Frederic Melton
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose weight quickly. It involves eating a low-calorie diet for 3 days, followed by 4 days of normal eating. The diet includes foods such as toast, bananas, saltine crackers, hot dogs, and vanilla ice cream. Due to allergies, dietary restrictions, or personal preferences, some people may want to substitute certain foods. The key to making substitutions in the military diet is matching the calorie count, not the serving size. For example, 1 ounce of cheddar cheese can be substituted for 4 ounces of cottage cheese, as they have the same calorie count.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calories | 1000-1400 per day1400 on day 11200 on day 21100 on day 3 |
| Diet type | Fad dietCalorie-restrictedVLCD3-days on, 4-days off |
| Foods included | ToastCanned tunaEggsApplesBananasCheeseCottage cheeseSaltine crackersHot dogsVanilla ice creamPeanut butterTeaCoffeeGrapefruit |
| Substitute examples | Apples: Plums, peaches, grapes, zucchini, pears or dried apricotsCottage cheese: Cheddar cheese, eggs, ham, Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, tofu |
| Purpose | Lose 10 pounds per week |
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What You'll Learn
Calorie intake
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose weight quickly. It is a "3-days on, 4-days off" program, where the calorie intake during the first three days of each week is dropped to 800-1,400, with an average of 1,200 calories per day over the three days. This is more than a 50% reduction in calorie intake, which can have extreme effects on the body.
The diet recommends substituting tuna with lean meat or fish, and lists several swaps for each food item on its website. For example, one cup of cottage cheese (220 grams) provides 180 calories and 24 grams of protein, and can be substituted with 3/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese (165 grams), which has 139 calories and 18 grams of protein. This is a similar number of calories but only half the protein.
For those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, cheese can be substituted with an ounce of plain or unflavored Greek yogurt, soy cheese, or soy milk. Cheddar cheese can be replaced with an egg or a slice of ham, as these have similar calorie counts.
The military diet also allows for substitutions of certain foods for those who are gluten intolerant. For example, bread can be replaced with sunflower seeds, protein bars, or Greek yogurt.
It is important to consult a doctor before starting the military diet, as it is very low in calories and may not be suitable for everyone.
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Non-dairy substitutes
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose 10 pounds in a week. It involves eating specific foods for three days, followed by four days of normal eating. The diet includes foods such as toast, bananas, saltine crackers, hot dogs, vanilla ice cream, and cheddar cheese.
As the diet is very low in calories, it is important to consult a doctor or dietitian before starting it. People may also need to substitute certain foods due to allergies, taste preferences, or dietary restrictions. The Military Diet website provides a list of approved substitutions to ensure people stay within the caloric range of the program. When making substitutions, it is important to consider the calorie content rather than the size of the substitute.
- Soy cheese
- Soy milk
- Cabbage
- Tofu
- Plain Greek yoghurt
- Ricotta cheese
- Eggs
- Ham
- Soy/hemp/almond milk with hummus
- Rice cakes
Tofu is a good non-dairy substitute for cheddar cheese in terms of both calories and protein content. Soy milk, on the other hand, is very low in calories, so a large amount may be needed to match the calorie content of cheddar cheese.
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Vegetarian options
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose 10 pounds in a week. It is a "3-days on, 4-days off" program that involves a 3-day low-calorie meal plan with 1,100-1,400 calories per day, followed by 4 days of less restrictive eating. The diet is not scientifically proven, and its long-term health effects are unknown. It is always recommended to consult a healthcare provider or dietician before beginning any restrictive diet.
The military diet allows for food substitutions, which are mostly done to meet dietary restrictions, allergies, or preferences while trying to match the nutritional content and
Substitutions for Cottage Cheese:
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Ricotta cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Eggs
- Ham
- Tofu
- Unsweetened soy/hemp/almond milk with hummus
Substitutions for Saltine Crackers:
- Rice cakes
- Gluten-free crackers
- Quinoa
- Couscous
Substitutions for Hot Dogs:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Portobello mushrooms
- Tofu dogs
- Turkey hot dogs
- Deli meats
Substitutions for Apples:
- Plums
- Peaches
- Grapes
- Zucchini
- Pears
- Dried apricots
Substitutions for Coffee:
- Green tea
- Herbal tea
It is important to note that substitutions should have the same number of calories as the original item. For example, if substituting almonds for tuna, use about 20 almonds to match the calorie count of one can of tuna.
