The Omni Diet by Tana Amen (2013): What to eat and foods to avoid

The Omni Diet (2013) is a paleo-like diet and healthy eating book

• 70% calories from plant foods, 30% from protein
• Lots of nonstarchy vegetables; protein from naturally raised animals
• Eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, and corn; Limit grains, legumes, and fruit
• Unprocessed, no sugar
• 4 phases, progressively less restrictive

Below is a detailed outline of the food recommendations in the book.  General – Eat | General – Limit | General – Avoid | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4. The book has a lot more information.

Get a copy of The Omni Diet for details of the overall plan and the phases, supplements, recommended lab tests, exercise suggestions, sample menus, and recipes.

The theory behind The Omni Diet

Vegetarian/vegan diets can be great for eating lots of greens and getting micronutrients, but don’t give you the quality protein you need. Low-carb, high-protein diets can help you lose weight, but don’t give you all the nutrients you need. The Omni Diet – 70% whole, plant foods and 30% high-quality, lean protein – comprises all the foods that have the power to boost health and weight loss, so you aren’t forced to choose.

Dietary recommendations for The Omni Diet

Try this diet for 2 weeks, and continue it if it makes you feel good. The author has found that most people who follow the Omni Diet lose their desire for carbohydrates and sugar within 1-3 days; for hard-core sugar addicts it may take a week

General – Eat | General – Limit | General – Avoid | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4

