The Forks Over Knives video and series of books recommend a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet for health.
- Avoid all meat (including fish), dairy, eggs; also oils/fats and processed foods.
- Eat freely: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains.
- Limit lightly-processed whole foods.
See below on this page for a description of the food recommendations in the diet. Foods to eat freely | Foods to eat sparingly | Foods to avoid | Transition guide. There’s a lot more in the book.
Get a copy of Forks Over Knives book, Forks Over Knives Kindle Edition, Forks Over Knives DVD, or Forks Over Knives Cookbook for more information on why plant-based diets are better for your health, animals, and the environment, and for recipes.
Get The Forks Over Knives Plan by Alone Pulde MD and Matthew Lederman MD (2014) for a 4-week guide to transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based diet, as well as calorie density charts, eating out guidelines, how to respond to social pressures when eating a vegan diet, and more recipes.
The reasoning behind Forks Over Knives
The books suggest that plant-based whole foods are good for your health, good for animals, and good for the environment.
Forks Over Knives diet plan – food list
What can you eat on the Forks Over Knives diet? The foods listed here are taken from the Forks Over Knives book (which says whether you can eat foods freely or sparingly), and the Forks Over Knives Cookbook (which lists ingredients), as well as The Forks Over Knives Plan. There are some assumptions made about which ingredients from the cookbook should go in each list.
- Foods to eat freely
- Foods to eat sparingly
- Foods to avoid
- Week by week transition guide to a whole-food plant-based diet – The Forks Over Knives Plan
Foods to eat freely in Forks Over Knives
- Whole foods
- Fruits
- E.g. apples, apricots, bananas, berries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, citrus, dates (presumably fresh dates as dried fruits should be limited), figs, grapes, lemons, limes, mangos, melons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines
- Vegetables
- Cruciferous vegetables including bok choy, baby bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, napa cabbage, radishes, swiss chard, turnips, watercress
- Leafy greens including arugula, beet greens, chard, collard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, kale, lettuce, parsley, spinach
- Other vegetables e.g. acorn squash, artichokes, asparagus, beets, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, leeks, onions, parsnips, peas, snow peas, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, hot peppers, pumpkin, scallions/green onions/spring onions, shallots, spaghetti squash, squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini
- Bean sprouts and other sprouts including adzuki bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, mung bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, sunflower sprouts
- Tubers including potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams
- Mushrooms including button mushrooms, cremini, porcini, portobello, shiitake, and other mushrooms
- Legumes
- Beans, e.g. adzuki beans, anasazi beans, black beans, cannellini beans, fava beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans
- Chickpeas/garbanzos
- Lentils, e.g. green lentils, red lentils
- Edamame
- Dried peas, e.g. black-eyed peas
- Whole grains
- Whole, not ground into flour (whole grain flours and products made from them should be eaten sparingly, see below)
- E.g. amaranth, barley, buckwheat groats, bulgur wheat, corn, hominy, kasha, millet, rolled oats/old-fashioned oats, steel-cut oats, quinoa, brown rice/brown basmati rice, rye berries, spelt berries, wheat berries, wild rice
- Herbs and spices
- Herbs – e.g. basil, bay leaf, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
- Spices – e.g. allspice, ancho chili powder, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chipotle peppers, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, crushed red pepper, cumin, curry powder, fennel, fenugreek, garam masala, garlic powder (not garlic salt), ginger, kaffir lime leaves, kombu, lemongrass, mustard powder, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika (smoked and sweet), peppercorns, saffron, turmeric
- Slightly processed foods which are okay to eat
- Oil-free salad dressings, also low in added sweeteners
- Tofu
- Pasta sauces with little or no added oils
- Unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree
- Soups make from whole foods
Foods to limit / eat sparingly in Forks Over Knives
- Fatty whole foods
- Avocados
- Nuts e.g. almonds, (raw) cashews, coconut, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
- Nut and seed butters, e.g. almond butter, cashew butter, chestnut puree, peanut butter, tahini
- Seeds, e.g. chia seeds, flaxseeds and ground flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Olives
- Coconut products, e.g. coconut, unsweetened shredded coconut, coconut meat, coconut flour, lite coconut milk, coconut water
- Sugary whole foods
- Dried fruits (preferably unsulfured) – e.g. dried apples, dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cherries, dried cranberries, currants, dates, mejdool dates, prunes, golden raisins, raisins
- Dairy substitutes
- Unsweetened plain soy yogurt
- Beverages
- Fruit juices
- Plant milks (unsweetened) including soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, hemp milk, and nut milks such as almond milk
- Fruit juices and plant milks are okay to have a little on cereal or to flavor foods when cooking, however you should avoid drinking glasses of them
- Smoothies can be enjoyed occasionally, if desired, but should not be a major part of the diet
- Whole grain products (The Forks Over Knives plan doesn’t ask you to limit these, although the original book does)
- Whole grain breads, mixes, and crackers, including whole-grain bagels, cereals, muffins, pancakes, pastas, pita pockets, pizza crusts, and waffles
- Corn or whole wheat tortillas
- Whole grain pasta, brown rice noodles, soba noodles
- Foods made with whole grain flours such as brown rice flour, cornmeal, oat flour, sorghum flour, spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour
- Be careful to avoid added oils, sugars, and other unwanted ingredients
- Sweeteners
- Minimally processed dry sweeteners, e.g. evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, sucanat, date sugar, maple sugar
- Pure maple syrup, Grade A or Grade B (don’t substitute pancake syrup, table syrup, or maple-flavored syrup as they often consist primarily of high-fructose corn syrup)
- Brown rice syrup, date molasses, date syrup, unsulfured molasses
- Condiments and pantry – barely processed
- Arrowroot powder, barbecue sauce, low-sodium vegetable broth, Bragg liquid aminos, capers, cornstarch, gochujang, hot sauce such as Tabasco, ketchup, mirin, miso, mustard, nutritional yeast, sambal oelek (Indonesian chili sauce), low-sodium soy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), low-sodium tamari, Thai red curry paste, tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato sauce, vinegar (including balsamic vinegar, brown rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar), vegan Worcestershire sauce, wasabi paste
- Aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, grain-sweetened chocolate chips, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened apple cider, unsweetened pineapple juice, tamarind paste, tahini, pure vanilla extract
- Egg replacer, such as Ener-G
Don’t worry about carbohydrates – it’s important to eat carbohydrate-rich food
Consider a vitamin B12 supplement
Foods to avoid with Forks Over Knives
- Animal-based foods
- Meat, e.g. beef, pork, lamb, etc.
