Begin with Protein

• The most essential step to constructing your diet food ladder is to ensure that your daily protein needs are met. While on a diet, protein can increase satiety while also increasing the thermic effect of food. In other words, consuming protein "costs" the body more calories to digest than any other macronutrient. Thus, eating protein is a metabolically friendly process that should form the backbone of your diet. Additionally, as protein is used to build and repair tissues in the body after exercise, you should make sure that your protein needs are met to keep your exercise regime on track during your diet. Aim to consume at between 30 and 40 percent of your total calories from protein, split evenly across your daily meals.
  
  

Add in Healthy Fats

• Healthy fats can also have fat-burning properties. Omega-3 fats, for instance, like those found in grass-fed meats, wild fish and fish oil, can substantially increase the rate at which you burn fat while on a diet. Normalizing your fat intake also keeps the body's hormonal systems balanced, as there is a link between fat consumption and normal testosterone levels. Thus, aim for a balanced approach in regards to fat--consume an equal mix of saturates (animal fats), polyunsaturates (such as fish oil) and monounsaturates (like olive oil). Ensure that at least 30 percent of your daily intake comes from fat to keep your body functioning properly.
  
  

Rely on Ideal Carbs

• Finally come carbs, the trickiest of the macronutrients. While your body technically does not require carbs to survive, optimal physical abilities are compromised in the absence of a fair number of carbs in the diet. Low-carb diets lead to depleted glycogen stores, resulting in reduced endurance during training sessions and impaired limit strength. Thus, you should have some carbs in your diet--but be discriminating. The ideal carbs to consume are those found in fruits and vegetables, as your body benefits from both the actual carbohydrates and the additional vitamins and minerals contained in these foods. Carbs should make up the remaining percentage of your diet, with at least 80 percent of your carb intake coming from just fruits and veggies.
  
  

Tolerate Other Carbs

• Other acceptable carb sources include dairy, oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes and whole grain products. While the nutritional value of these items are substantially impaired when compared to that found in fruits and vegetables, they are still above average when compared to other carbs such as processed foods and refined sugars, and can therefore form the final 20 percent of your carb intake. Realistically, relying on fruits and vegetables alone for your sole source of carbohydrates is not feasible. Thus, you may consume the aforementioned items, but only in limited quantities.