Fat Chance (2012) is a book discussing the causes of obesity and the dangers of sugar –
- Avoid sugars, especially fructose, and sugary / processed foods
- Eat intact whole grains, eggs, meat, nuts and seeds, dairy, beans, fruits, vegetables
- Limit fatty and slightly processed foods
Below is a description of the food recommendations in the diet. General guidelines | Foods to eat whenever you want | Foods to have in moderation | Foods to avoid or strongly limit. There’s a lot more in the book.
Get a copy of Fat Chance for details of the science behind the recommendations, what to do if altering your environment isn’t enough, and suggestions for a public health solution.
Get The Fat Chance Cookbook for more than 100 recipes ready in under 30 minutes.
The reasoning behind Fat Chance
This book argues that the current formulation of gluttony and sloth, diet and exercise, while accepted by virtually everyone, is based on faulty premises and myths that have taken hold in the world’s consciousness. Obesity is not a behavioral aberration, a character flaw, or an error of commission. Most foods available are highly palatable, processed, and contain highly addictive sugars, which cause hormonal imbalances that drive ongoing weight gain – leptin resistance is the key to the obesity epidemic. 4 foodstuffs particularly cause metabolic disturbance: trans fats, branched-chain amino acids (found in high concentration in corn, so every animal fed on is a potential contributor to your total body load), alcohol, and fructose – the “villain” in the book. Fiber is half the antidote, and exercise the other half.
Fat Chance diet plan – food list
Foods to eat whenever you want | Foods to have in moderation | Foods to avoid or strongly limit
The foods listed below show a sample shopping list, based on four principles: (1) low sugar, (2) high fiber, (3) low omega-6 fats, (4) low trans fats
Meals and snacks:
- Make sure each meal has some sort of protein, especially breakfast – don’t go for a baked good, which is just fat, carbohydrates, and sugar
- Wait 20 minutes for seconds
- Stop nighttime eating – eat a sensible breakfast and lunch with no snacks added, and dinner must consistently occur a good 4 hours before bedtime
- If you’re buying a dish at a coffee shop or diner, make sure it has something green in it
- Don’t buy anything you can eat while standing up
- Beware packaged products, even those claiming to be organic, as many of them contain the same amount of sugar as their commercial counterparts
Foods to eat in Fat Chance – ad lib, whenever you want
“Greens” – eat these foods ad lib
The goal is to shift your food buying from a high-fructose, high-trans-fat, low-fiber (i.e. processed) grocery basket to a low-fructose, zero-trans-fat, high-fiber (natural) basket. The only rational way is to buy real food in the first place – meat, dairy, produce
- Intact whole grains
- High fiber cereal, > 5 g fiber, < 3 g sugar – e.g. steel-cut oatmeal, Shredded Wheat no added sugar, Fiber One bran cereal
- Whole-grain bread, >3 g fiber – e.g. German fitness bread, coarse wheat kernel bread, cracked wheat/bulgur, coarse barley kernel, coarse rye kernel (pumpernickel), whole-grain pumpernickel
- Whole grains – e.g. wild or brown rice, whole amaranth, whole barley, whole corn (including air-popped unsweetened popcorn), whole millet, whole oats, whole quinoa, whole rye, whole sorghum, whole teff, whole triticale, whole wheat (all varieties)
- Eggs
- Eggs
- Egg beaters
- Meat
- Low-omega 6, unprocessed
- Grass-fed beef
- Wild fish
- Lamb
- Turkey
- Free-range chicken
- Nuts/seeds
- Almonds, macadamias, peanuts, pecans, walnuts
- Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Nut/seed butters, all natural, made only of nuts/seeds and salt: almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter, peanut butter, hazelnut butter, sunflower seed butter
