Baby food cleanse diet plan
What Is It, and Can You Lose Weight?
Baby Food Diet: What Is It, and Can You Lose Weight?Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Daniel Yetman — Updated on October 31, 2020
The baby food diet involves replacing breakfast, lunch, and snacks with 14 containers of baby food. You then eat a regular dinner in the evening. The diet is meant to last for 3 days.
The baby food diet gained popularity around 2010. It’s rumored that actress Jennifer Aniston, with the help of her celebrity trainer, used the diet to lose 7 pounds in a week during the filming of the movie “Just Go with It.”
The idea of losing a pound per day may sound tempting, but the baby food diet fits into the category of a fad diet.
Many fad diets might help you lose weight in the short term, but they’re usually difficult to follow for an extended period of time.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what exactly the baby food diet is, as well as the pros and cons of this eating plan.
The premise behind the diet is that the small portion sizes of baby food will reduce your daily calorie intake. The bland taste of pureed baby food is also supposed to discourage you from overeating.
There are several less restrictive versions of the diet, like replacing only one meal a day with baby food.
Compared to many fad diets, the baby food diet has loose guidelines. For instance:
- The diet plan doesn’t specify which type of baby food you can eat. The calorie content in baby food can vary from about 20 calories to more than 120 calories per jar.
- It doesn’t put a limitation on what you can eat for dinner.
Here’s an example of what an average day might look like on the baby food diet.
- Breakfast: 5 jars of baby food
- Lunch: 5 jars of baby food
- Afternoon snack: 2 jars of baby food
- Dinner: your regular dinner
- Evening snack: 2 jars of baby food
Most reports of weight loss on the baby food diet are anecdotal. According to people who’ve tried it, it can help you lose weight in the short term.
However, there’s currently no scientific evidence to back up these claims or to prove it’s an effective diet for long-term weight loss.
Replacing your usual meals with baby food will likely lower the number of calories you eat per day, which is probably one of the main reasons why you may lose weight while you’re on this diet.
But research suggests that restricting calories alone is rarely an effective method for reducing body weight. When you lower your calorie intake, your body’s metabolism tends to slow down, too. You may also feel hungrier than usual if you aren’t getting enough calories.
Because this diet typically lowers your intake of fiber and sodium, the weight you lose may be from water retention and not necessarily from fat.
Research also shows that the weight that’s lost on calorie-restrictive diets is usually regained when you return to your usual eating habits.
In theory, it’s possible to get most of your essential nutrients while following the baby food diet. Many baby foods are made from pureed fruits and vegetables. Some baby foods are also made from high-protein foods or whole grains.
Following the baby food diet for the recommended 3 days likely won’t hurt you. But following this diet for a longer period of time could lead to nutrient deficiencies if you’re eating far below your daily calorie need.
With restrictive diets like the baby food diet, it’s also important to keep in mind the risk of developing disordered eating, which could lead to an eating disorder if the diet is followed for a longer period of time.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the baby food diet.
Pros
- High in fruits and vegetables. Most baby foods are made from pureed fruits and vegetables.
- Low in sodium. Most baby foods are low in sodium. Babies have a lower sodium requirement than adults.
- Low in fat. Most baby foods are low in saturated fat.
- No preparation. Besides your evening meal, there’s no meal prep necessary. Just open a jar and eat.
Cons
- Restrictive. The baby food diet lacks the calories and nutrients you need to properly fuel your body.
- Not filling. Most baby foods are low in protein and fiber. You may find that you feel hungry even when consuming adequate calories.
- Low in fiber. You’ll get a lot more fiber from eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, rather than from food that’s been pureed.
- Expensive. Most baby foods are fairly expensive per serving.
- Large variation in calories between brands. The number of calories in a container of baby food varies from about 20 to 120 calories. Eating 14 containers per day could provide you with anywhere from 280 to 1,680 calories.
Following the baby food diet may help you quickly shed a few pounds, but it’s unlikely to cause sustainable weight loss.
Instead, a healthier strategy for long-term weight loss is to:
- Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean protein, and healthy fats.
- Limit your intake of foods and drinks that are high in added sugars.
- Focus on portion control. Resist eating more than you need to satisfy your hunger.
- Exercise regularly, at least 150 minutes a week.
- Don’t skip meals.
If you’re looking to quickly lose a few pounds, the baby food diet may help you achieve results. But if you’re looking for sustainable, long-term weight loss, it’s far from ideal.
The baby food diet falls into the category of fad diets. These types of diets often promise rapid weight loss and include a strict list of foods you can and can’t eat.
Containers of baby food are relatively low calorie, but research has shown that restricting too many calories can slow down your metabolism. This means that as soon as you go back to eating normal meals, you’ll likely put the weight back on.