- Poultry, e.g. chicken, turkey, etc.
- Game meats and birds
- Fish and shellfish
- Eggs
- Eggs including egg whites
- Any foods containing eggs or ingredients made from eggs
- Dairy
- All milk products, including milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, etc.
- Dairy from all kinds of animals, including cows, goats, sheep, etc.
- An foods containing dairy products or ingredients made from dairy products
- Hidden animal ingredients that may be on labels as casein, whey, whey protein, albumen, caseinate, sodium caseinate, lactose, lactic acid, rennet, and rennin
- Liquid calories
- Soda, energy drinks, and other sweetened beverages
- Refined foods
- Foods made with bleached flour
- Refined sugars and foods made with them
- Potato chips, pretzels
- Oils
- Extracted oils including olive oil, vegetable oils, coconut oil, etc.
- Fish oil
- Artificial foods
- Foods containing chemical additives such as artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives, including dairy-free pastries, low-calorie soda
Transition guide from The Forks Over Knives Plan
How much to eat
- Consider calorie density instead of counting calories. Leafy vegetables contain 100 to 200 calories per pound while oil contains 4,000 calories per pound
- Aim for 15% of calories from fat, which allows for only a minimal amount of your food to contain a higher percentage than that
- A diet of 10% of calories from protein is sufficient for most people, athlete and nonathlete alike
- Aim to keep sodium to no higher than 1 mg per calorie, unless the product is a condiment or you’re using just a small amount of it as part of a larger recipe
- 75-80% of your calories will come from carbohydrates
General guidelines
- Eat until you are satisfied, of “foods to eat freely” above
- For more rapid weight loss – for any meal, begin with foods that have lower calorie density, such as salads or vegetables
- Don’t go to extreme and eat only green leafy vegetables – this isn’t sustainable and you’re more likely to “fall off the wagon”
- Make a meal plan for each week of the diet – and build your shopping list at the same time
- Keep a “food and mood” journal of what you eat and how you feel
- You don’t have to eat a variety of foods at a given meal (for example combining different plant foods to get proteins)
Week by week
- Week One: Change your breakfast – try to follow the diet for all your breakfast meals
- Week Two: Change your lunch – try to follow the diet for all your lunchtime meals, and your between-meal snacks
- Week Three: Change your dinner – try to follow the diet for all your evening meals
- Week Four: Fine-tuning and feeling the freedom of just eating
What if I’m not losing weight?
- Start keeping a food and mood journal, if you haven’t already, or step up your use of it if you have
- For a week or two, include absolutely everything that goes in your mouth, and read all the labels on your food to ensure that you have no dairy or oil
- Look at what you’re eating on the calorie density chart; you may need to substitute more foods that are lower in calorie density than what you are currently eating
How to cook without oil or fat
- Use primarily nonstick pots and pans. These are not mandatory – if you prefer to avoid Teflon-coated nonstick pans, you can use good-quality, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pans, enamel-coated cast iron, or ceramic titanium
- To sauté without oil or butter, use vegetable broth or water instead. Don’t use too much liquid, as this would lead to steamed, not browned vegetables. Look at the recipes in the book for examples of how to do this
- For baking, use pureed fruit such as unsweetened applesauce, dates, or crushed pineapple in place of oil or butter
Health benefits claimed in Forks Over Knives
The diet in these books claims to reduce the risks for: acne and other skin conditions, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, bad breath, birth defects, bloating, body odor, cancer, cataracts, constipation, dementia, depression, diabetes I and II, diarrhea, diverticular disease, ear infections, erectile dysfunction, food addiction, gallstones, gout, headaches, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension / high blood pressure, infertility, inflammatory bowel disease IBD, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome IBS, kidney disease, kidney stones, lupus, macular degeneration, migraine, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, overweight/obesity, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, prostate disease, reflux, rheumatoid arthritis, sexual dysfunction, sleep apnea, stomachaches, stress, stroke
As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, and does not endorse it.
Get a copy of the Forks Over Knives book for a description of why you should follow a plant-based diet.
Original book
Get The Forks Over Knives Plan for a 4-week meal-by-meal makeover, a transition guide to a whole-food plant-based diet, as well as over 100 new recipes.
