No-Sugar Diet: Food List, How to Start, Recipes

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.

on February 17, 2022

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Dr. Olena Avdiievska is a nutritional and medical expert at Unimeal. She is an MD and RDN in Dietology and nutrition and a university professor with 76 scientific publications. 

Unimeal provides articles with trustworthy and experts-proved information. Our health content is reviewed by professional nutritionists and trainers to extract for users the most verified and medically checked data.

Unimeal experts have prepared the pros and cons of a non-sugar diet. Answering all FAQs, you will be able to agree or contradict "No sugar - no extra weight!". Or maybe this statement is a myth? Let's dig into the details. Anyway, catch a healthy new diet with Unimeal's free meal plan.

What is a no-sugar diet?

A no-sugar (or sugar-free) diet is a healthy low-carb diet that teaches you to live without harmful sweets. Its aim is to normalize blood glucose levels and help you lose some weight. 

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The main idea of this technique is to eliminate all products containing sugar and other carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index¹J. Brand-Miller, A. E. Buyken. (2020, February). The Relationship between Glycemic Index and Health. Nutrients. DOI:10.3390/nu12020536.

As a result, the body does not receive "empty" calories but only "good" carbs strictly (in the amount that is necessary to ensure its functioning).

The daily rate of such carbs vary from person to person but should be in the range of 50-130 g. You shouldn't wholly refuse carbohydrate-containing food. Just reduce its consumption to a minimum. 

Such an approach, of course, can accelerate weight loss, but it will adversely affect the state of organs and systems. A person cannot do without carbs at all since they provide many essential actions:

• maintain the required level of physical activity;
• normalize the processes of tissue repair;
• supply energy to the body and brain.

The meaning of the sugar-free method is to consume only such an amount of them that won't transform into fat reserves. 

In this case, the primary source of carbs should be fructose and carbs foods with a low glycemic index. This food helps to balance glucose levels throughout the day, preventing the appearance of insulin resistance, allowing you to reduce appetite, and ensuring high vital activity.

Why cut out sugar?

We're just boiling in "toxic sweet syrup." Modern food is very high in sugar, that's the main reason for the growing obesity epidemic.

But not all sugar is very bad for the body. Added sugar creates the most problems. It supplies the body with empty calories. For this reason, we don't receive any valuable nutrients from it.

A large amount of added sugar in the human diet is harmful. Let's see why.

Heart and sugar

Hyperglycemia or too high blood sugar leads to damage to the myocardium. But that's not all. Added sugar, like fat, increases the level of cholesterol in the blood, developing atherosclerosis. The consumption of simple carbs also causes hypertension.

The effect of added sugar on the joints

A menu rich in added sugar may lead to joint inflammation. This is not surprising because the joints mainly contain collagen (like the skin). Sweet crystals may destroy its structure and harm the body.

Sugar and obesity

Added sugar remains in the body in the form of fatty tissue. A diet rich in simple carbs can lead to fatty liver and abdominal obesity, the risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Pros

First of all, it helps to lose weight. Reducing sugar consumption may prevent type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and some forms of cancer.

Also, some other positive things make this diet highly effective, for example:

• acceleration of metabolic processes, which has a positive effect on well-being;
• an increase in energy (begins after a temporary breakdown caused by a change in diet);
• getting rid of morning sleepiness, which sweet lovers often suffer from;
• increased attention, improved memory, normalization of cognitive functions, activation of mental activity;
• elimination of anxiety, depression, irritability²C. R. Freeman, A. Zehra, V. Ramirez, et al. (2018, June). Impact of Sugar on the Body, Brain, and Behavior. Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition). DOI:10.2741/4704;
• improving the condition of the skin, gaining a healthy flowering appearance.

Cons

Considering all the info, you can correctly conclude that there won't be any harm from a sugar-free method of losing weight. But only with enough "good" carbs the diet will work and be safe for your body. Otherwise, some consequences are possible:

• the body will begin to feel stress;
• you will experience damaged brain cells;
• there will be a constant feeling of hunger³P. K. Olszewski, E. L. Wood, A. Klockars. (2019, June). Excessive Consumption of Sugar: an Insatiable Drive for Reward. Current Nutrition Reports. DOI:10.1007/s13668-019-0270-5;
• the risk of developing thrombosis, the appearance of plaques in the vessels will increase;
• the condition of the liver and spleen will worsen.

