Ornish Diet Low-Fat Menu Plan

Diet fads seem to be all the rage these days. Do they actually work? What are the benefits? Diet plans such as Atkins and South Beach are well known. They emphasize a dramatic increase in the amount of meat that one is allowed to eat while cutting out carbohydrates and even sugar. On the surface this seems like a great way to reduce caloric intake. However, fruits and vegetables are counted as having carbohydrates and sugar. A nice alternative, especially for vegetarians, is the Ornish diet.

Unlike either the Atkins or the South Beach diet, the Ornish diet relies heavily on the complex carbohydrates of fruits, vegetables, and many types of legumes. It is a diet that not only helps one lose weight, but also lowers cholesterol. Meat and Fish are strictly prohibited. In fact anything with the slightest hint of cholesterol or saturated fat is not permitted. This is extremely healthy however extremely difficult. In contemporary society it is hard, and expensive to find food that is free from fat and cholesterol; particularly when it comes to already prepared food. As a result, anyone planning on an Ornish diet will need to get ready to cook.

When dieting it is important to eat three meals a day, especially breakfast. Breakfast should be large and filling. This will keep snacking to a minimum until lunch. Lunch should be well portioned but not huge; enough to keep one filled until dinner. When it comes time for dinner, the meal should be smaller than the previous two. The reason for this is that many people fall asleep within 3 hours of eating dinner. Any calories taken in during dinner are not likely to be burned while sleeping. It is important to limit the caloric intake around bedtime if one is serious about losing weight

As stated before the Ornish diet will require planning and cooking. Outlined below are 3 recipes for each meal of the day. There are many variations of these recipes. It would be a good idea for anyone starting an Ornish diet to pick up a few staple items that make recurring appearances in many meals. These staples include, tofu, grains like brown rice, vegetable broth, oatmeal, vegetables, and beans.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day especially if one is on a diet. The key to losing weight is to burn off fat. The way to do this is to limit fat intake and exercising to burn extra fat. To do this the body needs energy for the muscles. If a day is started on an empty stomach then the body starts to burn muscle rather than fat. This is not good. Therefore care should be taken to ensure that one receives a balanced breakfast. The following breakfast plan is quick and easy to follow.

Oatmeal:

Oatmeal is a great starter. It is low in fat and rich in complex carbohydrates. Skim milk can be poured over the oatmeal for some flavoring. Fresh fruit can also be used for flavoring. A simple yet tasty Ornish breakfast is outlined as follows.

1 cup of non-instant oatmeal cooked to desired consistency.
½.
1 banana
1 cup of orange juice.

The nice thing about the Ornish diet is the fact that portions are not strictly regulated. Since complex carbohydrates are more filling, one is less likely to consume more calories than they intend. The above breakfast meal can be modified in numerous ways provided of course that the rules of the Ornish diet are followed. The following sandwich is a great example of how varied the Ornish diet can be.

Mustard and Red Onion Sandwich:

Mustard
Red Onion
Tomato
Pepper
Artichoke Hearts
Whole grain bread

Spread mustard on Whole grain bread.
Layer thin sliced tomato and red onion on bread.
Season tomatoes with a little pepper.
Top both layers of tomatoes and red onion with some artichoke hearts.

Other good ideas to keep in mind when planning for lunch are hummus, Bean Dips, Tortillas, Microwaveable Veggie burgers, and whole grain crackers with low fat cheese.

Today’s is busy and a quick breakfast and lunch are forgivable. A quick dinner however is not. Even busy people should be able to find the time to make this dish. The following soup can be cooked in a crock-pot so it can be prepared ahead of time.

Vegetable Barley Soup:

2 cups of chopped carrots
2 cups of mushrooms
1 cup of chopped celery
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cups of chopped onion
5 cups of water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons of barley

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large crock pot. Cook the soup on low for 8-10 hours. Cool on high 4-6 hours. Make sure to not put the barley in the mixture until it is ready to be cooked. If preparing more than a day in advance, leave the barley out until the soup is ready to be cooked in the crock pot. The above examples are just glimpses into the wonderful diversity of dishes that can be prepared while on an Ornish diet. Other great recipes can be found at WebMD.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/17/99886
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=diet&dbid;=5
http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/weight/weight_diet-foods-allowed-in-ornish-diet.htm

Reference:

• www.webmd.com/content/pages/17/99886