Diet plan
See the Forks Over Knives DVD, the original documentary behind the books.
Documentary DVD
Get a the Forks Over Knives Cookbook for more information on why plant-based diets are better for your health, animals, and the environment, and for recipes.
Cookbook
The diet’s website is http://www.forksoverknives.com; it’s on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ForksOverKnives, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/forksoverknives, and Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/forksoverknives/.
How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.
{ 136 comments… add one }
Is fava/garbonzo bean flour considered a legume, and can you eat it freely ?
Fava beans and garbanzos/chickpeas are legumes, so pure fava/garbanzo bean flour would be a legume.
Whole beans can be eaten freely, but I’d assume that bean flours and foods you make with them should be in the “eat more sparingly” category, similar to whole grain bread.
thanks
So many questions, but for starters I don’t see any references to the use of honey. How does honey, esp as a sweetener fit into this diet?
thanks,
Jerry
There are a couple of references in the book to honey, in recipes.
Other minimally processed sweeteners, such as maple syrup, are listed as foods to eat sparingly, and I’d expect that honey should also be limited on this diet.
Pure vegan diets often don’t allow honey as it’s an animal product, but there isn’t anything in the book specifically about the ethical issues of honey.
I noticed in recipes on the website and on this list that olive oil (extra virgin or otherwise) is eschewed. I don’t understand why this is – isn’t olive oil minimally processed (first cold press extra virgin, that is)? Nut butters and plant milks are permitted sparingly, while olive oil is not. I am interested in moving toward this lifestyle, but the lack of any sort of oil to use to help flavor and cook these plants is a little daunting.
This diet is from a generation of diets that thought that all fats and oils were bad, even if minimally processed. Some people tweak the diet to be a little more relaxed about fats like olive oil that have been used for thousands of years.
Actually, I just watched the Extented Interviews with the doctors last night and the reason the doctor said “no oils” of any kind is because oils stop the vessels from expanding, which makes it more difficult for the blood to pass through. The epithelial cells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epithelial_cell) are damaged by oils. I was blown away to find that taking the Omega 3 oils are actually doing harm by doing this, rather than doing good. I recommend that everyone watch the Extended Interviews. It does get a bit long at close to two hours but the information I gleaned has changed me overnight. Literally.
It also has high calories compared to a relatively low nutritional density. We should be getting those calories with many other nutrients, many more than olive oil has per tbs.
+1 Isabella. Same happened to me
Why are soups made from whole foods to be eaten sparingly?
That didn’t make sense – I went back and had another look. There’s a section on “lightly processed/processed/ready-made foods that are okay to eat” that’s underneath a section on “foods to eat sparingly” – the order is confusing but I couldn’t find anywhere in the book that said that those lightly-processed foods should be limited. So I moved things around in the post; they’re now under “foods to eat freely”. Thanks for letting me know!
does this mean I could eat potatos every day?
There’s nothing I can find in the book saying you shouldn’t eat whole potatoes every day (processed potatoes such as potato chips are a no, though).
How do you handle the phytic acid in the grain that is used freely? Does this diet recommend soaking/sprouting?
The only reference I can find in the book to sprouting grains is a couple recipes that include tortillas which can be made from sprouted wheat. It has recipes that call for soaking legumes, barley (for faster cooking), or nuts, but nothing about soaking other grains.
My triglycerides are elevated and I was told a good quality fish oil/pure salmon oil would be very helpful to lower this… Is this not true?
Its in solid tablet form not an oil filled pill like most fish oils come like. Maybe that is better?
This book takes an extreme position against oils of any kind and any animal foods. Many other diets (and their underlying research) suggest that fish oil and other animal fats are good for you, when fed the foods they eat in the wild, not factory-farmed, and eaten in moderation.
Thank you
michlle once you stop eating chipsricepotatoes,bread your triglcerides will go down my husband has the same problem if i take all those things away his is normal
I was also told to use fish oil but after 6 Months use my problems had esculated
Is lactose free cheese considered vegan?
Lactose-free cheese is still made from milk, with the lactose removed as part of the cheese-making process. As it’s made from milk, it’s not considered vegan.
Dates are listed as both eat freely and limit. On which list does it not belong?
On page 49 of the book, in the fruits listed to eat freely, dates are included.
On page 50, under “Foods to eat more sparingly”, dried fruits are included.
It’s not uncommon for diet books to offer contradictory information.
Dates are usually dried – fresh dates are yellow and unwrinkled, and difficult to find except in tropical climates. So in most cases I’d assume they should be limited.
I don’t see anything specified for rice. If carbohydrates are okay I guess that rice is under food to eat freely?
I mean white rice(because you talk about brown rice) . For most of Asian, me included, culturally speaking, white rice is “vital for survival”.
The book mentions brown rice, brown basmati rice, and wild rice as foods to eat freely as they are whole grains.
It doesn’t specifically mention white rice, although in general it asks you to avoid refined foods (in many whole foods diets, white rice is considered a refined food).
The Forks Over Knives Plan will be coming out in September – hopefully it will be a bit clearer about its guidelines.
what about Parboiled brown rice?
Parboiled brown rice still has the bran coating on it, so it should be fine on this diet.