With strict adherence to all recommendations, such negative phenomena are simply impossible. The technique is absolutely safe, has no contraindications, and, along with weight loss, provides the prevention of serious systemic diseases.

What to eat on a no-sugar diet?

In addition to eliminating sweets and carbonated drinks from your diet, you should also limit certain foods that can stop you from losing weight. Foods that you can consume during a diet without fear:

• bread, pasta, and brown rice;
• vegetables;
• cereals;
• potato;
• fruit;
• milk products;
• white yogurt;
• cheese without added sugar;
• eggs;
• fish and seafood;
• meat;
• butter;
• wholemeal flour;
• cocoa;
• dark chocolate (over 75%);
• legumes.

Prohibited foods include all other foods, especially those with a high glycemic index⁴F. S. Atkinson, K. Foster-Powell, J. C. Brand-Miller, et al. (2021, November). International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values 2021: a Systematic Review. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI:10.1093/ajcn/nqab233, including:

• potato;
• bakery products made from white flour;
• sweet and sweetened store products;
• all types of sugars (beetroot, cane, and others).

Getting started

To start your way in no-sugar dieting, you must adhere to a few more basic rules:

• Balance your menu to include natural protein sources, fiber, and healthy fats.
• Carefully study the composition of purchased products to exclude the consumption of hidden sugar, especially in sauces, seasonings, canned food, drinks, etc.
• Drinking at least 1.5–2 liters of water per day will improve digestion, accelerate the elimination of harmful substances, and activate metabolism.
• If it's impossible to do without sweets completely, you can use only natural sweeteners - honey, stevia, dried fruits.
• Refuse alcoholic beverages, which provoke a strong appetite and, for the most part, contain a lot of sucrose.
• Limit eating out by opting for self-cooked meals.

Free 7-day no-sugar diet meal plan

We understand that searching the internet for the right foods can be time-consuming, especially if you want to try the diet right now. Therefore, Unimeal offers you a 7-day nutrition schedule specially created for this purpose. All recipes do not contain harmful sugar, so you can safely try a sugar-free diet for a whole week.

Monday

Breakfast: Avocado and tofu toast

Ingredients:

• 80 g of whole grain bread
• 50 g of avocado (or cucumber)
• olive oil
• onions (20 g)
• tomato (50 g)
• cilantro (10 g)
• sunflower seeds (5 g)
• tofu (130 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Toast bread in a toaster or on a dry skillet for 1 minute on each side.
• Dice onion and tomato.
• Thinly slice tofu.
• Prepare a spread for the toast: peel avocado and mash the pulp with a fork until smooth. In a deep bowl, combine the avocado, olive oil, onion, chopped cilantro, and tomato to it, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.
• Spread the prepared mixture on the toast; top with tofu slices and sprinkle with seeds. Enjoy your meal!

Calories: 444.7 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 18.8 / 45.0 / 36.0

Lunch: Baked mackerel with potato

Ingredients:

• 100 g of mackerel (filet) 
• 200 g of potatoes
• onions (30 g)
• yogurt (50 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• Italian herbs mix (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C / 374°F.
• Cut the mackerel filet into small pieces.
• Peel the onion and cut it into half rings.
• Combine fish and onion in a separate deep bowl. Season with salt and spices to taste; stir and leave it for 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces (cubes or strips, about 1 cm thick).
• Add chopped potatoes, yogurt, and Italian herbs to the fish (plus salt and pepper if necessary), mix.
• Place the fish and potatoes in a baking dish and put them in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the finished dish to a plate. Done!

Calories: 396 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 24.4 / 36.7 / 38.7

Dinner: Shrimp and grapefruit salad

Ingredients:

• 150 g of shrimp
• 200 g of potatoes
• butter (5 g)
• grapefruit (100 g)
• yogurt 2,5% (50 g)
• lemon juice
• paprika (to your taste)
• arugula (20 g)
• lettuce (20 g)
• Italian herbs mix (to your taste)
• avocado or olives (40 g)

Preparation process:

• Peel the shrimps.
• Preheat a pan.
• Put the shrimps in the buttered pan and fry them for 5-7 minutes.
• Peel the avocado (or olives) and cut into 1 X 1 cm cubes, peel the grapefruit and divide into slices (you can cut slices into several pieces), and coarsely chop arugula and lettuce.
• Assemble the salad: combine arugula, lettuce, avocado (olives), shrimps, and grapefruit in a deep bowl. Season the salad with yogurt and lemon juice. Add salt and spices to taste, stir. Done!

