Standfirst: Optavia Diet has been popular with many people on a weight-loss journey. The program has unique selling points in its prepackaged meals and coaching services. Read on to find what is included in the Optavia diet food list.
The Optavia diet is unlike any other diet plan available. Many diets don’t need a lot of time in the kitchen if you don’t love cooking or don’t have enough time to prepare meals.
Optavia uses a personalized coach, a few home-cooked meals, and low-calorie pre-packaged goods to help people lose weight.
While this diet might help you lose weight, it can also be challenging to keep it up. Continue reading to learn more about the Optavia diet food list and how it can aid weight loss.
What is the Optavia Diet?
Optavia is a weight-loss and maintenance program made up of processed food prepared packets called “fuelings” and “lean and green” meals. You don’t need to worry about counting your calories with these! The company has more than 50 choices of meals and drinks.
This diet offers six or more meals a day by adding water to powdered food or in a bar. They also have coaches to teach their trademarked “Habits of Health,”. They also suggest daily exercises for 30 minutes to lose weight routinely.
A maintenance plan can help you stay at your ideal weight. If you don’t want to cook, you can order Flavors of Home – low-carb meals. These meals promote healthy eating habits while you reach your optimal weight.
Diet Variations
The Optavia diet has several options. Your daily calories, weight loss progress, and digestive health may change depending on the option you choose.
- Optimal Weight 5&1 Plan: This is the most popular diet. It has 5 Optavia Fuelings and one Lean and green meal per day.
- Optimal Weight 4&2&1 Plan: This plan includes 4 Optavia Fuelings, 2 Lean and Green meals, and 1 snack daily.
- Optimal Health 3&3 Plan: This plan has 3 Optavia Fuelings and 3 balanced Lean meals every day.
How Does the Optavia Diet Work?
The Optavia diet claims that eating multiple little meals or snacks daily leads to controllable and long-term weight reduction. While this strategy may work for some individuals, there isn’t much evidence to back it up.
A report released by Harvard Medical School looked at the effectiveness of eating tiny meals and discovered that weight reduction is directly tied to calorie restriction. They found that the time and size of meals had little impact on weight loss.
There is one thing that experts seem to agree on when it comes to long-term weight reduction success: the emotional and behavioral components of eating are very significant. They also emphasize the need to consider whole-body health.
The Optavia diet does ensure that they provide nutritious meals daily. This has the benefit of added protein to your diet and reducing the need for grocery shopping.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that in 2022, over $200 a month can be spent on groceries alone. You can save money by budgeting with the Optavia diet’s meals.
Meal plans provide stability in the diet, get you closer to your weight loss goals, and one meal is filling enough to feel satisfied. This Optavia diet food list can help you remember what can and can’t be incorporated into your meals.
What Food is Allowed
To maintain your weight loss, you’ll need to consume between two and five of the company’s pre-made diet foods (also known as “fuelings”) every day.
Optavia Fuelings
You will eat between five and two premade meal replacements every day, depending on the Optavia program you choose. You’ll also prepare three to one low-calorie supper from scratch.
Vegetables and lean protein are common ingredients in these low-calorie meals. Healthy ingredients like brown rice, lean beef, whole eggs or vegetable chili are incorporated. Foods like white rice and white bread are cut down on.
Prepackaged fuelings account for a large portion of the optavia diet. The nutritional content of each fuelling is the same as portion-controlled meals. You may pick from a variety of fuel sources, the optavia diet includes:
- Soups
- Cookies and brownies
- Shakes
- Bars
- Pretzels
Lean Protein
5 to 7 ounces of lean protein are included in a “Lean and Green” meal. The Optavia diet provides a daily protein intake of 72 grams.
The company provides the following examples of how Optavia differentiates between cooked lean protein sources.
- Salmon, mutton, or pork chops are lean.
- Swordfish or chicken breast are leaner.
- Cod, prawns, and egg whites are the leanest.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
The 5&1 regimen from Optavia enables you to include two non-starchy vegetables in your lean and green meal.
These vegetables fall into three categories: low, moderate, and high carbohydrates.
- Salad greens are low-carb options
- Cauliflowers are moderate-carb options
- Broccoli or peppers are higher-carb options
Drinks
It is advised that you drink 64 ounces of water each day. You may also drink calorie-free and carbohydrate-free liquids like black coffee or tea.
Sports drinks, plain water with added flavorings like lime juice or berry compote, and fruit juice with no added sugar and low-fat milk are also options.
Healthy Fats
A lean and green meal may include two portions of healthy fats combined with lean protein and non-starchy veggies. The Optavia diet emphasizes good fats, but you’ll only consume 30 to 40 percent of your daily caloric intake from fat (between 800 and 1,000 calories per day).
Low fat dairy products can also be incorporated to a degree. These restrictions are for fast and sustained weight loss.
- Olive oil
- Flaxseed
- Walnut oil
- Avocado
- Coconut oil
Healthy fats like these can be incorporated into premade meals, like an olive oil and avocado salad dressing. You can also use vinegar, lemon juice and salsa.