- Non-meat proteins
- Veggie / garden burger, Boca burger
- Tofu (made with calcium), tempeh
- Dairy
- Plain milk
- Plain yogurt
- String cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, farmer’s cheese, full-fat cream cheese, jack cheese, queso fresco, colby cheese, cheddar cheese
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Beans
- Adzuki beans, anasazi beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, edamame, fava beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans
- Fruits
- Any whole, fresh fruit (unprocessed): apples, apricots, banana, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, guava, honeydew, kiwi, mandarin orange, mango, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, raspberries, star fruit, strawberries, watermelon
- Vegetables
- Any whole vegetable (unprocessed) except corn and potatoes: asparagus, bean sprouts, bell peppers (all colors), bok choy, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, green peas, lettuce, mushroom, onion, peas, peppers (all varieties), radish, spaghetti squash, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomato, yams
- Vegetable oils
- Olive and canola oil are best for cooking, dipping, and salad dressings
- Condiments
- All herbs
- All spices
- Earth Balance buttery spread, homemade salad dressing, homemade barbecue sauce, hummus, salsa, yogurt sauce
- Lard
- Mustard, Tabasco and other hot sauces (without sugar)
- Beverages
- Water, bottled water, club soda, sparkling water
- Plain milk (unflavored)
- Plain soy milk (fortified), plain rice milk (fortified)
- Herbal and other teas (black and green), unsweetened
- Coffee (black, no sweetener)
- Liquids should have 5 calories or less (not clear whether this is per serving or all that you drink)
Foods to have in moderation in Fat Chance
“Yellows”: You should eat minimally processed foods such as these with caution, 3-5 times a week
- Processed whole grains
- Medium-fiber, medium-sugar cereal – > 3 g fiber, > 3 g sugar – e.g. rolled oats, Cheerios, Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Slim, All Bran, Kashi Go Lean, Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal, Raisin Bran, Grape Nuts, Go Raw Simple Granola, Frosted Mini Wheats, Amrosial Granola, Kix, Total Whole Grain, Laughing Giraffe Cherry Ginger Granola
- Pulverized whole grain products – e.g. whole-grain pastas, protein-enriched pasta, whole-corn tortilla, whole-wheat tortilla
- Pulverized whole grain breads – e.g. pita bread, 100% Whole Grain Natural Ovens, Oat Bran Bread, Healthy Choice Hearty 7-Grain, buckwheat bread
- Meat
- Higher in omega-6, processed, higher in salt
- Commercial beef, ground beef, hamburger
- Chorizo, sausage, hot dog, turkey bacon, turkey dog, bacon, salami, lunch meat
- Dairy
- Reduced-fat cream cheese
- Sugar-free flavored yogurt (this is a stretch)
- Beans
- Baked beans
- Fruits
- Dried fruits, including: dried figs, dates, banana chips, raisins, dried pears, craisins (dried cranberries)
- Unsweetened apple sauce
- Vegetables
- Sweet corn
- Red potatoes
- Vegetable oils and fats
- Safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil
- Condiments
- Salt soy sauce, mayonnaise, reduced-fat mayonnaise, cocktail sauce, steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, commercial salad dressing (made with canola or olive oil)
- Beverages
- Flavored soy milk, flavored rice milk
- Sweetened coffee
Foods to avoid or limit with Fat Chance diet recommendations
“Reds”: You should eat highly processed foods such as these for special occasions, only 1-2 times a week.
Reduce the amount of sugar that you have – make dessert special. If any form of sugar is one of the first three ingredients, it’s a dessert.
