Which Foods Can Be Eaten on the No Sugar & Flour Diet?

Dr. Peter Gott's No Sugar, No Flour Diet follows a simple principle: Eliminate from your diet all foods containing added sugar, and flour. Many of these foods are also high in fat, like donuts and pizza. By eliminating these foods you're eliminating not just the fat, but the empty calories that come from refined sugars and over-processed flour with little nutritional value. After eliminating those foods with sugar or flour in them, you are left with a plethora of nutritional, high-fiber, low-fat foods.

Misconceptions

The No Sugar, No Flour Diet does not advocate a low carbohydrate diet. In fact, the diet recommends eating a variety of carbohydrates from whole grain sources such as barley, brown rice, oats and other legumes. The focus is on eating fresh fruits and vegetables which will replace any missing fiber from flour-based products as well as supplementing additional sources of carbohydrates. What is missing are the over processed flours and sugars found in many multi-ingredient processed foods.

No Sugar

Dr. Gott, the creator of this diet, suggests removing all sources of sugar from your diet. That would be foods such as brown sugar, honey, syrups, molasses and regular white sugar. Foods with naturally occurring sugars like fruits and juices can be consumed, and even used as sweeteners in recipes. In addition, artificial sweeteners like Splenda can be used sparingly.

No Flour

Products containing any kind of flour including wheat flours, corn, rice or potato are not allowed. Instead the diet advocates consuming whole grains like wheat berries, whole corn, potatoes and other grains to add fiber and bulk to your meals. Other good choices for starchy filling foods are vegetables and salads. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, carrots and radishes are another great way to get added fiber with no flour.

Lean Protein

Eating a variety of lean proteins is also advised for those on this diet. Lean proteins can include skinless chicken or turkey, pork and lean cuts of beef, fish, nuts and seeds. Combination foods like sausage should be carefully examined as the ingredient label may contain hidden sugar or flour thickeners. Low-fat dairy is also a good protein option, but read labels as some dairy smoothies and yogurts contain added sugar.

Warning

No new diet or exercise program should be started without consulting your doctor or health practitioner. Be careful to read the No Flour, No Sugar Diet book carefully and follow all instructions to ensure that you're following the diet correctly. Always consume a wide variety of foods to ensure maximum nutritional benefit, and if in doubt or feeling any ill effects, consult your doctor.