RP Diet Food List: 76+ Foods You Can Eat on RP Diet

The Renaissance Periodization (RP) Diet app helps you to reach your fitness goals by calculating your optimal macronutrient intake and giving you a place to log each meal to stay on track with your goal.

The RP Diet app categorizes foods by classifying them as protein, carbohydrate, or fat sources. While you can eat whatever you want, the app does encourage you to eat mostly whole foods. If you are eating foods that aren’t included in the app’s food library you must enter them manually by logging or scanning them.

Learning which foods will work the best for you based on your goal can make using the RP Diet app and sticking to your targets much easier. 

Still haven’t tried RP Diet yet? Check out my complete review of RP Diet, including my likes and dislikes, and my recommendation on who should and shouldn’t use the app.

Key Takeaways

• If your goal is weight loss, choosing protein sources that are leaner is best as opposed to high-fat protein sources that contain more calories. As well, choosing carb sources that are nutrient-dense, high in fiber, and low in calories (such as green vegetables) will be the best option.

• If your goal is to maintain your weight then you will likely be able to sample a variety of foods from each macronutrient category as long as you factor it into the daily macronutrient goal that the RP Diet app provides you.

• If you are trying to gain weight, you will be able to include foods that are more calorie-dense such as fattier cuts of protein, higher calorie grains that do not contain as much fiber, and more foods from the fat category (such as oils).

How Does The RP Diet App Categorize Food?

Unlike many other diet systems that label foods as “good” or “bad”, the RP Diet app prefers to categorize foods based on the nutrient that each food is highest in (protein, carbohydrates, or fat).

Unlike many other food tracking apps that only care about your total daily intake of each macro, the RP Diet app has you log a specific amount of protein, carbs, and fats at each meal and is particular about what time you eat each meal.

Additionally, the RP Diet app does not pay attention to the calories in your food and focuses specifically on macros. 

If a food source has a combination of macros (e.g. protein and fat), then it will be placed in the category in which it is most dominant (e.g. sirloin steak contains both protein and fat, but is categorized as a protein source because it has more protein than fat).

The app encourages a combination of protein, carbs, and fats at every meal. For this reason, it’s helpful to have some “go-to” food sources for each macronutrient category when you go to create your meals.

• If you’re looking for easy-to-make recipes that you can eat using RP Diet, check out the list I created of the 10 Best RP Diet Recipes.

Protein Sources In The RP Diet App

The following protein sources are examples of foods that are included in the RP Diet app food library.

Poultry

• Chicken breast
• Dark chicken meat
• Ground chicken
• Turkey breast
• Ground turkey
• Turkey bacon
• Turkey sausage

Fish and Seafood

• Cod
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Clams
• Scallops
• Prawns
• Tilapia
• Tuna

Red Meat

• Lean ground beef
• Sirloin Steak
• Venison
• Pork chops
• Ham

Dairy

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese

Plant-Based

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Seitan

Other

• Whey Protein Powder
• Plant-Based Protein Powder
• Collagen Powder
• Eggs
• Egg whites

How To Pick Protein Sources In The RP Diet App Based On Your Goals

The types of high-protein foods that you should choose to fill your diet are going to depend on your specific goals.

Some people can afford protein sources with higher fat content, whereas others will need very lean sources of protein based on their goals.

The RP Diet app will help you to determine the perfect macronutrient targets for you based on your personal stats and goals that you provide, but in general, the best protein sources based on your goal are listed below:

Fat Loss

If you are using the RP diet app to lose weight, then it is best to stick with lean sources of protein such as chicken breast, white fish, non-fat Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, whey protein powder, and egg whites.

Choosing lower-fat protein sources is recommended during a fat-loss phase because these foods will contain fewer calories.

During a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain weight), your fat intake for each meal will likely be lower than if you were in a maintenance or muscle gain phase because fat has the highest number of calories per gram (9 calories/gram).

Opting for leaner protein will allow you to hit your protein without going over your fat macros.

• Related Article: Best Single Macro Foods (Complete List + PDF Download)

Muscle Gain

When you are in a bulking phase your calorie requirements will be higher, which means that you will likely be able to eat protein sources that are higher in fat.

Protein sources such as ground beef, ribeye steak, pork chops, eggs, salmon, and dark meat chicken will be better options when you are trying to gain muscle. 

That said, I would still encourage you to include leaner protein sources from time to time so that you are leaving room in your macros for other fat sources (not from animal products) in your diet. (more on this later).

Weight Maintenance

If you are in a maintenance phase, then you can enjoy a combination of both lean and higher-fat protein sources as long as you are meeting the macro requirements that the RP diet app recommends.

