The Sirtfood diet was created in 2016 by two celebrity nutritionists in the UK. It focuses on eating foods rich in ‘sirtfoods’, which activate specific proteins within the body.
The diet says that sirtuins can help burn fat, boost metabolism and preventing disease.
Unfortunately, there is no strong evidence that it is more effective than any other calorie-restricted weight loss diet plan. There is no long-term studies to prove that a diet rich in sirtfoods have health benefits either.
This article will cover the theory behind the Sirtfood diet, what foods are included and offer sample 7 day meal plans to follow.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
What is the Sirtfood Diet?
The Sirtfood diet is based on increasing the levels of sirtuins within your body by eating particular foods.
Sirtuins are a family of proteins involved in regulating metabolic reactions within the body. By increasing these proteins within the body, you can rapidly lose weight without losing muscle mass, reduce inflammation and protect yourself from chronic conditions.
Foods that contain particular plant compounds can increase the levels of sirtuins in the body, and these foods are what the sirtfood diet focuses on. They are termed ‘sirtfoods’.
As well as increasing the ‘sirtfoods’ you consume, the diet is also calorie-controlled, which may also help produce more sirtuins.
How to Follow a Sirtood Diet
The diet is usually divided into 2 phases.
First Phase
This is the phase where most of the weight loss can happen. This is because when calories are first cut, water and glycogen stores are lost first, not fat.
The diet advises this extreme cut in calories, but you should speak to a health specialist first.
Day 1 – 3
The first phase restricts calories to 1000kcal from day 1 – 3. This includes, per day:
- 3x sirtfood green juices (includes kale, celery, rocket, parsley, green tea and lemon)
- 1x sirtfood-rich meal
Day 4 – 7
The second phase increases calories to 1500kcal from day 4 – 7. This includes, per day:
- 2x sirtfood green juices (includes kale, celery, rocket, parsley, green tea and lemon)
- 2x sirtfood-rich meals
Maintenance Phase
This second phase lasts for 14 days and is where more gradual weight loss occurs. The authors of diet try and put more focus on the types of food you’re eating, not just losing weight.
Over the long-term, this includes, per day:
- 3x balanced sirtfood-rich foods
- 1x sirtfood green juice
What to Eat on the Sirtfood Diet
The diet claims that particular foods are ‘sirtfoods’ for their effects. The most popular foods to base your meals around include:
- Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes)
- Dark chocolate (with 85%+ cocoa)
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Turmeric
- Kale
- Parsley
- Capers
- Red wine
- Green tea
- Buckwheat
- Walnuts
- Medjool dates
- Soy
- Strawberries
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Rocket
Does It Work?
The diet makes bold claims about losing weight and turning on your ‘skinny gene’. In reality, there is little scientific studies that back these claims.
Calorie-controlled diets will usually result in weight loss, as long as your calorie intake is lower than your calorie expenditure. The sirtfood diet is no different in that aspect.
Most people will lose lots of weight within the first week since calories are dropped considerably.
However, studies find during the first week of extreme calorie-restricted weight loss, 1/3 of weight loss is fat loss, whilst the other 2/3s are from water, muscle and glycogen (1, 2).
When you increase calories, your body will replenish glycogen stores and water weight, resulting in weight gain.
This type of extreme dieting can also be unhealthy in the long-term and can even undermine your weight loss progress. This is because extreme calorie-restrictions can cause the metabolic rate within your body to lower, i.e your body ends up using fewer calories per day than before (3, 4).
Therefore, if you want to lose weight, slowly reduce your calorie intake and avoid extreme dieting, unless under a doctor’s supervision.
In terms of it’s touted health benefits, a 3-week period just isn’t long enough to have a measurable impact long-term.
However, the foods included within the diet are considered healthy themselves. For example:
- Citrus fruits are very rich in vitamin C, plus B vitamins, magnesium, copper potassium and phosphorous
- Blueberries contain lots of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K
- Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that’s very nutrient dense, containing lots of vitamin A, K and C
Therefore, it’s best to simply just include these types of foods within your regular eating without prioritizing special ‘sirtfoods’.