A safer and healthier option for long-term weight loss is to follow a balanced eating plan that includes all food groups, while also keeping an eye on your portion sizes, and including regular exercise in your weight loss program.
Last medically reviewed on October 31, 2020
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Benton D, et al. (2017). Reducing calorie intake may not help you lose body weight. DOI:
10.1177/1745691617690878 - Fad diets. (2017).
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9476-fad-diets - Fernández-Elías VE, et al. (2015). Relationship between muscle water and glycogen recovery after prolonged exercise in the heat in humans. DOI:
10.1007/s00421-015-3175-z - Obert J, et al. (2017). Popular weight loss strategies: A review of four weight loss techniques. DOI:
10.1007/s11894-017-0603-8 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Chapter 1: Key elements of healthy eating patterns: A closer look inside healthy eating patterns. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2015-2020.
health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#food-groups
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Oct 31, 2020
Written By
Daniel Yetman
Edited By
Tracey Crate
Medically Reviewed By
Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
Copy Edited By
Copy Editors
Nov 11, 2019
Written By
Aimee Eyvazzadeh, MD, MPH
Edited By
Maggie Brown
Medically Reviewed By
Carissa Stephens, RN, CCRN, CPN
Share this article
Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Daniel Yetman — Updated on October 31, 2020
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What Is It, and Can You Lose Weight?
Baby Food Diet: What Is It, and Can You Lose Weight?Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Daniel Yetman — Updated on October 31, 2020
The baby food diet involves replacing breakfast, lunch, and snacks with 14 containers of baby food. You then eat a regular dinner in the evening. The diet is meant to last for 3 days.
The baby food diet gained popularity around 2010. It’s rumored that actress Jennifer Aniston, with the help of her celebrity trainer, used the diet to lose 7 pounds in a week during the filming of the movie “Just Go with It. ”
The idea of losing a pound per day may sound tempting, but the baby food diet fits into the category of a fad diet.
Many fad diets might help you lose weight in the short term, but they’re usually difficult to follow for an extended period of time.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what exactly the baby food diet is, as well as the pros and cons of this eating plan.
The premise behind the diet is that the small portion sizes of baby food will reduce your daily calorie intake. The bland taste of pureed baby food is also supposed to discourage you from overeating.
There are several less restrictive versions of the diet, like replacing only one meal a day with baby food.
Compared to many fad diets, the baby food diet has loose guidelines. For instance:
- The diet plan doesn’t specify which type of baby food you can eat. The calorie content in baby food can vary from about 20 calories to more than 120 calories per jar.
- It doesn’t put a limitation on what you can eat for dinner.
Here’s an example of what an average day might look like on the baby food diet.
- Breakfast: 5 jars of baby food
- Lunch: 5 jars of baby food
- Afternoon snack: 2 jars of baby food
- Dinner: your regular dinner
- Evening snack: 2 jars of baby food
Most reports of weight loss on the baby food diet are anecdotal. According to people who’ve tried it, it can help you lose weight in the short term.
However, there’s currently no scientific evidence to back up these claims or to prove it’s an effective diet for long-term weight loss.
Replacing your usual meals with baby food will likely lower the number of calories you eat per day, which is probably one of the main reasons why you may lose weight while you’re on this diet.
But research suggests that restricting calories alone is rarely an effective method for reducing body weight. When you lower your calorie intake, your body’s metabolism tends to slow down, too. You may also feel hungrier than usual if you aren’t getting enough calories.
Because this diet typically lowers your intake of fiber and sodium, the weight you lose may be from water retention and not necessarily from fat.
Research also shows that the weight that’s lost on calorie-restrictive diets is usually regained when you return to your usual eating habits.
In theory, it’s possible to get most of your essential nutrients while following the baby food diet. Many baby foods are made from pureed fruits and vegetables. Some baby foods are also made from high-protein foods or whole grains.
Following the baby food diet for the recommended 3 days likely won’t hurt you. But following this diet for a longer period of time could lead to nutrient deficiencies if you’re eating far below your daily calorie need.
With restrictive diets like the baby food diet, it’s also important to keep in mind the risk of developing disordered eating, which could lead to an eating disorder if the diet is followed for a longer period of time.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the baby food diet.
Pros
- High in fruits and vegetables. Most baby foods are made from pureed fruits and vegetables.
- Low in sodium. Most baby foods are low in sodium. Babies have a lower sodium requirement than adults.
- Low in fat. Most baby foods are low in saturated fat.
- No preparation. Besides your evening meal, there’s no meal prep necessary. Just open a jar and eat.
Cons
- Restrictive. The baby food diet lacks the calories and nutrients you need to properly fuel your body.