White rice is processed, so you will want to stick with brown. To make it white, they strip away the outer layer of the grain, so it actually has less nutrients than the brown does. White rice became popular in Asian cultures because it was seen as a higher class thing. The rich ate white rice and the poor ate brown. Now that we have more ways to study medicine, we are seeing how these products effect our bodies. So the roles have been reversed (which becomes obvious when looking at the price tags) brown is now the rice of the rich while white is the rice for the poor.
My doctor has suggest for weight issue that I go on this diet. As I live for bacon, this is not going to be easy. First question; is there any type of bread I can eat? And what about pasta, any kind that is OK?
Breads are in the “limited” list – whole grain breads only. Pasta’s the same – limit the amount, eat whole grain pasta only. For both of these, be careful to avoid added oils, sugars, and other “avoid” ingredients.
one more. Beverages. Diet coke ; yes or no??
Only minimally processed sweeteners are allowed (in limited quantities) on this diet – artificial sweeteners would be a no, and that’s how diet sodas are sweetened.
Diet coke is processed with man made artificial sweeteners…that junk will kill you. Stay away from anything man made…if it is grown from the earth it is most likely healthy, unless it is from GMO seeds.
Is air popped popcorn ok to eat?
Whole corn is a food to eat freely on this diet. It’s not clear whether the authors consider popping corn to be a type of processing, as processed whole grains are a food to limit. However they do list air-popped popcorn as an easy snack idea (for flavored popcorn, add seasonings or maple syrup)
Is there any kind of substitute that you can use for butter or cheese?
There are a few substitutes suggested for butter in sweet foods:
– remove the butter from the toast and replace it with sugarless jam
– take the butter out of the oatmeal and add blueberries
– use nut butters
Nothing really offered for savory foods. Try using herbs and spices to punch up the flavor.
I know it’s been many months since you asked this question, but I want to answer just in case it might be helpful for others who read this page. You will learn many things that can take the place of butter in your diet. In baking, oils can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce! Avocado and hummus can also be great to eat when you’re craving a buttered or cheesy item!
No offense, but in the Forks Over Knives book coconuts, oils, nuts and the ilk are “to be used MORE sparingly.” There’s a difference between using a food in minute quantities (sparingly) and just to limit them by not eating them freely “more sparingly”. Not to be nitpicking, but I daresay that avocado, nuts, etc. are very satiating on this plan. Of course we can’t go hog wild. It will be interesting to see what the new Forks Over Knives Plan book has to say.
I predict eating an eighth of your avocado will be a deal breaker for most people. We’ll see.
What about wine? I hate to ask this, but this is my daily habit, and I don’t mind all the rest as I have not eaten meat for over 30 years, but am 73 and would like to remain a “bon vivant”.
What about coffee?
Thank you.
The book quotes Doug Lisle – “Drugs, alcohol, processed foods— they overstimulate the pleasure mechanism, and the result is behavior that is tipped out of balance and out of control. This is the pleasure trap, where the ancient message of pleasure tells us that we are doing the right thing. But we’re not.”
On the other hand – one of the recipes for a dressing contains white wine.
And there’s no mention of coffee.
There aren’t clear guidelines in the book – let’s see what the new “Forks Over Knives Plan” book says when it comes out (due in September).
Not sure why they would put Lactic Acid under “hidden animal ingredients.” Lactic acid in not derived from animals and is in fact vegan. Odd …
Lactic acid was originally derived from soured or fermented milk.
Commercially produced lactic acid is made from fermenting carbohydrates, so in most cases it’s not from animal products.
I have been on this plan for 14 days and monitoring my Blood sugar has been fine until this morning and it was high. I had a bowl of oatmeal flavored with fresh peaches and 1/4 cup of pinto beans this spike was after an hour of swimming. Do I limit the grains and just eat the fresh stuff? Baffled in Nevada
Try mixing your carb-heavy foods with leafy green vegetables, see if that helps.
why should we eliminate organic and natural olive oils and coconut oils in forksoverknives way of eating?
This is a low-fat diet, and part of the reason they give is that oils have a very high calorie density – a small amount of oil gives you a lot of calories.
The original book also calls oils “refined foods,” and gives this example: “Oil is 100 percent pure fat. This means that, in the case of olive oil for instance, the manufacturers have taken whole olives, squeezed out and chemically extracted the good parts (the healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals), and left you with little more than a concentrated dose of calories. Olive oil contains close to 4,100 calories per 16 ounces!”
What about Ezekiel Bread? Ok or no?
You can eat whole grains freely, and barely processed foods more lightly. Ezekiel bread usually has sprouted wheat as the main ingredient – that should be fine to eat freely on this diet. The bread often has other ingredients, which would probably mean that you can eat it but not in unlimited quantities.
I am a vicarious web user and rarely comment. But I wanted to thank you so much for this thoughtful and thorough information on forks over knives. Really helpful!
Ps I especially appreciate your efforts to parse out the grey areas that are a part of any thing we do in life. In fact one of the things I like about this approach is that it has a built in flexibility, once the tenets are understood and accounted for. Thanks again.
What about people who have a wheat intolerance? The old wheat belly bloat. Is this a do able diet?
There’s nothing in this diet that says you have to eat wheat. Many different types of grains are suggested.
I am new to this lifestyle and am trying to figure out how often and what quantity one can from the foods (such as almonds, avocado, and coconut) which are listed okay to eat occasionally?
The authors say to aim for 15% of your calories from fat – there aren’t any specific guidelines on portion sizes or how often to eat naturally fatty foods such as nuts and avocado; just to build them into your diet so that 15% of calories are from fats.