Calories: 314.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 40.6 / 37.7 / 21.6

Tuesday

Breakfast: Lavash rolls with cottage cheese

Ingredients:

• thin lavash (80 g)
• 1 eggs
• spinach (20 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• butter (10 g)
• tomato (100 g)
• cottage cheese (100 g)

Preparation process:

• Place a frying pan on the stove over medium-low heat.
• Finely chop spinach. Dice tomato into 1 x 1 cm cubes.
• Combine the cottage cheese, egg, spinach, and tomato. Add salt to taste.
• Spoon the cottage cheese mixture onto a thin lavash sheet. Wrap it like an envelope.
• Grease the frying pan with a dollop of butter.
• Fry the lavash rolls for 2–3 minutes on each side.

Calories: 452.1 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.4 / 33.1 / 41.4

Lunch: Veal with couscous and veggies

Ingredients:

• veal (100 g)
• cucumber (30 g)
• seed oil
• garlic (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• couscous or gluten-free noodles/spaghetti (50 g)
• cocktail tomatoes (50 g)
• butter (50 g)
• pine nuts (5 g)
• arugula (15 g)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• bell peppers or carrots (50 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C / 428°F with the fan on.
• Cut the veal into three pieces. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and some herbs to taste (it tastes good with rosemary, oregano or Italian herbs mix, but you can choose any of your favorite spices).
• Wrap the meat tightly in a foil. Bake it for 20-25 minutes.
• About 10 minutes before the meat is done, start cooking the sauce and couscous (or gluten-free noodles/spaghetti).
• Peel tomatoes and cucumber and put it into a blender. Add salt, olive oil, garlic, and pepper. Cover with a lid and process until smooth.
• Boil the water. Cover couscous with boiling water in a deep bowl in the ratio of 1:2, cover with a lid, and let it stand for 3-5 minutes.
• When couscous (or noodles) is done, add butter and put it on a plate.
• Slice bell pepper (or grate carrot) and fry it in a pan with vegetable oil. Then mix it with couscous (noodles).
• When the meat is done ready, put it on a plate next to the couscous (noodles). Pour the sauce on top of the meat.
• Garnish your dish with pine nuts and arugula.

Calories: 476.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 29.2 / 32.9 / 37.7

Dinner: Creamy mushrooms with tofu

Ingredients:

• soy sauce
• 1 cucumber (100 g)
• seed oil
• spices (to your taste)
• mushrooms (80 g)
• carrots (80 g)
• sour cream 10% (20 g)
• dried rosemary (to your taste)
• pine nuts (5 g)
• basil (to your taste)
• smoked tofu (100 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 220° C/ 428° F with the fan on.
• Cut the mushrooms and carrots into cubes (1,5*1,5 cm). Add salt to taste.
• Cut the tofu into cubes (1,5*1,5 cm), while the mushrooms (or eggplant) are baking. Simmer it in a preheated pan with soy sauce and sour cream for 5-7 minutes.
• Cut the cucumber into large cubes (2*2 cm) and mix with the cooked tofu on a plate. Add fresh basil, salt, and spices to taste.
• Serve tofu and mushrooms with carrot on one plate. Bon appetit!

Calories: 198.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 29.0 / 38.1 / 32.8

Wednesday

Breakfast: Rice apple pudding

Ingredients:

• coconut oil (7 g)
• coconut milk (150 g)
• brown rice (35 g)
• maple syrup (5 g)
• vanilla extract (4 g)
• lemon juice (20 g)
• apple (100 g)
• semolina (15 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• vegan protein powder (20 g)

Preparation process:

• Rinse rice with water.
• Pour milk into a saucepan, add 1/2 coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, add washed rice, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Wash and peel apples. Cut into 4 pieces, remove the core, and thinly slice the fruit. Place apple slices in a skillet and add lemon juice and maple syrup. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Put the stewed apples in a sieve to remove the syrup. Combine rice and apples, add vanilla and semolina,vegan protein powder, and mix everything thoroughly.
• Place the prepared mass in a baking dish greased with the remaining coconut oil.
• Place in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve the pudding warm.

