Zone Portion Food Lists

This is a list of food and their zone block size equivalence.

The list was originally pulled from the book Top 100 Zone Foods: The Zone Food Science Ranking System, by Dr. Barry Sears.  I then modified the list by pulling soy, dairy, peanuts, beans, grains, and other non-Paleo diet items.  For more info on the Paleo diet see  The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance or The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat or The Evolution Diet: What and How We Were Designed to Eat .

Download a copy of the list in PDF format at the bottom of this article.

Carbohydrates

• Apples – 1/2 apple = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Apricots – 3 apricots = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Artichokes – 4 artichokes or 1 cup of artichoke hearts = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Asparagus – 12 asparagus spears = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Blackberries – 3/4 cup of blackberries = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Blueberries - 1/2 cup of blueberries = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Bok Choy - 3 cups of cooked bok choy = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Broccoli – 3 cups of cooked broccoli = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Brussels Sprouts – 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked Brussels sprouts = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Cabbage – 3 cups of cooked cabbage = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Cauliflower – 4 cups of cauliflower = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Celery - 2 cups of sliced celery = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Cherries – 8 cherries = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Cucumbers - 1 and 1/2 cucumbers = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Eggplant – 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked eggplant = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Grapefruit - 1/2 grapefruit = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Grapes - 1/2 cup of grapes = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Green Beans – 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked green beans = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Kale - 2 cups of cooked kale = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Kiwi – 1 kiwi = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Kohlrabi – 1 cup of cooked kohlrabi = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Leeks – 1 cup of cooked leeks = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Lettuce - 10 cups of shredded lettuce = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Mustard Greens – 4 cups of mustard greens = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Mushrooms - 2 cups of cooked mushrooms = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Nectarines – 1/2 nectarine = 1 Zone Block.
• Okra - 1 cup of cooked okra = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Onions – 1/2 cup of cooked or 1/ and 1/2 cups of chopped raw onions = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Oranges – 1/2 orange = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Peaches - 1 peach = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Pears – 1/2 pear = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Plums - 1 plum = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Radishes – 4 cups of radishes = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Raspberries – 1 cup of raspberries = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Red Bell Peppers - 2 red peppers = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Spinach – 3 and 1/2 cups of cooked spinach = 1 Carbohydrate Block
• Strawberries – 1 cup of strawberries = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Swiss Chard – 2 and 1/2 cups of cooked Swiss chard = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Tangerines - 1 tangerine = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Tomatoes - 2 tomatoes = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Turnip Greens – 4 cups of cooked turnip greens = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Yellow Squash - 2 cups of cooked yellow squash = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Zucchini – 2 cups of cooked zucchini = 1 Carbohydrate Block.

Protein

• Haddock – 1 and 1/2 ounces of haddock = 1 Protein Block.
• Cod – 1 and 1/2 ounces of cod = 1 Protein Block.
• Crabmeat – 1 and 1/2 ounces of crabmeat = 1 Zone Block.
• Egg Whites (or Egg Substitute) – 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup of egg substitute = 1 Protein Block.
• Lobster - 1 and 1/2 ounces of lobster = 1 Protein Block.
• Mackerel – 1 and 1/2 ounces of mackerel = 1 Protein Block.
• Salmon – 1 and 1/2 ounces of salmon = 1 Protein Block.
• Sardines – 1 and 1/2 ounces of sardines = 1 Protein Block.
• Scallops – 1 and 1/2 ounces of scallops = 1 Protein Block.
• Sea Bass – 1 and 1/2 ounces of sea bass = 1 Protein Block.
• Tuna - 1 ounce of tuna steak or 1 and 1/2 ounces of canned tuna = 1 Protein Block.
• Turkey Breast, Skinless - 1 ounce of skinless turkey breast = 1 Protein Block.
• Emu – 1 ounce of emu = 1 Zone Block.
• Chicken Breast, Skinless – 1 ounce of skinless chicken breast = 1 Protein Block.
• Shrimp – 1 and 1/2 ounces of shrimp = 1 Protein Block.
• Tempeh – 1 and 1/2 ounces of tempeh = 1 Zone Block.
• Trout - 1 and 1/2 ounces of trout = 1 Zone Block.
• Beef Tenderloin - Well-Trimmed.  1 ounce of well-trimmed beef tenderloin = 1 Protein Block.
• Pork Tenderloin - Well-Trimmed.  1 ounce of well-trimmed pork tenderloin = 1 Protein Block.

Fats

• Macadamia Nuts – 1 macadamia nut = 1 Fat Block.
• Olive Oil – 2/3 teaspoon of olive oil = 1 Fat Block.
• Almonds - 3 almonds = 1 Fat Block.
• Avocados – 1 tablespoon = 1 Zone Block.
• Cashews – 3 cashews = 1 Fat Block.

Spices and Condiments

• Garlic
• Basil
• Alfalfa Sprouts – 10 cups of alfalfa sprouts = 1 Carbohydrate Block.
• Chili peppers
• Cinnamon
• Curry Powder
• Ginger
• Lemons
• Parsley
• Salsa
• Sesame Seeds

Zone Food Blocks

• Protein Block – One Protein Block contains 7 grams of protein.
• Carbohydrate Block - One Carbohydrate Block contains 9 grams of carbohydrates.
• Fat Block – One Fat Block contains 3 grams of fat.

EDIT: Due to requests I have included a downloadable PDF of the food list.

Right click this sentence or pdf icon and choose “save as” to download the list.

Tags: Food, paleo, zone diet