You know how you wish to lose weight but you don't want to give up any of the food groups? This UN Diet (United Nations diet), which is more a meal schedule than a diet, does just that.
It's a sustainable weight loss program that allows you to enjoy all your favorite foods while losing 30 lbs in a month. It offers a balanced, flexible approach to eating.
I only dieted once in my life, and looking back, I really didn't need to. But I read about this UN diet (not to be confused with UnDiet, which also has a great approach) and wanted to give it a try.
Why? It's a diet that claims to change your metabolism if you stick with it for 90 days. Best of all, you can eat everything. Yep, you heard me right! Everything!
I have a confession to make
While I was preaching to you that all food is healthy if we take it in moderation, I was practicing the opposite.
My food intake has been anything but reasonable. I miserably failed even at sticking with healthier dessert options.
Although we agree that paying attention to our health is very important, we also agree that dieting stinks. It takes too much time, money, effort, and patience. We want instant results, and when we don't see them, we go back to stress-eating. Sound familiar?
When I followed this diet for the first time, I lost 11 pounds in 29 days. Then, I stopped the diet. Hence, my metabolism didn't change. So I'm going back after 4 years. Who's with me?
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a health professional, and I'm not claiming this diet will change your life. However, I need some accountability, and it's always fun to diet with friends. Ultimately, you make your own decision.
Every diet works differently for different people; this one worked for me once. I'm hoping it will work again this time around. But I hate day #4 of the diet, you guys. I really HATE it.
However, I love my body enough to treat it right. My goal with this diet is to quickly shed the pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Of course, even light exercise helps.
Remember: imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time. Dance, walk, run, or jump - do any of it for even 10 minutes a day, and you'll see the results faster.
How do you lose 30 pounds with the UN diet?
This diet is based on the principle of separating certain groups of foods to accelerate metabolism and thus promote digestion.
Strict implementation of this diet leads to weight loss and a metabolic change, so the lost weight doesn't yo-yo back. The diet should be carried out for 90 days, during which a weight loss of up to 30 pounds is predicted.
People who want to lose fewer pounds can interrupt their diet after reaching the desired body weight, but their metabolism will not change.
The UN diet is designed to divide food into four days. It always starts with a protein day, followed by a starch day, a carbohydrate day, and a fruit day. The order of four consecutive days is repeated and must not be skipped or changed.
Now, let's see how this diet is practically implemented (menu example to follow).
UN Diet Plan
❗BREAKFAST
For all 90 days, breakfast is always fruit. Choices:
- Two of the fruits from the same tree. Two apples, oranges, pears, peaches, etc., but only ONE banana or one cup of berries!
- Or a handful of dried fruit (about 8 pieces).
Day 1 - Protein Day
Breakfast:
Fruit (see above note).
Lunch:
- One bowl of soup or broth, about 10 oz, without noodles. You can substitute the soup with milk or yogurt.
- Grilled, boiled, stewed, or cooked meat or fish, about 8-9 oz. Substitute with 3 boiled or baked eggs or dairy products (soy products if you're dairy-free)
- One piece of whole-wheat bread
- Non-calorie vegetables in large quantities or salad - unlimited quantities but without heavy dressings. Use just one tablespoon of oil and some lemon juice
Dinner:
Dinner is the same as lunch but without soup and bread. It is mandatory that if meat is eaten for lunch, the same meat is eaten for dinner, and if eggs are eaten for lunch, eggs must be for dinner.
Notes:
- Soup is mandatory except when dairy products are consumed. Drink milk or yogurt instead.
- DO NOT mix different types of proteins in one meal or even in a day. If eating chicken for lunch, the chicken must be for dinner.
- The Interval between meals must be at least four hours, and eating must not occur after 8:00 PM, although water and tea without sugar are allowed.
Consumption of proteins stimulates gluconeogenesis (sugar glucose production from primary non-carbohydrate sources), an important system for obtaining energy on a diet.
Day 2 - Starch Day
Breakfast:
Fruit - follow the rule for breakfast above
Lunch:
- A full plate of any starch-rich foods such as beans and potatoes, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, rice, corn, wheat, and millet. They are cooked in the form of soup with only the addition of spices
- One piece of whole-wheat bread
- Salad - unlimited but without dressings, just one tablespoon of oil and some lemon juice
Dinner:
Dinner is half the size of lunch but without the bread.