- Refined grains
- Cereals: Cream of Wheat, Rice Krispy, granola, Fruity Pebbles
- Processed grains: semolina, white rice, long-grain rice, arborio rice (risotto), jasmine rice, couscous, basmati rice
- Processed breads: bagels, white bread, corn bread, potato bread, rice bread, hamburger bun, hot dog bun, baguettes
- Pastries: croissants, cinnamon roll, doughnuts, waffles, pancakes
- Cakes, brownies
- Chips, crackers, rice cakes
- Pizza crust
- Non-meat proteins
- Peanut butter and other commercial nut butters with more than two ingredients
- Vegetables
- Baked potatoes, tater tots, French fries
- Onion rings, deep fried vegetables (breaded, fried in trans fat)
- Fruits
- Spreadable fruit
- Fruit canned in syrup
- Vegetable oils and fats
- Coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil
- Margarine, vegetable shortenings (trans fats)
- Condiments
- Sweet-and-sour sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, teriyaki sauce
- Commercial salad dressings (made with corn oil, soy oil, or safflower oil), ranch dressing
- Sugars and sweeteners
- Jam, jelly
- Sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, pancake syrup
- Take note of sugars added to processed foods (*contains fructose) – agave nectar*, barbados sugar*, barley malt, beet sugar*, blackstrap molasses*, brown sugar*, buttered syrup*, can juice crystals*, cane sugar*, caramel*, carob syrup*, castor sugar*, confectioner’s sugar*, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, crystalline fructose*, date sugar*, demerara sugar*, dextran, dextrose, diastatic malt, diatase, ethyl maltol, evaporated cane juice*, Florida crystals*, fructose*, fruit juice*, fruit juice concentrate*, galactose, glucose, glucose solids, golden sugar*, golden syrup*, grape sugar*, high-fructose corn syrup HFCS*, honey*, icing sugar*, invert sugar*, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, maple syrup*, molasses*, muscovado sugar*, organic raw sugar*, panocha*, raw sugar*, refiner’s syrup*, rice syrup, sorghum syrup*, sucrose*, sugar*, treacle*, turbinado sugar*, yellow sugar*
- Beverages
- Soda
- Flavored milk
- Fruit juice – all, including organic, fresh squeezed, and commercial
- Chocolate rice milk, chocolate soy milk
- Hot chocolate
- Gatorade and other sports beverages, energy drinks
- Fruit smoothies
- Agua fresca
- Lemonade, slurpies
- Sweetened iced tea
- Sweetened coffee drinks such as Frappuccinos
- Vitamin water
- Tomato juice, vegetable juice
- Avoid alcohol
“Limbo” – the data on artificial sweeteners / diet sweeteners remains elusive and the author says he’s agnostic on the subject
- Diet anything
- Sugar-free hot cocoa
- Crystal Lite, Propel, Diet Snapple, sugar-free flavored waters
- Diet soda
Health benefits claimed in Fat Chance
The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: depression, type 2 diabetes, food addiction, gallstones, heart disease, hyperinsulemia / excess insulin levels, hypertension/high blood pressure, insulin resistance, kidney disease, leptin resistance, lipid disorders, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), overweight/obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS, sleep apnea
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, not endorsing it.
Get a copy of Fat Chance for details of the science behind the recommendations, what to do if altering your environment isn’t enough, and suggestions for a public health solution.
Diet book
Get The Fat Chance Cookbook for more than 100 recipes ready in under 30 minutes.
Cookbook
How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.
{ 22 comments… add one }
Hey, thanks so much for the great summary list. I’ve read the book, and a very worthy read it is. People, pay attention to this list.
Thanks Mike!
Interesting that coconut oil is considered a “red” by Lustig, but Dr. Mercola highly recommends it. I wonder why there is a difference of opinion.
I would stick with the Mercola recommendations! The list above has a lot of garbage in it. Highly processed veggie Boca burgers? Really? A simple baked potato and coconut oil are in the red group, but highly processed egg beaters gets a thumbs up and artificial sweeteners are in limbo? Not to mention that many of the recommendations are GMO products unless purchased “certified organic”… tofu, soy milk, canola oil, mayo, etc. He’s recommending a lot of processed garbage. Here are the ingredients to a vegan Boca burger from their website. Does this look healthy to you? And remember, the soy is not organic… so it is almost certainly GMO.
