foods to eat & avoid (2024)

The 22-Day Revolution (2015) is a whole-foods, plant-based diet.

Eat whole plant foods – vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Aim for 80-10-10 – 80% unprocessed carbohydrates, 10% fat, 10% protein.
Avoid animal products, processed and refined foods, sugars, artificial sweeteners.

Use this page as a cheat sheet alongside the book. Send this page to friends, family, and anyone else who you want to understand what you’re eating on this diet.

The reasoning behind The 22-Day Revolution

The book says that a plant-based diet will help you lose weight and keep it off, provide an enormous amount of energy daily, and prevent long-term health problems like heart disease and high blood pressure. The 22-Day Revolution program is a 22-day intensive program built to reset your body and mind by changing your habits.

The 22-Day Revolution diet plan – what to eat and foods to avoid

General guidelines

Types of food
- Choose plant-based foods over processed foods. Think about what your great-grandparents ate: whole foods, grown on farms. If your ancestors wouldn’t recognize what’s on your plate, don’t eat it
- Buy local if possible, including farmers’ markets and CSAs
- Choose organic to avoid pesticides –especially for foods identified by the Environment Working Group as the “Dirty Dozen” – in 2014 this was (worst first) apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, potatoes. If you have to purchase produce from the list, make sure you wash thoroughly before consuming. Removing the peel can also help reduce residual pesticide levels
How much to eat
- Eat 3 mindful meals a day
- No idle snacking: Before you get used to eating only 3 meals a day, you may eat a snack once every other day at most, as needed – e.g. ¼ cup raw and unsalted nuts, a piece of fruit, cut veggies with 2 tablespoons hummus, 1 tbsp of nut butter with celery/apples/pears, ½ serving of a smoothie
- Desserts – you can have 2 desserts from the recipe section in your entire 22-day program
- Eat dinner at least 2 hours before you go to sleep
- Eat with restraint – to 80% fullness, or just a little bit less than full. While on the program, follow the portions outlined – your body adjusts to the correct portion sizes, and you’ll learn what 80% fullness should feel like
Plate proportion
- Aim for 80-10-10 (80% unprocessed carbohydrates, 10% fat, 10% protein – presumably as percentage of calories, although that isn’t clear from the book). If you’re pregnant, breast-feeding, or an athlete, your requirements will be different, although the book does not explain what you should do in those circ*mstances except saying that rice protein is as beneficial as whey protein
- The book states that all plant-based foods have varying amounts of protein, and therefore getting enough protein is not an issue on a plant-based diet; a plant-based diet that is well balanced will give your body all the protein you need to thrive
Water guidelines
- Men should drink 13 eight-ounce cups and women should drink 9 eight-ounce cups a day
- Start the day with a glass of water and lemon – this is good for alkalinity, digestion, and rehydration
- Drink a glass of water/ fluid with each meal
- Drink a glass of water/ fluid between each meal
- Drink a glass of water/ fluid before, during, and after exercise
- Drink more water/ fluid when it’s hot
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water; once you are thirsty you are likely dehydrated

Foods to eat in The 22-Day Revolution

Vegetables
- Portion size: 1-2 cups (if you’re really hungry, add another cup of plainly prepared veggies)
- Dark leafy greens (most highly recommended vegetables) – e.g. beet greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress
- Other green veggies – e.g. asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, green peas, jalapeño peppers, lettuce (all types), okra, seaweed, spirulina
- Bright veggies, the more color the better – e.g. beets, bell peppers, carrots, corn, peppers, radicchio, squash, tomatoes
- Starchy veggies – e.g. squash, sweet potatoes
- Other veggies – e.g. alfalfa sprouts, artichoke hearts, Belgian endive, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, fennel, garlic, hearts of palm, jicama, mushrooms, onions, scallions, shallots, zucchini
- Avocado (note ½ cup serving size as this is considered a fat)
Fruits
- Portion size: 1 cup
- g. apples, apricots, Asian pears, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, guava, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, mangos, melons, oranges, pears, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon
- Dried fruit, e.g. cranberries, currants, dates, dried figs, raisins
- Coconut is listed as a fruit
Grains and pseudograins and foods made with them
- Portion size: ½ – 1 cup (presumably cooked)
- Whole grains, e.g. amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oats (steel-cut, gluten-free), quinoa
- Whole grain gluten-free cereals, e.g. puffed rice cereal
- Whole grain gluten-free pastas and noodles, e.g. brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta
- Whole grain gluten-free breads, e.g. gluten-free vegan bread, corn tortillas
- Whole grain gluten-free flours, e.g. brown rice flour, gluten-free oat flour, millet flour, quinoa flour
Beans and legumes
- Portion size: ½ – 1 cup (presumably cooked)
- Dried or canned (look for cans without BPA linings) or bagged or glass jars
- Beans, e.g. adzuki beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans
- Chickpeas, hummus
- Lentils – e.g. beluga lentils, black lentils, green lentils
- Low-processed soy – edamame, tofu
Nuts and seeds
- Portion size: ¼ cup for whole nuts and seeds, 1-2 tablespoons for nut butters
- Keep fresh – cycle out your stock regularly, or put them in the fridge after opening
- Raw and unsalted, for healthy fats and proteins
- Nuts – e.g. almonds, cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
- Nut butters – e.g. almond butter, peanut butter
- Nut flours – e.g. almond flour
- Seeds – e.g. chia seeds, flaxseeds (and ground flaxseed), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Seed butters – e.g. sunflower butter, tahini (sesame seed butter)
- Seed flours – e.g. ground chia seeds
Fats
- Fats like avocado – portion size ½ cup (not clear what else is “like avocado” for this portion size)
- Oils – portion size 1 tablespoon – e.g. canola oil (high heat), coconut oil, flax oil, extra virgin olive oil, safflower oil (high heat)
- Canola mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise)
Beverages
- Water (see amounts and recommendations in General Guidelines above), water with lemon
- Unsweetened tea
- Nut milks, e.g. almond milk, coconut milk
- Coconut water
Herbs and spices
- Herbs – e.g. basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, thyme
- Spices – e.g. black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, garlic powder, ginger, paprika, sea salt, turmeric
Sweeteners
- Agave, maple syrup, raw cane sugar (included in a small amount for a bread recipe after the diet)
- Vegan dark chocolate (over 70%)
- Dried fruit
Other foods / condiments / pantry
- Savory – e.g. capers, coconut aminos, mustard, nutritional yeast, olives, nori sheets, tomato paste and canned tomatoes, red curry paste, vegetable broth, vinegar (e.g. apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar)
- Sweet – e.g. applesauce, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract
- Neutral – e.g. arrowroot flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut milk, dry active yeast, tapioca flour
- Nut and seed butters and flours – see Nuts and seeds above
- 22-Days Nutrition protein powder
- 22-Days protein bars