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Gluten-free alternatives
The military diet involves a 3-day restrictive diet and then eating normally for 4 days. It is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help you lose 10 pounds in a week. The diet includes foods like toast, canned tuna, eggs, apples, bananas, cheese, cottage cheese, saltine crackers, hot dogs, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, tea, coffee, and grapefruit.
The military diet allows for food substitutions, which are listed on its website. The key thing to remember when substituting foods is to ensure that the substitute has the same number of calories as the original food.
When it comes to gluten-free alternatives, the military diet includes several carb-rich baked goods such as bread and crackers, which can be substituted with gluten-free options. Here are some gluten-free alternatives for the military diet:
- Toast: Instead of a slice of toast, you can have 1/8 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of whole-grain cereal, 1/2 of a high-protein bar, or 1/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of flax seeds. You can also use one tortilla or two rice cakes instead of bread.
- Saltine Crackers: Rice cakes are a perfect substitute for saltine crackers. If you opt for gluten-free crackers, make sure to consume a similar amount of calories. Each saltine cracker has 13 calories, so you can substitute them with the calorie-correct amount of quinoa or couscous.
- Hot Dogs: If you're avoiding gluten in hot dogs, you can substitute them with turkey dogs, soy dogs, tofu dogs, bratwurst, deli meat, or baloney. You can also choose vegetarian options like beans, lentils, or portobello mushrooms.
- Peanut Butter: If your peanut butter contains gluten, you can substitute it with almond butter, cashew butter, pumpkin butter, soy butter, sunflower seed butter, hummus, bean dip, or plain sunflower seeds.
- Tuna: Although not specifically gluten-related, it's worth noting that the military diet suggests substituting canned tuna with grilled sushi-grade tuna, lean meat (such as chicken), cottage cheese, tofu, almonds, avocado, chickpeas, or hummus.
- Grapefruit: While not a baked good, grapefruit is one of the primary foods in the military diet. You can substitute it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in an 8-ounce glass of water.
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Lactose intolerance
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose weight quickly. It involves eating specific foods in certain quantities for three days, followed by four days of normal eating. The diet includes foods such as toast, bananas, saltine crackers, hot dogs, and vanilla ice cream. Substitutions are allowed as long as the calorie count remains the same.
While there is no cure for lactose intolerance, symptoms can be managed through dietary modifications and the use of lactase supplements. People with lactose intolerance may be able to tolerate small amounts of lactose without experiencing symptoms. It is important to consult a doctor or dietitian to ensure adequate nutrient intake, particularly calcium and vitamin D, which can be affected by reduced dairy consumption.
In the context of the military diet, those with lactose intolerance can consider substituting dairy products with lactose-free alternatives. For example, instead of consuming cottage cheese, one could opt for soy, hemp, or almond milk, plain Greek yoghurt, ricotta cheese, or hummus. Non-dairy substitutions for vanilla ice cream include almond milk (plain or flavoured), dairy-free ice cream, fruit-flavoured yoghurt, or apple juice. It is important to note that while making substitutions in the military diet, the focus should be on maintaining the same calorie count rather than the quantity of the substitute.
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Frequently asked questions
The military diet is a calorie-restricted diet that claims to help people lose 10 pounds in weight over 7 days. It involves eating a very low-calorie diet for 3 days, followed by 4 days of eating normally.
The military diet includes foods such as toast, bananas, saltine crackers, hot dogs, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, tea, coffee, grapefruit, canned tuna, eggs, apples, and cheese.
Eggs, cottage cheese, ham, plain Greek yoghurt, ricotta cheese, and soy cheese can all be substituted for cheddar cheese.
The key to substituting foods in the military diet is to match the calorie count of the original food, not the serving size. For example, if a slice of cheddar cheese has 100 calories, substitute it with a food that also has 100 calories.
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