Note: The interval between meals must be at least three hours, and eating after 8:00 PM is prohibited, although water and tea without sugar are allowed.
Day 3 - Carbohydrate Day
Breakfast:
Fruit - follow the rule for breakfast above
Lunch:
- Cooked pasta is seasoned with tomato sauce with vegetables (except starchy vegetables), or pizza with pizza sauce and vegetables without cheese or meat. Instead of pasta, you can have 2-3 croissants, one soft pretzel, or other plain pastry instead of pasta.
Dinner:
- You can have one or two pieces of pie or four squares of a sheet cake. Substitute with three to four ice cream scoops or four cookies. In addition, eat one row of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more).
Note: The interval between meals must be at least three hours, and eating after 8:00 PM is prohibited, although water and tea without sugar are allowed.
Day 4 - Fruit Day
Breakfast:
Fruit- follow the rule for breakfast above
Lunch and dinner:
- Eat only mixed fruits in unlimited amounts. Fresh fruit is recommended, but baked fruit without sugar is also allowed.
Notes:
- The interval between meals must be at least two hours, and eating after 8:00 PM is not allowed, although water and tea without sugar are allowed.
- Coffee and tea (preferably without sugar and cream) can be consumed in unlimited quantities. You can also drink fresh-squeezed juices.
Expert Tips
- The diet cycles 4x7 days or 28 days three times during the diet. After a whole cycle, on the 29th day, you should drink only water or herbal sugar-free tea and then continue with the protein day.
- Diet has to stop after 90 days. If you wish, you can repeat the diet after a 3-month period.
- Replenish your intake of vitamins and minerals with multivitamin supplements once a day.
- Alcohol intake is not allowed during the diet.
UN Diet Benefits
One of its greatest advantages is that the diet is very applicable and not difficult to follow. Also, the strict distribution of foods in the UN diet will be much more motivating than a flexible diet.
The practice has shown that the UN diet helps significantly with weight loss, which acts as a motivation.
UN Diet Disadvantages
The UN diet does not follow nutritional recommendations on quality nutrition and does not provide the foundation for shaping proper eating habits.
The goal of this diet is to permanently change the metabolism and not gain the lost weight back, but this cannot be done if you are going to eat after the diet with old habits, which is very common.
Also, according to user reports, the diet can cause monotony due to its menu. To avoid this, find different ways of preparing the food.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Everybody breaks the diet at least once. What to do if you eat a piece of cake on a starchy day? Do not be discouraged - continue with the right day tomorrow, not from the beginning.
"The fourth or fruit day is reserved for fruits, fresh juices, baked fruits, dry fruit, nuts, and seeds."- quoted from the UN book. But do not overdo it. The maximum amount of these foods should not exceed 3.5 oz because they are very caloric and divided into several meals. Candied fruit is NOT ALLOWED !!!
A pause between meals is a minimum of 2 hours. The quantities of fruits are not limited, but bananas and other fruits rich in sugar are limited to two a day.
No, the types of protein should not be mixed in either the meal or even in one day.
Alcohol and carbonated drinks are forbidden. The reason is that they slow down the weight loss process.
▪️ How much extra weight we have: the greater the surplus, the easier it is to lose in the initial period.
▪️ From the physical activity and its frequency.
▪️ From the reaction of the organism to carbohydrates. Some people react to it, and some do not; thus, losing the extra pounds is harder.
▪️ From not following the diet. Many people often violate the diet and complain about its inefficiency. You can't claim the diet is ineffective if you cannot sustain a single cycle.
Conclusion
I find this diet fairly easy to use, except on day #4. After fruit for breakfast, I'm done with the fruit, lol. I like veggies more, so this day is tough for me.
But the good thing is I don't even have to cook separate meals for my husband and me. Whatever I normally make (meat, veggies, and side), I just eat on separate days. I always look forward to dinner on day #3. Hello, desserts!
It does get tricky going out to eat. I once only ate the bread rolls at a restaurant on day #3. I wasn't hungry but did feel a little odd.
If you would like to try this challenge but aren't sure what to eat, you can download Free recipes for a cycle. Let's do this! Love your body 🙂
Obviously, it is your choice. I am not claiming it will work for you, but it worked for me, so please don't shoot the messenger 😉
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Marina says
Hi Jas,
I’m having a hard time throughout the day without snacking on anything. I usually have my lunch at 12 and don’t eat dinner until 6 or 7… mid day really gets to me and my stomach starts rumbling do you recommend eating any fruits veggies or anything throughout the day? Thank you
Jas says
You can eat fruits all day long on day #4 - the fruit day. Otherwise, fruit is only allowed for breakfast.