Calories: 424.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 20.1 / 30.3 / 49.5

Lunch: Pork with potatoes and veggies

Ingredients:

• pork (90 g)
• green beans (40 g)
• grapefruit (40 g)
• seed oil
• lemon juice
• pumpkin seeds (5 g)
• cayenne pepper (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• potatoes (200 g)
• tomato (50 g)
• olive oil
• black pepper (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste)
• dried rosemary (to your taste)
• italian herbs mix (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F.
• Wash, peel and dice potatoes into small cubes (1–1.5 cm). Place the potatoes in foil, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper, and dried basil (or your favorite herbs to taste). Wrap the foil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut pork into medium-sized pieces (3-4 cm). Place them in a preheated and oiled skillet and fry on all sides over medium heat (about 15 minutes). Season with salt and spices to taste.
• While the pork is roasting, cut the green beans into 2–3 cm pieces.
• Add green beans to the meat and continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes.
• Prepare a salad: combine cooked meat with green beans, chopped grapefruit, pumpkin seeds and chopped tomatoes in a deep bowl. Sprinkle the salad lightly with lemon juice. Add salt and spices to taste, stir.
• Serve baked potatoes and salad on one plate. Bon Appetit!

Calories: 416.8 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 25.4 / 34.7 / 39.8

Dinner: Mussels and purple salad

Ingredients:

• mussels (200 g)
• garlic (to your taste)
• butter (3 g)
• say sauce 
• pine nuts (4 g)
• red cabbage (60 g)
• cocktail tomatoes (100 g)
• lettuce (30 g)
• green peas (50 g)
• bell pepper or tomatoes (50 g)
• olive oil
• italian herbs mix (3 g)
• marjoram (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste)
• oregano (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat a pan.
• Defrost and rinse the mussels. Place them in the buttered pan. Add chopped garlic, soy sauce, salt and spices to taste, and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the salad: finely chop the cabbage, bell pepper, and tomato, cut into 1 X 1 cm cubes. Coarsely tear the lettuce leaves.
• Combine green peas, bell pepper, tomato, cabbage, and lettuce in a deep plate. Season the salad with olive oil. Add salt and spices to taste, and stir.
• Serve the mussels and salad on one plate. Decorate the cooked dish with pine nuts. Enjoy your dinner!

Calories: 353.6 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 33.2 / 35.0 / 31.6

Thursday 

Breakfast: Cottage cheese omelet on toast

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• cottage cheese (50 g)
• tomato (50 g)
• spinach (30 g) 
• whole grain bread (90 g)
• seed oil (4 g)
• spices (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat a pan.
• Dice tomato into 0.5 X 0.5 cm cubes. Finely chop spinach.
• In a deep bowl, combine cottage cheese, tomato, and spinach. Add salt to taste and mix well.
• Crack an egg into a separate container and beat with a fork; add salt to taste.
• Grease the pan with oil. Pour in the egg. Place a lid on the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Place the cooked omelet on a plate. Put the prepared cottage cheese mixture on half of the omelet and cover with the other half.
• Toast bread in a toaster (or fry in a dry frying pan). Put the omelet on the toast and serve!

Calories: 380.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 24.4 / 33.7 / 41.8

Lunch: Netherlands-style lunch

Ingredients:

• veal (100 g)
• tomato (60 g)
• paprika (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste) 
• oregano (to your taste) 
• onions (20 g)
• olive oil (5 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• potatoes (150 g)
• green beans (100 g)
• arugula (15 g)
• cream 10% (30 g)
• black pepper (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F with the fan on.
• Cut the veal in pieces (1 X 1 cm) and place it in a preheated oiled pan. Fry on high heat until golden (approximately 2-4 minutes). Then reduce heat to low.
• Cut tomatoes and onion in small cubes and add them to the meat. Add salt and spices to taste Cover it and stew for 10-15 minutes on low heat. Add some water if needed.
• Meanwhile, cut the potato in cubes (1 cm) and place it on foil with oil. Add salt, pepper or your favorite spices. Bake it in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
• While the potato and meat are cooking, heat the frozen green beans in a pan. Fry it for 5-7 minutes without oil on medium heat. Reduce heat, add cream and herbs. Cover the pan and stew for 5-7 minutes.
• When potato and veal are done, put them together on a plate. Put stewed beans on top of it. Add arugula (optional). Enjoy!