Fat Sources In The RP Diet App

Although many of these foods contain more than just fat, the RP Diet app classifies the following foods as fats, but some of these foods will contribute to your protein and carbohydrate intake as well.

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Coconut

Spreads

• Butter
• Ghee
• Almond Butter
• Peanut butter
• Tahini

Oils

• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Olive oil

Dairy

• Whole milk
• Cheese
• Full-fat yogurt

Beverages

• Coconut milk
• Half-and-half creamer

Other

• Avocados
• Egg yolks

How To Pick Fat Sources In The RP Diet App Based On Your Goals

Fat Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, then it is likely that you won’t have a lot of room for an abundance of high-fat foods in your diet.

This is because fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient, and eating too much fat will make it harder to achieve a calorie deficit.

With that said, fat is an essential macronutrient to consume even in a fat-loss phase. Therefore, choosing fats that also contain protein such as eggs, nuts, and seeds are going to be best while dieting.

Muscle Gain

During a bulking phase, it can be tough to get enough calories, which is why high-fat foods can come in handy. All of the fat sources listed above are going to be great options during a muscle-gaining phase.

Foods like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil are great to use for cooking your meat and vegetables when trying to add calories to a traditionally lower-calorie meal. 

Similarly, you can add foods like peanut butter and almond butter to smoothies to boost your calorie count without much effort at all.

Maintenance

If you are trying to maintain your weight, then you’ll have more wiggle room than those who are dieting but a lower fat intake than someone who is bulking.

Any of the fat sources listed above are great options during a maintenance phase, but it’s still important to be mindful of your intake because it’s very easy to overdo it, especially with oils like avocado, olive, or coconut oil. 

I would recommend sticking to fat sources that also contain protein and/ or fiber, such as nuts and seeds, full-fat dairy, avocado, and eggs.

Carb Sources In The RP Diet App

The following foods are considered to be primarily carbohydrate sources in the RP Diet app:

Fruit

• Bananas
• Apples
• Berries (e.g. blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries)
• Melons (e.g. watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
• Oranges

Vegetables

• Leafy greens (spinach, lettuce)
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Asparagus
• Root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam)

Grains

• Whole grain bread
• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain wraps
• Brown rice wraps
• Oats
• Rice (e.g. brown, white, basmati)
• Corn

Other

• Rice Cakes
• Honey
• Maple syrup

How To Pick Carb Sources In The RP Diet App Based On Your Goals

Fat Loss

During a fat loss phase, choosing carbohydrates that are primarily lower in calories while being higher in fiber and nutrients will benefit you the most. These types of foods are considered “high volume foods”, meaning that they will help to make you feel full on fewer calories.

Choosing plenty of leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and greens vegetables such as cucumber, celery, and zucchini is a great option while on a fat-loss diet. You can also eat high-fiber, lower-sugar fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

When choosing starchier carbohydrates, choose options that are higher in fiber, like root vegetables, so that you feel fuller for longer.

Muscle Gain

During a bulking phase, carbohydrates will be your best friend. Carbs provide your body with energy and help fuel your muscles while you train, contributing to muscle growth.

If you are in a calorie surplus (eating more calories than you need to maintain weight) and trying to put on muscle, any of the carbs listed above will be beneficial. 

However, if you are struggling to eat the number of carbs that you are supposed to, then choosing carbs that are lower in fiber and less filling will be beneficial.

Carb sources like honey and maple syrup could provide your body with carbs and quick-burning energy before a workout without weighing down your stomach.

Maintenance

During a maintenance phase, I would recommend eating a combination of starchy carbs (such as whole grain bread, rice, and potatoes) and high volume, high fiber carbohydrates like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.

Choosing carbs that are faster digesting (e.g. fruit, rice cakes, honey) for the meals that are directly before or after your workout will be beneficial since your body can utilize these carbs for quick energy for your muscles while you train, and contribute to muscle recovery post-workout.

Can You Add Other Food In The RP Diet App?

If you don’t see a food that you commonly eat on any of the lists above, you can always search for the food you are looking for on the RP Diet app’s database. The app has a database that contains over 750,000 different foods which makes it highly likely that you will find the food you are looking for.

Not only that, but the RP Diet app has a convenient barcode scanner that you can use on packaged foods such as cereals, protein bars, canned soups, etc. 

You can also find meals from popular chain restaurants in the RP Diet app database, which makes logging your meal easy if you are going out to eat.

Any food can be included in the RP Diet as long as it fits within your macros, but the app does encourage you to stick to whole foods for the most part.

Can You Create Shopping Lists in the RP Diet App?

You can create a shopping list in the RP Diet app, but you can only access this feature once you’ve logged some of your meals so the app can create your ideal shopping list. Logging your meals for a few days will allow the app to create a grocery list with the exact amounts of foods that you are frequently consuming.