Dan says
Can you carbinated spring water with natural flavourings and fruit extract, acid, citric acid? 0 calories?
Jas says
Yes, if it's not high in sugar.
Tanja Rum says
Hi Jas,
I tried this diet back in 2007. and since than it was the most successful diet I ever did. I stuck to it stubbornly and didn't cheat... I lost 20kn in 90 days and I stayed thin and healthy for a long time after that.
Since than I became a mom and tried many other diet plans...but I'm ready to give it a second try...all this years later... I remember it being relatively easy and not expensive since I was a student back than...so if I could do it 14 years ago I can certainly do it now. Fingers cross. I'll get back to you in 90 days
Jas says
Hi Tanja, yes you can do it again and I'm rooting for you. Best of luck! 🙂
Pamela Jovanovic says
Hi Jasna, I've used this diet many moons ago, I stuck to it very strictly and it worked perfectly. I found I lost no weight in the first 30 days but the 2nd month was where I had the most results. I had lost 10kg during the 2nd month and it stopped there even though I continued the diet to the 90th day. I now would like to lose only 3kg to feel my best and also need the metabolic change...so will I lose too much weight if I do the 90 days or will the weight stop dropping once my body has reached its optimum weight?
Jas says
Hi, Pamela! Every diet works differently for people. I've never needed to do the full 90-day cycle because I usually lose enough during the first 30 days. You can always stop after you reach your goal and be mindful of your food intake to maintain your weight. One trick that has helped me is to split my plating this way:
Breakfast - half protein and half carbs (i.e. one egg or tuna fish with one whole-wheat toast or a cup of yogurt mixed with 1 tbsp peanut butter topped with 1/4 cup fresh fruit)
Lunch: 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs, and 1/2 vegetables (i.e. boneless, skinless chicken thigh with pasta, whole-wheat bread, or starchy vegetables like corn or potatoes and healthy vegetables like peppers, spinach, mushrooms, lettuce, etc.)
Dinner: 1/4 protein and 3/4 vegetables (i.e. a small piece of fish, turkey burger, or other lean meat with vegetables or salad).
Split your plate this way and you will definitely keep your weight in check. Of course, don't overdo with fat like fatty meats, butter, and oil (I only use cooking spray) and limit your sweets or use natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Drink lots of water and no carbs at night. Allow yourself to indulge. For example, eat pizza but keep in mind the plating: 4 slices of pizza on a plate = weight gain, 2 slices pizza + salad = weight maintenance, one slice pizza + large salad = weight loss. Best of luck and don't hesitate to contact me if you have more questions.
Ivana Cvetković says
Can we eat the diary with meat or fish or eggs on the firs day. Or maybe drink yogurt?
Jas says
Yes, you can drink yogurt or milk instead of the soup.
Karen A Rozanski says
Is there a book I can purchase with this diet and recipes?
Jas says
Hi Karen, I am not aware of the book, but you can Google and see. I believe this diet is more popular in Europe than in the US, and you might find several articles online, but in different languages. FYI: UN diet is not to be confused with un-diet (aka not a diet).
Daniela Abbruzzese says
Hi
Can you eat peanut butter
Jas says
I think it's OK on a fruit day, if you want to eat it with apples, just limit it to one tablespoon. The less sugar and fat you can intake, the better and quicker the results. 🙂
Daniela abbruzzese says
Hi
I don’t understand how to do the potato’s or rice on starch day
I boiled potatoes then added some veggies and ate
I cooked the rice as per box and added spices and asparagus
Is this correct
It says cook like a soup?
Jas says
Hi Daniela, a few recipes are included at the bottom of the post to download. Or you can just click here. It's basically a vegetable stew with potatoes and rice. You can also alternate with your recipes, so you're not always eating the same thing. I'd only suggest to perhaps serve it with a cup of broth (like on day one). Hope that helps.
Daniela Abbruzzese says
Thank you
I’ll give those recipes a try
anonymus says
The diet has nothing to do with United Nations, the name comes from English un-diet ( non-diet ) since you can basically eat everything just separately.
