What to Eat on the Jorge Cruise Diet

Many weight loss diets can seem overly restrictive, but not Jorge Cruise's "The Belly Fat Cure." Published in 2009, this book eventually became a New York Times bestseller 12. The reason may be the plethora of foods that you can eat while on his diet. Carbohydrates are restricted, but the book provides recipes that transform high-carb options into "belly friendly" meals.

Sugar and Carbs

The important thing you need to know about "The Belly Fat Cure" is that you are not permitted more than 15 grams of sugar a day, and may consume no greater than six servings of high-carb foods 1. This is called the S/C value. Any food that provides 5 to 20 grams of carbs is counted as one serving. To support a lower-carb way of eating, the book contains recipes that replicate common higher-carb options, so that you can enjoy your favorite foods. The plan also provides several different weekly menus to appeal to individual tastes.

Breakfast

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Breakfasts that are featured in "The Belly Fat Cure" include pancakes, egg dishes, breakfast sandwiches and smoothies, among other items 1. Cruise recommends that you prepare pancakes with soy flour, plenty of eggs and half and half, which may come as a surprise to some readers, especially those who are concerned about their intake of saturated fat. The Sweet Strawberry Smoothie is prepared using a mixture of frozen strawberries, sugar-free ice cream, almond milk and stevia. Other smoothies include peanut butter and whey powder to boost protein.

Lunch

Some fast food choices are presented, as well as frozen diet dinners, so that you can decide whether to cook or grab this meal on the run. The cheese pizza includes half a pita bread along with plenty of cheese and meat. You can have sandwiches on light whole wheat bread and include as much as 6 ounces of meat per sandwich. You can have salads with sugar-free dressings and no croutons.

Dinner

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Dinner on "The Belly Fat Cure" might be a pork stir-fry, a grilled steak or pasta 1. Chicken strips, salad and sauteed fish are other options. As with lunch, Cruise provides fast food and frozen options from which you can choose. The pasta recipe calls for whole wheat pasta and a marinara that is virtually sugar-free. Don't expect to eat a plateful, however, as a serving of pasta amounts to 1 cup. Additionally, the plan's menus do not consist of half fruits and vegetables, as the USDA recommends.

Snacks

Recommended snacks on "The Belly Fat Cure" diet include a variety of nuts and seeds, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, blueberries and cottage cheese 1. Occasionally, a snack is a popular snack item with little nutritional value, such as potato chips or artificially-flavored cheese crackers. On one of the weekly plans, sweet treats are also permitted, such as chocolate with 85 percent cocoa mass or sugar-free ice cream.