Scarsdale Diet

If you’ve been wondering what the Scarsdale diet is, it is basically a very low calorie weight loss plan. Developed in the 1950s by Dr. Tarnower, it was intended to help his patients prep for surgery. The diet was eventually modified, published and became available to the general public. From the 70’s on, many began using this strict meal plan to lose weight quickly and effectively.

How Does the Scarsdale Diet Work?

Unlike typical low-carbohydrate diets, the Scarsdale diet actually recommends that your daily eating plan must be made up of 30% carbohydrates. About 40% of your everyday diet should be protein and the rest should be healthy fats. Because it is a VLCD (very low calorie diet), the total calorie count of meals is less than 1000. By following this diet for 7-14 days, you can shed pounds easily and fast.

What Can You Eat on the Scarsdale Diet?

The Scarsdale diet is known for its rigidity. You are only allowed to eat certain foods and deviating from the plan can make it ineffective.

Breakfast

The meal plan recommends that you have a piece of fruit every morning. The most preferred foods are grapefruits and oranges. In addition to fruit, you should also eat a slice of whole wheat bread. If you’re accustomed to having a hot beverage in the morning, make sure it contains no sugar.

Lunch and Dinner

Day 1: For lunch on the first day, you can eat any cold cut of meat and as many tomatoes as you like. You can cook these foods in any you like, as long as you don’t use cooking oil. For supper, you can enjoy fish and vegetables or a salad. Add one slice of bread and a grapefruit.

Day 2: On this day, the Scarsdale diet allows participants to enjoy a burger made of lean meat and plenty of tomatoes. You should also aim to eat generous servings of cucumbers, Brussels sprouts and celery. Dinner should be a fruit salad. Do not drink or add a beverage with sugar to this salad.

Day 3: Lunch on day three should consist of a whole grapefruit, salmon and a green salad. Season the salad with lemon or vinegar only. Avoid using oil-based dressings. A supper of chicken, lamb or fish is recommended.

Day 4: Have a slice of wheat bread with two eggs for lunch. You can add slices of tomatoes and a little cottage cheese (diet version). Supper should strictly be chicken without skin, and vegetables like spinach or beans.

Day 5: Lunch on the fifth day should be a slice of bread with spinach. Add a little low-fat cheese to the meal. Options for supper are a slice of bread, green salad, chicken and grapefruit.

Day 6: You can only have a green salad for lunch. For supper, serve green salad with fish and one slice of wheat bread.

Day 7: On the last day, only vegetables, grapefruit and chicken are allowed for lunch. Dinner must consist of beef, Brussels sprouts and veggies.

The Scarsdale diet is very specific and these are meals paired together to ensure optimal results. You can follow this diet for a week, but others prefer following the meal plan for 14 days. It is not wise to exceed the recommended duration as this diet can have harmful effects on your overall health.