BOCA Original Vegan-
Ingredients: WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF METHYLCELLULOSE, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, DRIED ONIONS, YEAST EXTRACT, SESAME OIL, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (NON-MEAT), DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE. CONTAINS: SOY, WHEAT, SESAME.
http://www.bocaburger.com/products/nutrition-info.aspx?product=5928333445
If you want a veggie burger, there are plenty of free recipes online to make a healthy, whole foods version at home. Yes it will take more time. Experiment and find a recipe you like. Then make extra and freeze them. I just can’t believe there’s one more book being pushed on a desperate public that has some kernels of truth that the author turns into a whole popcorn bowl full of craziness to make sales. Very disappointing.
Stick with organic coconut oil. By getting processed oils/polyunsaturates out of my diet and including coconut oil, I no longer have joint pain. It changed my life. I wouldn’t touch much of the food in the list above. I do appreciate Penny and Chewfo providing a concise list from this book. Thanks!
Also interesting is that canola oil made the green list and corn, safflower, soybean oils made the yellow list. All these oils are not only high in omega 6 but generally processed using heat and or solvents. Canola is the least desirable since all canola undergoes a deodorization process at high temps.
This is another example of a book written by a doctor who specializes in a very narrow area, then, when they want to write a book about it, they fill in the rest of the nutritional recommendations with corporate science/popular diet garbage. It’s disappointing. I felt that way about “Wheat Belly”, too. The first third of the book is great in explaining how the wheat of today is so different (and unhealthy) compared to the wheat our parents/grandparents ate. But, the rest of the book falls into the same category as I mentioned. He has recipes using artificial sweeteners. Dr. Smith states “The compromise I draw in order to re-create several familiar dishes sans sugar is to use the artificial or non-nutritive sweeteners that I believe are the most benign and well tolerated by the majority. Erythritol, xylitol, sucralose, and stevia are among the sweeteners that will not impact blood sugar levels, nor cause gastrointestinal distress as mannitol or sorbitol can. They are also safe, lacking the adverse potential health consequences of aspartame and saccharin.” Sucralose is “Splenda”… why did he have to include this artificial sweetener? That was so disappointing because, although I’m glad he recommended Stevia, his inclusion of Splenda prohibits me from recommending this book to anyone. The other problem I had with the Wheat Belly recommendations were the recipes. He recommends raw nuts in the diet plan, then goes on to include numerous recipes using almond meal or ground pecans, flaxseeds, etc. Now, the whole point of recommending RAW nuts is to avoid oxidizing the fats! The book tends to lean “paleo” in its recommendations, so he gets it right on the recommended and restricted oils. I try to eat paleo so I’m glad about that… however, there are two paleo camps. The first uses lots of nut flour for cooking and baking (such as in Dr. Smith’s book) and the other uses coconut flour and avoids heating nuts and seeds other than in a dehydrator (after soaking). I’m in that camp, so I was disappointed with the contradiction of listing “raw” nuts and seeds in the diet but including a lot of roasted ones in the recipes. Other than that, I think the Wheat Belly food recommendations/basic diet plan are much better than what is listed above (just DON’T use artificial ANYTHING… especially sweeteners!). Stevia is a natural non-calorie sweetener. I use stevia for some things and honey for others. I know honey is not approved, but it’s a rare treat with nutrients of its own (the solid organic raw kind).
I think he makes sense. I have, though, eaten stand-up food with him. To be fair, it was a while ago.
I have watched Dr. Robert Lustig’s most YouTube videos. He definitely is very knowledgeable and has solid science to back up his claims. I have not read this book but i am very surprised that coconut oil is put in the ‘reds’ category and canola oil in the ‘greens’. I would love to know the arguments he makes for this choice.
Dr. Lustig lists his green, yellow, and red foods in table 17.2 “A “Real” versus “Processed” Food Shopping List”, in the How to Navigate a Food Label section of the “Altering Your Food Environment” chapter 17.
In that table, it says “Olive and canola oil are best for cooking, dipping, and salad dressings” and lists coconut oil as a condiment in the Reds part of the table.
In table 10.1, he lists dietary fats and their value, in descending order, to human health.
