Printable Ornish Diet Food List (PDF)

Ornish Diet Food List – Overview

Any approach to living a healthy lifestyle is not a one-size-fits-all.

Whether you are trying a weight loss diet or want to lower blood pressure, prevent diabetes or cancer, every time you try a diet plan, you must ensure that it stands up to your body needs and overall health.

If you are not sure about a diet plan of any sort, you should consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian before beginning.

Consulting a professional is especially advisable for anyone with any medical condition.

What Is The Ornish Diet?

The Ornish diet is a low-fat eating plan developed by Dr. Dean Ornish in 1977.

Dean Ornish is also the founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute located in Sausalito and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

The intention of the low-fat diet, according to Dean Ornish, is to help people gain better health, lose weight, feel better, reverse cardiovascular disease progression, and generally live longer.

Ornish also considers the diet perfect because of its low fat, refined carbs, and animal protein content.

However, the Ornish diet is more than just a low-fat diet.

It emphasizes the importance of enhancing excellent and healthy living by taking up physical activities, practicing stress management through yoga and meditation, and maintaining excellent interpersonal relationships.

What Are The Benefits Of The Ornish Diet?

Image courtesy of Ornish

Even though there are contradicting reports about the positive effect of the Ornish diet on heart health issues, the diet has immense benefits on overall health.

Before we get into what you can or cannot eat if you are on the Ornish diet, here is a look at the benefits of the diet plan.

Filling-The Ornish diet does not limit the amount of food you can eat as long as you stick to the required foods that meet all your nutritional requirements.

The diet includes fruits, veggies, and whole grains that leave you satiated.

Risk-free-The Ornish diet food list contains foods that are safe to consume. They also meet all your nutritional needs.

Straightforward– Unlike other diets where you have to count your calories, you do not have to do so with the Ornish diet because they do not form part of your diet plan.

You also do not have to keep track of the foods you eat, making it one of the most straightforward diets in the market.

Easily Accessible– The Ornish diet does not necessitate the consumption of specialty foods.

The foods on your grocery list are compliant with the Ornish diet guidelines, and they are easily accessible.

Some of the food items might cost more than expected, but you could save money over the long term by giving up meat.

Rich in fiber and micronutrients– The Ornish diet encourages large quantities of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

These are nutrient-dense foods that many people cannot do without daily. Moreover, they provide high fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet.

These micronutrients play a considerable role in supporting good health and preventing chronic diseases.

Limits fat and sugar intake: According to the American Heart Association, saturated fat should account for no more than 5 percent to 6 percent of total daily calories consumed.

The Ornish diet advocates for the elimination of saturated fats from your diet, which helps to keep you healthy for longer and avoid issues such as heart problems.

Limiting fats from your diet also helps in weight loss. The diet also limits sugar consumption, notably added sugar, linked to adverse health outcomes.

The Ornish Diet Food List

The Ornish diet advocates for low-fat foods, which you can easily find from your local grocery store. What should be on your list?

Vegetables

Vegetables do not contain unhealthy saturated fats, making them ideal for heart health and weight loss, among other health benefits.

They are also rich in fiber and other nutrients. You do not limit the vegetables to add to your list, but the following items will do well for your diet.

• Broccoli
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Eggplant
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Pepper
• Garlic
• Onion
• Zucchini
• Spinach
• Cauliflower
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Celery
• Squash
• Bok Choy
• Beets
• Swiss chard
• Leeks
• Watercress
• Endive

Fruits

Just like veggies, you do not limit the fruit varieties to include in your Ornish diet. Fruits are healthy, rich in fiber, vitamins, and other micronutrients. The following fruits should be on your grocery list.

• Apples
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Oranges
• Lemon
• Lime
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Raspberries
• Tangerines
• Plums
• Pineapples
• Papaya
• Cantaloupes
• Grapefruits
• Cranberries
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pomegranates
• Apricots
• Kiwi
• Guava
• Honeydew Melon

Whole Grains

Replace your high-carb foods with the following fiber-rich whole grains.

• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Barley
• Faro
• Brown rice
• Oats
• Millet
• Bulgur
• Whole wheat
• Rye

Beans and Lentils

Beans, peas, and lentils are rich in proteins, low in fats, and highly satiating.

• Lentils
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Navy beans
• Cannelloni beans
• Pinto beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Split peas

Herbs, Spices, and Condiments

Spice your Ornish diet recipes with the following healthy herbs, spices, and condiments.

• Rosemary
• Chives
• Basil
• Parsley
• Sage
• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Mint
• Balsamic vinegar
• Ketchup
• Pickles
• Relish
• Fat-free mayonnaise
• Worcester sauce
• Lemon juice
• Tabasco sauce
• Yellow mustard
• Almond extract

Nuts and Seeds

The following Nuts and seeds contain healthy proteins, fiber, and antioxidants that are good for your health.

• Cashews
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pistachios
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Nut butter

Fats and Oils

Even if the Ornish diet is low fat, the body still needs fats to aid digestion. The healthy fats and oils to include in your list are:

• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Canola oil

Dairy

The following low-fat dairy should do well with your Ornish diet.

• Soymilk
• Almond milk
• Rice milk
• Hemp milk
• Low-fat cheeses
• Fat-free sour cream
• Fat-free yogurt
• Fat-free skim milk

Proteins

The Ornish diet prohibits all types of animal proteins. You can substitute the animal proteins with the following substitutes.

• Tempeh
• Tofu
• Egg whites
• Non-fat cheeses
• Non-fat yogurt
• Beans
• Legumes

Besides the above foods, other items to include in your grocery list include multivitamin and mineral supplements, low sugar beverages, and healthy low sugar and low-fat snacks.

Foods to Limit

The foods you should take in moderation or eliminate from your diet include:

• Salt-take in moderation
• Sugar-take in moderation
• Processed foods
• White flour
• White rice
• Concentrated sweeteners
• Caffeine-take in moderation
• Alcohol-take in moderation
• Beef
• Poultry
• Fish
• Whole milk and its products

Final Thoughts

No food is inherently good or bad. However, certain foods are more beneficial to your health and well-being than others.

The Ornish diet food list includes fruits and vegetables in their natural forms and whole grains, legumes, soy products, non-fat dairy, and egg whites.

The diet also includes healthy fats that contain omega-3 fatty acids. All foods are high in beneficial carbohydrates, beneficial fats, beneficial proteins, and other protective compounds.

Printable Ornish Diet Food List

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