The baby food diet is making a comeback…
Another day, another diet! Just when you think you’ve heard it all, another one pops up. Diets are all the fad these days and there’s no shortage of which to choose from. Vegan or carnivore? Keto or paleo? But alas, there’s one diet that’s been overlooked – the baby food diet!
Technically, the baby food diet for adults isn’t a new thing. A few years ago, with the help of her personal trainer, Jennifer Aniston was rumored to be on a baby food diet to help shed some fat for an upcoming movie. It went viral and caught on for a while, but then faded into obscurity as new (and perhaps more appetizing) diets came to light.
Well, I’m going to make a case to revisit it and not just because I’m a Friends junky. The fact is that I’m a busy mama. I work at a busy office by day and have a 1-year-old to take care by night. If you throw in my workouts with my personal trainer and any kind of social life, then sometimes I just don’t have an extra hour in my day to make healthy meals, so convenience is paramount.
I just completed a weight loss cleanse but I’ve never even heard of a diet like this for adults before. I certainly never thought of it as a way to lose weight. My idea to eat baby food came about organically. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I’d get home from work and there would be nothing else to eat. Also, I’ve never been a big eater. I often have stomach problems – I regularly get acid reflux which kills my appetite. It may sound pretty sad, but I feel like I’m not missing out on much as I usually just stick to bland foods with simple ingredients anyway. The baby food aisles also have a good selection of healthy organic foods to choose from. Portion control and the weight loss thing is just an added bonus. If you’re seeking weight-loss, then I’m a strong believer in repetition, so the more accustomed you become to smaller portion sizes, the better you will respond to them in time.
I have to admit that it gives me a good laugh when I tell people about it. My family thinks I’ve gone crazy. A little strange, yes, but I think I’m on to something here. I feel healthier, my stomach issues are much better, and I seem to have more energy on a daily basis. Of course, everyone is different so it definitely won’t work for everyone.
As with any diets, there are always potential cons. Baby food comes with a hefty price tag and the problem is that you have to eat more of it, which can be hard on your wallet. Traditionally, the diet consists of 14 jars of baby food a day, which equals out to roughly 1000 calories. You’re allowed one simple protein and greens meal for dinner, but for convenience sake, I have mostly stuck to the baby food and I don’t just stick to the jars either.
Some people may do this differently, but this is what a typical day would look like for me. I usually have two helpings of baby food every two hours. To be realistic, I’m not really that structured in my plan and I don’t eat at the same times every day.
Breakfast
PC Organics Banana, Sweet Potato and Blueberry.
Ingredients: Banana purée*, sweet potato purée*, blueberry purée*, concentrated lemon juice*, ascorbic acid.
PC Organics Rice Cereal with Banana.
Ingredients: Organic whole grain brown rice flour, organic skim milk powder, organic banana flakes (organic banana purée, organic rice flour), organic rice flour, potato maltodextrin, mineral (iron pyrophosphate), vitamins (nicotinamide, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate).
Mid-morning snack
PC Organics Blueberry Apple fruit, veggie and oat bars (often have two if I’m really hungry).
Ingredients: Organic whole grain oats, organic raisins (organic sunflower oil), organic dates, organic sunflower oil, organic apples, organic blueberries (organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil), organic vegetable glycerin, organic chia seeds, organic carrot, organic tapioca starch/flour, natural flavor. May contain tree nuts.
Lunch
Heinz Sweet Potato jar – Umm yeah, sweet potato!
PC Organics Spaghetti in Turkey Meat Sauce With Hidden Carrots And Broccoli
Ingredients: Tomato juice from concentrate*, cooked spaghetti* (durum wheat semolina*, egg white*), tomatoes*, turkey*, carrots*, onions*, rice starch*, broccoli*, extra virgin olive oil*, garlic*, rosemary*, oregano powder*, basil flakes*. *Organic
Mid-Afternoon snack
The mid-afternoon snack is important because it helps tide you over until dinner. If I don’t have this little snack, then I have the tendency to binge at dinner. If you eat lunch at 12 or 1 and don’t eat dinner until 7 or 8, then you can get pretty ravenous come dinner time.
Gerber Organic Mango Banana Puree
Ingredients: Banana puree*, mango puree*, lemon juice concentrate*, ascorbic acid. *Organic
PC Organics Blueberry Carrot Mini Cereal Bars
Ingredients: Crust: Organic whole grain whole wheat flour, organic enriched whole wheat flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic whole grain rolled oats, organic sunflower oil or organic canola oil, organic concentrated fruit juice (pear, pineapple or apple), organic apple powder (organic apple, organic rice flour, sunflower lecithin), organic vanilla flavour, baking powder, sea salt. Filling: organic evaporated cane juice syrup, organic evaporated cane juice, organic apple powder, organic rice starch, organic blueberries, organic carrots, pectin, natural flavors, citric acid, water, red cabbage extract (for color). May contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk and soy.
Dinner
PC Organics Strained Carrots – Umm yeah, carrots!
Organics Whole Grain Bowties Pasta
Ingredients: Organic whole wheat durum semolina. Simple!
To conclude my little diet plan, it goes without saying that it’s convenient diet for anyone that doesn’t like to or have time to cook. I also feel a better sense of connection with my baby because we share the same foods. They actually taste pretty good and I feel healthier. My little secret is that I still sneak in a couple scoops of my favorite chocolate chip mint gelato every weekend. It’s a good thing that also happens to be my sons favorite treat.
Now put your bib on and bon appetite!
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