Problems With the Sirtfood Diet
As mentioned, there are serious problems with extreme calorie-restrictions within the first week. However, even within the types of foods recommended (or not), there are issues.
Lack of Protein
Because both plant-based and meat based proteins aren’t recommended within the diet, it can be difficult to ensure you’re eating sufficient amounts of protein everyday.
Protein is important within the body for building and repairing your tissues and maintaining muscle mass (5).
Even in the context of weight loss, high protein foods have been shown to help to increase feelings of fullness, meaning you naturally eat fewer calories and lose weight over time (6, 7, 8).
High protein foods include:
- Legumes and pulses – such as beans, chickpeas and lentils
- Poultry – such as chicken and turkey
- Red meat – such as beef and pork
- Fish – particularly fatty fish like salmon and tuna
- Dairy – such as milk and yogurt
- Whole grains – such as whole grain bread and quinoa
- Eggs
Lack of Important Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are an important polyunsaturated fat and a nutrient that most people don’t get enough of. It must be consumed through diet, as they cannot be produced by the body.
Omega 3 fatty acids have a range of health benefits, including:
- Reduced inflammation (9, 10, 11).
- Reduced triglycerides (12, 13)
- Reduced blood pressure (14, 15)
- Reduced age-related mental decline (16, 17, 18)
It is found most abundantly in fatty fish. This includes fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring, sardines and mackerel, as well as plant-based sources such as walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds.
The only omega-3 rich food found in the sirtfood diet are walnuts. However, there are a difference between omega-3 fats consumed from fish vs plant-based sources.
Fatty fish contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Plant-based sources contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is a shorter-chain of omega 3 fats.
Essentially, DHA and EPA have more significant health benefits than ALA from plant-sources. ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA , but this process is very inefficient in humans.
One study found roughly 5% of ALA gets converted into EPA and just 0.5% into DHA (19).
Lack of Variety Even Within Healthy Foods
Although the diet does highlight healthy foods to eat such as apples, blueberries, citrus fruits and kale, just consuming these foods isn’t advisable because you could end up with nutrient deficiencies.
It’s best to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure you meet all your nutrient requirements.
It also allows for more variety of recipes and meals to be cooked, which leads into the next point.
Overly Restrictive
The issue with diets that are overly restrictive is that they are difficult to follow over the long-term.
This means once you finish the diet, you revert back to old eating habits and lose any benefit that following the diet had. Some studies find that dieters often end up heavier than before they started their diet (20, 21).
Therefore, if you want to lose weight or get healthier, a better alternative is to find a diet or sustainable way of eating that you can maintain indefinitely, rather than looking for a quick fix.
Example Sirtfood Diet Meal Plan
The meal plan below is what you would follow when undertaking the sirtfood diet. We’ve chosen recipes that contain more of the ‘sirtfoods’ whilst trying to eat as balanced a meal plan as possible.
First Phase
Monday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
- Dinner: Chicken, Kale and Sprout Stir-fry
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
- Dinner: Strawberry Kale Salad with Nutty Granola Croutons
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Wednesday:
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Sirtfood Juice
- Dinner: Chickpea Curry
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Second phase
Thursday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Carrot, Chickpea and Raisin Salad
- Dinner: Citrus Salad With Maple Cayenne Candied Walnuts
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Friday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Tabbouleh with Quinoa
- Dinner: Spanish Vegan Paella
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Saturday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Mediterranean White Bean Soup
- Dinner: Vegan Pesto with Basil, Walnut and Kale
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
Sunday
- Breakfast: Sirtfood Juice
- Lunch: Tabbouleh with Quinoa
- Dinner: Soy Salmon & Broccoli Traybake
- Supper: Sirtfood Juice
What’s The Best Alternative to the Sirtfood Diet?
