the whole difference.
• Wheat Bran (Raw)Forty-two grams of fibre per hundred — the highest figure in the library.
• Wheat GermThe embryo of the wheat seed — small, oily, and the richest part of the grain in vitamins and minerals.
• Wheat NoodlesNutritionally pasta by another name — with more sodium than you would guess.
• White RiceWhite rice is a fast, easy source of energy, but most of its fiber and vitamins are polished away -- unless it's "enriched," where a few get added back.
• White SugarPure sucrose. No micronutrients at all — this is the reference point.
• White WineRed wine’s polyphenol story doesn’t apply here. The alcohol does.
• Whole Grain PastaWhole grain pasta keeps the wheat kernel's outer bran and inner germ, so your body digests it more slowly and pulls out more fiber and minerals than it would from white pasta.
• Wild RiceWild rice isn't really rice — it's a grass seed with more protein and fiber than regular rice, and it's gentler on blood sugar too.
• WineMost of the energy in any wine is the alcohol itself, not the sugar.
• Worcestershire SauceContains anchovies, which surprises a great many vegetarians.
• YamWhat you call a yam is probably a sweet potato — true yams are a different, starchy root that must be cooked to be safe.
• YeastExtraordinary nutrition per 100g, and almost nobody eats anything close to 100g of it.
• Yellow-Eye MulletAn overlooked fish that’s unusually rich in B12 and selenium.
• Yellowtail KingfishA farmed Australian fish that’s genuinely rich in omega-3 and vitamin D.
• Yuba (Tofu Skin)Yuba is the skin that forms on hot soy milk — dried and eaten, it's one of the most protein-packed plant foods around.
• ZucchiniMild and mostly water, but a real source of potassium and gut-friendly fibre.

Recipes without it

• Air-Popped PopcornA wholegrain that comes in bowls the size of your head, for about a hundred calories.
• Apple with Almond ButterTwo ingredients, no real recipe needed — but the pairing is deliberate.
• Avocado & Egg Rice BowlEverything good about avocado toast, on last night’s rice, for people who are out of bread.
• Baba GanoushAubergine burnt until the skin collapses, which is where all the smoke in it comes from.
• Baked Apple ChipsTwo hours in a low oven with nothing added at all, and they come out sweet enough to be suspicious.
• Baked Avocado & EggAn egg baked into half an avocado. Two ingredients, one tray, no technique.
• Baked Cod with White BeansA lean white fish sat on beans that soak up everything in the pan.
• Baked Salmon & BroccoliOne tray, one temperature, dinner in under half an hour.
• Barramundi with Bok ChoySteamed fish and greens, finished with ginger and almost nothing else.
• Beef & Barley StewNinety minutes, mostly unattended, and it is better reheated the next day.
• Beef BologneseA sauce that only gets good after the first twenty minutes, so give it the full forty-five.
• Beef BulgogiThe marinade has grated pear in it, which is a tenderiser, not a sweetener, and it genuinely works.
• Beef PhoThe broth is the entire dish. Everything else is something you drop into it at the last second.
• Beef with Roasted VegetablesA classic combination that leans on the oven to do most of the work.
• BibimbapFive vegetables cooked separately and arranged in wedges, then destroyed with a spoon the moment it hits the table.
• Black Bean Rice BowlA vegetarian bowl with enough protein that you won’t notice there’s no meat.
• Calamari with Rocket & LemonSquid is either cooked in two minutes or in forty. There is nothing in between.
• Chicken & Chorizo RiceOne pan, and the chorizo fat is what everything else gets cooked in.
• Chicken & Okra GumboThe roux takes twenty minutes of continuous stirring and decides whether the whole pot is worth eating.
• Chicken & Vegetable Stir-FryHigh heat, a few minutes, and everything stays crisp instead of turning to mush.
• Chicken CacciatoreHunter’s chicken: browned thighs braised in tomato, olives and wine until the meat comes off the bone.