(1) (best) Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. wild fish, flaxseed oil) – anti-inflammatory, lowers serum triglycerides, repairs membranes
(2) Monounsaturates (e.g. olive and canola oil) – stimulates liver metabolism, reduces atherogenesis
(3) Polyunsaturates (vegetables oils) – anti-inflammatory, but in excess amounts can cause immune dysfunction
(4) Saturated fatty acids (grass-fed animal meats, milk and dairy products) – atherogenic in a specific genetic background (familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH); raises levels of type A LDL very high
(5) Medium-chain triglycerides (palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil) – energy sources, some suggestion of atherosclerosis
(6) Omega-6 fatty acids (farm-raised anumals and fish, fed on corn and soy) – atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, immune dysfunction, pro-inflammatory)
(7) (worst) Trans fats / partially hydrogenated oils (synthetic, found in processed foods only) – atherosclerosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Is he saying we can’t have dairy?
He’s saying you can have dairy, but it should be unprocessed – full-fat/whole, no added sugars/sweeteners/flavorings
Dr. Lustig’s diet has been very helpful to me. At age 64, I have a waistline again, I have more energy, I feel more at ease, and my hair and skin even look better! It works for me.
That’s great!
As a retired biologist, I find the information Dr. L provides to be very accurate. When writing for the general public and not peer reviewed journals, one has to consider the “categories” of foods that the general population purchases and knows. Don’t -not- recommend a book because you find one thing offensive, nor don’t expect everything to be purist. you will notice avocados and macadamia nuts weren’t mentioned either. Really, how big would a book that was all inclusive be, and would you be willing to read the book. There is too much opinionated complaining on the internet in general, but when reviewing something like this try to be helpful. it takes a lot of research and time to put this kind of solid information in the hands of people who are trying to improve their lives. just eat the raw nuts, I will toast mine. Eat the honey…just enjoy it and get on with making your world a better and healthier place.
Thanks Mom well said
I watched this Dr. On an hour P.B.S. show. He immediately captured me when I saw the X-rays of Liver. I didn’t get the book although I plan to do so. I just went on here and followed what he said I could and could not eat and cut out all sugars, PERIOD! 2 months ago I was drinking Rock stars every day, constantly hungry, weighed 286 lbs at 6’0″. I was miserable. I have lost 14″ off my waist, I don’t even need coffee for energy and I for the first time probably since I was 18, the hormone that tells my brain I’m full, works!! I’m totally blown away amazed. I am sure there are millions upon millions of people that don’t even know that it actually can work and that sugar, or whatever causes it to stop working. The first week was hard but after that, I literally crave good food. Its not even hard anymore and I don’t think about food like I use to. I eat to refuel, and my body tells me. Not my eyes, brain and ridiculous needy mouth. Its so cool to be, what I call, normal again. I wish more people would get into this. It has had such a profound affect on me, I don’t think I could ever go back to the way I ate. I am calm, literally calm. I wish I could explain all the differences because there ARE so many. The over analizing of his do’s and don’ts, personally I think if you question it, just don’t eat it either way. Don’t make a big deal about all the stuff. But more importantly, just cut out SUGAR. Don’t do it partially or in moderation, CUT IT OUT OF YOUR DIET and see how much you will change for the better. And Diet the idea of Diet, diet is just what you choose to eat and what your personal plan is, don’t make it out to be that your on a “diet”, no no no. Just make what you choose to eat be your own thing. That you’re doing it to clean your body and feel great. Believe it or not, it will surprise you how much this will have an affect on your life; emotions, clarity of thought, bowels, stomach acids, skin so many wonderful things. I hope someone that reads this understands what I’ve written with complete and utter integrity. I would have never shared but I’m so excited everyday how much better I feel and only just upset that I let my poor choices of diet go on so long and not correct it sooner. Yes, you may want to eat something bad or sweet or too much, but if you really sit down and think to yourself about your life….all of the stress…. your own personal insecurities…. or just well being…. All because of your weight past 5-10 years. Why should you ever let that happen when you can do something about. You have the ability to do it and control it. It’s completely up to you if you want it badly enough. I wanted it badly enough because I didn’t want just the stuff extra on my body and the stuff going into my mouth to control my emotions, my sleep, my reflection, and or anyone else’s opinion looking or their experience interacting or thinking about me. We can all say who cares what others think, if they don’t like me for who I am, who cares?!!! Welllllll….. I found that to be a absolute lie and complete BS. For us to not care about that and for that thought process to not matter is a complete contradiction of who we are as humans. I’m in no way trying to take this down some deep weird philosophical path. I’m trying to reach out to many who will read that may be struggling and think they can’t do it, or may not believe this will help them or it will even work. It does, it does, it does…..just do it. YOU CAN DO IT!!! If anyone has questions in regards to my personal experiences of what happened over the last 2 months to my body and mind please feel free to email me. Don’t make it a chore, don’t make it a burden, have fun with it and just go get fruits vegetables some chicken if you want and start eating right. There are thousands of spices to make your food taste good, but this is the part that makes it fun, creative and something to look forward to as you change your life for the better. Good luck to everyone. I promise it will change your life.