If you want to choose a scientifically sound diet to follow that is recommended by health professionals, the Mediterranean diet is one of the best to follow.
It has been ranked the number 1 diet according to the U.S. News & World Report for multiple years, primarily because of the health benefits and because of how easy it is to follow.
Because it is easy to follow, it is also a good option to lose weight sustainably, as it isn’t a diet that is too restrictive and difficult to follow.
Many credible organizations suggest following a Mediterranean diet for longevity and health. These include:
- Harvard Medical School
- Osteoarthritis Foundation Internal
- Mayo Clinic
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
Many studies find very positive feedback from people following the Mediterranean diet across a number of different health markers. We’ve listed some studies alongside the health conditions below.
- Lower risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, (22, 23)
- Lower risk of coronary heart disease (24, 25)
- Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (26)
- Lower risk of breast cancer (27)
- Lower risk of obesity (28)
- Better cognitive function (29)
In comparison to the Sirtfood diet:
Mediterranean Diet | Sirtfood Diet |
---|---|
Has many scientific studies backing it's use | No sound scientific studies to back it's use |
Encourages eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables | Only encourages eating particular fruits and vegetables |
Meets all your nutritional requirements | Can be nutrient deficient, particularly when juices make up the majority of calories in a day |
Meets protein requirements through plant-based sources and some animal-based sources | None of the sirtfoods recommended are high-protein foods |
How to Follow a Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet pyramid below gives a good visual indication of what foods to prioritize.
At the bottom are common staple foods that are to be consumed in large amounts and more frequently. Portion sizes and frequency decline as you go up the pyramid.
The pyramid intentionally does not specify recommended weights of foods or calories. It is only meant to provide an overall look at healthy food choices and their relative proportions.
It does this because good health has been attributed to variation within the overall dietary pattern. The more variety you get within the specified relative allowances per category – the better.
Alternative Sirtfood Diet Meal Plan
Alternative Sirtfood Diet Sample Menu
In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
---|---|---|---|
Monday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Cannellini Bean Salad | Quick Moussaka |
Tuesday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Edgy Veggie Wraps | Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs |
Wednesday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad | Salmon with Potatoes and Corn Salad |
Thursday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Mixed Bean Salad | Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup |
Friday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Panzanella Salad | Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad |
Saturday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg | Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash |
Sunday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Moroccan Chickpea Soup | Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad |
Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:
- A handful of nuts or seeds
- A piece of fruit
- Carrots or baby carrots
- Berries or grapes
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 1: Monday
Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots
Nutrition
- Calories – 236
- Protein – 14g
- Carbs – 32g
- Fat – 7g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 225g /⅞ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 bananas, sliced into chunks
- 15g / 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Place some of the yogurt into the bottom of a glass. Add a layer of banana, then yogurt and repeat. Once the glass is full, scatter with the nuts.
Lunch: Cannellini Bean Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 302
- Protein – 20g
- Carbs – 54g
- Fat – 0g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 600g / 3 cups cannellini beans
- 70g / ⅜ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- small bunch basil, torn
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the beans and mix with the tomatoes, onion and vinegar. Season, then add basil just before serving.
Dinner: Moussaka
Nutrition
- Calories – 577
- Protein – 27g
- Carbs – 46g
- Fat – 27g
Prep time + cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 250g / 9 oz lean beef mince
- 200g can / 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200g can / 1 cup chickpeas
- 100g pack / ⅔ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Mint (fresh preferable)
- Brown bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft. Add the mince and fry for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Tip the tomatoes into the pan and stir in the tomato purée and cinnamon, then season. Leave the mince to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas halfway through.
- Sprinkle the feta and mint over the mince. Serve with toasted bread.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 2: Tuesday
Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 177
- Protein – 5g
- Carbs – 13g
- Fat – 13g
Prep time + cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 120g / ⅝ cup tomatoes, chopped
- ½ watermelon, cut into chunks
- 50g / ⅔ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- For the dressing, Mix the oil, vinegar, chilli flakes and mint and then season.