General food guidelines

Foods to eat in The Omni Diet – all phases

• Meals
  • Breakfast – eat within an hour of waking up. Protein: 3-4 ounces for women, 4-6 ounces for men. Healthy fats: approximately 9 or 10 grams (100 calories). Complex carbohydrates: 2 cups of nonstarchy green veggies and ½ cup berries or 1 piece of fruit. You can put this into a smoothie if you want
  • Snacks – eat 2-3 a day – good times to snack are mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late-afternoon. Each snack should include: Protein: 1-2 ounces (equal to about 2 tablespoons of hummus, a slice of turkey, or 2 tablespoons of whole, raw nuts). Healthy fats: 3-15 grams. Complex carbohydrates: 2-3 cups of lightly steamed veggies
  • Lunch: Protein: 3-4 ounces for women, 4-6 ounces for men. Healthy fats: approximately 10-13 grams (90-120 calories – 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon nuts, 2 ounces avocado). Complex carbohydrates: 1 cup mixed green salad with 1 cups of mixed veggies
  • Dinner: Protein: 3-4 ounces for women, 4-6 ounces for men. Healthy fats: 15-20 grams (1 tablespoon olive oil, seeds, and avocado on salad, plus minimal amount of oil for cooking). Complex carbohydrates: 2 cups mixed greens with chopped veggies for salad, plus an additional vegetable dish – 3-4 cups total
  • Most people find that they are not able to consume this much food after the first couple of weeks, as cravings disappear. Eliminate a snack if this happens. And remember that the meals are supposed to be small.
  • Limit foods that are overcooked. Instead, opt for as many raw and lightly cooked choices as possible
  • If you are eating every 3-4 hours and you still feel hungry, increase your intake of raw and slightly cooked (nonstarchy) vegetables – you can have as much as you like
  • Try smoothies as a meal: Use a high-powered blender – the author says Vitamix is great but expensive and Blendtec is also a great product. Pay attention to sugar and calorie content while you’re experimenting. Make sure to include at least 1 tablespoon of healthy fat and 20-30 grams of protein. Use pure coconut water as the smoothie base. Add soluble fiber. Add in superfoods such as bee pollen, aloe gel, maca root powder, acai berries or acai powder, pomegranate or pomegranate powder, camu camu berries or camu camu berry powder, lucuma powder, or goji powder. Add freeze-dried greens such as Vibrant Health Green Vibrance. Add raw greens – if you feel you need to add fruit if you’re not used to the taste, aim for 4 parts greens to 1 part fruit or a teaspoon of honey – but aim to cut back and eventually eliminate your use of sweeteners other than stevia. Try adding raw cacao, 1-2 teaspoons of coconut butter or almond butter, and/or 1 tablespoon of flax seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds
• Protein
  • 30% of your day’s calories should come from protein-rich foods. Women 3-4 ounces with each meal, men 4-6 ounces with each meal (approximately palm size). Be sure to eat a portion of protein at least 4 times a day, or every 3-4 hours – never go longer than 4 hours without a portion of protein (unless you’re sleeping)
  • Choose meats and poultry that are organic, grass-fed, free-range, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free. Should be lean
  • Meat: bison and lamb are recommended; also beef, pork
  • Poultry: skinless chicken, skinless turkey
  • Eggs: cage-free, organic, DHA-enriched whole eggs from vegetarian-fed chickens
  • Fish and seafood should be wild, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free
  • Fish: cod, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahimahi, sea bass, tilapia, trout, tuna, wild salmon
  • Shellfish: clams, mussels, scallops, bay scallops, shrimp
  • Protein powder – the author prefers pea protein powder or rice protein powder, sweetened with stevia
• Vegetables / complex carbs
  • 70% of your daily calories should come from complex carbohydrates. Aim to eat 9 cups of vegetables each day. That’s right – 9 cups. It sounds like a lot, but if you include some at each meal and snack, you’ll hit that goal
  • Choose fresh, organic vegetables – all kinds except white potatoes
  • Non-starchy vegetables: Arugula, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bean sprouts, beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purple/red cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, chicory,  collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans, green onions, jicama, hearts of palm, leeks, lettuce e.g. romaine lettuce, kale, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, peas, peppers, radicchio, radish, scallions, shallots, spinach, squash, summer squash, sugar snap peas, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, yellow beans, yellow squash, zucchini
  • Starchy vegetables (not listed separately in the book): carrots, daikon, kohlrabi, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, turnips
  • Freeze dried greens such as Green Vibrance
• Herbs & spices
  • Fresh and dried
  • Basil, chives, cilantro, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
  • Ancho chili powder, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, curry, fenugreek, garam masala, ginger, horseradish, nutmeg, saffron
• Nuts and seeds
  • Raw, unsalted seeds and nuts
  • Almonds, cashews, coconut, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts
  • Chia seed, flaxseed, hemp seed, pepita/pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seed
  • Nut butters and spreads – almond butter, coconut butter, tahini, etc.
  • Nut flours – almond meal, etc.
• Fats
  • Make sure you have fats, as they are essential to the body’s proper functioning
  • Use organic, unrefined, expeller-pressed, and cold-pressed oils
  • For cooking: coconut oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia nut oil
  • For cold use such as salads: almond oil, olive oil
  • Earth Balance butter substitute or ghee
  • There are also healthy fats in avocados, eggs, flax seeds, coconut, etc.
• Super foods – Omni NutriPower Foods
  • Note that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid these superfoods because their effects have not been well studied in that population (it’s not clear in the book whether or not this recommendation includes coconut, cacao, and macadamia products)
  • Coconut, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut meat, coconut butter, coconut oil
  • Raw cacao powder, cacao nibs – preferably organic. Be sure it has not been treated with alkali (which is known as “Dutch process”) and is 100% pure, unprocessed, and unroasted
  • Macadamia nuts, macadamia oil, macadamia nut butter – should be raw
  • Raw maca powder, raw camu camu powder, raw sea buckthorn powder or sea buckthorn oil (unsweetened)
  • Wheat grass (doesn’t contain gluten), green mixes. If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, contact your health-care provider before consuming wheat grass or any other green grass supplements
  • Goji powder or dried goji berries (unsweetened), lucuma powder, pomegranate or pomegranate powder
• Beverages
  • Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Do not exceed 100 ounces of water daily
  • Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, rice milk
  • Green tea
• Condiments and pantry
  • Arrowroot, Bragg’s liquid aminos, capers, guacamole, hummus, gluten- and sugar-free mustard, olives, salsa, tamari sauce, Thai curry paste, low-sodium sugar-free tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, vanilla extract, Vegenaise, low-sodium vegetable stock, vinegar (any gluten-free non-sweet type including apple cider, balsamic fig, rice)
  • Pure Wrap coconut wraps, Shirataki soy-free noodles
  • Rice protein or pea protein
• Sweeteners
  • Stevia extract (author’s favorite brand is Sweet Leaf). If you take blood pressure medication or medication for diabetes, use stevia with caution

If you are going to go off plan and splurge, do it with lean protein and healthy fat, not carbohydrates.