How wonderful that you’re feeling so much better!
Whereas I agree with the general thrust of cutting out all added sugar, putting freshly squeezed juice in the red category does not make sense. The only reason to put it the middle category would be if the fibre were taken out – as it is in most commercially available juices. However if it is freshly squeezed and the pulp is stirred back in, there is little loss of fibre.
My company produces blueberry juice which has 12 grams of fibre per litre. Certainly this is much less than fresh blueberries, however it is a higher amount than some products which are recommended above.
It is my understanding that when fructose is combined with fibre then it does not have the negative effects shown by Dr. Lustig and is not entirely metabolised by the liver. Furthermore natural pressed juices have a huge amount of phytonutrients. Instead of attacking juices, it would make more sense to stick to attacking artificial beverages.
thank you for all your efforts on getting the word out. Sugar is toxic and its in everything! I looked at your list of foods we should be eating. I searching for the reason i am 25lbs over weight. I avoid sugar so is it the limited amount i do eat? or do i eat too much etc.
I noticed that dairy is on your list of foods to eat. There are other specialists like yourself (Dr Lustig) that have proven dairy pulls calcium out of your bones and therefore should not be consumed. Not to mention they add sugar to all dairy products.
thanks again
Thanks for your comment. Just to be clear, this page is written by Chewfo as a summary of the diet – it summarizes the food recommendations in Dr. Lustig’s book, but this page is not written by Dr. Lustig.
The book lists “green”, “yellow”, and “red” foods in the tables on pages 199-205.
The dairy items listed above under Eat Ad Lib are listed as “green” foods – unprocessed, eat ad lib.
Dr. Lustig doesn’t say anything about dairy pulling calcium out of your bones – it’s a point of view held by some people, but like many theories on food and health it hasn’t been proven beyond doubt.
He is concerned about added fructose, and fructose isn’t found in milk.
He clearly says that any dairy products that you eat should be without added sugar.
You mention that you don’t eat sugar so don’t understand why you’re overweight. There are lots of factors here, and sometimes the issue can be that you’re not eating things that you should be.
Are you avoiding or minimizing fat? That was something that was common dietary advice for many decades, and now it’s commonly perceived not to be such good advice – so if you’re avoiding fat, try starting to add it back in.
Also, the book suggests you include protein at every meal, especially breakfast.
According to “Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk.” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1836037), “The allegation that palm oil consumption leads to raised blood cholesterol levels and is therefore atherogenic is without scientific foundation.”
Mary Ellen’s outraged challenging tone of Dr. Lustig’s recommendations is a perfect example of a non-expert talking on line as if she is the all-knowing oracle, belittling the findings of someone with a published track record, academic credentials, as well as a clear expertise in the area of obesity and diet.
Until you can offer similar academic credentials and publicly recognized expertise, Mary Ellen, your online rants will be a signal that you have little to offer to the debate.