Michi's Ladder is a guideline, but we leave it to you to decide.

If you only ate from Tiers 1 & 2, you would have

a near!erfect diet"
Tier 1: The Pious Tier
#!!les, with s$in
#rticho$es
#rugula
#s!aragus
#vocados
%eans
%eets
%o$ choy
%oysenberries
%ran
%roccoli
%roccoli s!routs
%russels s!routs
&abbage
&arrots
&auliflower
&elery
&ereal, whole grain
&hard
&herries
&itrus fruits
&ollard greens
&ottage cheese, nonfat
&ucumbers
'gg whites
'ndive
(ish, cold water )salmon,
mac$erel, sardines*
(ish, freshwater
(la+seed
,arlic, fresh
,ranola, raw,
no sugar
-em! seed
.ale
Lettuce, romaine, green or
red leaf
Mil$, nonfat
Mil$, soy
Muesli, raw,
no sugar
Mushrooms
Mustard
/ectarines
0atmeal
0live oil
0lives
0nions
1ears, with s$in
1eas
1e!!ers
1lantains
1runes
2adishes
2as!berries
2efried beans, nonfat
2ice, brown
3alsa, natural, no sugar
3eitan
3!inach
34uash
3trawberries
3weet !otatoes
Tea, green or blac$
Tem!eh
Tofu
Tomato sauce, no sugar
Tomatoes
5inegar
6ater
7ams
7ogurt, nonfat,
no sugar
Tier 2: The Happy Tier
#!!les, s$inless
%ananas
%lueberries
%read, whole grain
&antalou!e
&heese, nonfat
&hic$en, s$inless white
meat
&offee, blac$ or
ca!!uccino with nonfat
mil$
&orn
&ottage cheese,
lowfat
&ream cheese, nonfat
8uc$, freerange
'gg!lant
(ish, farmed
,ranola or energy bar
,ra!es
-ummus
9uice, freshs4uee:ed with
!ul!, no sugar
.iwifruit
Mangoes
Meal re!lacement
bar
Melon, honeydew
Mil$, 1;
/uts, raw
0strich
1anca$es, buc$wheat
1a!ayas
1eaches
1inea!!le
1lums
2aisins
2icotta cheese, nonfat
3oy nuts
3oy sauce
34uid
3tring beans
3unflower seeds
Tortillas,
whole wheat
Tur$ey breast
5egetable <uice
5eggie burger
5enison, freerange
6atermelon
7ogurt, no sugar
=ucchini
Tier 3: The Swiss Tier
#1 3tea$ 3auce
#ngel food ca$e
#!!lesauce
%agels
%eef, eye of round
%eef, London
%eef, to! round
&anola oil
&heese, lowfat
&hic$en, dar$ meat
&hic$en sandwich,
broiled
&hic$en taco,
ba$ed
&offee, ca!!uccino with
whole mil$
&rab
&ream cheese,
lowfat
'ggs, whole
(rench fries, ba$ed
(ruit, dried
,raham crac$ers
,ranola
-oney
9am or marmalade
9er$y, tur$ey
9uice, from concentrate
.etchu!
Lamb, lean
Lettuce, iceberg
Lobster
Mayonnaise
Mil$, 2;
Muesli
0atmeal, flavored
0ysters
1anca$es
1asta, !lain
1eanut butter, raw
1o!corn, !lain
1or$ tenderloin
1otatoes, ba$ed
or boiled
1ret:els
2efried beans,
lowfat
2ice ca$es
2ice, white
3auer$raut
3ou!, canned broth
3tea$, lean
3weetandsour
sauce
5eal cutlet
6ine, red
7ogurt, fro:en,
nonfat
&lams
Tier 4: The Dodgy Tier
#nimal crac$ers
%eef, filet mignon
%eef, lean ground
%eef, sirloin
%eef 3troganoff
%eer
%read, refined flour
%uffalo
%utter
&aesar salad, with chic$en
&anadian bacon
&heese )including bleu
and goat*
&hili
&hinese food
&hi!s, lowfat, ba$ed
&oconut
&offee, iced mocha latte
with nonfat mil$
&offee, latte with whole
mil$
&offee ca$e
&rac$ers
,rilled cheese
sandwich
-am
-ot dogs, tur$ey
Ice cream, sugarfree or
fatfree
9ell0
9uice, sweetened
Lamb cho!s
Lasagna, with meat
Macaroni and cheese
Margarine
Meat loaf
Me+ican food
Mil$, whole
Muffins
/uts, salted or roasted
1eanut butter,
not raw
1e!!er, stuffed
1i::a, meatless or
-awaiian style
1o!corn, with salt and
butter
1or$ cho!
1otato salad or
macaroni salad
1udding, with
lowfat mil$
2euben sandwich
3herbet
3hrim!
3lo!!y 9oe, lean beef
or tur$ey
3oft drin$s, diet
3ou!, canned creamy
3!aghetti,
with meatballs
3ub sandwich
Taco salad,
with chic$en
Tortilla, refined flour
or corn
Tuna salad or
chic$en salad
5egetable oil
6ine, white
7ogurt, fro:en
Tier 5: The Newburg Tier
#lcohol, hard li4uor
%acon
%a$ed beans
%eef, ground, regular
%eef taco, fried
%rea$fast sandwich,
fast food
&a$es
&andy
&ereal, sugared
&hic$en a la .ing
&hic$en, buffalo wings
or nuggets
&hic$en or fish
sandwich, fried
&hi!s, !otato or corn
&hocolate
&innamon bun
&offee, mocha, macchiato,
ice blended, fra!!>, tri!le
caramel vanilla bu::
bomb, etc.
&oo$ies
&ream cheese
&reamed veggies
&reamer, nondairy
8oughnuts
(rench fries
,ravy
-amburger, fast food
-ot dogs
Ice cream
9er$y, beef, !or$,
or venison
9uice, sugar added
Lobster /ewburg
/achos
0nion rings
1astries
1ies
1otato s$ins, fried
1otatoes, fried
1ot!ie
2efried beans,
with lard
3alad dressing, creamy
3ausage
3oft drin$s, sugared
Tater tots
Toaster