THE PRITIKIN DIET

Pritikin is a low fat diet consisting mainly of vegetarian food based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables that results in improved cardiovascular health as well as weight loss. The diet consists largely of carbohydrates, very little protein and almost no fat.

The Pritikin Diet was developed as a means of treating heart disease; weight loss is an added benefit. Processed foods such as pasta and white bread, animal proteins, eggs and most types of fats are eliminated in favor of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The Pritikin Diet encourages the use of “healthy” high quality fats in Omega-3 fatty acids in limited amounts.

With the Pritikin diet, people lose up to 15 kilos within a month. How exactly does the Pritikin diet work and what can you eat?

WHAT IS PRITIKIN DIET?

The Pritikin diet was developed by Nathan Pritikin and comes from the US. The diet is not only intended to lose weight, but also to avoid certain diseases. The diet was intended as a treatment for heart patients, which they had to do in combination with exercise. He was convinced that one should only get the most much-needed proteins, fats and carbohydrates and supplement the rest with fiber-rich, composite carbohydrates. Because you hardly get any salt and fats during the Pritikin diet, this has a beneficial effect on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

WHAT CAN YOU EAT DURING THE PRITIKIN DIET?

During this diet, you can eat eight times a day. In total about two kilos. The meals consist largely of vegetables and fruit. Fish and meat should be seen as a side dish. In total, only 600 grams per week can be consumed. In addition, you should not eat milk, cheese, eggs, oils and margarines. Drinking coffee, tea and alcohol is also minimized.

What you can eat is raw and cooked vegetables, legumes, carrots, grains and fruit. This sounds very scanty, but the variations are endless.

BENEFITS OF THE PRITIKIN DIET

• Rapid weight loss, up to 15 kilos in 4 weeks
• No feeling of hunger, because you can eat 8 times a day
• Lots of variation possible
• Health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol levels
• Easy to maintain for vegetarians
• Not a difficult diet
• Foods are for sale in the supermarket.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE PRITIKIN DIET

• For people who like meat and dairy, the diet can taste a bit bland
• Difficult to get enough calories
• Expensive, you need a lot of fruit and vegetables (2 kilos per day can add up)
• Difficult when going out to eat

EXAMPLE DAILY MENU OF THE PRITIKIN DIET

Breakfast:

• half a grapefruit,
• a bowl of cooked whole-grain cereal (e.g. oatmeal) with milk
• skimmed milk and bran

Lunch:

• A bowl of vegetable soup.
• A thick sandwich of whole wheat bread with green salad, pickled vegetables, sprinkled wit vinegar, lemon and bran.

Supper:

Meat soup, steamed broccoli, zucchini, brown rice, salad, whole wheat bread, stewed apples, yogurt.

Snacks:

Three snacks consisting of fruit, salad or whole wheat sandwiches.

FORBIDDEN FOODS DURING THE DIET

• Fats
• Oil
• Sugar
• Minced meat
• Milk (except skim milk)
• Egg yolk
• Cheese (except cheese with less than 1% fat)
• Nuts (except chestnuts)
• Seeds (except grains)
• Soybeans
• Avocados
• Olives
• Cooked, canned or frozen products with sugar
• Jam
• Syrup
• Cereal products prepared with added fat or egg yolks, including some Italian pastas
• More than 4 grams of salt per day
• Mayonnaise
• Sandwich spread
• Gravy
• Sauces
• Desserts (containing fat, oil, sugar or egg yolk)
• Sweets, chocolate, candy, cookies
• Alcoholic drinks (an occasional glass of white wine is allowed)
• Tea, coffee, cola