• Chicken Coconut CurryA weeknight curry that tastes like it took an afternoon.
• Chicken Noodle SoupThe one everyone reaches for when the household starts sniffing.
• Chickpea & Spinach StewTwo tins and a bag of spinach, and dinner is twenty-five minutes away.
• Clams with LinguineNo cheese, no cream, and no tomato. The sauce is clam juice, oil and pasta water, and that is enough.
• Coconut & Date BitesThree ingredients into a food processor, rolled into balls, and they keep two weeks.
• Coconut Laksa Noodle SoupThe richest bowl in the library, and the one most worth the calories it costs.
• Crab LinguineThe crab is barely cooked at all — it is warmed through by the pasta and nothing else.
• Devilled EggsSix eggs, ten minutes of boiling, and about 6g of protein in each half.
• Dried Apricots & AlmondsThe snack to keep in a bag, a drawer and a glovebox.
• Duck Breast with CherriesStart the duck in a cold pan. All the fat renders out and the skin ends up like glass.
• FeijoadaBrazil’s national dish. Two hours of nothing happening, and then the best pot of beans you will eat.
• Fish TagineA North African braise where the fish goes in at the very end and poaches in the sauce.
• Fried Plantain with EggsWest Africa and the Caribbean both got here independently, which is usually a sign a combination works.
• Frozen GrapesThe single laziest thing in this library, and genuinely better than the unfrozen version.
• Ful MedamesEgypt’s national breakfast: mashed fava beans, lemon and oil. Cheap, filling, and about 15g of fibre a serving.
• Ginger Rice CongeeRice cooked until it gives up and turns into soup. Breakfast for anyone whose stomach is not ready for a fight.
• Goat CurryThe most eaten red meat on the planet, and it needs two hours before it is worth eating.
• Grilled Chicken SaladA genuinely filling salad, built around real protein instead of just lettuce.
• Guacamole with Corn ChipsMash it with a fork. A blender makes it into paint.
• HariraThe Moroccan soup eaten to break the fast in Ramadan, built to refill someone who has not eaten all day.
• Homemade Beef JerkyFour hours in the lowest oven you have, and it keeps a month. Almost pure protein by the end.
• Hummus with Carrots & CucumberA dip-and-crunch snack that’s mostly vegetables.
• Instant Miso SoupUnder 50 calories, mostly water, and it stops the 4pm biscuit more reliably than anything else here.
• JambalayaOne pot, three proteins and rice cooked in the middle of it all. Do not stir it once the rice goes in.
• Jerk ChickenThe marinade is genuinely fierce and the allspice is what makes it Jamaican rather than merely hot.
• Kale ChipsThe trick is drying the leaves properly. Wet kale steams in the oven and never once goes crisp.
• Kangaroo Stir-FryOne of the leanest red meats there is, which means it wants high heat and a short cook.
• Korean Rolled OmeletteAn omelette rolled in layers rather than folded once, which turns out to be easier than it looks.
• Kung Pao ChickenThe sauce is mixed in a cup before anything is cooked, because the whole dish takes four minutes in the pan.
• Lamb & Chickpea CouscousA cinnamon-warm braise spooned over couscous, which takes five minutes and no skill.
• Lamb Cutlets with GreensCutlets take four minutes a side, so everything else has to be ready before they hit the pan.
• Lemon Chicken & Rice SoupGreek avgolemono: egg and lemon whisked into hot broth, which thickens it without a drop of cream.
• Lemon Garlic Chicken ThighsSkin-on thighs, a whole head of garlic, and a tray that needs no attention for forty minutes.
• Mango Chia PuddingChia seeds turn coconut milk into pudding overnight — no cooking, no thickener, no effort in the morning.
• Mapo TofuSilken tofu in a fierce, numbing sauce, and it is on the table in twenty-five minutes.
• Masala OmeletteAn omelette with actual flavour in it, which is more than can be said for most of them.