Calories: 438.5 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 31.8 / 34.8 / 33.2

Dinner: Tender tuna with cauliflower puree

Ingredients:

• fresh tune (100 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• soy sauce
• sesame seeds (5 g)
• cauliflower or celery root (250 g) 
• olive oil (7 g) 
• black pepper (to your taste)
• garlic (to your taste)
• herbs (5 g)
• thin lavash (40 g)

Preparation process:

• Disassemble the cauliflower into florets
• Place the cauliflower in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and cook for 10-15 minutes after boiling
• Cut the tuna filet into equal 3-4 cm slices while the cauliflower is cooking
• Heat a pan with oil (use just a little amount of oil and leave the rest for the puree), put slices of tuna in it, add soy sauce, salt, and spices to taste (we recommend marjoram or thyme, but you can use your favorites). Fry the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side
• Place the cauliflower, the rest of the oil, and the garlic in a blender bowl—season with salt and spices to taste and whisk until smooth
• Serve the cauliflower puree and tuna on one plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with thin lavash. Bon Appetit!

Calories: 328.8 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 38.9 / 29.6 / 31.3

Friday

Breakfast: Spinach and tofu pancakes

Ingredients:

• tofu (130 g)
• flaxseed flour (20 g)
• spinach (30 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• rice flour (60 g) 
• coconut oil (7 g)
• coconut yogurt (40 g)

Preparation process:

• Put flaxseed flour (you can grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder) into a cup and cover with water in a 1:3 ratio, leave for 5-10 minutes until it swells.
• Preheat a pan.
• Dice tofu into large cubes (2 X 2 сm).
• Place tofu, spinach, rice flour, and flaxseed flour into a blender bowl and process until smooth. Season with salt and spices to taste.
• Form cheese pancakes from the mixture.
• Grease a pan with oil.
• Place pancakes in the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side over medium heat.
• Transfer the prepared pancakes to a plate and serve them with coconut yogurt and your favorite tea or coffee.

Calories: 480.1 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 19.2 / 32.1 / 48.6

Lunch: Hawaiian-style lunch

Ingredients:

• veal (100 g)
• tomato (50 g)
• pineapple (50 g)
• oregano (to your taste)
• quinoa or any groats (50 g)
• butter (5 g)
• sesame seeds (5 g)
• seaweed (50 g) 
• lemon juice
• 1 tsp. of soy sauce (10 g)
• black pepper (to your taste)

Preparation process:

• Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water.
• Put quinoa in a saucepan and cover with cold water in the ratio of 1:3. Turn up the heat. Bring to a boil and cook the quinoa for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Instead of quinoa, you can cook any whole grain of your choice – rice, bulgur, corn grits, pearl barley, buckwheat.
• While the quinoa is cooking, preheat a skillet with vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Thinly slice veal and fry in a pan for 15-17 minutes. Remember to stir.
• Turn off the heat, add oregano, salt and pepper to taste, cover the skillet and set aside for a few minutes. This will allow the meat to absorb the herbal flavor.
• When the porridge is done, add the butter and place on a plate.
• Place the seaweed on a plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, drizzle with lemon juice and add soy sauce to taste.
• Cut pineapple and tomatoes into 1 X 1 cm cubes (1 * 1cm cubes).
• Serve porridge and meat on one plate (put tomatoes and pineapple on the meat).

Calories: 488.1 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 32.1 / 31.2 / 36.5

Dinner: Chicken with eggplant and cheese in tomato sauce

Ingredients:

• chicken breast (100 g)
• eggplant (200 g)
• mozzarella (30 g)
• olive oil (7 g)
• basil (5 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• tomato (120 g)
• garlic (3 g)
• honey (3 g)

Preparation process:

• Cut eggplant into slices (lengthwise) 0.5-0.7 cm thick and add salt.
• Using a culinary brush, rub eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil (keep some oil to prepare the sauce).
• Fry eggplant until soft (or until grilled stripes appear) in a dry pan (the best is to use a grill pan) for 1-2 minutes on each side.
• Preheat a frying pan with oil.
• Now, let's make the sauce: chop the onion finely. Fry the onion over medium heat until transparent (2-3 minutes).
• Cut the tomatoes into cubes (you can first pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove the skin). Add tomatoes, honey, chopped garlic, salt, and black pepper to taste in the pan with onions.
• Simmer the sauce for 5-8 minutes until half the liquid evaporates. Set the sauce aside to cool.
• Mix the tomato sauce with a hand blender until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F. In a baking dish, overlap a layer of fried eggplant slices. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the eggplant.
• Arrange the fried chicken filet on top. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the chicken breasts. Grate mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on top of the chicken breasts.
• Bake the chicken filet with eggplant and cheese in the oven at a temperature of 180°C for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese melts and a beautiful crust appears.
• Put the cooked dish on a plate and garnish the meal with fresh basil leaves.

Calories: 356.2 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 37.6 / 38.3 / 23.9

Saturday

Breakfast: Berry semolina porridge

Ingredients:

• semolina (40 g)
• coconut milk (200 g)
• coconut oil (3 g)
• fresh berries (100 g)
• coconut (10 g)
• vanilla extract (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• jerusalem artichoke syrup (5 g)
• vegan protein powder (15 g)

Preparation process:

• Put semolina into a saucepan or pot and cover with coconut milk.
• Boil over low heat.
• Bring milk to a boil, stirring constantly. Season with salt and vanilla to taste. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
• Put the prepared porridge on a plate, add coconut oil, protein powder, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, coconut, and fresh berries. Bon appétit!

Calories: 378.5 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 20.7 / 31.9 / 47.2

Lunch: Italian-style lunch

Ingredients:

• salmon (100 g)
• tomato (100 g)
• tomato paste (10 g)
• garlic (to your taste)
• spices (to your taste)
• spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti (70 g)
• butter (5 g)
• eggplant (100 g)
• olive oil (3 g)
• peanuts (10 g)

Preparation process:

• Put spaghetti in boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes over high heat until al dente.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice a tomato and eggplant.
• Preheat a grill or skillet with vegetable oil and add the salmon. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until golden brown.
• Then reduce the heat, add chopped garlic, tomato paste, eggplant, and some water. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes (until tender). Season with salt and spices to taste.
• When the spaghetti is done, add butter and salt to taste.
• Serve spaghetti, sliced tomatoes and fish with eggplant on one plate. Top with peanuts and serve!

Calories: 589.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 20.0 / 33.0 / 46.8

Dinner: Purple salad with soy meat

Ingredients:

• red cabbage (50 g)
• cocktail tomatoes (60 g)
• cucumber (60 g)
• bell peppers or tomatoes (60 g)
• picante sauce (40 g)
• dill (5 g)
• seed oil (2 g)
• soy meat (80 g)
• sunflower seeds (4 g)
• pine nuts (8 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat a pan.
• Put the soy meat in the oiled pan, add water (in a ratio of 1:3) and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Put the tofu in the oiled pan and fry for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In the meantime, slice the red cabbage. Also, cut the bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes into 1.5 X 1.5 cm cubes.
• Place vegetables and soy meat on one plate. Top withthe sauce, add salt to taste. Garnish with sunflower seeds and pine nuts. Bon Appetit!

Calories: 315.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 28.2 / 45.4 / 26.3

Sunday

Breakfast: Salmon, spinach, and avocado toast

Ingredients:

• lightly salted salmon (40 g)
• avocado (40 g)
• whole grain bread (70 g)
• olive oil (3 g)
• spinach (30 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• lemon juice
• cucumber (150 g)

Preparation process:

• Prepare toasts in a toaster (or fry bread slices in a dry skillet for 1 minute on each side).
• In a small bowl, mash an avocado with a fork. Add olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste, mix.
• Thinly slice salmon.
• Wash and chop spinach.
• Wash and cut cucumber into thin sticks.
• Spread the avocado paste over the toast, and top with spinach and salmon slices.
• Serve the salmon toasts with cucumber sticks.