Foods to limit in The Omni Diet – all phases

• Fruits
  • Small amounts of fresh and frozen fruits. (See restrictions below for early phases)
  • Best choices – organic blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
  • Other – apples, Asian pears, bananas, cherries, citrus fruits, grapes, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mangos, melon, orange, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapple, pomegranates, watermelon
  • Dried – in very limited amounts – dates, dried mulberries, raisins
• Protein
  • Limit legumes – dried beans and lentils – e.g. black beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, kidney beans, red beans, dried split peas, white beans. If you do eat them, make sure they are fresh, soaked overnight, well rinsed, and thoroughly cooked. Also hummus. (No legumes in phases 1 or 2, although hummus is listed in the meal plans)
• Carbohydrates
  • Limit quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth – use them as you would a condiment, in very small amounts. (No pseudo-grains in phases 1 or 2)
  • Limit non-gluten grains, and preferably sprout them – steel-cut (not instant) oats, brown rice, gluten-free Ezekiel bread, gluten-free tortillas, gluten-free flour (no gluten grains in phases 1 or 2)
• Fats
  • Limit most cooking oils – corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soy oil (vegetable oil)
• Sweeteners
  • Limit sugar alcohols (unless you have IBS, IBD, or Crohn’s disease, in which case avoid them). The author’s favorite is erythritol; others include hydrogenated starch hydrosylates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol
  • If you choose to use honey, use raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized honey, use it only in very minimal amounts, and never give it to children under 1 year old
  • If you choose to use maple syrup, use pure, grade B rather than grade A, and only in minimal amounts
• Salt
  • Use unbleached sea salt in very small amounts
  • Limit your intake of sodium chloride to under 1,500 milligrams daily. You could try using a potassium-based salt substitute
• Beverages
  • Limit coffee – it’s fine to have one regular 5-6 ounce cup of coffee a day, as long as you drink it before noon. If you are a diehard coffee lover, try water-processed decaf or “half-caf” for your afternoon cups

Foods to avoid in The Omni Diet – all phases

• Processed foods
  • Avoid fake foods
  • Avoid processed frozen dinners
  • Avoid salty processed snacks – potato chips, popcorn, pretzels, nacho chips, crackers, popcorn
  • Avoid sugary processed snacks – cakes, cookies, cupcakes, candy
  • Avoid sugary, fatty, glutinous “breakfast bombs” such as doughnuts
  • Avoid junk food
  • Avoid reduced-fat and artificially sweetened foods, such as diet soft drinks, sugar-free desserts, gum, gelatin, jellies, yogurt, nutrition bars, sugar-free candies, desserts marked as being “diabetic-friendly”
• Main offenders
  • Avoid dairy foods – milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream etc. (although ghee is listed as something to have on your shopping list)
  • Avoid grain-based foods – cereal, rice, oatmeal, wheat, barley, rye, corn Foods that contain gluten – bread, pasta, tortillas, etc. Check for gluten which may be hidden in many foods, including some kinds of commercially made soy sauce, barbecue sauce, spice blends, mustard, flavored vinegars, salad dressings, canned soups and broths, snack foods
  • Avoid soy and foods that contain it, including soy milk and soy creamer. Constant exposure to soy can lead to increased sensitivity. If you do choose to rely on soy for protein, be sure to consume organic sources – small amounts of the whole food (bean) or fermented forms (tofu and tempeh) work best
  • Avoid soy-based foods such as protein bars, powders, oils, snack foods, and foods containing soy or soy byproducts (e.g. soy protein isolate) such as commercial salad dressings
  • Avoid corn – popcorn, corn bread, popped corn chips, corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup HFCS, cornstarch, corn alcohol, corn gluten, etc.
• Protein
  • Avoid commercially raised / factory farmed beef and poultry
  • Avoid pork and ham
  • Avoid processed meats such as lunch meats, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, hot dogs
  • Avoid farm-raised fish
• Fruit & vegetables
  • Avoid white potatoes
• Carbohydrates
  • Avoid simple carbohydrates, found in just about anything white – white sugar, white flour, and nearly all bread, pasta, and rice
  • Avoid breakfast cereals, including oatmeal
• Sugars and sweeteners
  • Avoid foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup HFCS
  • Avoid sugar (table sugar, agave nectar, pancake syrup) and artificial sweeteners (saccharin/Sweet’N Low, sucralose/Splenda, aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal, and foods that contain them
  • Avoid jams, jellies, pancake syrup
• Fats
  • Stay away from flax oil, which is believed to be pro-inflammatory. Flax seeds are healthy.
  • Remove poultry skin
  • Avoid foods that contain trans (hydrogenated) fats
• Beverages
  • Avoid fruit juice, even 100% fresh
  • Avoid sweetened drinks such as fruit punch, lemonade, and soda
• Condiments
  • Avoid any that contain sugar, artificial ingredients, excessive salt, or gluten – ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, etc.
• GM foods
  • Avoid GMO foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, as we don’t know how these affect us. Most commonly grown GM foods include soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, rice, and alfalfa

Phase 1 – Jump the Canyon

This phase lasts 2 weeks, and takes you off the Standard American Diet

Foods to eat in Phase 1 of The Omni Diet

• 70% of your calories from plant foods, and 30% from protein-rich foods
• Eat the meals and foods listed to eat above under “general food guidelines.” There is a suggested menu in the book.