• Massaman Beef CurryThe mildest Thai curry and the only one with potatoes and peanuts in it, which is the Persian influence showing.
• MinestroneThe soup invented to use up whatever the week left behind.
• Miso Soup with TofuEight minutes, four ingredients, and never let it boil.
• Miso Udon with GreensA bowl of broth and thick noodles that takes twenty minutes and tastes like it took longer.
• Miso-Glazed CodFour ingredients and eight minutes of work, and it is the best-looking plate in the library.
• Natto on RiceThe most divisive breakfast in the library, and the one with the best gut-bacteria case behind it.
• Nori Snack SheetsAlmost no calories, a lot of iodine, and gone in about ninety seconds.
• Octopus & Potato SaladA Mediterranean harbour dish. The octopus needs an hour and absolutely no attention.
• OkonomiyakiA cabbage pancake, which is a much better idea than it sounds, and mostly vegetable by weight.
• Oven-Baked Fish & WedgesFish and chips without the deep fryer, and no worse for it.
• Pad ThaiTen minutes of cooking and twenty of preparation, in that order, because there is no time to chop once the pan is hot.
• Pepper Strips with HummusPeppers hold dip better than any cracker, and bring their own vitamin C.
• Peri Peri ChickenSpatchcock it. A flat bird cooks in forty minutes instead of ninety and the skin crisps everywhere.
• Pistachios in the ShellThe shells are the feature. Having to open each one slows you down enough to notice you are full.
• Pork & Cabbage Stir-FryCabbage, cooked fast and hot, stops being the vegetable nobody wanted.
• Pork & Pineapple TacosThe pineapple is not a garnish — its enzymes tenderise the pork while it marinates.
• Pork Belly with GreensTwo and a half hours, of which two are the oven doing nothing and you doing nothing either.
• Prawn & Avocado CocktailA 1970s starter that was always secretly a very good lunch.
• Prawn & Mango SaladSweet, sour, hot and salty in one bowl — the four notes a Thai salad is built on.
• Prawn Green CurryPrawns go in last and cook in ninety seconds — everything else is ready before they see the pan.
• Prosciutto & MelonTwo ingredients, no cooking, and it has been on Italian tables for about four hundred years.
• Quinoa TabboulehA herb salad with a little grain in it, not a grain salad with a little herb.
• RatatouilleEvery vegetable cooked separately before they meet, which is the whole argument between a good one and a bad one.
• Red Lentil DahlLentils, spice and coconut milk — the cheapest hot meal in the library, and one of the best.
• Roast Cauliflower & Tahini BowlCauliflower roasted hard enough to go brown at the edges, which is the only way it is worth eating.
• Roast Chicken with Root VegetablesOne tray, one oven, and the vegetables cooked in the chicken fat.
• Roast Pork with ApplePork and apple, together for the reason every classic pairing exists: the acid cuts the fat.
• Roast Pumpkin SoupRoast the pumpkin rather than boiling it, and the soup tastes like twice the ingredients.
• Roast Veg Buddha BowlOne tray of roast vegetables, a grain, and a tahini sauce that ties the whole thing together.
• Roasted Broad BeansThe same idea as roasted chickpeas, with about half again as much protein.
• Roasted ChestnutsThe only nut that is mostly starch rather than fat, which makes it the lowest-calorie one by a distance.
• Roasted Pumpkin SeedsThe best part of carving a pumpkin, and available in a packet the rest of the year.
• Salade NiçoiseA composed salad, which means nothing is tossed — everything is put where it goes and left there.
• Salmon & Sweet Potato BowlTwo of the site’s most-recommended foods, in one bowl.
• Salmon Sushi BowlEverything that makes a sushi roll good, without the rolling.
• Salted MacadamiasAn Australian native, and the fattiest nut on the shelf, which is exactly why a small handful is enough.
• Sardine & Lemon PastaA store-cupboard pasta that costs almost nothing and eats like a restaurant plate.
