Detox Diet | Meal Plans For Detox

Detox is the process of removing toxic substances from the body. There are many diet plans out there to help people detox and they usually last for 1 week. Detox diets include a fruits diet, a liquid diet or juice cleanse.

Food to eat during your detox

• Fruit – Include any fruit in your plan. Fruits are best fresh or frozen. Skip the canned fruits as they tend to be higher in sugar. Consume fruits like apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, melons, star fruit, pomegranate etc
• Fruit juice – Either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit. You may want to give ready made juices a miss as they usually contain sugar.
• Vegetables – Eat any fresh vegetables which includes carrots, onions, turnip, swede, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers, leeks, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, seaweed etc
• Beans and lentils – Eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils
• Tofu and Quorn  
• Oats – Sprinkle oats over fresh fruit or use to make porridge, sweetened with honey and fresh fruit; or have oats with milk.
• Brown rice and rice noodles
• Rye crackers, rice cakes and oatcakes
• Fresh fish – Eat any fresh fish including cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, swordfish etc.
• Unsalted nuts and seeds – Eat any including Brazil, peanuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
• Plain popcorn – without sugar or salt
• Yoghurt
• Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs
• Ground black pepper
• Water – at least 2 litres a day. Tap or mineral water is fine. (Squeeze lemon into the water; Lemon helps your body detox)
• Herbal or fruit teas

Foods to avoid during your detox

• Red meat, chicken, turkey and any meat products like sausages, burgers, and pate
• Milk, cheese, eggs, cream
• Butter and margarine
• Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc
• Crisps and savoury snacks including salted nuts
• Chocolate, sweets, jam and sugar
• Processed foods, ready meals, ready-made sauces and takeaways
• Alcohol  
• Sauces, pickles, shop bought salad dressing, mayonnaise
• Fizzy drinks and squashes, including diet versions

Detox Plan Breakfasts

• Banana porridge
• Porridge made with water and topped with natural yoghurt, banana, raisins and sweetened with honey.
• Fruit salad with yogurt and oats
• Fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats.
• Fresh fruit smoothie
• Fruit smoothie made from fresh fruit and natural yoghurt. NO added sugar is needed as the fruit is already sweet. However, if you really need to put sugar, add some honey.
• Muesli and yoghurt
• Homemade muesli made from oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit served with natural yoghurt.
• Fresh fruit and yoghurt
• Fresh fruit and a pot of natural yoghurt sweetened with honey.

Detox Plan Lunches

• Vegetable soup and oatcakes
• Large bowl of vegetable or lentil soup with oatcakes.
• Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato and salad
• Jacket potato topped with tuna mixed with sweet corn and natural yoghurt and served with salad.
• Mediterranean salad with rice cakes
• Rice cakes served with rocket, avocado, tomatoes, fresh basil and black pepper. Plus a handful of unsalted nuts.
• Guacamole with crudités
• Homemade guacamole made from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomato and garlic served with vegetable crudités and oatcakes.
• Tzatziki with crudités
• Homemade tzatziki made from natural yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and lemon juice served with vegetable crudités and oatcakes.  
• Avocado and prawn salad
• Fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
• Jacket potato with grilled cod
• Grilled cod fillet served with jacket potatoes and lightly steamed vegetables.

Detox Plan Dinners

• Chinese vegetable stir fry
• Stir fry a selection of vegetables such as bok choy, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a little olive oil with garlic and ginger. Serve with brown rice.
• Baked salmon with jacket potato
• Bake a salmon fillet and serve with a jacket potato and steamed vegetables.  
• Tuna and prawns with noodles
• Gently fry a selection of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek in a little olive oil. When lightly browned, add a handful of prawns. Cook for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, black pepper and tuna canned in water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice noodles.
• Sweet and sour stir fry with rice
• Gently fry a selection of chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, baby sweet corn and mushrooms. Add canned pineapple (in fruit juice), canned tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine vinegar and honey. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Serve with brown rice.
• Potato and bean casserole
• Gently fry a selection of typical casserole vegetables such as onion, carrots and parsnip in a little olive oil with garlic. When browned, add diced potato and fry for a few minutes. Add fresh vegetable stock, black pepper and your favourite beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the casserole thickens.

Detox Plan Snacks

• Fresh fruit or fresh fruit salad
• Natural yoghurt mixed with honey
• Plain popcorn
• Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds

Detox diets are meant to cleanse the system and can help you lose weight. Eat right and workout right to achieve that body that you want! Do make smart dining options too when eating out if you want to keep that weight at bay!