- Not filling. Most baby foods are low in protein and fiber. You may find that you feel hungry even when consuming adequate calories.
- Low in fiber. You’ll get a lot more fiber from eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, rather than from food that’s been pureed.
- Expensive. Most baby foods are fairly expensive per serving.
- Large variation in calories between brands. The number of calories in a container of baby food varies from about 20 to 120 calories. Eating 14 containers per day could provide you with anywhere from 280 to 1,680 calories.
Following the baby food diet may help you quickly shed a few pounds, but it’s unlikely to cause sustainable weight loss.
Instead, a healthier strategy for long-term weight loss is to:
- Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean protein, and healthy fats.
- Limit your intake of foods and drinks that are high in added sugars.
- Focus on portion control. Resist eating more than you need to satisfy your hunger.
- Exercise regularly, at least 150 minutes a week.
- Don’t skip meals.
If you’re looking to quickly lose a few pounds, the baby food diet may help you achieve results. But if you’re looking for sustainable, long-term weight loss, it’s far from ideal.
The baby food diet falls into the category of fad diets. These types of diets often promise rapid weight loss and include a strict list of foods you can and can’t eat.
Containers of baby food are relatively low calorie, but research has shown that restricting too many calories can slow down your metabolism. This means that as soon as you go back to eating normal meals, you’ll likely put the weight back on.
A safer and healthier option for long-term weight loss is to follow a balanced eating plan that includes all food groups, while also keeping an eye on your portion sizes, and including regular exercise in your weight loss program.
Last medically reviewed on October 31, 2020
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Benton D, et al. (2017). Reducing calorie intake may not help you lose body weight. DOI:
10.1177/1745691617690878 - Fad diets. (2017).
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9476-fad-diets - Fernández-Elías VE, et al. (2015). Relationship between muscle water and glycogen recovery after prolonged exercise in the heat in humans. DOI:
10.1007/s00421-015-3175-z - Obert J, et al. (2017). Popular weight loss strategies: A review of four weight loss techniques. DOI:
10.1007/s11894-017-0603-8 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Chapter 1: Key elements of healthy eating patterns: A closer look inside healthy eating patterns. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2015-2020.
health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#food-groups
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Oct 31, 2020
Written By
Daniel Yetman
Edited By
Tracey Crate
Medically Reviewed By
Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
Copy Edited By
Copy Editors
Nov 11, 2019
Written By
Aimee Eyvazzadeh, MD, MPH
Edited By
Maggie Brown
Medically Reviewed By
Carissa Stephens, RN, CCRN, CPN
Share this article
Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD, Nutrition — By Daniel Yetman — Updated on October 31, 2020
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In the grapefruit diet, people eat grapefruit with almost every meal. Does it work for weight loss, and is it safe? We take a closer look.
READ MORE
How the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Diet Can Help You Lose Weight
The 5:2 intermittent fasting diet allows people to eat what they want 5 days a week and then limit calories on the other 2 days.
READ MORE
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Nutrition program for cleansing the body
Many people dream of fast and effective weight loss, completely forgetting about the health of their body. It should be remembered that losing extra pounds is not everything, it is important to get rid of toxins and toxins that clog the body. In this case, a program of proper nutrition and cleansing will help, which will quickly lose extra pounds, speed up metabolism, improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, and also give a feeling of lightness and well-being. nine0003
In the understanding of many people, the word "detox" means a desperate starvation with the use of only water and juices. Or newfangled systems built on a smoothie diet, which is a variety of ingredients blended into a single mass in a blender. Such methods not only do not give the result of cleansing and healing, but can also be harmful, lead to exhaustion and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. There are many newfangled detox methods on the Internet, but one is no better than the other. nine0003
But what if you are satisfied with your body weight or need a nutrition program to gain weight? There is only one answer - no hunger! The detox system must be built correctly.
Rapid Cleansing Detox Program in 10 days!
A special 10-day healthy diet program for cleansing the body, like many other similar detox methods. According to the theory of this system, all foods consumed in food are divided into biogenic (freshly squeezed juices, cereals, seeds), bioactive (vegetables, raw fruits, dairy products, nuts), biostatic (meat, fish and seafood, cereals, vegetables and fruits, subject to heat treatment) and biocidal (concentrated and refined products, as well as those containing dyes, preservatives, synthetic components). To achieve the goal, it is necessary to completely exclude biocidal products from the diet and limit the consumption of biostatic ones. nine0003
The first two days you should drink water with honey and lemon on an empty stomach, breakfast, lunch and dinner - freshly squeezed juices with vegetables and fruits, herbal teas with honey. From the third day on an empty stomach, you need to drink water with lemon already without honey, consume biogenic and bioactive foods, herbal tea during the day. This system continues for 8 days. From the 9th and 10th day, the already existing diet can be supplemented with baked potatoes, baked chicken, fish, goat or soy cheese, bread and products from the biostatic group. nine0003
Nutrition program for cleansing the body - the main rules
- Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day
- Eliminate foods with preservatives, flavorings, dyes and other chemicals from the diet
- Eat only when hungry
- Eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in knocking
- Include in the daily diet sea kale - a product that helps cleanse the digestive tract nine0017 Limit sugar intake
- Include fermented milk products in the diet
- Formulate the daily ration so that it is dominated by raw plant foods
Psychological attitude and motivation are also very important, then the cleansing program will run smoothly and effectively, and will not cause stress and imbalance in the body.