How does the diet work for people with hypoglycemia? Also if you have candida and IBS?. Thanks
How do you personally react to wholefood carbs? If you crash after eating them and/or your candida gets worse, it’s probably not the best diet for you.
For IBS, it may work pretty well as long as you avoid trigger foods. It all depends on how you react to foods!
After watching the film, I am under the impression that they feel this is the best eating program for everyone. Supposed to ‘cure’ diseases. If that is the case, then someone with hypoglycemia should be able to eat this way and be ok. And candida and IBS should also be not affected. I want a program that will help me lose weight and feel better, and truly thought I found it. Now I am not sure….I have hypoglycemia, candida and IBS. Possibly mixing this program with a gluten free program would be helpful.
This is basically a diet that gets energy from carbohydrates, and not from fats. Even if you were to go gluten-free, it would still be a high-carb whole foods diet. That may not help for your hypoglycemia and candida.
Why is it that coconut water is to be consumed sparingly? Given that you drink it freshly from a real coconut and don’t buy it packed in a container in the supermarket, shouldn’t it be free to consume? What are the disadvantages of it?
Coconut water isn’t just water and minerals – it contains a surprisingly high amount of natural sugars.
I was intrigued when I first began reading about the whole food, vegan philosophy of Forks over Knives, but after digging a little further, it became just another “diet” that limits even whole foods. It is bananas to say to limit olive and coconut oils and avocados.
I am a gastric bypass patient. It helped me to lose a good amount of weight and reverse several illness such as diabetes. I have been considering this diet but I don’t know if this would be a good diet for me since my body now has malabsorption problems. My doctors tell me protein is the single most important part of my diet now and for me to aim for 85 grams a day. Is that even possible if I remove meat and dairy from my diet? I also suffer several vitamin deficiencies, such as calcium and iron. I would like to one day be able to stop taking so many supplements. I’d be grateful for any input you may have.
The book says that 10% of your calories from protein is sufficient for most people. Having a lot of protein is difficult on a plant-based diet, especially if you’re diabetic and don’t want to eat a lot of starchy foods. If your doctor told you to eat a lot of protein, this diet won’t meat their recommendations.
You could try this diet for a few days to see how you feel – if you’re feeling energized it might work for you, at least in the short run if you’re adding more vegetables to your diet, but if you feel more tired it may not be the right approach.
Alternatively you could try an unprocessed diet that’s high in protein and other nutrient-rich foods, e.g. a paleo diet. Examples include It Starts With Food (and the Whole30 which is about to be released) by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser, or Practical Paleo by Diana Sanfilippo. Check out the food lists for each of those diets in these links, and ask your doctor if you think that this type of diet would be suitable for you.
I take a flaxseed oil pill. Is that a nono?
The books are anti fat of all kinds.
From The Forks Over Knives Plan:
“Note that while walnuts and flax- and chia seeds are whole plant foods with higher concentrations of essential fatty acids, there’s no evidence that you actually need to eat these foods to get the proper amount of any kind of fat. Most whole plant foods have small amounts of essential fats. Over the course of a day full of these foods you will achieve the needed amounts— which aren’t that much to begin with. In fact, it is significantly more important to worry about not consuming excess fat than it is to worry about consuming sufficient omega-3.” (p. 103)
“We are baffled that certain oils are presented as “health” foods. Olive oil is not a health food. Neither is coconut, grape seed, flaxseed, or any other oil you’ve heard you must endeavor to add to your diet because it’s good for you. Sure, if you replace some or all of the butter in your diet with vegetable oil, you may do a little bit better, but that’s not at all the same as doing well. Oil is a bad idea because it is highly refined and its nutritional package is inadequate.” (p. 106)
Note that this is an opinion that is going out of fashion – most of the recent dietary recommendations advise that unprocessed fats are part of a healthy diet.
What yogurt do u suggest
This is a plant-based diet, and milk products aren’t allowed, so regular yogurt made from animal milk of any kind shouldn’t be eaten according to the book.
You can eat limited amounts of unsweetened plain soy yogurt.
it’s interesting to read the “limited foods and not to eat foods” on this list because if you read the recipes in the book and all the apps they use everyone of them and frequently. they are the main ingredients. Contradicts themselves at every turn!!
Limited foods mean that you can’t eat them in unlimited amounts, you should eat them sparingly – consider them as extra flavor in recipes, not the main part of the meal (which is usually vegetables and legumes).
I’d be surprised to find the “avoid” foods in any recipes in the book or app.
I find this way of eating very hard to live by.
Is Coffee allowed, rather it’s decaffeinated or reg.?
There’s no mention of coffee in the books.
It comes from plants, and it’s not very processed (although you could say decaf coffee is somewhat processed) – so it would probably be okay.
What do coffee drinkers use as creamer?
I’ve made almond, coconut, hemp and soy milk at home but wasn’t happy with any of them as a coffee creamer.
What about drinking coconut milk? I know it’s high in saturated fat and the list I think says to drink lite coconut milk but is does the saturated fat in coconut milk function the same as the fat from animal products in your body?
The position of this book on fat is that it’s bad and should be avoided – even olive oil is included in the list of foods to avoid, and that’s definitely not high in saturated fat and it’s not animal fat.
So only lite coconut milk is recommended.
How about hemp seeds? To be eaten freely or limited?