Jas says
I won't argue with you because I don't have the proof. I just know that, many years ago, it was popular with that definition. The non-diet would be also the wrong name because as far as I remember, a change in diet is the basic definition of a diet. ♀️ In any instance, the most important thing is that it works, amirite? 😉
anonymus says
Absolutely, it works!
Dana says
Hi, thank you for taking the time to write the info. I wanted know if coffee with milk (2%) is ok in the coffee.
Thanks
Jas says
Hi Dana, it is not recommended, except on the first day. You can still use it, but know that it might slow down the process of losing weight. Try non-dairy, low-calorie coffee creamers instead. I personally use Coffee-mate (aff. link) original flavor even when I'm not dieting. No sugar and no flavors added. Hope that helps. Good luck on your journey!
Jeanette L says
Hi Jas!
Some questions:
1. Are the meals suppose to be coocked with spicies, sauce etc or is, for eample the meat day, it plain meat on this day?
2. For breakfast, is it fruit OR berries or both?
Jas says
Hi, Jeanette! Yes, you can cook meat with spices but limit the sauces to light ones like marinara (Rao's brand is the healthiest, although not the cheapest). As with any diet, the less fat - the better results. For breakfast, it's either two of the same fruit or a cup of berries (you can mix the berries).
Hope that explains it. Good luck with your weight loss journey! 🙂
Penny says
Several times I see where it says you can have tea or coffee w/o cream or water? Typo??
Jas says
I see how it's confusing. I fixed the order of the sentence so, instead of reading: tea without sugar and water is allowed, it says: water and tea without sugar is allowed. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Anna W. says
Hi, I have two questions:
1. I'm vegan what about 1st day?
2. Is salt allowed in the diet?
Thanks!
Jas says
Hi Anna, you can use tofu or vegan "meat" on the first day, or whatever is your favorite source of protein. Salt is allowed but use it sparsely. Hope this helps. Good luck! 😀
Irma Gomez says
Hi im starting with the diet this week June 08, 2020 so after the 4th day the cicle start again.
Thanks for ur help.
Jas says
Hi, Irma! Yes, that is correct. After the 4th (fruit) day, you start a protein day again and so forth seven cycles. Then the 29th day is a fasting day and start over. Good luck! 😀
Danijela says
For starch day, does the potato have to be cooked or baked? Does it make a difference?
Jas says
Hi Danijela, it is suggested to cook them with other vegetables in the form of a soup, but you can occasionally bake them just to switch it up a bit. However, use a minimum amount of fat - perhaps just a bit of cooking spray. Hope that helps. 🙂
Seide says
Thanks for getting back to me Jasna! For day two if i choose to eat rice, can i mix any type of vegetable with it or does it have to be a starchy vegetable? I downloaded your 4 day chart and the only thing thats not 100% clear is how much you’re allowed to eat. One full plate can be measured differently. For example on starch day, would i make 1 full 8oz cup of uncooked rice to split between lunch and dinner?
Jas says
No problem, Seide! One plate is generally a dinner plate or serving for one person. You really don't have to measure everything to grams. I always eat normal portions for lunch and half of that for dinner. Stick with mostly starchy vegetables on starch days, but it's OK to mix in other vegetables on occasion. If you keep mixing everything all the time, then the diet won't be efficient. It's about cycling the protein, starch, and carbs so that your metabolism changes.
Even when you're not on a specific diet it is advisable to cycle your carbs. So, you would have low/no carb days, moderate carb days and high carb days, in which you would take more fat (healthy fats) on low/no carb days, etc. Hope I didn't confuse you even more. 🙂 Pozdrav!
Seide says
Hi Jas,
I read up about this diet and they arent all quite the same. For example on Protein day are you eating as many vegetables as you want with the protein of choice? Also, do you eat a salad only or can you mix it up and have some grilled veggies, your protein, and some lettuce with oil and lemon? Another question, i looked over your example recipes and i saw you made pasta with zucchini and squash. Does it matter that those are starchy vegetables?
Jas says
Hi Seide,
As with any diet, you can be as strict as you want. You can eat salad in unlimited quantities as long as it is seasoned with oil and lemon. I'd stay away from heavy salads that can be a meal on their own. So, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, avocado, and onion mix, for example, is a good choice for a salad.
You can eat about a cup (two tops!) of vegetables with your protein day. Any more than that, you'll slow down the process. So it depends on how much and how quickly you want to lose.
Yes, you can use a bit of zucchini or squash in your pasta. Don't overdo it!
Hope this helps. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions. 🙂