Unclear foods with The 22-Day Revolution

Unclear – Gluten-containing foods – the book doesn’t expressly say that gluten and wheat are bad, but it doesn’t have any recipes containing wheat products and it even calls for gluten-free oats. If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy it tells you to avoid gluten. But it appears that this diet encourages you to be gluten-free in general – it would be nice if it were a little clearer!
Unclear – Coffee – this isn’t mentioned in the book, and caffeine also isn’t mentioned. Presumably you can have unsweetened coffee (so you’re not drinking calories) and use plant-based milks and creamers

Foods to avoid with The 22-Day Revolution

Animal-based foods
- Meat, e.g. beef, pork, processed meat, deli meat, hot dogs
- Poultry, e.g. chicken
- Fish, seafood
- Eggs
- Milk products, e.g. milk, butter, cream, cheese, ice cream, yogurt
Refined and processed foods / “Frankenfoods”
- Anything containing processed white flour – cookies, pancake mixes, cake mixes, white breads, cupcakes
“Vegan” processed foods, e.g. vegan hot dog made in a vegan bun made from processed flours
Sugar and sugary foods
- If the ingredients include “sugar” or “corn syrup”, don’t buy it
- g. sugary drinks, candy, chocolate
- Hidden sugars – e.g. tomato sauces, salad dressings, peanut butter, pretzels
- Honey isn’t expressly excluded, but the book does say that vegans avoid honey
Artificial sweeteners
- Diet sodas, diet candies, diet anything
Artificial additives, flavorings, preservatives
Beverages
- Drinks with calories
- Soda, lemonade
- Sugary tea
- Alcohol – no alcohol for 22 days, and with restraint after that

Fast-track program

This is a program for people who have more than 30 pounds to lose.

It will take time to lose weight, by taking in fewer calories and burning more calories – don’t expect miracle results.

Replace dinner or breakfast with a smoothie a few times a week (recipes in book)
As a meal replacement, try a 22-Days Nutrition protein powder in one of the smoothies, or try a 22-Days protein bar as an easy grab-and-go meal
For a more aggressive approach, or if you have more than 50 pounds to lose, supercharge your weight loss even more by replacing your dinner with a green juice at least 4 times per week. Start your day with a smoothie for breakfast, and lunch from the meal plan, and then a green juice for dinner
Shift the meals and eat the denser, more carb-heavy option for lunch instead of dinner
If you have more than 50 pounds to lose, try intermittent fasting – skip meals every once in a while or every other day

Lifetime diet

Continue to eat plants
Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of eating for emotional reasons
Eat consciously by sitting while you eat and eating slowly
Eat right when you wake up in the morning, not right before you go to sleep at night
Remember that alcohol calories are empty calories, so choose them wisely. If you’re going to reintroduce wine, do so with moderation and realize that it affects your weight and your health

Health benefits claimed in The 22-Day Revolution

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: acne, asthma, atherosclerosis, bloating, cancer, cardiovascular disease, constipation, diabetes, prediabetes, fatigue, heart attacks, heart disease, heartburn, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypertension, inflammation, overweight/obesity, slow metabolism, stomachaches, stroke, vision problems

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.

The diet’s website is http://www.22daysnutrition.com – it includes a blog, newsletter, community, store, and meal delivery. The diet is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/22days, Instagram at https://instagram.com/22daysnutrition/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/22daysnutrition, and Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/22daysnutrition/.

How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment or question below.