Seeds are listed as a food to eat sparingly, as they contain fat.
This book is bull doodie. Read Nourishing Traditions instead. That is all.
What about popcorn? Is it allowed?
Whole corn is a food to eat freely on this diet. It’s not clear whether the authors consider popping corn to be a type of processing, as processed whole grains are a food to limit. However they do list air-popped popcorn as an easy snack idea (for flavored popcorn, add seasonings or maple syrup)
I would like to lose weight and be a healthy person.l also want to keep my weight off as longest l live my life.
I heard Dr. Esselstyne say in a interview to include these extra supplements: Vitamin C, B-12 and Vitamin D. Does “D” come in other than oil?
I’m sorry, I only focus on the food side of diets, don’t really know much about supplements.
In The Forks Over Knives Plan, chapter 3 The Forks Over Knives Lifestyle, there’s a discussion of vitamin D, and it strongly recommends sun exposure before supplements. Please look in that chapter for more details.
My doctor said the best milk sub was rice milk. It’s not great creamer but if you want to make it work, you work with what you have. I never stopped my coffee.
I love this it works my favorite how I feel
I know a lady that ate mashed potatoes every night for dinner, and she was shaped like a potato by the time she was in her 40s. Starches turn to sugar, sugar gets stored as fat.
I’m having a hard time giving up cheese and yogurt completely. I know you’re not supposed to eat any at all, but what would you suggest would be ok on a daily basis to help?
The diet is pretty insistent on avoiding dairy completely.
Have you tried soy yogurt and soy cheese, or other substitutes such as coconut yogurt?
If the nondairy alternatives don’t work for you (and this would be against the advice of the book), you could try having goat or sheep cheese versions instead of cow’s milk dairy, as it’s often easier to digest and the animals are less likely to be factory farmed.
Why Avocado is restricted? what about couscous?
Avocado is restricted on this diet because it’s fairly high in fat, and this is a very-low-fat diet.
Couscous is basically a pasta, usually made with white flour. White couscous wouldn’t be allowed on this diet because it’s made with bleached flour. However, whole wheat couscous would be allowed – the original book suggested restricting foods made with whole grain flours, and the Plan doesn’t place any limits on them.
My wife finds that using “Silk Almond for Coffee” is a great creamer substitute. It is very lightly sweetened with cane sugar though, with 4 grams of sugar per Tbsp.
https://www.drinksilk.ca/products/vanilla-almond-coffee-whitener
How annoying that it contains sugar, as the books clearly say to avoid all processed sugars!
You probably get this question all of the time… BUT: what about vegan protein powders? Let’s say, pea protein based… If it’s something that should be avoided, is it because it’s ‘processed’?
Thanks!
There isn’t any guidance in the book on this, and I went to the Facebook page and did a search for protein powder (you can “search for posts on this page”) and there were no results.
It appears that the authors would probably believe that vegan protein powders are “processed” and not as good as whole foods.
What about calcium. Tofu and Soy Milk are good for calcium yet you recommend that they be used sparingly. What do you recommend? Thank you
See “Eye on Nutrition: Calcium and Dairy” (chapter 5, p.84) – it contains a long discussion about calcium on plant-based diets. Tofu and soy milk are not the only plant-based sources of calcium. The book says “You’ll get all the calcium you need from a whole-food, plant-based diet.” (p.85)
Other sources include leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and some dried fruits.
What about a meat substiture like seitan or tempeh? Or would these be considered to be allowed on the plan. I would say this would be enjoyed sparingly but even most vegan restaurants in my area use these products heavily.
Seitan is wheat gluten – imagine you knead the dough for bread very heavily so the gluten is very strong, then you remove the other stuff and just leave the gluten. It would probably be categorized as somewhat processed, to be eaten in moderation on this diet.
Tempeh is a legume or grain (typically soy, but sometimes other ingredients) that’s been naturally fermented. It’s pretty unprocessed, so you wouldn’t have to hold back on it too much.
My Dr. told me to go on this diet, I am a type 2 diabetic. I am in my 60’s, 5’5 and weight 120 lbs. A lot of people on this board, seem to go on this diet to lose excess weight. I do not want to lose weight, as I am skin and bones already. If I did go on this diet, would I lose a lot of weight?
You would probably want to eat more of the “foods to limit” foods than people who wanted to lose weight – fatty whole foods and plant milks. Check with your doctor what is their opinion of you eating dried fruit and whole grains, and if s/he says they’re okay you can have more of them as well.
would alcohol be allowed in moderation, specifically beer/lager? the diet is very easy to follow but a pint every now and then would make it better.
In The Forks Over Knives Plan, there’s a section “What About Alcohol?”
“It’s been reported in the media and many people think that drinking some alcohol is protective against heart attacks and strokes. There does seem to be a beneficial association between some study populations who moderately drink and their risk of heart disease. However, this relationship is not clearly causal in nature. Furthermore, it turns out that only in the unhealthiest populations does the possibility of such a benefit even exist.
An interesting study looked at “healthy” people and found that there were no longer any cardioprotective effects of alcohol in that population. We are putting “healthy” in quotation marks because we don’t know whether this study’s definition of healthy was adequate: it was composed of exercising moderately or vigorously a minimum of three hours a week and not smoking, but the published results referenced eating an unspecified amount of fruits and vegetables each day. (It is unclear in the study whether eating as little as a single serving of one or the other each day may have qualified as sufficient.) Yet these habits alone were healthy enough to cancel out any possible benefits of alcohol. The diet recommended in this book is at least as healthy as the diet component in this study. Furthermore, a plant-based diet protects your heart and blood vessels, likely negating any potential positive effect of the alcohol and leaving only the harmful effects.