If you are interested in a proper nutrition program for weight gain, our professional nutritionist in Minsk, who is located right on the territory of the World of Fitness, will help you. Our fitness club does everything for the comfort of visitors, so you can visit the gym and at the same time consult with your personal nutritionist about the correction of the nutrition program for gaining muscle mass. After all, the key to success in modeling a beautiful physique is a well-chosen tandem of nutrition and sports! nine0003
Weekly detox menu | SIMA-LAND.RU
12/23/2019
Detox is a special kind of diet that unloads the digestive system, removes harmful substances and helps to lose a little extra weight. When, if not after the New Year, to help the body cope with the consequences of the holidays, and at the same time try something new for yourself. We have compiled a menu for you for the week. You can take it as a basis and add or replace products. Most importantly, forget about fat and flour. nine0003
Don't rush into the pool of detox headlong and abruptly give up your usual products on January 2nd. Nutritionists recommend preparing the digestive system for a new diet: 5 days before the detox week, limit yourself to fatty, sweet and starchy foods, eat less meat. If you ignore this stage, then an unusual diet will become a lot of stress, and instead of cleansing and dumping calories, the body will begin to store them for a rainy day. Then after detox and returning to the regular menu, you run the risk of gaining even more. nine0003
Basic principles of the detox diet
- Avoid junk food. Soda, sugary packaged juices, fast food, fried foods, foods high in sugar.
- Steam or boil. Vegetables can be baked, eaten fresh or in drinks.
- Drink more. Minimum amount of liquid: 2 liters.
- Give up coffee and black tea. Replace them with hibiscus, green tea, or sugar-free fruit drinks. nine0018
- Eat nuts and unsweetened fruits. Just don't get carried away.
- Limit alcohol. Or completely exclude it.
- Eat dinner 3 hours before bedtime.
7 day detox menu
Drink a glass of warm water every day after waking up. This will help the digestive system wake up and properly take breakfast. If you want to lose more weight, add lemon juice or ginger to your water.
Monday nine0071
Breakfast — boiled egg, whole grain bread, half an avocado, green tea.
Lunch - broccoli or pumpkin puree soup with chia seeds.
Snack - half a grapefruit.
Dinner - vegetable salad with olive oil, boiled rice, bread.
During the day, you can have a snack with low-fat kefir and an apple.
Tuesday
Breakfast — vegetable smoothie (carrot, tomato, celery, olive oil), bread.
Lunch — baked zucchini with tomatoes and herbs.
Snack - a handful of almonds or walnuts.
Dinner - eggplant vegetable stew.
You can have a snack with yoghurt during the day.
Wednesday
Breakfast — oatmeal with skimmed or almond milk, hibiscus. nine0003
Lunch - buckwheat noodles with vegetables.
Snack - cereal bar.
Dinner - grated carrots and peppers, boiled beef.
During the day you can have a snack of dried apricots or prunes.
Thursday
Breakfast - yogurt, green tea.
Lunch — rice porridge with nuts.
Snack — baked apple. nine0003
Dinner - low-fat cottage cheese, vegetable salad.
Smoothies are available throughout the day.
Friday
Breakfast - granola or muesli, tea with ginger.
Lunch - salad of stewed lentils, fried zucchini, arugula and avocado.
Afternoon snack - green smoothie (lettuce, parsley, lemon, celery and cucumber).
Dinner — boiled egg, baked vegetables. nine0003
During the day you can drink water with lemon and lemon balm.
Saturday
Breakfast — fruit salad, hibiscus.
Lunch — buckwheat porridge with vegetables, chicken broth.
Snack - orange.
Dinner - steamed meat, raw vegetables.
During the day you can have a snack of carrots or celery.
Sunday
Breakfast — low-fat cottage cheese, berries, rosehip infusion.
Lunch - steamed fish with cauliflower.
Snack nuts or dried fruits.
Dinner - seaweed rice, asparagus and spinach salad.
You can drink fruit drinks without sugar during the day.
This menu contains the necessary minimum calories for women with a sedentary lifestyle.