• Sardines on CrackersA tin, a cracker and a lemon. About 25g of protein and a week of B12 in four minutes.
• Seafood PaellaDo not stir it. The crust on the bottom of the pan is the best part of the dish.
• Semolina UpmaA savoury South Indian breakfast that goes from cupboard to table in twenty minutes.
• ShakshukaEggs poached directly in a spiced tomato sauce, one pan start to finish.
• Smoked Mackerel & Beetroot SaladOily fish against sweet beetroot and bitter leaves — a plate built on contrast.
• Smoked Mackerel Rice BowlNo cooking at all if the rice is left over, and more omega-3 than most people get in a week.
• Snapper CevicheFish cooked by acid rather than heat, which takes fifteen minutes and no equipment at all.
• Soba & Edamame BowlCold buckwheat noodles that are better on the second day than the first.
• Spaghetti PuttanescaAnchovies, olives and capers — a sauce built entirely from things that live in a cupboard.
• Spanish TortillaPotato and egg, cooked slowly in far more oil than you are comfortable with, and worth every drop.
• Spiced CashewsTwelve minutes in the oven and a jar of nuts becomes something you have to hide.
• Split Pea & Ham SoupThick enough that the spoon stands up in it, which is the traditional test and a fair one.
• Steak with ChimichurriA raw herb sauce that takes five minutes and outperforms anything you can buy in a jar.
• Stewed Apple with CinnamonKeeps five days in the fridge and turns yogurt, porridge or toast into something else entirely.
• Sweet Potato Breakfast HashA skillet you can build from whatever is in the vegetable drawer, with eggs cracked in at the end.
• Sweet Potato CrispsSoak the slices first. It washes off the surface starch, which is what makes them crisp instead of bend.
• Sweet Potato ToastSlices of sweet potato through the toaster instead of bread. Sounds like a gimmick, works completely.
• Tamari AlmondsThe soy evaporates and leaves a salty glaze welded onto the nut, which is far better than plain salted.
• Tempeh & Broccoli Rice BowlTempeh is fermented, which makes it both easier to digest and better tasting than tofu.
• Teriyaki Salmon BowlA glaze you make from two ingredients you already own.
• Thai Beef SaladSteak, sliced thin across the grain, over a salad that is mostly herbs.
• Tofu Noodle Stir-FryGet the tofu properly crisp first and the rest is four minutes of tossing.
• Tofu Poke BowlThe poke bowl formula with tofu in the fish’s place, and no compromise on the toppings.
• Tofu Vegetable CurryA fully plant-based curry that still hits a real protein target.
• Tom Yum with PrawnsHot, sour, and about 120 calories a bowl. The most flavour-per-calorie dish in the library.
• Tuna & Tomato PastaFour store-cupboard tins and a packet of pasta, twenty minutes, no shopping.
• Tuna on Rice CakesTwenty grams of protein assembled from things that live in a desk drawer.
• Tuna Poke BowlThe Hawaiian bowl that turned a can’t-fail combination — rice, fish, avocado — into its own genre.
• Turkey & Cranberry SaladWhat to do with the leftovers, any month of the year.
• Turkey LarbA Laotian minced-meat salad, eaten in lettuce cups, that is basically all protein and herbs.
• Turmeric Tofu ScrambleThe scramble you make when the eggs have run out and you still want the protein.
• Tuscan Bean & Tuna SaladTwo tins and an onion. The best thing you can make from a cupboard in under ten minutes.
• Two Brazil NutsTwo is the serving. This is the rare food where eating more is actively worse for you.
• Vegetarian Bean ChiliA big batch that tastes better the next day — freezes well too.
• Venison with Root VegetablesOne of the leanest red meats there is, which is exactly why it has to be cooked slowly or not at all.
• White Bean & Rosemary DipHummus made from what is actually in the cupboard, and lighter than the chickpea version.

The other thirteen