What I Eat and What I Don’t Eat – 2025 Edition

It’s been two years since the last edition of this post. I also have editions from 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2020.

I still weigh 182 pounds and am 6’2 tall. I’ve now maintained a 40-pound weight loss for 6 years. Low-fat diets work, provided you consume high-quality carbs and avoid consuming calories in liquid form.

There have been some minor changes since the last edition.

My diet is more plant-based. I haven’t had beef or pork since 2023. I had chicken twice last year. I still consume fish, albeit not as much as I used to. Although I restrict my fish intake to SMASH (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring) and donate blood regularly, I want to minimize my exposure to environmental toxins.
In 2023, my experimentation was with higher protein. I no longer consume protein shakes or chicken breasts. The protein hype is getting ridiculous. Most people consume significantly more protein than they need. If I were trying to get shredded or were recovering from a surgery, I’d bump up my intake, but I easily get 100+ grams a day from my diet.
Except for ferritin, all my bloodwork looks great. I stopped donating blood every 9 weeks to increase that number. I’ll confirm with additional testing in a few months.

In a previous post, I had AI examine my diet from January and provide feedback. See Tracking My Meals for a Month for details. I recently conducted a second analysis and asked ChatGPT to assign a name to my diet, and Claude provided a corresponding chart.

”The Balanced Bowl”

WHOLE GRAINS (25%)

Oats, millet, steel-cut oats, buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice, chickpea pasta, sweet potato, potatoes

Rich in fiber and resistant starch
Great for blood sugar control and gut health

VEGETABLES (30%)

Carrots, kimchi, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, beets, artichokes, zucchini, seaweed

Includes raw and fermented
High in antioxidants and diverse phytonutrients

FRUIT (10%)

Apples, blueberries, tangerines, oranges, bananas, raisins, and pineapple

Whole fruits only (no juice)
Fiber + polyphenols for heart and metabolic health

PLANT PROTEINS (15%)

Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, adzuki beans, tofu, tempeh, natto, hummus, soy chunks, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts

Excellent for gut, brain, and hormone health
Includes both cooked and fermented varieties

ANIMAL PROTEINS (10%)

Herring, sardines, salmon, Greek yogurt, whey protein

Cold-water fish = omega-3 powerhouse
Fermented dairy = high protein, low sugar

HEALTHY FATS (5%)

Avocado, nuts & seeds, flax, hemp, omega-3-rich fish

Supports brain, joints, and cell health
No fried or heavily processed oils

GUT BOOSTERS (5%)

Kimchi, natto, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut (fermented foods)

Regular daily consumption
Supports immune and digestive function

Almost Vegan Experiment

I wanted to see what would happen if I went even more plant-based. I swapped my fat-free Greek yogurt for plant-based ones and silken tofu. That lasted a few months. Plant-based yogurts have less satiety and are more expensive. Silken tofu was bland.

I stopped eating sardines and herring for a few months. Then I started craving fish again, so I added the fish back, but at a much lower level. My Omega-3 ratios are optimal, so this isn’t a priority.

Because I reversed course on the yogurt and fish, I never considered replacing my Korean kimchi, which has a small amount of anchovy and krill. I could make my own. Been there, done that. Considering I consume more than a gallon of kimchi each month, this was the lowest priority.

My diet will likely stay around 90% plant-based. If I occasionally eat a gluten-free cookie with dairy, that is fine. I doubt I will benefit much from being stricter.

Comments

Chris

July 16 at 2025 at 11:04 AM

Thanks MAS, I always look forward to these posts. A few queries:

what does this look like in terms of daily meals? Are you still on the “ugly protein shake”? Are the meals basically the same as in the 2023 post but without the meat ?
what would you estimate your body fat % as?

It is interesting that as I explore all sorts of nutrition ideas I always come back to Clarence Bass… which is pretty close to where you are now.

Chris

July 16 at 2025 at 11:16 AM

by the way - I know that you said you were no longer having a protein shake, but I was wondering if you are having the Ugly Shake but without the Whey

MAS

July 16 at 2025 at 3:56 PM

@Chris - Yes, I consume a variation of the Ugly Protein shake. Only this time, it is just the soaked chia, creatine, ACV, and mushroom powder. I take Spirulina/Chlorella and Psyllium in capsules now. Collagen peptides confuse me. I’m about 50% convinced they help with skin health. So, I cycle them in half the time and wait for more evidence.

MAS

July 16 at 2025 at 4:55 PM

@All - I moved the chart off of Claude artifacts, because they are sending my server 403 Forbidden on the link. Same idiotic thing that StackOverflow is doing.

https://michaelallensmith.com/diet/

Jim

July 17 at 2025 at 2:28 PM

@MAS Whenever I try this sort of diet, I end up feeling bloated and making many trips to the bathroom. I know it’s likely healthy, but my quality of life just becomes horrible. Maybe I just waited too long to try to convert to a vegetarian diet and my metabolism requires meat. :-)

MAS

July 17 at 2025 at 2:31 PM

@Jim - I slowly eased into these ratios. It took years to get here.

tml_mpls

July 22 at 2025 at 8:54 PM

Fun post. I really appreciate the update.

Speaking for myself, I’m 6’1” and 185. Fun to think I’m “closing the gap” with one of the only nutrition bloggers I still read (I started at around 238).

I’ve been curious about your ferritin for several years now. I found out that I had hereditary hemochromatosis from 23andme and started with ferritin at 650. These days I try to keep it between 50 and 20, basically donating every time I’m near 50 which frequent testing suggests is roughly every 4 months. I can’t prove this, but I believe I have an easier time regulating my weight and fewer food cravings when my ferritin is below 50 and getting it that level corresponded to a nice step-down in my weight (I also started needing less sleep and drinking less coffee). I’m not sure these numbers are right for everyone, but the fact that I’m pre-disposed to accumulate iron make them “feel right” for me.

MAS

July 22 at 2025 at 9:23 PM

@tml_mpls - I just checked my labs. This is the first time I directly tested ferratin. It was 20. It could have been low for years.

Eoin

August 6 at 2025 at 2:04 PM

Oats? I thought you did not eat gluten? I know they dont have gluten directly but are often cross contaminated.

MAS

August 6 at 2025 at 2:13 PM

@Eoin - To my knowledge, cross-contamination hasn’t bothered me yet. I’m unsure how sensitive I am and whether that changes over time. Gluten confuses me more than any other topic.

MAS

August 6 at 2025 at 2:31 PM

I just checked my Steel Cut Oats. It is certified gluten-free.

Elle

September 23 at 2025 at 4:15 AM

How do you feel mentally n physically while on a more plant forward way of eating ?

MAS

September 23 at 2025 at 2:22 PM

@Elle - My transition to a more plant-based diet has been gradual over several years, so I haven’t noticed a difference.

MAS

September 23 at 2025 at 2:27 PM

@All - My ferratin levels are up. I’m now in the lower band of normal. I will continue to avoid donating blood for now.