Once you’ve reached your ideal weight, specialists in the Optavia diet say you may start adding grains, dairy, and fruit to your diet. Some excellent choices are:
- Greek Yogurt
- Whole-grain bread, whole-grain cereal, and whole-wheat English muffins
- Cottage cheese
- Cocktail sauce
Also Read About: Which Fad Diet Was Developed By Celebrity Doctor Arthur Agatston
What Foods Are Not Allowed
Although no food is wholly restricted on the Optavia diet, several foods are highly discouraged. These foods increase your calorie intake without providing much nutritional value.
Desserts
Optavia advises against giving in to sugar cravings by eating sweets. Low-calorie sweet indulgences, such as fresh fruit or flavored yogurt, may be reintroduced into your daily meals after the first weight reduction period.
Additions with a High-Calorie Count
- Butter
- Mayonnaise
- Sugary BBQ sauce
- Fried foods
- Solid shortening
Alcoholic and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
- Soda
- Beer
- Sweetened coffee beverages
- Wine
- Spirits
Sample Meal Plans for Optavia Diet
The following is an example of an Optavia diet food list for the 3&3 (1,200 calories) plan and wellness tips. These foods can be included in the lean and green meals.
1. Breakfast
Unsweetened cereals (3/4 cup) with low-fat / skimmed milk (1 cup).
2. Mid-Morning Fueling
Strawberry Yogurt Bar from Optimal Health.
3. Lunch
1/2 cup cooked cauliflower or collard greens, 3 oz. Grilled chicken and 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt.
4. Mid-Afternoon Fueling
Strawberry Banana Smoothie for optimal health. You can also have one snack during the day.
5. Dinner
2 cups raw spinach, stewed tomatoes, cucumbers (1 cup), mushrooms, baked yellowfin tuna (3 oz), 2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing, and 1 small apple.
How to Follow the Optavia Diet
Before you begin, speak with a coach to create a plan tailored to your needs, taking your weight loss goal and current health issues into account. Depending on the Optavia diet plan you choose, you will eat five to six meals a day plus a snack.
Meal plans will be capped at 1,300 per day. This is to help you reach an optimal weight faster, though you can supplement with specific recipes available online.
Choosing the vegetarian option from Optavia means you will receive additional protein sources. The meals won’t exceed 100 calories each. You’ll often have meals a few hours apart. Your Optavia diet coach will help you find the right Optavia products to reach your goal weight.
If you have type 2 diabetes or less weight to lose this might not be the program for you. Optavia also has meal replacement protein bars to supplement lean and green meals. Your weight loss goals may change through the duration of your diet.
Note: Once you’ve completed the shift, you’ll eat three Lean & Green meals and three daily fuelings.
The Advantages and Drawbacks of the Optavia Diet
Advantages of Optavia Diet
- Weight Loss: Focusing on creating a calorie deficit for the client will result in early weight reduction.
- Coaching Support: Studies show having the support of a professional coach to teach mindful behaviors can be pretty helpful.
- Easy to Follow: The diet is a prepared meals service that keeps things simple. There’s no need to count or monitor anything.
- Blood Pressure Control: Because the meals include low salt consumption and promote weight loss, blood pressure may be improved.
Disadvantages of Optavia Diet
- Long Term Success Rate: Many customers find the dietary adjustments unsuitable for long-term objectives.
- Costly: There are extra charges for delivery and convenience. There’s also the sales pitch built into the system.
- Highly Processed: Processed foods, such as prepared foods, may cause chronic inflammation and gastrointestinal health problems.
- Long-Term Sustainability: Following Optavia’s most popular diet, the 5&1, a person would eat around 800-1200 calories per day. For most men, this is not a long-term solution.
Conclusion
Weight reduction is aided by low-calorie prepackaged items, low-carb prepared meals, and personal coaching on the Optavia diet. The different Optavia programs are suited to different weight loss goals.
While the 5&1 Plan with five Optavia fuelings is highly restricted at first, the 3&3 maintenance phase provides access to a wide range of foods and less processed snacks. This might make long-term and sustained weight loss and adherence easier to maintain.
On the other hand, the diet is costly, repetitious, and does not meet all nutritious mealrequirements. Furthermore, prolonged calorie restriction might lead to vitamin shortages and other health problems.
While the program encourages short-term weight and fat reduction, other options are considered for long-term weight maintenance and fat loss. This Optavia diet food list can help you determine which program is best for you.
FAQs – Optavia Diet
How Often Can Optavia Diet Meals Be Consumed?
After you’ve attained your desired weight, you may gradually transition to ordinary foods by increasing Lean & Green meals per day and introducing other foods. However, if you’ve gained weight over time you can always go back on a diet.
Is the Optavia Diet Healthy?
The Optavia diet fuelings are nutritious. However, you might feel it is not healthy for you mentally. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 95% of dieters recover their weight within five years.
Is the Optavia Diet Worth Trying?
Compared to other commercial diet plans, the Optavia Diet addresses a more excellent range of health issues, lifestyle situations, and age groups. Still, those with specific needs, such as diabetes, must always speak with their doctor before making dietary adjustments.