Alcohol seems to increase the risk of many other problems, including getting cancer (even with very light drinking), cancer recurrence, weight gain, liver damage, and heart arrhythmias. And the more overweight you are, the more likely you are to succumb to liver cancer because obesity and alcohol synergistically increase the risk of incident liver cancer.
In short, there is nothing health-promoting about alcohol. If you do not presently drink alcohol, we urge you not to begin.
That being said, the most important thing you can do for your health is to change your diet over to whole, plant-based foods. So focus on what’s easiest for you to change right now. However, if you feel ready to push further toward optimum health, then by all means cut out the alcohol.” (p.126)
So… maybe a single drink every now and then.
I’m looking at switching from Eat to Live, and I have a couple of questions:
1. I don’t understand why smoothies are only to be enjoyed occasionally. Unless I’m calling the concoction I normally make, a smoothie, and it’s not what the book is referring to. A typical smoothie for me is an apple, an orange or two, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, romaine lettuce, cauliflower, a banana, and water blended in my Vitamix. I’m not seeing what’s wrong with that. Why can’t I have those daily, if they’re made up of foods that are unlimited. Please explain.
2. Is stevia allowable?
Thank you!
Fruit juices are listed as foods to limit, and when you make a smoothie you’re pretty much juicing the fruit you’re putting into it. Looking at your fruit ingredients, that could add up to a fair amount of juice… could you make a green smoothie without the fruits, and drink that while eating the fruits whole?
Stevia is mentioned in one of the recipes in the original book, so it’s probably allowed (although you may want to use it in moderation).
I just submitted two questions, but I wanted to ask this one by itself, in case you want to respond individually to me at my e-mail, without posting it. I’m looking at switching to Forks Over Knives from Eat to Live. I’m not 100% sure yet. I discovered your site a few days ago, and I’m amazed at your reviews and the information on your site – in particular the comments/questions and answers section. You have knowledge of so many plans. I’d like to know what you would recommend as your favorite plan – not just between the two I mentioned, but of all the plans you’re familiar with. It would need to be a vegan or vegetarian plan (either, but I’d lean toward vegan), and after I lose the weight, I plan to continue the plan for health, so the nutrition part is important as well. I really appreciate the health benefits mentioned in Eat to Live. Forks Over Knives promote several benefits as well, but they don’t appear to be quite as bold in their claims as Dr. Fuhrman in Eat to Live. I’m sure there are other similar ones out there, and last night I got a little overwhelmed skimming the list of many plans on your site. You’re so knowledgeable about all these, I thought I’d just ask you. Thank you for this website, and all the time you put into it! It is so very helpful.
Good question, although I’m not sure there’s a single right answer!
Some of the most popular vegan books/series (Forks Over Knives, Eat to Live, The China Study / Whole, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Engine 2 Diet) ask that you eat little or no oil, including olive oil – this seems a little excessive, especially as the “fat is bad for you” theory is out of date.
More recent books/younger authors tend to allow some fats – e.g. The 22-Day Revolution.
They all make many claims, as do all diet books – I tend to take them with a bit of a pinch of salt (note that these vegan diet books tend to ask you to avoid salt as well…)
When it comes down to it, they’re not that different from each other. Eat a plant-based diet, avoid processed foods. Some allow you to eat more fruits/natural carbs than others; others I’m not sure where you get enough calories to thrive.
Pick one that doesn’t make you freak out when it tells you everything you have to avoid, because you want to be doing this long term. And see how you feel after being on it for a while.
You might also want to use a resource like the Vegan for Life book to keep a track on the nutrients you’re eating.
It’s possible that after following a vegan diet for a while you start to feel you’re not getting enough – if that happens you could switch to a vegetarian diet or something a little more like VB6 or Zero Belly Diet.
Hope that helps.
Can I use light coconut milk on this diet?
Yes you can – it’s listed as something to eat sparingly.
Thank you for this page. I realized that I was eating too much whole wheat this week which contributed to a 1.5 weight gain. My doctor wants me to lose 20 pounds and recommended this diet because it is heart healthy.
1. I will cut out whole wheat pasta except for once a week
2. I will only have corn tortillas once a week
3. No avocados (nuts and seeds are not an issue, I rarely eat them)
I will make these tweaks going forward.
My Dr. has also recommended this diet for weight loss. Two fold question, is peanut butter in the category of nut butters, and are there stats available to show weight loss timing?
The book lists peanut butter as a nut butter, so it’s in the category of foods to eat sparingly (unless, of course, you’re allergic to peanuts).
I can’t find anything in the books on the speed of weight loss – this isn’t a “lose weight fast” book and doesn’t make claims like that; also none of the testimonials talk about the speed at which they lost weight.
