Celebs are turning to a baby food diet for weight loss. But does it work?

There was a time when your favourite celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga, and many others were obsessing about the baby food diet. The reason? Weight loss! Apparently, some of them got some good results but they couldn’t sustain it.

So, before you get all excited about opting for a baby food diet to lose weight, we would like you to know some crucial things about it. According to nutritionists, it is nothing but a fad.

What’s a baby food diet?

If we talk about a baby food diet, it simply involves replacing normal meals with baby food. And that includes fruits and vegetable purees and a few meat gravies made out of chicken, turkey, etc. One can make baby foods at home which may also include rice and dal puree in addition to fruits and veggies.

baby foodBaby food will not keep your energise. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

All this food is low on calories. There is almost zero sugar, fats, or any salt and that makes it great for weight loss. But as per renowned nutritionist Parul Malhotra, this kind of diet is neither sustainable nor a healthy way of losing weight.

“The only benefit of having baby food is it is low on fat and on calories, helps with easy portion control and requires minimal cooking and is less time consuming if depending on store-bought baby food jars,” says Parul.

In fact, Parul listed some side effects that can happen due to a restrictive diet plan. Here are some of them:

1. Not sustainable
2. Costly
3. Low calories thus can make you feel low on energy.
4. Low on protein and fiber which can lead to low satiety levels and eventually cravings.
5. Severely restrictive. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and develop an unhealthy relationship with food.

weight lossTo lose wieght, a proper diet makes a lot of sense. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

What does a baby food diet plan look like?

Here’s what you consume if you opt for a baby food diet:

  • “As many as 14 jars of pureed baby food of all types including fruits, vegetables, and meats distributed amongst breakfast, lunch, and evening snack,” says Parul.
  • One regular adult meal per day (at dinner) should be consumed, emphasizing protein and complex carbohydrates.
  • Water, tea, and coffee are allowed.The thing is that this kind of food is not enough to fuel an adult. Also, diet is not the only thing that will help you lose weight, you also need to include a fitness regime. And to fuel your exercise regime you need to add a proper meal that is balanced. Another thing is that this kind of diet will also lead to major fatigue and can also impact your overall productivity. A fad diet like this can, later on, lead to emotional eating which can further lead to eating disorders and weight gain.
    That’s why most nutritionists are not a big fan of the baby food diet.

    Also, read: Not all fats are bad! Add these 5 healthy fat foods to your diet

These people should never ever opt for a baby food diet

Ideally, no one should do this kind of fad diet. Specifically, people with any pre-medical conditions, pregnant and lactating women should not consider it at all.

baby foodBalanced diet is your key to healthy living.

“Bottom line is for a sustainable and healthy weight loss nothing works better than eating a well-balanced diet with a mindful approach along with regular exercise and a good sleeping pattern,” suggests Parul.

Mindful eating is what you need if you really want to keep your weight in check. So for better results, see your nutritionist or dietician right away and get your diet tailor-made as everyone’s nutritional needs are different.