Calories: 356.4 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 18.7 / 42.4 / 38.8

Lunch: Thai white curry

Ingredients:

• white fish (200 g)
• pumpkin (100 g)
• rice (40 g)
• 1 tbsp. of curry paste (15 g)
• seed oil (5 g)
• onions (30 g)
• bell peppers (50 g)
• coconut milk (70 g)
• 2 tsp. of herbs (20 g)
• spices (to your taste)
• 1 tsp. of lime zest (10 g)

Preparation process:

• Place some rice in a saucepan with cold water in a 1:3 ratio and cook until tender (about 15 minutes after boiling). Add salt to taste.
• Meanwhile, grate the fish filet with half the curry paste and lime zest; cover and let sit while you cook the vegetables.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Cut the bell pepper and pumpkin into 1 X 1 cm cubes, and cut the onion into small cubes.
• Put pumpkin, onion, and bell peppers in a pan—season with salt and spices to taste. Cook, occasionally stirring until vegetables are tender (3-5 minutes).
• Add remaining curry paste and coconut milk, and cook covered over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes more.
• Add fish to the pan, cover, and simmer until tender for about 8 minutes.
• Serve rice and fish with vegetables on one plate. Garnish the dish with chopped herbs.

Calories: 553.3 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 32.2 / 36.1 / 31.5

Dinner: Garlic fried shrimps with spinach

Ingredients:

• shrimp (200 g)
• butter (4 g)
• lemon juice (to your taste)
• lemon zest (to your taste)
• dried basil (to your taste)
• soy sauce (to your taste)
• spinach (150 g)
• olive oil (4 g)
• garlic (to your taste)
• black pepper (to your taste)
• coriander (to your taste)
• thin lavash (50 g)

Preparation process:

• Preheat two pans.
• Peel the shrimp and coarsely chop the spinach.
• Put the shrimp in a buttered pan and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes. Then add salt and spices to taste, 1/2 the portion of minced garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and bring to a boil (the liquid should thicken a little).
• Put the nuts in a second frying pan without oil and fry them until golden brown for 2 minutes. Then add fresh spinach, the second portion of the minced garlic, salt, and spices to taste—fry for 5 minutes covered over medium heat.
• Serve shrimp in sauce and spinach on one plate with thin lavash. Bon Appetit!

Calories: 460.8 kcal

Protein, fat, and carbs in %: 40.5 / 31.5 / 27.9

FAQ

Who is the sugar-free method suitable for?

The no diet is ideal for people who want to achieve a beautiful silhouette or take care of their health. However, if you're going to lose weight quickly, this program isn't the best choice, as weight loss will be gradual.

During the entire period of weight loss, you won't need to change your eating habits, except eliminating sugar, so it will take longer to see results compared to low-calorie or rigid diets.

How many pounds can I lose on the diet?

Since there are no drastic changes in the usual diet, weight loss will be gradual. A diet combined with sports will help you lose weight by about 4-9 lb (2-4 kg) per month. These numbers may vary depending on each person's diet, physical activity, and individual characteristics.

Should I take vitamins on a no-sugar diet?

Taking vitamins during the sugar-free method of losing weight does not make sense. The exclusion of sugar from the diet doesn’t affect their amount in the diet at all. 

It makes sense to add a vitamin-mineral complex to your diet only during a period of increased risk of colds or when it isn’t possible to buy enough vegetables and fruits.

How to beat sugar cravings?

To make sugar addiction⁵J. J. DiNicolantonio, J. H. O'Keefe, W. L. Wilson. (2018, July). Sugar Addiction: Is It Real? A Narrative Review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. DOI:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097971 less uncomfortable, you need to include foods that will help reduce negative reactions - avocados, coconut chips, nuts, seeds.

When cravings for sweets appear, you should distract yourself by some pleasant activity (play, read or go for a walk).

If the desire persists, eat an apple, an orange, or a handful of blueberries, paying attention to their natural sweetness so that the taste buds get used to it.

It’s necessary to introduce a sufficient amount of protein and fat into the menu, which provides long-term saturation, reducing cravings for sweets.

Hot, fragrant meat broth helps fight sugar addiction well - you need to drink it when you desire to eat something sweet.

Often the “thirst” for sweets appears during times of stress, which also weakens the ability to resist such temptation, so you need to practice yoga or meditation to relieve the effects of stressful situations.

The bottom line

Switching to a no-sugar diet takes a lot of effort. Not always attempts to give up the habit of sweets are successful. But if you keep moving towards your goal, then there is nothing you can’t achieve by persistence and patience.