“In order to reach a comfortable body weight, we simply need to choose the right foods— which is much easier and more effective than counting calories and controlling our portion sizes. If we choose the whole, plant-based foods that are healthy for us, our body’s natural mechanisms for controlling weight will take care of the rest.” (p.30)
“In general, whole, plant-based foods won’t make you gain weight as long as you are eating an average calorie density of 550 (or fewer) calories per pound.” (p. 30)
“If weight loss is your primary goal, lowering the calorie density of your meals will help the weight come off faster.” (p. 31)
“You can also try this trick for more rapid weight loss. For any meal, you can begin with foods that have a lower calorie density. For example, try beginning a meal with some fruit or a big salad. You can also add more vegetables to your plate and have them before or with your denser main course. These small measures will add low calorie density with high volume, which will leave you satiated on fewer calories.” (pp. 31-32)
Is Quaker’s instant oatmeal okay?
It’s probably on the fence. The original book asks you to eat whole whole grains, not ground up into flour… and instant oatmeal is pretty well ground up. However the Forks Over Knives Plan doesn’t ask you to limit foods like this.
I’m reading on line the risks of soy outweigh the benefits, but I see you have it listed as ok. What does your research reveal about soy?
The books don’t have any references to research on soy; they suggest eating forms of soy that aren’t highly processed.
So what would be suggested for limited consumption of chia or hemp or flax seeds? Other reputable plant based sources (i.e. Dr. Greger) recommend them on a daily basis for their health benefits. Is consuming 1 tablespoon each morning with my oatmeal too much? And if not, would that be my nut/seed limit for the day or might I still be okay eating that small handful of other nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc) each day?
There aren’t any guidelines in the book in terms of measurements (tablespoons etc) – just proportions for fat, protein, and carbs.
The Forks Over Knives Plan says “You should aim for foods with less than 15 percent of calories from fat, which allows for only a minimal amount of your food to contain a higher percentage than that. (Note that it is fine if you’re over 15 percent at a single meal; it’s over time that you should average less than 15 percent.) To figure out what percentage of calories comes from fat, divide the calories from fat by the total calories per serving— both are listed on the same line of the “nutrition facts” label— and multiply the result by 100.” (p. 55)
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the reminder about the 15% rule. Unfortunately here in Canada it is harder to do that calculation because our nutrition facts labels do not contain the “calories from fat” number. That big food corporations here in Canada lobbied against that, fought and won (the same reason sugar is missing a %DV number). Any idea how I would calculate fat percentage without that missinf piece of information?
Ouch, that’s tough. There are websites/apps where you can enter the food and they tell you the nutritional value, but that’s a pain to have to do it each time.
I’m not trying to lose weight but do the opposite because I am too skinny. Will eating this way help me achieve my goal? Any tips?
Read the section in the book on calorie density – eating more calorie-dense foods makes it more likely you’ll put on weight. See the Calorie Density for Common Foods table (p. 32) for which types of foods are more calorie-dense. You might find it helpful to eat more nuts and seeds to gain weight and stay within the guidelines of the books.
I am trying to determine the total % calories from fat. This is displayed in many cases and easily calculated. However, in some labels there isn’t a number for fat calories. There is a “Total fat 0g 0% DV” display. Is this the same as 0 % fat from calories.
If it says total fat 0g, then theoretically it should be 0% fat (although there are probably some rounding errors and 0 may not always mean 0)
If there’s a value, e.g. total fat 10g, it’s going to be harder to calculate, as the calories per gram for fat are different than for protein, carbs, and things like green veggies that don’t have much of any of them. You may need to check with a website/app to find the calories.
Just wondering is cacao or carob powers ok in this diet?
Grain-sweetened chocolate chips are on the “limited” list, so cacao is probably either limited or (if sweetened) eat freely (not that it’s easy to eat much of it); carob is probably the same.
I just downloaded the recipe app and I’m wondering how to figure out serving size? For example, I am making the chocolate pancakes. It says it makes 12 pancakes; is this for 3 people? 4 people? Also, there is maple syrup in the recipe. Can I add maple syrup on top? It’s a little vague.
I haven’t tried using the recipe app – any feedback from anybody else?
I like tahini but when i open the jar the pulp is swimming in oil. Is this oil ok and better than olive oil or best to drain it and just eat the pulp?
Mix it up – it separates over time. The whole food, when ground from sesame seeds, contains the sesame oil as well as the pulp. As it’s fatty, the book suggests limiting it.
I respectfully disagree with your response to Blue Moon on 5/25/2016 that “smoothies” = “juicing” as all of the fiber remains in the drink when one blends the fruits and veggies. In fact, I have seen research that indicates blending produce aids in in more efficient access to nutrients by the body.
Understood, and agreed that the blended fruit contains the pulp.
However, compare this to the guidelines on grains. Whole grains not ground into flour, you can eat freely. Whole grain breads and other products made from whole grain flours, you should eat sparingly. The act of grinding the whole food is a type of processing and moves it from the “eat freely” category to “eat sparingly”.
Hi there,
Thank you so much for this list. I am trying to learn a little bit more before I purchase the books. I have so many questions, though!! What about spirulina and chlorella? I understand they only recommend B12 as a supplement, but are those other two considered unhealthy?
Also, I understand about the oil… but I’m having a hard time considering nuts unhealthy. I make what I considered to be an extremely healthy granola for my kids: it contains apples, shredded coconut, seeds and nuts. How can cooked oats be healthier than all those seeds and nuts made in a dehydrator?
And lastly, what about oil for skin use? I believe my skin looks better when I use it.
Thanks again!!!
Hi,
Spirulina and chlorella could probably be considered as vegetables.
If you have a hard time considering fats unhealthy, this might not be the diet for you.