
The Starch Solution diet is a plant-based, vegan diet that focuses on eating whole foods like starchy vegetables, root vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, peas, lentils, fruits, and more. The diet eliminates all animal products, vegetable oils, simple sugars, and processed foods. It also restricts dietary fats from nuts, seeds, and avocados. The Starch Solution diet is based on a book by Dr. John McDougall, a board-certified internist, and his wife, Mary. The book includes a 7-day quick start plan, a weekly menu planner, and recipes for all meals. The diet is said to help with weight loss and improving health outcomes.
Explore related products
$9.44 $17.99
What You'll Learn

The Starch Solution is a plant-based diet
The Starch Solution is centred around eating starchy foods like root vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, beans, lentils, and peas. It also includes starchy whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet, farro, corn, rye, spelt, and wheat berries. The diet recommends getting approximately half of your calories from carbohydrates, as they provide energy and keep you feeling full and satisfied.
In addition to starchy foods, the Starch Solution encourages the consumption of fresh and dried fruits, plant-based milks, and condiments like vinegars and mayonnaise made with approved ingredients. It is important to note that plant-based milks should be used sparingly in cooking, as many contain oil, which is not allowed on this diet. The diet also restricts certain healthy fats like avocados and nuts, and limits servings of minimally processed foods like tofu.
The Starch Solution is based on a book by Dr. John McDougall, a proponent of plant-based diets for decades. The book includes a 7-Day Sure-Start Plan, a weekly menu planner, and recipes for all meals, including Pumpkin-Walnut Muffins, Veggies Benedict, Sloppy Lentil Joes, Tunisian Sweet Potato Stew, and Peach-Oatmeal Crisp. The book also discusses the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based, high-starch diet, including weight loss, increased energy, and the prevention of chronic conditions like high cholesterol, heart disease, acne, and type 2 diabetes.
HCG Diet: Understanding the Second Stage of Weight Loss
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$25.68 $15.26

It eliminates animal products, vegetable oils, sugars, and processed foods
The Starch Solution Diet is a plant-based diet developed by Dr. John A. McDougall, a physician, author, and founder of the McDougall Programs and Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods. The diet is designed to be a long-term solution for sustainable weight loss and improved health outcomes.
The Starch Solution Diet eliminates animal products, vegetable oils, sugars, and processed foods. This means that meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs are not permitted. Vegetable oils, such as olive oil, are restricted due to their high-fat content. Processed and packaged foods, especially those high in refined carbohydrates and simple sugars, are also not allowed.
Instead of animal products, the diet focuses on plant-based proteins like legumes, quinoa, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. These foods can benefit systemic immunity with plant protein. While soy protein, found in tofu and tempeh, is restricted, it is not eliminated from the diet.
The Starch Solution Diet is also low in fat and sugar. Dietary fats like avocado, nuts, and seeds are allowed in small amounts, but it is recommended to use salt and sugar sparingly, sprinkling them on top of food rather than cooking with them.
The diet is based on the idea of consuming mostly starches, vegetables, and fruits. A compliant meal plan should break down to around 70% starch, 20% vegetables, and 10% fruits. Starchy foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, beans, lentils, and peas are encouraged.
Teens' Guide to Starting a Healthy Diet
You may want to see also
Explore related products

It focuses on starchy foods like potatoes, rice, beans, and lentils
The Starch Solution is a whole-food, plant-based diet that focuses on starches. It was developed by John A. McDougall, MD, a physician, author, and founder of the McDougall Programs and Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods.
The Starch Solution diet consists of approximately 70% starch, 20% vegetables, and 10% fruits. This means it eliminates most processed and prepackaged foods and restricts healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and nut butter. The diet includes starchy foods like root vegetables, which are to be eaten regularly. This includes potatoes (all varieties including white potatoes, red potatoes, gold potatoes, fingerling, russet, etc.), sweet potatoes, and yams. It also includes corn and legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas.
The diet recommends eating whole grains, including brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain bread, pasta, tortillas, etc. These can be eaten in addition to starchy vegetables and are a good source of protein. Soy protein, such as tofu, soy curls, tempeh, and edamame, is also included in the diet but is not as strictly limited as dietary fat.
The Starch Solution is a high-carb, low-fat vegan diet with an emphasis on eating whole, plant-based foods, no oil, no processed foods, and limited sugars. It eliminates all animal products, vegetable oils, simple sugars, and processed foods. It also limits dietary fats like those from nuts, seeds, and avocados.
HCG Diet: Mastering the Drops Intake
You may want to see also
Explore related products

It includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes
The Starch Solution Diet is a high-carb, low-fat vegan diet that focuses on eating whole, plant-based foods. It involves eating starchy foods like whole grains, potatoes, veggies, and fruits. The diet is based on the idea that starch is the foundation of the human diet and that eating a variety of whole, unprocessed foods can lead to improved health outcomes and sustainable weight loss.
The diet includes a variety of vegetables, both starchy and non-starchy. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, butternut squash, and winter squashes like spaghetti squash. Non-starchy vegetables include broccoli, beets, carrots, mushrooms, leafy greens like kale and spinach, and many other options.
The Starch Solution Diet also includes whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, oats, and whole-grain wheat bread. These grains can be batch-cooked and used as staples throughout the week. Legumes, which are also a good source of plant-based protein, are a significant part of the diet. This includes beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, and soy products like tofu, soy curls, and edamame.
Fruits are encouraged on the Starch Solution Diet, with a focus on choosing whole fruits that are fresh or dried. Berries, cherries, bananas, apples, pineapple, kiwifruit, and many other options are included. The diet also allows for small amounts of sweeteners like brown sugar, maple syrup, and ketchup, as long as they are oil-free.
Weston A. Price Diet: A Guide to Getting Started
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The diet is based on a book by Dr. McDougall
The Starch Solution is a plant-based diet based on the book of the same name by Dr. John A. McDougall, a physician and author. The book outlines a groundbreaking eating plan that challenges the notion that starch is unhealthy. Instead, it proposes that consuming starch is the solution to preventing diseases and achieving optimal health and weight.
The Starch Solution diet is centred around starches, with the addition of colour and flavour from non-starchy vegetables and fruits. It is a high-starch diet, with 70% of a meal coming from starch, 20% from vegetables, and 10% from fruits. Starchy foods to be eaten regularly include root vegetables, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, beans, lentils, and peas. Whole grains, legumes, fruits, and nuts are also included in the diet.
The diet eliminates all animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs, as well as vegetable oils, simple sugars, and processed foods. It also restricts dietary fats from nuts, seeds, and avocados. Dr. McDougall recommends a low-fat, plant-based approach, which he believes is a long-term solution for sustainable weight loss and improved health.
The book provides a 7-Day Quick Start Plan and over 100 recipes to help readers implement the diet. It also includes testimonials from people who have successfully lost weight and improved their health by following the Starch Solution.
The Starch Solution is based on rigorous scientific fact and research, according to Dr. McDougall, and it offers a simple way to improve health and lose weight by consuming complex carbohydrates.
Relieving Constipation: The Best Diet to Get Things Moving
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Starch Solution Diet is a high-carb, low-fat vegan diet based on the recommendations in the book "The Starch Solution" by John A. McDougall, MD, and his wife, Mary. The diet focuses on eating whole-food, plant-based foods like brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, beans, and fruit, while eliminating animal products, vegetable oils, simple sugars, and processed foods.
You can eat starchy whole grains including oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet, farro, corn, rye, spelt, and wheat berries. You can also eat root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams, as well as all varieties of beans, lentils, and peas. Fresh and dried fruits are also allowed and encouraged.
You should avoid all animal products, including meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. The diet also restricts vegetable oils, simple sugars, and processed foods. Certain healthy fats like avocado and nuts are limited, as well as servings of minimally processed foods like tofu.
Proponents of the diet claim that it can help with weight loss, prevent a variety of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and improve overall health and energy levels. It is also said to be accessible and flexible, allowing people to eat foods they enjoy that may have been off-limits on other restrictive diets, such as bread, pasta, and pizza.
It is recommended to read "The Starch Solution" book by Dr. McDougall, which provides a comprehensive guide to the diet, including a 7-Day Quick Start Plan and recipes. You can also try his 7-Day Sure-Start Plan, which involves eating as much starch as you want for a week, with recipes provided for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.











