- Put the tomatoes and watermelon into a bowl. Pour over the dressing, add the feta, then serve.
Lunch: Edgy Veggie Wraps
Nutrition
- Calories – 310
- Protein – 11g
- Carbs – 39g
- Fat – 11g
Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 100g / ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 6 Kalamata olives
- 2 large wholemeal tortilla wraps
- 50g / ¼ cup feta cheese
- 2 tbsp hummus
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes, cut the cucumber into sticks, split the olives and remove the stones.
- Heat the tortillas.
- Spread the houmous over the wrap. Put the vegetable mix in the middle and roll up.
Dinner: Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs
Nutrition
- Calories – 417
- Protein – 19g
- Carbs – 45g
- Fat – 17g
Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded & chopped
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- small bunch coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
- 800g can / 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 eggs
- brown bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan with a lid, then cook the onions, chilli, garlic and coriander stalks for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 dips in the sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 mins, until the eggs are done to your liking. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with bread.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 3: Wednesday
Breakfast: Blueberry Oats Bowl
Nutrition
- Calories – 235
- Protein – 13g
- Carbs – 38g
- Fat – 4g
Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 60g / ⅔ cup porridge oats
- 160g / ⅗ cup Greek yogurt
- 175g / ¾ blueberries
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Put the oats in a pan with 400ml of water. Heat and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a third of the yogurt.
- Tip the blueberries into a pan with the honey and 1 tbsp of water. Gently poach until the blueberries are tender.
- Spoon the porridge into bowls and add the remaining yogurt and blueberries.
Lunch: Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 177
- Protein – 5g
- Carbs – 13g
- Fat – 13g
Prep time + cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 orange, plus zest and juice of 1
- 2 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced with a peeler
- 35g / 1 ½ cups rocket / arugula
- 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the segments from 1 of the oranges and put in a bowl with the carrots, rocket/arugula and avocado. Whisk together the orange juice, zest and oil. Toss through the salad, and season.
Dinner: Salmon with Potatoes and Corn Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 479
- Protein – 43g
- Carbs – 27g
- Fat – 21g
Prep time + cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 200g / 1 ⅓ cups baby new potatoes
- 1 sweetcorn cob
- 2 skinless salmon fillets
- 60g / ⅓ cup tomatoes
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Bunch of spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
- handful basil leaves
Instructions
- Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, adding corn for final 5 minutes. Drain & cool.
- For the dressing, mix the vinegar, oil, shallot, capers, basil & seasoning.
- Heat grill to high. Rub some dressing on salmon & cook, skinned side down, for 7-8 minutes. Slice tomatoes & place on a plate. Slice the potatoes, cut the corn from the cob & add to plate. Add the salmon & drizzle over the remaining dressing.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 4: Thursday
Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots
Lunch: Mixed Bean Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 240
- Protein – 11g
- Carbs – 22g
- Fat – 12g
Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 145g / ⅘ cup jar artichoke heart in oil
- ½ tbsp sundried tomato paste
- ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- 200g can / 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 150g / ¾ cup tomatoes, quartered
- handful Kalamata black olives
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 100g / ⅔ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Drain the jar of artichokes, reserving 1-2 tbsp of oil. Add the oil, sun-dried tomato paste and vinegar and stir until smooth. Season to taste.
- Chop the artichokes and tip into a bowl. Add the cannellini beans, tomatoes, olives, spring onions and half of the feta cheese. Stir in the artichoke oil mixture and tip into a serving bowl. Crumble over the remaining feta cheese, then serve.
Dinner: Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Nutrition
- Calories – 238
- Protein – 11g
- Carbs – 34g
- Fat – 7g
Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- pinch chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g /2 cups carrots, washed and coarsely grated
- 70g / ⅓ cup split red lentils
- 500ml / 2 ¼ cups hot vegetable stock
- 60ml / ¼ cup milk
- Greek yogurt, to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan and dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside. Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have swollen and softened.
- Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste and finish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 5: Friday
Breakfast: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Lunch: Panzanella Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 452
- Protein – 6g
- Carbs – 37g
- Fat – 25g
Prep time + cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 400g / 2 cups tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
- 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and chopped
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 slices of brown bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- small handful basil leaves
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Season well and add the garlic, capers, avocado and onion. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks and place in a bowl. Drizzle over half of the olive oil and half of the vinegar. When ready to serve, scatter tomatoes and basil leaves and drizzle with remaining oil and vinegar. Stir before serving.
Dinner: Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 473
- Protein – 36g
- Carbs – 57g
- Fat – 25g
Prep time + cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 100g / ⅗ cup quinoa
- ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 150g / ¾ cup tomatoes, roughly chopped
- handful pitted black kalamata olives
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 50g / ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- small bunch mint leaves, chopped
- juice and zest ½ lemon
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, toss the chicken fillets in the olive oil with some seasoning, chilli and garlic. Lay in a hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside
- Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken on top.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 6: Saturday
Breakfast: Blueberry Oats Bowl
Lunch: Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg
Nutrition
- Calories – 473
- Protein – 11g
- Carbs – 56g
- Fat – 25g
Prep time + cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 100g / ⅗ cup quinoa
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
- 150g / 1 ⅔ leek, sliced
- 1 broccoli head, cut into small florets
- 50g / ¼ cup tomatoes
- 100ml / ¼ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- juice ½ lemon
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a pan, then add the garlic and quickly fry for 1 minute. Throw in the carrots, leeks and broccoli, then stir-fry for 2 minutes until everything is glistening.
- Add the tomatoes, mix together the stock and tomato purée, then add to the pan. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the quinoa and toss in the remaining oil and lemon juice. Divide between warm plates and spoon the vegetables on top.
Dinner: Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash
Nutrition
- Calories – 314
- Protein – 19g
- Carbs – 33g
- Fat – 16g
Prep time + cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 pepper, deseeded & quartered
- 1 aubergine, sliced lengthways
- 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- For the mash
- 400g / 2 cups haricot beans, rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 100ml / ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
Instructions
- Heat the grill. Arrange the vegetables over a grill pan &brush lightly with oil. Grill until lightly browned, turn them over, brush again with oil, then grill until tender.
- Meanwhile, put the beans in a pan with garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Mash roughly with a potato masher. Divide the vegetables and mash between 2 plates, drizzle over oil and sprinkle with black pepper and coriander.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Day 7: Sunday
Breakfast: Banana Yogurt Pots
Lunch: Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Nutrition
- Calories – 408
- Protein – 15g
- Carbs – 63g
- Fat – 11g
Prep time + cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 300ml / 1 ¼ cups hot vegetable stock
- 200g can / 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 200g can / 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 50g / ¼ cup frozen broad beans
- zest and juice ½ lemon
- coriander & bread to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, then fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes until softened. Add the cumin and fry for another minute.
- Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas and black pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add broad beans and lemon juice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Top with lemon zest and coriander.
Dinner: Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 548
- Protein – 23g
- Carbs – 58g
- Fat – 20g
Prep time + cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 8 raw baby beetroots, or 4 medium, scrubbed
- ½ tbsp sumac
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- 400g can / 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 200g / ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes
- mint leaves, chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Halve or quarter beetroots depending on size. Mix spices together. On a large baking tray, mix chickpeas and beetroot with the oil. Season with salt & sprinkle over the spices. Mix again. Roast for 30 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, mix the lemon zest and juice with the yogurt. Swirl the harissa through and spread into a bowl. Top with the beetroot & chickpeas, and sprinkle with the chilli flakes & mint.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Alternative Sirtfood Diet Shopping List
This shopping list corresponds to the 7 day plan, serving 2 people. No snacks are included.
View Alternative Sirtfood Diet Plan PDF
Life After the Meal Plan
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Disclosure
We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.