Get Started Search Icon

Foods Not Allowed

Colorful curvy line Beets and potatoes
Image of Foods Not Allowed

The following is a list of the foods that are not allowed on the McDougall Program, with ideas for possible substitutions.

Don’t eat: Possible substitutes:
Cow’s Milk (for cereal or cooking) Lowfat plant milks, fruit juice or water
Cow’s Milk (as beverage) None; drink water, juice, herbal tea or cereal beverages
Butter None
Cheese None
Cottage cheese None; after 12 days you may substitute crumbled tofu
Yogurt None
Sour cream Tofu Sour Cream
Ice cream Pure fruit sorbet, frozen juice bars
Eggs (in cooking) Ener-G Egg Replacer, Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
Eggs (for eating) None
Meat, poultry, fish Starchy vegetables, whole grains, pastas and beans; after 12 days you may substitute tofu “meat” recipes
Mayonnaise Tofu mayonnaise
Vegetable oils (for pans) None; use non-stick pots and pans
Vegetable oils (in recipes) None; omit oil or replace with water, mashed banana, or applesauce
Refined and sugar-coated cereals Any acceptable hot or cold cereal
Coconut None
Chocolate Carob powder
Sodas Mineral water or seltzer (flavored or plain)