Foods to avoid or limit with Phase 1 of The Omni Diet

• Foods to limit and avoid listed above under “general food guidelines”
• Limit yourself to no more than half a cup (about one serving) of fruit per day – and stick to berries
• Avoid alcohol
• Minimize desserts. If you really want something sweet, have one piece of extra-dark organic chocolate, another smoothie, or half an apple with almond butter, or ½ cup of “Fresh Berries with Macadamia Nut Sauce” (recipe on page 370 of the book) as an acceptable treat. Eating dessert replaces one of your five “meals” unless you only eat one ½ ounce piece of dark chocolate

Phase 2 – Pump it Up

This phase lasts 2 weeks, and you increase exercise

Foods to eat in Phase 2 of The Omni Diet

• 70% of your calories from plant foods, and 30% from protein-rich foods
• Eat the meals and foods listed to eat above under “general food guidelines.” There is a suggested menu in the book. Make sure you’re not relaxing on the portion sizes
• You can make desserts that don’t include butter, sugar, white flour, and a processing factory. If you choose to have dessert, it counts as a meal or snack – and eat it in small amounts so you don’t reactivate your sweet tooth

Foods to avoid or limit with Phase 2 of The Omni Diet

• Foods to limit and avoid listed above under “general food guidelines”
• Limit yourself to no more than half a cup (about one serving) of fruit per day – and stick to berries
• Avoid alcohol

Phase 3 – Relax Your Way to Better Health

This phase lasts 2 weeks, and you increase exercise intensity and address your sleep, as well as getting some extra flexibility with the diet

Foods to eat in Phase 3 of The Omni Diet

• 70% of your calories from plant foods, and 30% from protein-rich foods
• Eat the meals and foods listed to eat above under “general food guidelines.” There is a suggested menu in the book.
• If you follow the Omni Diet 90% of the time, you can now be a little bit more relaxed with your food choices 10% of the time
• You can reintroduce small amounts of grain and legumes (as listed above in the general food guidelines, under “Limited”) – use them in small amounts, more like condiments. If you don’t want to add these foods in, great!

Foods to avoid or limit with Phase 3 of The Omni Diet

• Foods to  limit and avoid listed above under “general food guidelines”
• Limit alcohol to 2 glasses of wine or cocktails per week. Don’t drink frilly drinks with a lot of juice and sugar. Remember that vodka and beer contain gluten.
• When being more relaxed with food choices 10% of the time, be careful. Even a 1-day gorge on unhealthy foods can trigger the process of inflammation in your body. Binging on sugary foods can reignite your sugar addiction. If you decide to eat something off-plan, follow the 3-bite rule: as you have 3 bites of the food, be fully present and conscious so you can really concentrate on enjoying the food. Then, after three bites, throw the rest away
• For special events like birthday parties, weddings, and amusement parks, plan ahead. Make the decision to have just one food that is not on your Omni Diet plan that day. Remember that it takes about 3 days to feel well and lose your cravings again after only one day of gorging on sugar and fat. If you have a food that you’re addicted to, be brutally honest to yourself about it, and avoid it until you’ve been off it for about 3 months. Make the healthiest choices possible from the selection available. Make a conscious decision to indulge, enjoy, and don’t feel guilty
• Carry on avoiding trigger foods and foods that cause trouble with your health

Phase 4 – Moving Forward

This is a maintenance phase that lasts for the rest of your life

Foods to eat in Phase 4 of The Omni Diet

• 70% of your calories from plant foods, and 30% from protein-rich foods
• Eat the meals and foods listed to eat above under “general food guidelines.”
• If you follow the Omni Diet 90% of the time, you can be a little bit more relaxed with your food choices 10% of the time

Foods to avoid or limit with Phase 4 of The Omni Diet

• Foods to  limit and avoid listed above under “general food guidelines”
• Limit alcohol to 2 glasses of wine or cocktails per week. Don’t drink frilly drinks with a lot of juice and sugar. Remember that vodka and beer contain gluten

Health benefits claimed in The Omni Diet

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: acne, allergies, alopecia/baldness, Alzheimer’s disease, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, bloating, brain fog, cancer (especially endometrial, breast, and colon), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, dementia, depression, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, chronic diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, fibromyalgia, flatulence, food addictions, food cravings, gestational diabetes, gallbladder disease, gout, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, heart disease, high blood lipids (such as cholesterol and triglycerides), high blood pressure/hypertension, high blood sugar, high insulin, frequent infections, infertility, irritable bowel disease IBS, leaky gut syndrome / intestinal permeability, liver disease, lupus, menstruation problems, migraines, miscarriage, multiple sclerosis, nausea, nonalcoholic fatty liver, osteoarthritis, overweight/obesity, pernicious anemia, respiratory problems, rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, skin rashes, sleep apnea, stroke, thyroid disease. It claims to reduce inflammation and increase immunity, as well as slow down rapid aging

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition.

Get a copy of The Omni Diet for details of the overall plan and the phases, supplements, recommended lab tests, exercise suggestions, sample menus, and recipes

How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.